A Key to the Treasure

Not far away, from a concealed place behind a small key, watching eyes observed whatever the crew of Aikane did that afternoon. What were they looking for, and how long would they be hanging around this anchorage? Their presence could become a real problem if they were still there when . . . .

Donnie was sorely disappointed and glum. He wouldn’t talk about his feelings, because he didn’t think the others felt the same as he did. They couldn’t understand how much he had counted on reaching his goal of finding Spanish treasure. He had thought, schemed, and dreamed all these weeks and  felt so close to success. They had finally found the right key, he was sure of that, but the result was . . . nothing.

Maybe it wasn’t the right one after all. His frustration had never been stronger or tasted more bitter, and all he wanted to do was lie down somewhere, close his eyes, and try to forget the whole thing. But that would be really hard to do. He just had to keep hoping.

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly aboard Aikane, the crew relaxing, reading, and day-dreaming as the clouds continued to move overhead in the freshening breeze. The water in the protected anchorage became choppy, but it was still comfortable aboard their boat, since the area was not open enough for waves or swells to build up. They had tuned in regularly to the weather station, which reported no tropical disturbances on its satellite or radar images.

“Tricia, want to row over to the key and do some beach combing?” Donnie asked his obviously bored sister. “It’s not even six o’clock yet.”

They had played card games, chatted, and read, but he was restless again and needed some kind of activity. He had not entirely given up hope; not yet anyway. Candi and Doug had been talking and swapping silly jokes and they seemed content to lounge around even longer, while Jim had taken a short nap and was now studying one of his history books.

“Donnie, if you two are going to take the inflatable,” his father said, “I think Doug ought to go with you for a bit more man power on the oars. This fresh breeze will make it hard for you and Tricia to row.”

“That’s okay. We won’t take The Whale. It’s close enough for us to swim over. Can we take a boat cushion and a couple of plastic bags from the galley? We can float our ‘treasures’ back on the cushion.” He gave a wry smile at his own little jest, feeling a bit of surprise that he still had a sense of humor.

“Real smart thinking, you guys,” Doug gibed. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Wham! Poof! Two soft objects caught him in the chest before he could duck, and a pillow fight would have ensued if their father hadn’t intervened.

“I suggest more constructive activities, kids. In your conversations, too. “

He smiled at the youngsters, remembering how they had enjoyed their family pillow fights when the kids were little tikes.

“Candi, you and Doug can help me with a few boat chores while Donnie and Tricia comb the beach. I saw some nice shells there, so you two should make a good haul. Take two boat cushions, in case you find a lot of treasure!”

While brother and sister were wandering the sands of the tiny key and along the edge of the mangroves, Doug assisted his father in checking the engine and storing loose objects on deck more securely. Candi checked on items below, making sure all was ready for the return voyage starting the next day. They would deflate The Whale in the morning and store it on deck, along with the awning that had been such a blessing during sun bright days. They would then be ready to put to sea.

An hour later, splashing sounds and excited voices marked the return of Tricia and Donnie, each with a plastic bag of objects atop the square boat cushions they pushed ahead of themselves in the water.

“Hey, somebody, take these things, please!” Donnie shouted up breathlessly to those on board. “We found a big chunk of metal, I think. Come take a look at it.”  He was excited, but cautious. He really wanted to believe he’d found something valuable, and he could hardly wait to get it aboard and try to see what it was.

They handed the plastic bags up to Candi and Doug, then lifted the cushions to them before climbing the boarding ladder. As they stood dripping in the cockpit, Jim came up to see what they had discovered and took in his palm the solid object that Donnie offered him. It was surprisingly heavy for its size, but so misshapen and encrusted that it could have been nothing more than a rock.

Donnie and the others watched eagerly as Jim took out his boat knife and carefully scraped at the hardened outer layer. The shell like material resisted at first, but after a few minutes began to flake off and fall to the cockpit sole. The object was about the same size as the palm of his hand, and he had to be careful not to cut himself.

“It looks like just a bunch of little pieces of coral stuck together,” said Doug.