Antonio: The Boy Who Got To Play

Prologue

Long, long ago, when the Earth overflowed with magic and people were one with the Earth, lived a small boy called Antonio. Antonio was an only child whose mother led a very busy life. She would wake up every morning and leave for work while Antonio stayed at home and waited for her return. As soon as she came back, she would cook and she would clean, then she would put Antonio to bed. This was Antonio's life for the longest time. But Antonio's mother could see how sad it made Antonio. When she came home every day, she would see how his eyes lit up at the sight of her, only for his shoulders to slump back down when she would tell him to get the table ready for lunch instead of telling him to get his ball. Every night, she would watch his eyes beg her for bedtime stories while his feet danced in anticipation, but she'd be too tired to speak. She'd peck him goodnight and close the door, only to stay up in her bed thinking about how lonely Antonio must feel. This was Antonio's mother's life for the longest time.

The night before Antonio's 7th birthday, Antonio's mother could not sleep. It was not the weather or the mosquitoes that kept her up. It was her son's gift. For years, all she could give Antonio was shelter and food. This year, she wanted to give him more. She thought and thought, only to realize with despair that the only thing she had left to give him was a scroll left by his father before his birth. The secret to this scroll, her husband had once told her, was that it brought anything drawn on it to life. It had been passed on through the family and soon it would be Antonio's. Soon after Antonio's birth, Antonio's mother came home to find her husband had disappeared.

As the sound of bird song started in the forest, Antonio's mother rose. She put on her apron and cracked some eggs into the pan. She then lit a fire and cooked breakfast, adding some tomatoes and cucumbers to shape breakfast in a more colorful way. After that, she picked some flowers and finished setting the table. Finally, she took the scroll from a shelf in the house and hid it in her apron pocket. She then went to check on Antonio, who was still sound asleep. At the sound of the door creaking, Antonio shifted in bed. His mother walked in and kissed him good morning. "Mother?" he asked. "Are you okay?" His mother was surprised by this question. Only then did she notice that she hadn't woken her son up in a long time. "Yes, son," she said. "I'm okay. Let's get up for breakfast."

With that, Antonio groggily got out of bed. He got dressed and found his way to the kitchen, where a cup of milk and a plate of eggs were waiting for him. "Aren't you going to work today?" Antonio asked his mother.

"I am," she said. "In a bit."

Antonio ate breakfast with his mother in silence. Finally, as the forks hit the plates and Antonio gave his thanks for the meal, his mother said, "Antonio. There is something I've been wanting to give you."

"What is it, mother?"

"It is a very special gift," she said, walking up to him and leaning close. "It is something your father has left you for when you feel alone."

Antonio was very happy about this. "What is it, mother?" he asked, his legs swinging to and fro on the chair.

Antonio's mother pulled the scroll from her pocket and extended her hand. "This is a scroll you can draw anything you want on, and it will come alive."

"Can I draw friends?" Antonio asked, his voice hopeful.

His mother answered, her voice cracking, "yes, you can."

"Can I draw wood so you wouldn't need to chop any again?"

"Yes, you can," said his mother.

"Can I draw food and money so you'd never have to leave again?"

"Yes," said his mother. "You can."

Antonio was very happy. He kissed his mother, snatched the scroll, and ran to the garden. He hid behind the bushes and opened the scroll, not realizing that he did not have paint or a paintbrush, and not realizing that he wouldn't need to draw on the scroll at all.