Like always, I felt both rested and groggy upon waking up. The reason for my rise was the sound of water hitting the sink basin in the bathroom. I opened my eyes and saw Bernardo getting ready for the day. Looking over at the clock, I realized how late I was. It was six in the morning, meaning I was thirty minutes late in getting ready.
Pressed for time I raised my upper body from the bed and cleared the gunk from my eyes. I then proceeded to get out of the bad and make my way into the bathroom wearing cream cotton shorts and a cropped shirt.
"Morning," Bernardo said. From the mirror I could see how his hands worked at scrubbing his skin with a damp washcloth. His arm muscles, as always, captured my attention. I watched as beads of water rolled down his torso and turned my head when I saw the direction the water headed.
"Good morning," I replied, as naughty thoughts threatened to cloud my better judgement. We had settled into a cordial relationship in the week that had passed since our public introduction.
"You okay?" I nodded, gaining composure, and made my way to the sink. Returning my attention to getting ready in my truncated time table, I noticed how messy my hair had gotten throughout the night. I worked on that first, then moved on to the rest. I finished slipping on my black shoes that matched my jeans and shirt just as Bernardo walked to the door.
Mileta and Alejandro stood outside waiting on us. I made my way to the female guard and Bernardo met Alejandro before we parted ways with our guards close behind.
"Sir, are you sure you want to go to the favelas? There are many unsavory people there that might wish to do you harm," Mileta asked as we made it down the stairs.
"I do not fear them. We must embrace every aspect of the country if we want to make it better." She nodded, not happy with my answer but still escorted me out the door where an armored jeep waited. A motorcade comprising black sedans surrounded the jeep. I got in the opened door and waited for Mileta to drive off.
"How long will you and Alejandro be our personal detail," I asked.
"They slate us with this assignment for four months. After that we will learn if we get a reassignment." She kept her eyes on the winding road.
"You are from Panama, correct?"
"Yes. I grew up in the very favela I'm taking you to," she said.
"Wow! How did you end up becoming a royal guard?" I wanted a sense of familiarity with our guards.
"When you grow up where I did you find a skill fast or get stuck. My parents were soldiers who fell on hard times. We come from a long line of soldiers, starting at the beginning of the North and South monarchies. My father wanted me to get out so when he found out I had the same talent for velocity magic as him, he trained me hard. I joined the military as soon as I was old enough and made the right connections."
She continued driving at the same speed until we hit pothole littered roads surrounded by less pristine views. The smell was the first thing I noticed. The scent of trash and thousands of people living on top of one another.
How could a modern society have places so underdeveloped?
Even before the rolling hills packed with apartment towers. The roads became rougher as black tar gave way to washed out gray pavement. Every time we hit a pothole, we threatened to take flight.
There were no lush trees to gawk at, instead there were withering plants, concrete, and rusted steel. Every window I could see was open. It must have been hot for the people voluntarily to allow the miasmic air inside their dwellings.
No air conditioning?
A simple upkeep charm, a stored center of power used to maintain a spell for long periods of time could fix all the issues I saw. They could be expensive to maintain and resupply, most communities used taxes but if they were too expensive for a community, there should have been a waiver as basic living conditions were not being met. For me, it would become a necessary expense.
"Welcome to Aldega de Progreso," Mita said as we rolled to the beginning of the hills that marked the entrance to the favela. There was trash lining the sides of the streets. It was all neatly placed but had flies whirling around. I guessed that the trash collector only came once a week when they should have had more frequent stops to the congested community.
"This is really where you come from?"
"Yes, it is. Where would you like your tour to start? There is a school that everyone in the district attends, the community square, and the park." She walked over and helped me out of the jeep. Before I could make my first step a dozen guards surrounded me, assault rifles in the low ready position. They did not look trigger shy.
"The school first, please."
Mileta led the charge as we made our way through the crowd that gathered to watch the spectacle. I was sure many had not seen a royal in person. We were not impressive, as human as they were. I smiled and waved at the people who bowed their heads at me. The surrounding murmurs grew to a roar when people in their homes began speaking. Mileta did not slow her pace as we tread alleyways, turned corners, or climbed stairs. Throughout the ten-minute hike, I dampened my shirt in sweat. I could only blame myself for wearing all black clothes.
