The Best Treasure

The picture above was taken in Coquimbo, Chile, where the local legend says that Sir Francis Drake and his men hid out between attacking Spanish ships for their gold. Many of the locals say their descendents of his men, who are seen as pirates, or cursarios, of which they take great pride. There are many pirate murals in town. One section, where the pubs are, is called Bario Ingles.

I wrote the following story for an annual celebration at St. Margaret's called The Gareth Pugh Event. Mr. Pugh was a wonderful music teacher, and this event consists of third and fourth graders from several schools getting together, singing and making music around a theme to remember him by. Ximena Achondo, music teacher par excellence, and a good friend, has coordinated it during the past several years. She asked me to write a pirate story for this year's event.

Here it is:

The Best Treasure

A girl named Estrella walked along a lonely beach full of magical jewels. She kicked the sparkling sand and she threw diamonds into the nighttime sky to light her way. Though she had riches, she was very lonely and dreamt of friendship and love.

Far away in Kingston, Jamaica, a boy named John was dreaming too. He was a poor boy though. His only possession was a treasure map his father had given him. One day as he fished for his dinner, he saw a reflection of a girl in the water that made him think of the lost jewels his father had told him about. He was so enchanted that he didn’t see that pirates were close. They captured him and took him away on their ship.

The pirates were led by mean Cap'n Tom. John, and another boy named Alfred who was also kidnapped, scrubbed the decks, and sewed the rips in the sails all day long. The pirates bragged about their riches and their evil ways. John taught Alfred songs of his home in Jamaica, and they sang them to keep their minds off of their empty stomachs, for they were only given food the pirates didn’t want.

The pirates spoke of an island of lost treasure. Cap'n Tom promised he would never rest until he and his men found it. Late one night, John heard him say, “Argghh, if I only had the map that Fearless Pete took from me that night in Bermuda. I would have that treasure.”

Jack’s father was named Pete. Did he have the same map that Cap'n Tom wanted? Thinking they were alone, he showed the map to Alfred, but Captin’ Tom’s first mate was watching. He snatched it away and hurried to the Cap'n’s room. Five minutes later, Cap'n Pete yelled for the ship to change directions. The men sang as they changed the sails.

Estrella saw the ship coming, but her joy turned to fear when she saw the skull and cross bones of the pirates’ flag. She ran and hid in the trees. Cap'n Pete and his evil crew shouted for joy when they saw the beach filled with the magical jewels. They sang and loaded them in their treasure chests and didn’t see the two boys run away.

Estrella followed John and Alfred. She called to them with a song her mother taught her about a far away land called Jamaica. When John saw her face, he knew she was the girl he saw in the beautiful blue water that surrounded his home. Estrella knew that she finally had friends. She led them to a magic treasure chest hidden in the forest. It was from this chest that found the diamonds to throw into the sky. Whatever was taken from it would always be replaced.

The pirates left, forgetting the two boys now that they had found the treasure of Cap'n Tom’s dreams. John and Estrella, with their friend Alfred, buried the treasure and built a boat and sailed back to Jamaica, fishing for their food, and having diamonds to light their way. They knew they could always return for diamonds and gold, but that their true treasure was love and friendship.