Happy Birthday Matthew

Matthew Didn’t Doubt It

by

Granny B (alias Grandma Baadsgaard)

(this a special story written for my grandson Matthew on his ninth birthday)

After Matthew moved into his new home, he walked outside and went exploring. His new home was in a subdivision with several empty lots. The lot two doors down had a large pile of sand that was Matthew’s favorite place to dig for treasure.

One day Matthew dug up a rotting piece of wood. He could tell that the wood was once painted gold. He ran inside and showed this find to his mother.

“I think this came from a pirate ship filled with treasure,” Matthew said.

“We don’t live by an ocean,” his mother replied. “So I doubt that.”

But Matthew didn’t doubt it. He went back the next day and found several rusty nails and a broken piece of green glass. Soon he had a large collection of pirate ship relics. He hid them in a shoe box under his bed.

One day Matthew went to the sand pile and found enormous trucks and back hoes digging a large hole. One of the construction workers told him to get out of the way. Matthew walked back to his house and watched from a distance as the construction crew created a huge hole, filled it with cement and began framing a new house.

Several months later Matthew found out a boy named John was living in the new house built over his favorite digging place. He walked to John’s house, knocked on the door and asked if he could play. Then Matthew took John to his house and showed him his collection of pirate ship relics. He told his new friend that he everything in the box used to be in a sand pile right under his friend’s new house. John was impressed. That afternoon Matthew and John decided to wear a neckerchief over their head, a patch over one eye and duel with plastic swords until they were exhausted. Then they drew pictures of pirate ships.

“Maybe someday we’ll dig a tunnel under your house and find buried treasure,” Matthew said.

“How about right now,” John answered.

But when Matthew and his friend started digging a hole in his friend’s back yard his mother ran out of the house and told them to stop.

“We think that there is an old pirate ship buried under your house,” Matthew said.

“We don’t live by an ocean,” John’s mother replied. “So I doubt that. No more digging in my new landscaping.”

Before long winter arrived and covered both of their yards with several feet of snow. But that didn’t stop Matthew and John. They formed a secret pirate club and asked their friend Caleb to join them. They had black pirate hats, eye patches and red scarves. They practiced sword dueling techniques and continued drawing pictures of pirate ships. They checked out books from the library on ship building. But what they really wanted most of all was a treasure map.

Whenever their mothers asked them to clean their rooms they answered, “Aye Mates!”

Late one night while Matthew, John and Caleb were sleeping many dark figures dressed in black met in the lot between the John and Mathew’s home. Soon snow and ice was flying.

The next day Matthew walked out his front door and ran to the sidewalk in front of his home. Something sparkly caught his eye. He turned to the right. There it was - larger than life, grander than any dream - the most magnificent pirate ship he had ever seen. The sails were made of sheets of ice and the ship’s mast gleamed like diamonds.

Matthew saw John running toward him flinging his arms wildly.

“Look Matthew!” John said. “It’s a pirate ship!”

They both ran back into their homes and dragged their families out to see the pirate ship made of ice. Before long every neighbor was standing on the sidewalk saying, “Ohhh . . . Ahhh.”

Next a reporter arrived from the town newspaper. Then a large camera crew from the big city television station pulled up and took out their large microphones.

Matthew heard his mother being interviewed for the six o’clock news.

“Well my boy Matthew always told me that he thought a pirate ship was buried here but I told him we don’t live by an ocean so I doubt it. But Matthew, he never doubted. I guess you never know what will happen if you can imagine, dream and never give up hope.”

Then she winked at her son as he quickly grabbed his sword and ran toward the ship. Matthew and John made the six o’clock news. Television viewers spied them sliding down the gang plank on the ice and snow pirate ship made yelling “Shiver me timbers!”