The Simple Yet Magnificent Lifeof Samjuan Rodrigues, the Fruit Seller

A short story by Adam ScheinbergPoem written Fall 1996Story composed Spring 1998

This story was inspired by a poem written two years earlier. This story was written in pretty much one sitting as anexercise in defeating writer's block. After about twenty or so revisions, I believe the story is entirely different from thepoem yet holds true to the characters and events.© 1996 - 2003 Seth Adam Scheinberg

The Simple Yet Magnificent Life of Samjuan Rodrigues the Fruit SellerSamjuan is a marketman, he sells the tasty fruit:From pineapples to oranges to fresh ground ginger root.Samjuan’s known from coast to coast, his food has its own style,and anyone will say that it’s the best on this green isle.Known to all as simply, “Sam,” and still to others, “Juan,” everyday he sells his fruit until the lot is gone.Samjuan picked a soursap for Lizzie, Bill and me,Chose a ripe one - just today- he pulled it from a tree.Lizzie asked to taste a piece as soon as it was ready,Samjuan gladly did oblige removing his machete.Slicing through the lime green skin, the juices spilling down,I caught a glance of the tasty meat in the soursap’s ripe crown.My mouth began to salivate and hunger I did feel,as every time I open up a soursap I steal.But on this special summer day I stand on my two feetand feast upon a soursap: today it’s Samjuan’s treat.So to be here with good ol ‘Sam -- with him selecting fruitsI find I want to trade my life of papers, bills, and suits.Finest chooser in the land of every fruity typeSamjuan knows exactly to the day when fruit is ripe.Though he is unlikely so, so simple, dark, and shortSamjuan is a local legend: the humble hero sort.Though his life is void of things like CDs and TVI find that when I look at him I’m green with jealousy.October, 1996