Harmony's Treasure

In the village of Williamstown, Ireland, a tiny goat farm lay on the coast. The breeze blew the tall grass, whipping around the legs of the goats. A little girl with deep red hair and striking green eyes ran freely in the pasture. Her laughter filled the air as it carried with such a beautiful song to the settlement nearby. Her name was Harmony.

Harmony’s loving grandparents called on her as it was time to head back home. Harmony cherished her grandparents. They were all she had. Her parents had died in a horrible accident only a few months after she was born. The thought of what they looked like and how happy they might have been, haunts her precious mind.

After the fire, her grandparents tried to recover what they could but that was little to none. All Harmony had was a small, half-burnt photo, of her and her parents the day she was born. The fire took what chance she ever had to look upon her parents’ faces, but yet left her safe and sound. When her grandparents rebuilt their house, they discovered a little black journal hidden beneath the rubble. It was battered and worn, yet salvageable. They hid this from Harmony and decided that she would one day be able to look upon this journal and read it when she was ready.

Today was that day. Harmony is turning thirteen! Today she earns her independence! She frolicked and ran to her favorite goat, Daisy, and did her very best dance with her. Daisy and Harmony grew up together side by side. They never missed a day. As Harmony and Daisy ran through the fields, Nico came rushing up to wish her the very best of birthdays! Nico and his parents had a small house in the village. They spent almost every day together. Nico knew though, that today she would receive the journal. It’s been painful for him to keep this from her as he once overheard her grandparents speaking of it. He was thrilled she may just learn a little more about her parents.

As the three of them walked happily up to the house, you could smell the fresh baked Apple Cake halfway across the field. Harmony’s grandmother knew it was her favorite and wanted today to be special. The cake was waiting for each of them as they went to gather at the table. Yes, even a piece for Daisy!

They began to sing happy birthday as Harmony’s grandfather lay the journal in front of her. With nothing but confusion, Harmony asked a million questions. Her grandparents explained that they found it after the fire. They had no idea what was in the journal, it was up to her if she wanted to find out. Of course with so much curiosity, she quickly hugged her grandparents and thanked them as she hurried out the door!

Harmony raced to her favorite tree, close to the edge of the cliff, where she could look out on the open water. Nico and Daisy rushed to join her not wanting to miss out on all the commotion. With no time to wait, Harmony whipped open the book. She couldn’t believe how elegant her mother's handwriting was. She read on from when her mother was her age and the adventures she took, how her mother met her father, and even when she found out she was pregnant!

The journal went on for a few more months after finding out that her mother was pregnant, but then suddenly taking a bitter turn. Her mother wasn’t pregnant with Harmony, it was a brother. Her mother wrote about how she had a nasty fall on her way home from the village one day. When she got home, the pain was intolerable and she wouldn’t stop bleeding. Her mother had a stillborn son and she named him Caiden. Her mother and father picked the very best spot on the farm to lay him to rest. Harmony couldn’t believe that it just so happened to be the very same tree that she has loved since she was little. Nico held Harmony as she began to weep knowing that all this time she had been close to not only her parents but her older brother too.

Harmony was upset. How could her grandparents keep this from her all this time? Why would they do this? She needed answers! Harmony got up in such a hurry that the journal fell from her lap. As the journal fell abruptly to the ground, Nico watched Harmony run to the door of the house, noticing something hidden in the journal. He picked it up. A page had been torn and then gently placed back into the book, now exposed. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at! It was some sort of map! Nico hurried to show Harmony. He couldn’t believe it. What did this mean?! He started to shout for her, “ Harmony, Harmony, look what I found!”

As he got closer to the house he heard her and her grandparents sobbing. They too never knew about Caiden. He couldn’t hold it in, it was too big of news! “You guys, there is a map! It fell out of the journal! What is it?!”, he said with wonder. They all looked at him in awe. Nico took it over to them.

“It's a map of the Cove!”, Harmony’s grandfather said. “I haven’t seen that in years! Your father and I created this map when he was just a boy! There was a legend of Old Pirate Jack who hid his treasure there. We searched for years and never found a clue.”

With amazement now in Harmony’s eyes, she just had to continue to read. From all the adventures she read that her mother had taken, she just knew they went to find it! She continued to read aloud. Page after page, it explained with every year that passed after losing Caiden, their eagerness to find the treasure grew.

Year after year Harmony’s mother wrote of her disappointment. They searched high and low. Every lead was a dead end. It seemed like they were never going to find it. The journaling stopped. Harmony shook with confusion! How could this be?! How could she just stop writing? She flipped through the pages in terror as the thought of the unknown grew! Harmony began to think, is this the end? Was it all just a tale? My mother didn’t even write about me? That’s it? Blank page after blank page, Harmony began to think it really was the end.

Suddenly something caught her eye, it was a drawing. A drawing of a little girl with bright green eyes and the longest red hair she had ever seen. Who was it? Why would her mother draw this in her journal? She flipped the page as she realized it was her.

The writing began again, “Today I was blessed. I had our baby girl. Thomas and I decided to name her Harmony. She is the most beautiful being I have ever laid my eyes on. She has such striking green eyes and the prettiest hue of red hair, that of her father's. I never thought the day would come where I would meet my baby girl, yet here she lay in my arms. Safe and sound.

With great honor, a month after our beautiful girl was born, we have found the hidden treasure…” Harmony gasped, “THEY FOUND IT, THEY FOUND IT!”, shrieking and dancing all around the house. “Well don’t leave us on edge young lady,” her grandmother said with a chuckle and a grin, “What else does it say?”

Harmony stopped and began to continue reading, “...Thomas and I want the best for our baby girl. The only place we could think of where it would be forever safe is with Caiden. There under that beautiful Cypress tree, where I know Harmony will sit and watch the sunset. Where she will gather her thoughts like I once did as a child, on a long day. Where I know she will always feel safe and loved. That is where we buried our first love and that is where our love will grow. It will be found on the side of the tree that faces the open sea. I hope this brings my sweetest love all that she wants and deserves in this world.”

As Harmony and her grandmother finish the last page of the journal, Nico and her grandfather rush to get the shovels. They couldn't wait to see if it was true. They dug and dug, careful not to uncover Caiden. With the sun its most beautiful shades of orange and red, setting over the ocean so blue, they hit something hard. This was it. The treasure.

Harmony rushed to help them bring it up, the chest was the most brilliant shade of blue and white pearls, detailed on the side of the chest. She was hesitant. What was inside? What if it wasn’t there anymore?

“Open it, my child. This is your story and you must finish it. Reveal your future.” Her grandfather said as Harmony rushed to hold him. “It’s been one of those long days for you. Finish it on a good note and have a seat with your family. Tell them all about your day.” He continued.

Harmony knelt and began to open the chest, she couldn’t believe her eyes! There were so many gold coins! Over twenty thousand it seemed! Harmony was speechless. What could she say? What should she do? How could she thank her parents for leaving her this legacy?

Harmony’s grandmother began to speak, “You have so many wonderful things to do in this lifetime. You will make the world we live in, a better place. Your parents wanted that for you. What you do from here on, is your decision, my love. You will see wonders and do wonders, I have no doubt. So what is it you will do now?” Harmony thought for a minute and knew exactly then what she wanted. “I want to sit with my family, after this long emotional day, and enjoy the time I have with them.”, she said. “I have a lifetime ahead of me, but I want to cherish this moment just a little bit longer.”

They all took a seat next to the big Cypress tree to watch the sun continue to set. They laughed and talked about what a day they all had, once again wishing Harmony the happiest of all birthdays.