text: The sun had just set behind the sand dunes that surround the city of Agrabah. The merchants are beginning to close up their shops and the common folks are getting ready for the nightly activities. Aladdin and his family will take advantage of this time, when the guards are tired and the merchants are preoccupied with counting their earnings for the day. Aladdin has been taught by his parents that this is the easiest time to take any bread or fruit that still remains on the merchants stands. Aladdin’s father would tell him how the stale food will most likely be thrown out anyways, so even if they are caught the punishment would not be so severe. This meant that their meals would consist of stale bread and rotten fruit, however, when you are a poor citizen of Agrabah you have to survive some way. The plan was simple. Aladdin’s mother, Samira, would distract the merchant by flirtatious means while Aladdin and his father would stuff their pockets with the spoiled fruits. Samira’s long black hair would wave back and forth as she talked to the merchant. Her brown eyed gaze would be interrupted by her eyelashes gracefully batting down toward the unsuspecting merchant. Aladdin’s heart would race as he saw his mother laughing with the merchant, averting his gaze away from the apparent theft. Everything would always go as planned. The merchant would be no wiser and the poor family of Agrabah could eat their first meal of the day. Some nights, however, the Queen would take a nightly stroll outside of the temple’s gates. Guards would be more on edge these nights and the merchants would stay open longer in hopes that the Queen would stop by their stand and give a generous donation. Aladdin was taught to never steal on these nights, but it had been nearly a week since his stomach had been filled with rotten fruit and hardened bread. His eyes were sunken in and his body appeared frail. The merchants stocked their stands in abundance in anticipation for the Queens arrival. “Look at him, Hakim, he needs to eat.” Aladdin overheard his mother say to his Father. “We all need to eat, but the Queen will be out tonight, it is too dangerous.” Aladdin could hear the sternness in his fathers voice. Aladdin’s hand was grabbed by his fathers to direct him through the crowd of people that hoped to catch a glimpse of the queen walking through the streets. “The Queen isn’t even on this side of town Hakim, if she were don’t you think we’d see more Guards? This looks like a regular night in Agrabah.” She was right. The amount of guards present in the street was fairly dismal. “We could use these crowds as a diversion. The merchants would not be able to see us or their bread disappear.” Aladdin could feel his father’s sweat start to form on the palms of his hand. “Ok, Samira, I will take just enough for us to eat tonight, you watch Aladdin.” “Are you joking? You are the tallest man in Agrabah, the merchants will see your head towering over the crowds. I will go, and you watch Aladdin.” She said as Aladdin watched her disappear into the crowd of people. “Let’s go over here and watch the street performers son.” Hakim guided Aladdin over to a shirtless man who was only wearing a turban and pants. The scars on the mans neck and chest scarred Aladdin, yet he still watched in awe as the man waved a sword around in the air. Aladdin’s heart skipped a beat as the man held the sword directly above his mouth. “What’s he going to do with the sword Daddy?” Aladdin asked innocently. “Just watch closely, son, it’s all a trick.” Hakim’s smile calmed Aladdin as they watched the man courageously swallow the sword. “Thief! Return the bread immediately!” A voice shouted through the crowds of people. The man with the sword in his mouth was startled and immediately coughed up the sharp piece of silver from his throat. Blood landed on the floor near Aladdin’s feet as the man held his throat and screamed in pain. “Samira?” Aladdin’s father shouted as he yanked Aladdin away from the horrific scene and through the crowd of people. “Hakim, help me!” Aladdin could hear the desperation in his mothers voice but could not see her through the crowd of people his father was navigating him through. They pushed past the shoulders of people forming a circle when they finally got to a clearing. The merchant held a sword in one hand and with the other he was grasping Samira’s wrist as she struggled to break free. “Stay here son.” Hakim let go of Aladdin’s arm and dove towards the merchant as the sword was about to strike his mothers wrist. The guard flew to the floor and Samira was free. “Run!” Hakim shouted as he quickly stood back up and picked up Aladdin. The merchant chased after them as they ran through the small alleyways and weaved through the crowds of people. Aladdin looked over his fathers shoulder and saw the merchant was no longer chasing them. “I told you it was too dangerous Samira.” Aladdin could hear his father scolding her. “Ya, but we have to steal to eat.” Samira handed Aladdin the first piece of soft bread his hands had felt in over three years. He remembers the last time he felt bread like this was when the Queen bought his family some bread one of