Beggar King

Chapter 1

“Watch where you are going, boy”, a man shouted at Matthew as he maneuvered his cart through the crowded market place. “Sorry, sir”, Matthew said as he scurried away with the fruit he had just stolen from a local vender. Talking to himself Matthew asked, “Why was I born like this?” All of a sudden a voice popped into his head and said, You were born for better than this. “Ahhh, I’m hearing voices again – why won’t they just stop. For an important reason you were brought into this world.

As Matthew made his way back to the corner to where he was left as a child and had begged for his whole life, he thought about what greater purpose he could be called to. A scientist, perhaps, a cardinal in the church, no way, a soldier, now that might work. I’ve always wanted to be royalty, but I know that will never happen.

Even though living on the streets offered no hope, Matthew kept his hope up that one day he would do something good. He had to live on the street no matter what weather or storm because no one would take him in. Matthew had never felt love or had loved anyone. He always wished for someone to love him or to have someone to love, but he thought that could never happen. When he returned to the sewers that he had spent his last five years, no one was there save his one “friend”, Turtle. He was known for never leaving the comforts of the sewer that Matthew and he shared, because of fear.

“Turtle” Matthew said
“Yeah, did you get anything good I am starving” Turtle replied.
Matthew thought to himself ‘Why doesn’t Turtle get his own food? I’m getting tired of providing for this boy that is twice my age’ Then he blurted out, “Why don’t you get your own, there is barely enough for me here to begin with and you take most of it leaving me with the crumbs.”
“Matthew, you do know that the only reason we are down here is because of me, I showed everyone this place and I can kick you out. Now give me your food!”
“No, I will not.” Matthew replied hesitantly.
“Then you are not allowed down here ever again.”
“Fine, I was getting tired of the smells and the rats anyways.” As Matthew walked away he kept contemplating where he would go now. He knew no one in the city would take him in for free, so he decided that he would sleep on the streets tonight and try to find a job which would pay enough for him to have a place to stay.


The next day Matthew left his corner to try to find work. He first tried a potter’s shop. He asked the potter, “Can I work here?”
The potter said, “If you do well today, I will give you a job. I have a large number of pots I need made by next week, each pot takes three days to make them perfectly hard, so I need you to make some of the small pots while I work on the large ones. I’ll check on you in a few hours to see how you are doing.”
Matthew was so excited that he had a job he forgot that he knew nothing about pottery, and now each time he tried to shape the pot it came out wrong. Either it had holes or it was to thin, some of them even looked like boxes. When the potter came to check in on his progress he was furious. He saw that Matthew had not been able to make a single pot, and then he balked “This is an important job, if you are not able to do it I cannot pay you. Go now, and don’t try to get this job ever again.”

Next he tried a bakery and asked the same question that he had asked to the potter and he got the same answer. This job started off well but as the day progressed, things got worse, again because he had not been given any instruction and again because he had not asked for help. Making and shaping the dough was easy enough but when he put the rolls in the brick oven, he did not know how long they were to be in the oven and when he checked the rolls were burnt to a crisp and their ashes were feeding the fire. Yet again he was tossed out onto the streets. Matthew was becoming depressed, his bad luck has hitting again, and he would have to spend another night out on the streets. He did not know where to go next.

Finally, Matthew tried a stable. He asked the owner, “Sir, please give me a chance to work and let it be an easy job.” It was here his luck turned and he began to like his new job. The man said he had to clean the stables and if he worked real hard, he would teach him how to ride. So that day Matthew worked as hard as he could to earn the favor of his new employer and since the work was easy and the man had shown him how to do it Matthew had no problem with this job and he completed it with ease.


