Mango Mouth - chapter One

This is the first chapter of my first completed manuscript. It is about a girl who lives in a small village and is blessed with a special gift thus the name " Mango Mouth".

A gentle morning breeze crawls down the lush green hills and tenderly strokes the leaves of the trees, as it cools the quiet country village of Toco, a farming community peacefully resting in a valley under the protecting embrace of the Pariah Hills. The lazy Guapo River runs through Toco quenching its thirst whenever the need arises.

Toco is known island wide for the many crops its fertile land produces so effortlessly. However the sweetness of its numerous varieties of mangoes is almost legendary. So tempting is the taste of these mangoes that all of its inhabitants eagerly await the mango season. When they can sink their teeth into the juicy flesh of a mango and savour the taste as nectar runs down chin, fingers and arms.

One little girl living in Toco named Annie, is known by the villagers to have a huge appetite for the mangoes.  Annie who is just 9 years old seems to know before anyone else in the village, which tree will bear the first mango and which will ripe first. Every mango season since her fifth birthday, Annie is always the first person in the village to be seen eating a mango. She also knows where the largest mangoes can be found. Therefore it came as no surprise to anyone living in Toco that Annie got the name ‘Mango Mouth’. No one can recall who gave her the name or at what age she acquired it, Annie just became ‘Mango Mouth’.

Mango mouth lives in one of the larger houses in Toco, with her parents, two brothers and two sisters. Her house is situated alongside the winding narrow road which runs through the center of Toco, dividing the village into two equal parts. The northern section slopes directly from the first Pariah hill until it meets the road. The southern section slopes from the road down to the Guapo River, crosses it and ascends the other Pariah hill. Mango mouth lives in the Southern section with the window to her room facing the river, looking down upon her family’s land. The land is populated with many varieties of fruit trees- mangoes included as if I needed to say, vegetable plants and livestock. This is the norm in Toco, regardless of which section you live in. The land owned by those on the northern section extends up the mountain. Those owned by those on the southern section normally covers both sides of the river. Narrow wooden bridges link both sides of the river since a few villagers live across the river and have to cross daily. A few use river boats to make the crossing, especially to deliver their produce to the trucks and vans which transports it to the markets and factories across the island. Mango mouth can open her window and view all of these activities as she stands on her bed looking out every morning.

Most mornings, whether it is school or vacation time, she will forget everything as she closely observes the daily activities of the farmers including her parents. However this morning is different, mango season is approaching. So she is looking and smelling for something special, the first sign of growing, ripening fruit. Where she got this gift or how is a mystery even to her. All she knows is that she can sense when the fruit is around even if it is on one of the trees over the river. School is on vacation so there is no hurry to move from her observation point at her window.

“Good Morning Annie”, her mother Indra says as she enters the bedroom, giving her the usual tight hug and a long wet kiss on the cheek. Mango Mouth bursts into laughter instantly. She just reacts this way every morning to her mother’s hug and kiss.

“Good Morning mommy” she says as she hugs and kisses her mother.

“What is this I hear, laughter before I have arrived?” her father says as he enters the bedroom with his usual wide smile.

“Yes Daddy, just warming up for you!” Mango Mouth says between laughs as she is warmed by a hug and wet kiss from her father.

“Good Morning Annie.”

“Good Morning Daddy”, she replies as she hugs him tight with her eyes squeezed shut.

“Come now child let go of your daddy so he can prepare to do his work”, her mother says with a serious tone in her voice.

Mango mouth hugs him even tighter knowing her mother is only teasing her.

“Anything yet?” her father asks.

“Just something slight” she replies still hugging him very tight, “Very slight”.

“The season coming late this year.” her mother says.

“Last year this time Annie was covered in juice from head to toe.” her father responds.

Mango Mouth laughs out loud while still hugging her father and says, “I even got fat!”

“Yes and talking about fat, OH my back!” groans her father.

“Daddy!” she says, loosening the hug so she can look him in the face.

“You are getting heavy!” he replies still smiling.

“Daddy!” she says again feigning hurt.

Simon could not hold his laughter any longer; it burst out filling the entire house. The other children laugh as they hear it. If there is one thing they all miss when they are away from home, it is the sound of their father’s laughter every morning. They pray it will last forever.

“Daddy!” continues Mango Mouth between her own laughter and tears of joy.

“O.K., O.K., you are as light as a feather.” he says between his laughs.

“Time to let your daddy go Annie.” her mother finally says.

Reluctantly she releases him and sits down on the bed leaning against her mother.

“I will be going to see Gramps. Want to go?” her father asks knowing very well what her response will be.

“YES! YES!” Mango mouth screams at the top of her voice.

This day will include a river boat ride, lots of fruit to eat, grandma’s food, grandpa’s stories and swimming in the safe pool- “YES! YES!”

“Why do I always ask her this question?” her father says shaking his head.

“I have no idea.” her mother replies as they both watch Mango Mouth. She leaps from the bed unto the floor, grabs a towel and sets off full speed ahead toward the bathroom.

“Careful child there is a speed limit!” her mother shouts after her laughing as Simon sits beside her on the bed.

 

Author's Note

Feel free to critique, even the grammar.