the times she was in town. Aladdin smiled at the bread and filled his stomach with the fresh food. “Watch where you’re walking you peasant.” Aladdin looked up from his bread to see his mother in the arms of a guard. A lady was on the ground beside them holding her wrist in pain. “My wrist! I think it’s broken.” the lady screamed out. As she looked up at the Guards Aladdin saw that it was the Queen. “Your Highness.” Aladdin’s father said as he knelt to the floor. Aladdin heard the merchant shouting behind him. “Help thats the lady that stole my bread!” The guard glanced down at Aladdin’s mom and saw a piece of bread in her bag. “These are filthy street rats, take the queen to safety.” the Guard demanded. Aladdin saw him pick his mother up by her neck. Her feet were lifted into the air. The queen contrastingly, was graciously lifted into the air and carried away. The guards pushing Aladdin out of the way as they made their way back to the palace. “Hakim, take Aladdin and go.” She coughed out. Her brown eyes looked at Aladdin and he saw a tear fall to her cheek. “Theft and assaulting the Queen. Death is the only punishment for a street rat like you.” The guards sword raised into the air and Aladdin was jettisoned away by his father. He tried to see what was happening to his mother but his father kept his face tucked into his chest. “Mom!” He yelled out, but to no avail for he could only hear his fathers heart beating loudly. His fathers breath heated the top of Aladdin’s head as they weaved through the crowds of people to evade the guards. They arrived to the entrance of their home. A whole underneath a building that had enough space for the three of them to sleep comfortably. It was hidden from site as long as the rug was placed over the entrance. Aladdin’s father moved the rug and placed him inside the den. “I’ve got to go help your mom, but I’ll be back son. Do not come out for anything until morning.” Aladdin’s father reassured him as the carpet slid over the entrance and Aladdin was left alone in his dark cold home. “Hey I’m over here.” Hakim yelled. Aladdin listened to his fathers footstep quickly disappear leaving him alone in the room. He walked around the tattered sheets on the floor until he bumped into a wooden box that functioned as a table. He blindly searched for the matchbox on the table. He struck a match and found the candle that was across the room. Walking over carefully to not extinguish the match, he carefully lit the candle. Light surrounded the humble home. Aladdin sat on the dirt floor of his home, staring out a slight crack between the rug and the entrance. The feet were constantly passing by. For hours he watched, and for hours he never saw a pair of his fathers worn sandals stop in front of the rug. His heart sank as time passes and he is left to wonder what happened to his parents. Eventually a monkey breaks the silence. Aladdin has always loved the small monkeys that people keep as companions in Agrabah. He disobeys his fathers wishes and walks across the room toward the rug entrance. The rug is pushed to side by a few inches when suddenly a monkey storms inside of the home. The monkey sprints around the four dirt walls before hopping up onto Aladdin’s shoulder. There is a note tucked underneath the monkey’s hat. “What do you have here?” Aladdin rhetorically questions the monkey. The note Reads: Alladin, Your mother and I had to escape the city. The Guards would not let us live for what we have done. I am sorry, but you will be safer with out us. Love, your father. The note fell to the floor as a tear fell from his eye. There was no signature from his mother. “Why wouldn’t she have written any thing?” Aladdin thought to himself. Then the gruesome reality of what must’ve happened to her came to him. The memory of the sword swallower choking on the sword rushed to the front of his mind. The blood that poured from the mans mouth from an accident. It had to be null in comparison to the blow his mom must have received from the guard Falling to his knees he cried out as he covered his face with his dirty hands. The monkey hopped onto his shoulder and he felt the fur brush up against his ear. The Monkeys paw caressed the back of Aladdin’s head as he cried alone. He knew his mother was dead. He knew not what happened to his father, but what he did know was that he would only have this monkey from here on out. Gathering his emotions he glanced down at the monkey. “What should I call you?” The monkey screeched back at him. “Habibu?” The monkey screeched louder. “Habib?” The monkey became more irritable, jumping off of Aladdins shoulder pacing back and forth. “Abu?” A giant smile formed over the monkeys face and he started clapping his hands together. “Alright buddy, Abu it is, you want some bread?” Aladdin laughed as he picked up some bread from the floor. He tore it in half and handed it to Abu. “It’s just me and you from here on out Abu. Welcome to my home.” Abu smiled and ate the massive piece of bread. Aladdin felt nervous, yet had a sense of confidence. The confidence surmounted from his fathers trust in him. This confidence will be tested as he ages with Abu in the city of Agrabah.