Finders, Keepers

Finders Keepers

An adventure between a self-proclaimed Pirate, and a Maine Ice Princess.

Late January 2020. Let us look in.

It is past midnight as the night watchman checks into his watch. Clear crisp sky and stars above shining. As he opens the lockbox, he noticed the key seemed sticky, rough? No matter. He is distracted by the night hawk-And the woosh of the sea.

A sound everyone on board the ship had gotten used to. - The tide ebbed and flowed.

“The rig seemed extra creaky tonight – Maybe it was the wind?” thought Rah.

Tonight, he had a plan to write his new lover a letter that might arrive before Valentine's Day. Back in the states, she was not expecting him to be so honest. They had known each other a short time – yet with each passing day, their love grew for each other, more and more.

Laughter was the best medicine for the Ice Princess he lovingly called her. Maine was in a deep freeze this time of year. She was remarking on each passing storm. Their conversations had become more comfortable as they learned about each other’s lives. Her brief conversations had made him realize the family life he had missed being away. This further developed his homesickness. No matter. The job at hand was soon over and he could travel accordingly.

Tonight, he thought of her in her icy home, sitting by the warm fire, it soaothe, him.

The locked box opened.

Every night at this time he turned the key to open the lockbox and punch a code into the keypad. As he punched in code #6388, he noticed a dull shadow, to the side of the box. No matter, the code worked, and then in the green light, he saw it. A book! A black book tucked beside the metal wall. “Had it been there long?’ He said out loud.

When I said little, I meant holdable in the palm of your hand, or pocket. A strong leather binding, secure elastic, ribbon marker, a loved surface. As if a traveler had stashed it there quickly. But why?

He flipped thru the dogeared corner pages and saw codes, # numbers, and calculations, exact yet encrypted within the scribble. Longitude, latitude, star constellations, marks, and stamps tucked in the bindings as markers, or bookmarks really. Extra country stamps, from border crossings and party exchanges. Initialed and dated.

What a fun travel journal, it has such an array of information. Hieroglyphs, drawings, and old ruin markers decorated the borders. Could one have found this type of thing in a flea market or Turkish Bazar?

Oh! Olivia would think this was a romantic gesture, he would tuck it into the Valentine just for kicks! Finders Keepers.

He smiled as he locked the box and put the moleskin in his coat pocket.

So here on a cold, windy night in the British Isles off the shores of Cypress- A Watchmen finds a mysterious moleskin tucked into the lockbox he checks every night. Is this the beginning of a long story? Or just a moment here and now.

He begins to write a letter to his new girl in the States.

Rah writes:

Dearest Olivia: (He starts to imagine; he is a pirate in the British Isles.)

I hope this finds you well. I have included in this Valentine,

a guidebook for our future travels together.

I found it just tonight on my watch.

Tuck it away in a safe place until I arrive.

I am sure we can make sense of all the information.

Notice how the points go around the equator.

I think we will have a great adventure together.

Will you be my Valentine?

Tonight, the stars are out, and the moonlight is casting a bridge to the mainland.

I think of you. On your hillside,

I wonder if we see the same stars. Is it clear there?

I miss you. More. Babe.

Happy Valentine’s Day 2021

Signed simply.

Your New Love, and Future Pirate,

RAH

The Book Arrives:

Olivia rushes into the house with the mail. As she opens the letter, the book falls out. Snapped up by the hound as if it is a piece of Steak.

The chase is on Olivia around the couch and her son running for a piece of real steak as a snack in exchange. The dog Marley Grinning the whole time, heading for her crate – her house and haven.

See the meat, here Marley! Shedding her new toy, (After leaving her teeth marks on the outer binding) She gulps the real steak.

Again, we all realize not the way to train a dog, most times I wonder who is in charge. Then I would rather have a free-thinking animal rather than one that cowers in the corner and reacts out of fear rather than love.

Marley has as many rights as any member of our household, however with everyone’s equal voice it can be quite chaotic and lots of fun to outsmart a hound. She is really a wonderful dog; we all love and understand her. She is trying to fit in. It is not her fault we sometimes do not speak “dog.”

Anyway enough about her that is another story for another day.

“My child you have quite a package!” Interjected the Grandfather.

“Let me see what the Pirate has sent you today? Please!”

“Oh, look stamps!” Said Pop Pop.

“I love a good mystery! Come, Olivia, and Russel. You too Marley, lets look these up-see what they are worth. Olivia mind if I analyze your new gift?”

“No! Pop Pop. said Olivia. “you can. I do not know what all that means,

and I have dinner to cook.

Ok! He said and retired to his study. “Light a fire Russel! Please!”

Pop Pop and Russel, settled in.

And around midnight there was a yelp from the darkness! ----

Pop Pop had found a duplicate emblem on a stamp from Brussels

valued at $20,000 on the open market.

Finders Keepers, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

March 3/2/2021 Colette A Shumate-Smith [email protected]