As I paced the busy streets of Seville with Rafael, I began to wonder if this criminal life was all I had. I looked at my devious partner in crime with an uneasy feeling, as I began to think his betrayal was soon to come. But, let me not get ahead of myself. Let me tell you a little bit about how I ended up here.
My name is Mateo Delgado, son of Isabella Perez and Alejandro Delgado, from Seville. My mother and father traveled to the city after they married in hopes of raising me with good fortune. To their bad luck, Seville was full of false hopes. Beggars littered the streets along with false squires and corrupted constables. By the age of seven I was forced out onto the streets by my parents as they could not in good faith take care of me any longer. You see, from the day I was born I was full of mischief. The last straw was when I stole my fathers generational watch and pawned it for a couple of blancas in hopes to eat more than crumbs that day. My parents saw me as a selfish thief and that I could survive on my own, so out I went.
The streets of Seville whispered secrets as I navigated their winding paths, each cobblestone holding memories of my lousy childhood. Raised by the city’s embrace, I learned early on that survival demanded more than just quick hands—it required cunning, adaptability, and a healthy dose of luck. If I wanted to make a living on my own, I needed to succumb to the pressures of an immoral lifestyle. And suddenly, my fortune changed. It was on a sweltering summer day, amidst the chaos of the marketplace, that I first encountered Rafael—a charming boy with a tendency for mischief and a smile that could persuade anyone. Drawn to his confidence and swagger, I found myself swept up in his world of petty theft and daring escapades. In my defense, I felt that I was merely surviving, and without Rafael I may not have made it this far.
Under Rafael’s protection, I honed my skills in the art of deception, learning to blend into the shadows and disappear into the crowd at a moment’s notice. Together, we became a formidable duo, our laughter ringing through the streets as we outwitted the city and filled our pockets. The very first success of our trickery we shared together was at the hands of Miss Lucia, an elderly vegetable stand owner. She was a miserable woman, constantly scamming the poor community because she was the sole vegetable stand on the entire block. It was this monopoly she held that incited us to devise a plan. We began one day when Rafael pretended to be a blind child and offered to help Lucia prepare her vegetables for selling. Of course, she took little sympathy for him, but just enough that she allowed him to bag the goods each day by counting with his hands. Rafael strategically gained her trust over a few weeks, and eventually it was finally time to put our plan into motion. Now it was time for me to show my skills in the art of deception, as a distractor. I calmly paced over to Lucia’s stand, waiting for the right moment. Just as the crowd around me thickened to a substantial amount, I grabbed a handful of vegetables and ran off down the street. To Rafael and I’s pleasant surprise, Lucia fell for the bait and ran after me. My young, quick body was no match for her old age. I escaped down an alleyway as Rafael was loading up all of Lucia’s delicious vegetables, unbeknownst to her. That night we walked far away from Lucia and our temporary home, full of joy and hope as we munched on our newly acquired food and searched for a place to rest.
There were several of these instances between me and Rafael. His charm was no match for any amount of refusal, and he always tricked his way into an unassuming person’s business or home. As for I, my speed and hasty demeanor perfectly complimented our devious tricks. We continued on through the streets of Seville, constantly moving and scavenging, criminalizing ourselves with each step. I was fond of Rafael, but as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, I began to feel the weight of my actions bearing down on me like bricks. I couldn’t help but remember my parents and the look of disappointment on their faces as they sent me away, into this unforgiving life. But who am I to blame them? This unconventional lifestyle was burned into me the very day I stole that watch, the very day I was sent to the streets. Still, my guilt remained, bubbling at the surface each time Rafael and I completed a heist.
It wasn’t until a daring mission at the grand estate of a wealthy nobleman that I finally reached my breaking point. Rafael had his eye on him for months, the Marquess of San Damian. This man was the epitome of greed and disparity, according to my devious friend. Our plan was as such: I would take the role of a servant for the marquess, and gain his trust enough to be left alone on the estate. From there, I would secretly let Rafael in each night, slowly depriving the nobleman of his fortunes. After a month of serving the marquess, Rafael said it was time to put our plan into action. As we walked the streets together, I looked at Rafael and wondered if this servant lifestyle was worth more than our acquaintance. After all, I had began to live quite comfortably under the roof of the marquess, and the doubts of our plan lingered in my thoughts at night. I thought of my parents, and how they would be ashamed if I were to attempt this unlikely successful trick. As I stood in the marquess’ hall, I felt a pang of guilt as I gazed upon the portrait of his daughter—a vision of innocence amidst the sea of greed and corruption. In that moment, I knew I could no longer continue down this path of deceit and deception. Betraying Rafael was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it was also the first step on the road to redemption. Immediately, I went to the nobleman and complained about “a poor boy” lingering on the property each night. That same night, Rafael was kicked from the property, or better yet the town, and my betrayal had become reality.
With the nobleman’s gratitude and a newfound sense of purpose, I set out to make amends for my past misdeeds. I began my travels from my home in Seville, and managed to cross vast distances from the bustling streets of Madrid to the tranquil countryside of Andalusia. I no longer had to steal or lie to make a living, and my new lifestyle sat happily in my heart. I never saw or heard from Rafael again, but he often crosses my mind. I do hope and believe that he is making his way as he does, and avoids too much trouble along his way. Of course, my story will not end here, but for now this is where I say goodbye.