When we made it to our destination, I ogled the building that was far too small to hold the number of kids in the community. The white paint was chipping over the entire two-story school exterior. I made out the sound of children laughing from thirty yards away since there was no door to the building.
"The Prince," a little girl in a navy and yellow uniform screamed as we entered the humid building. It was hotter inside the school than it was outside. Children swarmed us, oblivious to the guards who did not look prepared for the gaggle. I lifted a hand and made the signal for ease. They settled themselves while I got down on one knee and greeted the girl. Her wavy hair was in two ponytails, and she smiled, showing two missing teeth.
"Hello little one," I smiled, holding my hand out for a shake. She grasped it and blushed before shaking it.
"Hello your highness," she replied.
"What's your name?" She looked into my eyes, hers as wide as dinner plates. I had done something she deemed special, but it was oblivious to me.
"Jasiel Olmo," she said.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Jasiel," I said. I gave her a smile before looking up, noticing a line of kids that ranged from Jasiel's age to teenagers with wispy facial hair. I greeted them all, it took hours, but I met in some form all seventeen hundred children leaving an old woman with tan skin and a thick body. Wrinkles carved her face. She was older than both of my parents combined.
"Hello ma'am," I greeted her. She bowed her head before walking up to me.
"Hello your highness. I am Instructor Amara, the principal of this school. Why have you joined us today?" She held a soft smile.
"As I promised, I will head the domestic sectors of the kingdom. I prefer to work from the bottom up so this community and the others like it are the first tasks my office will take up. I plan on developing it to the standards the rest of the kingdom maintains." She nodded her head.
"What have you found so far that needs to be fixed," she asked.
"Well, this is my first stop, but for one this school building is too small. This space cannot serve the community effectively or efficiently. There is a lack of air conditioning and the roads are degraded, all of that is easily rectifiable with royal money along with the roads," I said. I tried to clarify that this was the fault of two kingdoms not doing their parts.
"Those are the obvious issues. The school has a complete lack of supplies, I purchase most things an average school has on hand. There is only enough room to divide classes by grade instead of subject, and the electricity here and throughout Progress Village is spotty. We even ration hot water," she said. I frowned, hearing the bad news.
"While we scrounge together enough to put bandaids on the issues, the rest of the kingdom who can afford to live closer to the canal live in sprawling mansions, have personal tutors, and even get free utilities. We are being punished for being poor. I am the oldest person living here and have never seen royals intervene, they have only made it harder for us. The only time we had a slight improvement was when there was a skirmish near the wealthy area and those people moved here. That doesn't feel fair. We are the hardest working people in the country." Her hands went to hair to brush away a fallen gray curl.
"Im sorry," I said.
"We need improvement now. This new generation isn't like the ones that have come before. They aren't joining the military like my generation did or moving to a farming area. They have found less productive ways to take out their rage. Isn't that right, my babies," she questioned the guards. They were guarding her as much as me which made things click into place. I wondered if they all grew up here. It was the biggest favela in the kingdom. I wondered how many still called this place home at night.
Instructor Amara looked at them with a smile before returning her gaze to me. "With respect, what can you do that your predecessors could not, my young Prince?"
"I can fix them all, and I will fix them all. It will not happen all at once because of bureaucracy, but I have the desire to fight for the needed changes. I will set up a liaison to make sure this place and the others like it dont fall through the cracks any further," I said. Holding my hand out to her, I wondered if she would take it. Joy bled through me when she grasped my hand and gave it a firm shake.
"I will hold you to it," she said, straightfaced.
"As you should." I gave her another smile, and she chuckled.
"You big and bad bodyguards better take the Prince to get some sancocho from Mr. Arenas," she ordered.
"Yes ma'am," Mileta responded in a soft and jovial tone I had not heard from her before. It was the voice reserved for people she sought comfort in.
"I'd hate to rush you out but there are classes that need to go on," she bowed before stepping away. Giving her one last nod, I signaled to the guards I was ready to leave.
The guards took me to a small restaurant that had some of the best food I ever had the pleasure of eating and then marched me around showing me the good and the bad. By the time the sun was setting I had seen all the village offered and knew I had my work cut out for me.