Evoked

Beneath the Mango Tree

It is the season of yellow. The air bears a sweet smell; a fragrance that is distinguished from the black air. The tree is full of ripened fruit. Adored by many, adored in most ways.

While the sky is blue, Frank lies beneath the Mango tree. Lying beneath it, gives Frank a breath of relief for once; a breath of hope for once.

He never minds the rough grass touching his skin; and the wetness from the early drizzling rain.

There he lays; thinking and thinking and thinking.

"What journey's awaiting ahead?", says Frank. Then thinks of a question after another and another.

"Of all dimensions, I have this one for a life. But why? Why of all this?"

"Would it be right to be selfish for once?"

"How rich will I be in the future?"

"Do I get to marry a beautiful woman?"

Eventually, Frank tires himself out from asking questions of sorts. While lying, he looks at his hand and—

"NEXT PERIOD'S STARTING IN ONE MINUTE! How could I let myself drown in thoughts!", Frank shouts and mumbles to himself while panicking to rush himself to his next period.

The worse thing is, he's not doing so great with THAT subject. Well, he used to be great with THAT subject but everything changed.

———

Frank arrives 20 minutes late for the period. The Mango tree is almost 20 minutes away from his school. It always happens. Frank never goes to the Mango tree before he arrived in this university to study his dream course. It was unusual of him to go elsewhere 30 minutes before the next period. He used to staying inside the campus, in the library, until his last class for the day but now, Frank doesn't seem like Frank at all.

"Frank! Why are you late? It's improper for a top student like you to be late!", Ms. Dominggo reprimands Frank.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Dominggo. I am terribly sorry. I was lying beneath a Mango tree for some fresh air and I didn't notice that the time has gone by. It won't happen again Miss!", Frank say while looking at the floor, then at the shoes of Ms. Dominggo.

Frank notices how clean Ms. Dominggo's shoes are. Probably Ms. Dominggo had all the time to check her shoes of it is dirty or not. Frank could never; he'd even forget what shoes he's wearing all the time.

'Hmmm I guess this is a sign to check on my shoes.'

*looks on his feet

'Great! I'm wearing the exact pair not like yesterday.'

'Oh I see. Fate has plans to let me come to school with something wrong with me. If it's not the shoes, then it's going to be socks. And why does it gotta be pink and white?"

Frank is drowning in his own thoughts; never even minding his teacher being in front of him.

"Frank! I've been calling you for the fourth time. Frank— You know what? Take a seat."

Frank looks up to the eyes of Ms. Dominggo and then he rushes to his seat, at the back of the whole class.

Frank never cares about sitting in front. He used to but he realizes that it doesn't matter at all. He's missing that feeling again for the third time this day.

Frank sits on his crummy desk; vandalized with the words: "I wish". He always write that phrase everywhere, every time he's bored.

And now, he's getting bored with the lecture. He tries to make his body comfortable in the desk he's sitting but while doing that, something catches his eye.