Cortanooth: A Short Story
In Cortanooth, there is a native fruit that grows every spring. It is called manala and it’s skin is bright green, like a granny smith apple. When you take a knife to it’s thick skin to reveal a dark orange, soft flesh that tastes similar to a mango. This fruit was once very popular in Cortanooth, until a hurricane wiped out the small island, leaving few of the trees it grows on. One day in April 1974, Mystic came across a manala tree that stood isolated from the village he lives in. He took a new route home from school this day and bumped into it. Mystic wore rags and had a staggered walk because his shoes had holes all on the soles. His family was far from wealthy, but they stressed the importance of education in him growing up. He always
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Only today, he grew curious of the delicious fruit that grew from the tree and decided to try it. Food at his cousin's’ house was rationed out in a way that everyone could only have one meal a day. Mystic always carried his father’s pocket knife, who was tomato picker, as a weapon he once used on an angry cat. After snacking on the manala, he head home to his cot. While laying down, Mystic began to feel confident in himself, a feeling has not felt in a long time. The following day at school, his teacher kept him after class to discuss a college interested in offering him a scholarship. A free ride at that! Mystic was thrilled and returned home boasting to his family, who were shocked since nobody in his village has even stepped foot in a college. Everyday for the next week he continued to walk the same path home, eating manala fruit each time. Soon after, students began walking home with Mystic, stopping to eat manala. Mystic began to notice by the end of spring that there was no more fruit on the tree. He was not worried, for everyone in the village got to have some of the fruit. Years later, Mystic graduated from medical school and got a job at a hospital near his village. He walked to the manala tree and saw only its massive trunk, meaning he had to look high up to witness the top; which was filled with manala fruit on every branch. There were a few ripe ones that had landed at his feet, indicating the
Only today, he grew curious of the delicious fruit that grew from the tree and decided to try it. Food at his cousin's’ house was rationed out in a way that everyone could only have one meal a day. Mystic always carried his father’s pocket knife, who was tomato picker, as a weapon he once used on an angry cat. After snacking on the manala, he head home to his cot. While laying down, Mystic began to feel confident in himself, a feeling has not felt in a long time. The following day at school, his teacher kept him after class to discuss a college interested in offering him a scholarship. A free ride at that! Mystic was thrilled and returned home boasting to his family, who were shocked since nobody in his village has even stepped foot in a college. Everyday for the next week he continued to walk the same path home, eating manala fruit each time. Soon after, students began walking home with Mystic, stopping to eat manala. Mystic began to notice by the end of spring that there was no more fruit on the tree. He was not worried, for everyone in the village got to have some of the fruit. Years later, Mystic graduated from medical school and got a job at a hospital near his village. He walked to the manala tree and saw only its massive trunk, meaning he had to look high up to witness the top; which was filled with manala fruit on every branch. There were a few ripe ones that had landed at his feet, indicating the