It's a new dawn as the sun rises upon the sea of treetops covering the wide lands of the Mexican jungle. There, on a ledge up high, El Matscho overlooks his territory, his home. One would say he was just standing there, but since bananas don't have any legs, really, let's say he was, well, floating there - his red cape blowing in the rough morning winds. He had earned this cape. It was the sign for mastering the seven schools of Mr. Biagi back in Japan - the oldest and wisest trainer of banana martial arts (a technique mostly focussing on body tackling and the use of banana peel for making the opponent slip). El Matscho just returned back to Mexico this morning. Because he has a mission. Because he is needed here. Because Bananas are generally underrated. Floating in air is just one of the many powers El Matscho has learned during the hard training Mr. Biagi put him through. But it was worth it and El Matscho now is more than determined to fulfil his destiny. Since he was a little baby banana he was told that he is the chosen one, that he would be a hero one day, yes, that he is the one to save the whole banana population from the evil, which would come from overseas - actually it was coming right now. Sharpening his serious gaze one more time, El Matscho could see the shape of a ship in form of a giant anvil silhouetted against the horizon, approaching the Mexican coast. "That looks like a heavy task", just as this thought crosses El Matschos mind, the ship's horn resounds from afar, as if to respond. But El Matscho wouldn't let fear take control, instead he remembers the first rule Mr. Biagi ever told him:
One Banana is strong,
but won't last for long,
as a Banana tree,
your enemies flee!
El Matscho knows this verse like a prayer and holds on to it whenever he is in trouble. So he knows that to defeat the enemy, he has to use his powers to find each and every single banana out there and unite them - only together they have a chance against - yes, against what exactly? Which kind of super villain travels in a giant anvil? (Thumbs up for the fact that the ship is actually not sinking though.) "We will know soon enough", El Matscho whispers as to himself, "not long and I will look you in the eyes and we will and this banana face to face." And within a second he disappears, floating away at high speed towards the depths of the jungle.
As fast as he can El Matscho dashes through the jungle, which he knows like the back of his peel, leaving one big tree after another behind - he has to hurry. Just a few more loops and turns, then he arrives, standing right in front of his mother tree. Just next to the tree, a crowd of bananas is gathering, having their backs turned, watching something on the ground El Matscho could not see yet.
"Where is she?", he asks in a calm but firm voice. Some faces turn their sad eyes towards him and one quite big banana approaches El Matscho directly.
"You came", the big one says. It was El Matscho's brother, El Macho. (Obviously, their parents didn't care so much for creative names for their children. And orthography.)
"But it's too late. I'm sorry, Mat. Let him through guys", El Macho demands and the crowd gives way for El Matscho to float pass them. What he sees next is the cruellest thing he has ever seen in his life. A heavy, black anvil must have fallen from above, spilling out of the sides is a yellow brownish mass - leftovers of what once used to be El Matscho's and El Macho's brother-in-law. Next to the horrible scene their sister Chiquitita is sitting, her body bended (not quite sure if that actually is an action, since the body basically is bended all the time) over the remains of her husband.
"No, no, no", she cries, "you cannot leave me, not now! We had such a great future ahead of us! All the plans we had, applying for the banana import program, visiting Europe ... I cannot live without you …" Her voice got lost in a desperate sobbing as El Matscho steps to her side. He is overwhelmed by the tragedy that has happened and feels the pain of his sister as if it was his own.
"I am so sorry for your loss Chiquitita. I will find this evil bastard and there will be revenge." (If he had one, El Matscho now would have clenched his fist as a sign of endless determination.) But instead of approval, all he gets from his sister is a look which speaks of disappointment and anger.
"What's wrong?", he asks her. "What's wrong, Mat? Don't you see that? You're too late! All the time you talk about how you will be the one to safe us all from whatever evil, and you are floating from one place to another, caring about everything else more than the safety of your own family!"
"That is not true!", El Matscho responds, obviously very surprised by his sister's accusations. But she had said everything she wanted and storms off into the woods, still crying.
- To be continued -