Chapter 2


The next day Matthew returned to the stable. The old man was standing there. He still had a full head of hair but streaks of gray were creeping through his midnight black hair, he was a bit tanner than everyone Matthew had ever knew, though he had seen some walking past him on his corner. Matthew regretted that thought, he did not need to beg anymore he had a job and a place to stay. The man had allowed him to sleep in the stable with a certain horse.
“His name is Hailstorm and if you work for me long enough he will be yours.” He had said. Now Matthew’s job was not easy and all that physical exertion was quickly building up his muscles making the job the man had given him much easier. Each day he grew stronger and he was able to complete his jobs earlier and earlier. The man never told Matthew his name, and when they did talk it was only about Matthew never about himself. Matthew thought this was weird but did not want to question him in fear that he would lose favor in the eyes of this kind old man. When Matthew had been around for a few weeks the man said, “Hey, do you want to learn to ride so you can train my horses or do you want to just muck stalls for the rest of your life.”
Matthew answered, “No sir, I would love to learn to ride.”
The man replied, “Stop calling me sir, it was nice for the first week, now get out Hailstorm and I will start to teach you.”
“Thank you, si….”
“Just get him”
So the man started to teach him to ride that very day. The beginning was rough, when he tried to mount the horse, it started to buck wildly and he fell to the ground with a thud. The old man chuckled, “Get up and teach him you’re the boss, but don’t be too rough.”
“Ok!” So Matthew tried to mount again, this time he got all the way up on the horse before it began to get antsy. “It’s ok Hailstorm, there is nothing to worry about, I am not going to hurt you.” At the sound of his calm voice the horse settled down a bit allowing Matthew to situate himself into a comfortable position in the saddle.
“Now grab the reigns, gently”
Matthew reached for the reigns but the shift in his weight must have startled the horse because it reared up on its back legs and launched Matthew off his back. “Oww...”
The old man chuckled again, “That’s enough for today, finish off mucking the stalls then get to work knowing this horse, he isn’t used to you yet, and I doubt you want to get bucked again.”
“You’re right about that.” As Matthew walked back to his stall, he noticed something; it seemed that the man actually cared for his well being. He had a weird way of showing it but it seemed that it was definitely there. Once he reached the stall, he changed his mind; he would take Hailstorm for a walk. Matthew hoped the man wouldn’t care. “Come on, Hailstorm let’s go take a walk” Matthew gently petted the horse then he started talking to him, “Hey, boy are you ok, you seemed a little jittery back there.” Hailstorm shook his head up and down and Matthew chuckled, “Well I guess that answers my question, so do you know my masters name?” Hailstorm shook his head from side to side. “Well, I guess you understand me, which is funny.” It almost seemed as if Hailstorm was smiling, he seemed to be almost human, this made Matthew grin. He was giving a horse the same dignity as a man, but at the same time it made him feel safe, as if he had someone watching over him. “Hey boy, do you want to hear a story?” Hailstorm shook his head up and down again. “Ok then, so here it goes,” and so they stood there for half of the night as Matthew detailed his life up to the point he was right then. “We should probably get back Hailstorm; I have to muck the stalls and then we both need to get some sleep.” As they slowly walked home, Matthew discovered that telling Hailstorm his troubles had given him a little more confidence in himself and released some of the pent up troubles. When they finally got back to the stalls Matthew said, “Thanks for listening, Hailstorm,” and then he waked off to muck the remaining stalls.
“You’re not finished yet, what’s taking you so long?”
“Sorry, si…, um… I was getting to know my horse.” Matthew said startled
“He’s not yours yet, a few more weeks and he might be yours but only if you continue to work as hard as you have been, both getting to know that horse and the other odd jobs I give you.”
Matthew from that point on resolved himself to work as hard as he could to both maintain his present job and his relations with both his horse and the old man. The next day Matthew returned to the stable the next day, the old man was standing there as if waiting for him.
“So, Matthew, today you learn to ride.”
“Really!”
“Well it all depends on you, but yes today is the day you learn to ride like a pro.” And at the end of that sentence the old man broke out in laughter. “Sorry, Matthew you can’t learn how to ride a horse in a day, maybe a week if you are good at it, but probably more.”
“I don’t think that will be too hard, as long as Hailstorm lets me actually get on him today” Matthew said as he looked at Hailstorm.
The old man chuckled, “Yes, only if he actually lets you ride him.”
“Ok, let me try. Hailstorm, hey buddy, please let me get on you today. It would be very nice to be able to ride you today.” Matthew said as he tried to mount, but still Hailstorm bucked him off. “Oww…, why won’t you let me Hailstorm?”
“Maybe he doesn’t think you’re ready or maybe you’re not confident enough in yourself.”