Uncle Bill

The land wasn't worth much. Sixty acres just west of Weatherford, Texas. It was nice and peaceful, with sparsely wooded rolling hills and a small creek running through the Southern edge. It belonged to his Uncle Bill, and James had spent a month there when he was only eleven. The memories crossed his mind occasionally, remembering a happy period of his turbulent young life.

James was born to parents who were lost to the dark world of drugs and alcohol. Although his parents tried, they were unable to give him a secure, stable environment. Many evenings, James had to feed himself, which was usually a bowl of cereal, or a can of pork and beans. He never really felt sorry for himself. It's just the way life was. Being an only child, he relied on his imagination for playtime and exploring.

His home was in a small neighborhood in Arlington, Texas. Not much to do there, and since he was mainly an introvert, he didn't have many friends to speak of. So he spent most afternoons exploring the creeks and fields near his home. He had no restrictions really. Mom and Dad were usually either passed out from the alcohol and drugs, or fighting mercilessly.

In the fields and creek beds, he was an explorer, discovering a strange new world. Occasionally, he had to battle the creatures that he came across. As he was the first there, all of the land was his. Or he was a barbarian, seeking the army that had killed his family, and left him an orphan. There were beasts to slay, but also those who tried to stop him; or worse yet; mistook him for a weak man.

For his eleventh birthday, his parents sent him to spend July with his Uncle Bill. James wasn't happy at all about the opportunity to meet more family. If his own parents were strung out, how bad would this uncle be? If they haven't even told me about him until now, he must be pretty bad.

And there was the concern that once he went there, he might never come home. He had always wondered why he had been born. He didn't feel loved. At least not like he had heard other kids talk. Maybe this was their way of finally being rid of him. With him out of the picture, they could sit around and do drugs all the time, and never worry about him asking questions or being a burden.

Arriving at Uncle Bill's, all he could see was land. They told him it was sixty acres, but he had no concept of how much that was. Looking over the land from the porch, it looked like it went on forever.

The house wasn't much. It was two small bedrooms, one bath, and was old, dated and dirty. Still, it was peaceful. There were no fights, no alcohol, and no drugs. It would be a quiet place to sleep. He was hoping he would not be spending much time in the house anyway. The land was where he hoped to be. All day every day if it were up to him. The creeks and fields back home were nothing compared to this land. And he was anxious to explore.

And he spent most of that month doing just that. After his uncle had shown him around the land in his four-wheeler, he felt comfortable letting James explore. He would pack James a lunch and snacks in a small duffel bag, and off he would go.

One afternoon, he discovered a small cave down in the creek bed. The mouth of it was just large enough to climb in. Once inside, it opened to an area about the size of his bedroom. There were animal tracks and a few bones inside. He wasn't sure what kind of tracks they were, but the were small enough to not be of concern to him. And the bones looked like they were from a bird or other small animal. Whatever creature lived there, James was sure he could defend his new home from the threat.

One morning, his uncle packed an old piece of paper inside the duffle bag. It looked like an old map of some sort. He studied it intensely, but wasn't able to make much of it. That evening over dinner, James asked about it.

"I'm not sure," Uncle Bill replied. "That was left here when I bought the place. I haven't been able to figure out what it's for, but I haven't explored the place like you have. I thought maybe it might make sense to you."

James listened, his eyes widening with excitement. Part of him wondered how his uncle had owned the land, but never explored it much. But maybe adults didn't really care about exploring like he did. And how could an adult not be able to make sense of it, and think he might be able to? Maybe his uncle made the map just to make afternoons more fun. Either way, James was enthralled. They sat in the living room, looking at the map and discussing it. Bill mostly led James lead the discussion, "amazed" at how James was able to figure things out.

"Maybe this line is the creek," James offered.

Eyebrows curled, Bill squinted as he looked. "I bet you're right!"

"I wonder what that dot is for," James said, pointing to a spot along the creek.

It was a reddish-brown dot, and was the only spot of color on the map.

"Hmm," Bill said, cocking his head. "I don't know. Nothing else is in color. Could be just a spot someone accidently bumped it with a pen. Maybe it was a spot where someone wanted to build a house, or a favorite fishing spot."

