JADE MISUNDERSTANDS

One-Minute Writer Friday Fiction: Steal

Write a brief bit of fiction, including in it the word "steal" (or some version of that word.)




JADE MISUNDERSTANDS

"You mean to tell me you have never even stolen a piece of fruit of an orchard tree?" Michael was shaking his head and he watched his unusual new friend pay for the apple. He had only taken the apple because he was hungry and he had no money to buy food with.

Jade handed the street vendor two paper dollars and thanked him for his time. "No, Michael. Where I come from everyone is equal. We share everything, so there is no need to steal."

Although Jade had been living on Earth for almost one year, Michael was the only human she had shared her secret with. Although she trusted him, she had never felt safe enough to drop her glamour in front of him so he could see her true identity. No, Jade did not feel comfortable enough for anyone to know all her secrets.

"So what do you mean everyone is equal?" Michael bit into the red apple and juices ran freely down his cheek.

"Just what I said, everyone on Jadocan is equal. I mean we do have a council of elders who govern the planet, but all the citizens are equals. Everyone has a particular job, but we all get to choose what we want to do. We don't have a monetary system, so whenever we need something, we just pick it up in the markets."

"Without paying for it - so technically, that's stealing." They turned down another street corner and headed for a small park in the next block.

"No, Michael," she looked at him like he was a simple child that didn't understand what he was talking about. "Everyone works toward a common goal - no one is trying to best anyone else. Unlike this planet - I just don't understand the greed you live with every day. And money, who in the world to you all ever get anything done?"

Jade had studied all about life on Earth for two solid years before beginning her ten year mission. Learning to handle money had been one of the harder lessons to learn. The elders tried to explain that Earthlings used paper and metal disc as currency for items of purchase. She had brought with her several precious gems from the ore mines on Jadocan and the first week on Earth, she had sold a ruby to someone called a pawnbroker. She wasn't sure what a pawn was, but the man had given her many pieces of paper money. She had been using them sparingly, but she realized that very soon, she would have to sell another gem because even though she had many metal discs left, she was down to only three or four paper bills.

They entered the small park and sat on a small bench under an oak tree, directly in front of a fountain with water spurting from a stone elephants trunk.

"You have to have money to get anywhere in this world, Jade. Without money, you are nothing." Finishing the apple, Michael tossed the core into a nearby trashcan.

"That's my point. On Jadocan everyone is someone, there is no need for money. I've seen how greed changes the people on your planet, and believe me Michael, the change is not a good thing."

They sat under the oak tree for many long minutes before standing up and heading back onto the streets of San Francisco.