text: Adam watched in delight as his two sons walked through the pasture hauling their baskets of newly discovered crops. He had sent them each their separate ways two months prior on a mission to track down as many edible fruits as possible and from the looks of it, both of their harvests had yielded impressive results. He greeted them both with an exuberant, “Welcome home!” And a warm embrace, but quickly urged them to share their findings with him before settling in, as he was quite eager to learn of the delicacies they’ve corralled on their travels. Abel went first. “Well, father. I think you’ll be quite taken by this first item,” he confidently stated while pulling a pale yellow glob out of his basket. “I call it, Mango!” He added enthusiastically. “Mango!” Adam repeated jovially. “I love it!” Abel beemed with pride as he watched his father bite a huge chunk out of the newly acquired fruit, the juices dripping down his chin. “It’s delicious! Well done, Abel! Well done, indeed! And I love the name. Mango. So fresh! So exotic!” Adam wiped his mouth on his sleeve and turned to his other son, Cain. “Well, boy. Let’s see what nectars you’ve unearthed on your voyage.” Not to be outdone, Cain proudly removed the first item from his basket, an orange ball-shaped mass. He held it up high, cleared his throat and said, “I call it, Orange!” After a moment or two of silence, Cain added, “Did you hear me father?” “Yes, yes I did,” Adam replied lackadaisically, careful not to offend his sensitive child. “It’s...a...it’s a...” Ahem, Adam cleared his throat. “It’s a good name. Good job Cain,” he added in a perfunctory tone before quickly turning back towards Abel. “What else you got for me, son?” “Prepare to be blown away, Abel declared in an ostentatious display as he whipped out the next piece from his basket. “I call it, Papaya!” Adam gasped in amusement. “Papaya! Papaya!” He kept repeating. God damn that’s fun to say!” Cain was not unaware of his father’s fondness for his brother, Abel. and was hopeful that the naming of the fruits would tip the scales in his favor. Although, witnessing his father’s fervent admiration for the papaya disgusted Cain. and a deep, deep hatred for his brother began to grow in his heart. “Cain!” Adam called out, snapping Cain out of his daydream. “Let’s see what else you’ve found.” Cain nervously ruffled around in his basket before removing a blue cluster of berries. “My, my,” Adam remarked at the sight of the new fruit. “Those look mighty tasty. What do you call those, Cain?” Cain replied apprehensively, “I call them blueberries.” Then sensing his selection was poorly received grabbed a different berry cluster, “And these ones I call blackberries.” “Ugh,” Adam groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re just not getting it, Cain. Your mother is going to wake up from her nap soon, delighted to see you, but also anxious to find out what you two have brought us. New means of sustenance. New discoveries that could change our lives. But they’ve got to sound sexy, Cain. Otherwise your mother will never go for it. If there’s no mystique, no allure, she’ll never give it a chance. We need something to distract her from her obsession with the forbidden fruit. That horrible, awful, life-changing fruit in that god-forsaken garden with that idiot snake. I was literally the only man on earth and she fooled around on me with a reptile. I swear to god, I’ll never understand women. The boys twiddled their thumbs awkwardly during their fathers tirade. Then Abel broke the uncomfortable silence that followed, “Wait until you try the Dragonfruit, dad!” ”Did you just say Dragonfruit?” Adam exclaimed. “That’s fucking bad-ass!” Cain tried his best to put on a happy face but the envy he felt towards his brother was growing faster than the mold on the heart shaped red berries he aptly named heart-shaped red-berries. “This is amazing!” Adam mumbled with a mouth full. “Dragonfruit! Fucking rad!” Abel dusted off his shoulders and smirked at his underacheiveing brother. The hatred in Cain’s heart begin to simmer. “Abel, my boy, you’ve outdone yourself on this one. I’m super proud of you son,” Adam declared. Then with less conviction, he added, “You too, Cain.” Cain, however, was not ready to throw in the towel, as he still had yet to unleash his secret weapon. “Behold,” he bellowed. “For what I’m about to present you is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I risked my life climbing the highest trees nearly falling to my death in order to locate this delicious treat. I wrestled this bundle away from an aggressive pack of spider monkeys, ducking and dodging vicious blows from their swiftly swinging monkey paws. It was a harrowing journey, Father, but a productive one. For now, I present you with, Curvy-Yellow-Thing!” Silence ensued with the exception of the chirping sounds the grass made as they had yet to discover crickets. “You hate it don’t you,” Cain muttered dejectedly, his head bowed in shame, staring at his feet. “I’m sure it’s delicious, Cain,” his father assured him. “You just don’t have a knack for words like your brother. Help him out will you, Abel?” Abel scratched his chin for a moment, snapped his fingers and pointed at his crestfallen brother. “Banana!” He smugly shouted “Son-of-a-Bitch that’s good,” Adam exclaimed. “How do you come up with these names so quickly?” “It just flows right off the top my my head,” Abel replied. “You’ve got a way with words, that’s for sure. “Thanks, Pop. I’m gonna be a rapper when I grow up.” “Well, I’ll be the first in line to buy your album.” “I got bars, Dad.” “I know that’s right.” The hatred in Cain’s heart began to boil. So he wasn’t as creative or artistic as his brother. So what? He was stronger, bolder, and far more determined. The focus of his determination was being the favorite child. And today had proven an obstacle difficult to overcome. He wished he were more like his brother. Maybe then his father would show him the same amount of affection he had only observed from the sidelines. But he wasn’t creative or artistic. He couldn’t dream up the wildly inventive names for fruit like his brother. If only he were Abel. Eve was finally awake. Adam instructed the boys to go stand in the pasture a hundred yards away for 7-9 minutes, so he could give his wife a much needed back massage. “Then you can show her all of your glorious findings!” He proclaimed. “Sure thing,” said Abel. “Yes,” Cain concurred. “That will be just fine.” The boys both turned and headed towards the field. Cain picking up a stone on the way. His brother boasting about his recent accomplishments. Cain knew what needed to be done.