"Or buried treasure," James excitedly replied.

Bill laughed. "Yes, I guess it could be. But I don't think people bury treasure like you see in the movies."

The seed was planted. James could think of nothing else. He thought about taking the flashlight, and heading out after he thought his uncle would be asleep. But he had heard coyotes at night, and thought better of the idea. The next morning, after slamming down his sausage and eggs, with map in hand, James practically sprinted down to the creek.

He spent all day looking for the spot, but found nothing. In fact, if he understood the map, the spot wasn't even on the creek. Uncle Bill had told him a little about topography, and how that proved the creek was where the map said. But now it didn't make sense. A little dejected, James talked ab0ut it that night over dinner. His uncle wasn't able to provide much help.

That night was sleepless. James sat up in bed most of the night, looking at the map. He had made some notes in pencil on the map, where he had found some interesting things. There was an arrowhead, a couple of old pennies, a deer skull and other bones. He compared those with where the dot was, trying to remember exactly he had found them in comparison with the dot. Time was running out. He was only going to be there a couple more days. If he was to find the treasure, or whatever it was, he needed to do it soon. It was almost worth the risk of coyotes to go look that night...almost.

In spite of his best efforts, he wasn't able to find the dot. He tried to convince himself that the map was just something his uncle had drawn to keep him entertained. And the dot probably was just an accidental brush with a pen. Why else would his uncle have suggested that. But his imagination couldn't let it go. He hoped maybe his uncle had buried something fun for him to find. Maybe he would at least give it to him before he had to go back home.

Getting into his mom and dad's car, there was no secret treasure handed over. He did get to take his arrowhead and deer skull, along with $.17 in coins he had found. He had asked to be able to take the map, but his uncle said it needed to stay with the land, since it was a map of the land.

"Maybe you can come back, and you can look some more."

James was happy about that prospect at least.

But as life does, time marched on, and years went by. Uncle Bill passed away when James was 16. In Bill's will, James was named as the beneficiary of the property. It was to be placed in a trust until James' eighteenth birthday. It was only then he learned that Bill had also been an only child. He had never married, and so, had no children of his own. James was the only "descendent" there was.

At his eighteenth birthday, he was handed the key to a safe deposit box. Inside, he found nothing except a little black book and a key. The key was to the gate of the property. Inside the book was the map, and a few notes, written in black ink. Except for one. In reddish-brown ink was a simple note that said, "Creeks may change through the years." It only took a second for his mind to put it all together.

That weekend, he drove out to the land, and went exploring again. Friday evening, he saw the same things he had seen before. Saturday morning, it was more of the same. But Saturday afternoon, he noticed a curvature in the creek that caught his eye. He remembered it looking that way, but realized that years before, it may have been different. Searching the area nearby, he found a hole. It looked man-made. How had he missed this before? Or was it there before? He was sure he had looked all over that area seven years earlier.

Using his phone as a flashlight, he looked inside the hole. There was something...dark. Cloth? Maybe. Scouring the area around the object to make sure he wasn't going to disturb a snake or other creature, he reached in and pulled out a small duffel bag.

It was the bag he had used to carry his food and snacks. That wasn't coincidental, he knew. Excitedly, he opened the bag, and found it full of bills. Ones, fives, tens, twenties. And a note.

Back in the house, James set the note aside. He counted the money out loud. It didn't seem right, so he counted again. And again. His Uncle Bill had left him $20,000.

To my nephew James:

This is for you. I know you've had a tough life. And I know a lot of people who would have given up long before. I hoped you might be able to spend a Summer with me. It was such a joy to watch you enjoy life for a change. I never had anything except this land. But I saved everything I could over the years. I couldn't give this to your parents, as I knew this would all be squandered on alcohol and drugs. I would say use this for college, or a down payment for a house. But you have a great head on your shoulders. It’s not much, but I hope you can use this. And remember: no matter what happens, or what life throws at you; YOU ARE LOVED.

-- Uncle Bill

Tears filled his eyes as he looked around at the simple home. So little; yet so much. This man he barely knew had given him so much more than anyone else ever had. There was the money, sure. But he had also given him his time, and peace. And something that had been forever absent in his life. James knew from that moment on, that at least once in his life, he had been loved.