Pirate Queen

by Marci Peschke

  Lucy asks, “Can I draw it on the map?”

  “Sure,” I say.

  I pass the paper over to her and she draws the compass on the corner of the paper across from my ship. Then I draw a dotted line around our garage, past the birdbath, and next to the pine tree. Instead of the bird bath, I draw a little lagoon, and I make the pine tree a palm tree.

  I show Ugly Brother. “What do you think so far?” I ask.

  He barks excitedly, “Ruff, ruff! Ruff, ruff!”

  Lucy gives me a thumbs-up. She’s the best first mate ever.

  I make the dotted line go out onto Peachtree Lane. At the spot where Miss Clarabelle’s house is, I draw some mermaids.

  “Ooh, I love it!” Lucy gushes.

  “What should we put for Cole’s house?” I ask.

  Lucy suggests, “How about a shark or a skeleton head?”

  “I like the shark idea,” I say, “because he wanted to name the fish Fin. Good idea!” Then I give her a high five. We make a great team.

  Lucy draws some shark fins right where Cole’s house would be.

  Our dotted line goes right down the middle of the page to the Black house. Lucy shivers. She pokes her finger down right where the house should be and says, “Put the skull there!”

  I do. Finally, we sketch a little island with an X in the middle right beside our hideout. Holding up the map, we take a look at it.

  “Blimey! It looks like a real treasure map,” I exclaim.

  Ugly Brother is so excited, he runs around the room and jumps up on the bed.

  Now we need to go bury some treasure to dig up tomorrow. I think we need something special, so I get the gold bracelet Granny gave me when I was an itty bitty baby. It is REAL gold!

  “That’s your good bracelet,” Lucy says. “Won’t your momma get mad if we bury it?”

  I shrug and tell her, “We’re gonna dig it right back up.”

  “It’ll get dirty, though,” Lucy says.

  “You’re right,” I say. “I better find something to put it in.” I look around my room.

  I have a little jewelry box, but if we use that, I’ll have to take everything out of it. Then I spy a soft pink bag that Lucy gave me. The top ties with a string. I grab it and put the gold treasure inside.

  “Perfect!” I exclaim.

  “Okay,” Lucy says. “Let’s go!”

  Ugly Brother is snoring on the bed with his tongue hanging out, so we leave our parrot behind. We pack up the little red wagon with my garden gloves and a small shovel. Then we follow the map we made right down the road, past the mermaids, the sharks, and the skull.

  Finally, we’re in the backyard of the Black house, right beside our hideout.

  Sticking the shovel in the ground, I say, “X marks the spot!”

  Digging is harder work than I thought it would be. We should have brought Ugly Brother and a bone. He’ll dig like crazy if he thinks there’s a doggie bone in the ground! Instead he’s taking a nap and we’re digging and digging.

  I take turns with my first mate. The pile of dirt gets higher and higher. The hole gets deeper and deeper.

  After a while, we’re tired. I lean on the shovel handle and rest while Lucy goes into our hideout to get some water.

  She runs right back out and shouts, “All of our crackers and water are gone. The boys found our hideout!”

  I throw down the shovel and run inside. I look everywhere, but Lucy is right. Someone took our food and water!

  Everything else looks just the way we left it. The pail and the little bench are still in the middle of the room. Two sets of footprints are on the dirt floor, mine and Lucy’s.

  This is a real mystery!

  Then I remember I left our treasure on the ground. When I run back outside, I see Lucy holding the little pink bag. “Don’t worry!” she tells me. “I’ve been keepin’ our treasure safe. Was it the boys?”

  “I think so,” I say. “We better hurry up and bury this treasure!”

  Quickly, we mash the pink bag down in the hole and shovel the dirt right on top. Then I put a little white stone on top of the dirt, to mark our spot. If I forget where I buried my good gold bracelet, I’ll be in BIG TROUBLE with Momma!

  I take off my little gloves and toss them in the wagon. Then I place Daddy’s shovel right on top.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Lucy says. “This place is creepy!”

  The next morning, my crew arrives bright and early for the big treasure hunt.

  We all have our pirate hats on, and the parrot is wearing his feathers. I have a pink sash tied around my waist.

  Paula stares at me. “I can’t believe you are wearing all of your necklaces and rings!” she says. “Did your momma say it was okay?”

  I shrug and tell her, “Pirates like to show off their loot.”

  We gather around the picnic table in my backyard.

  “Okay, mateys,” I say. “Here’s the treasure map. First Mate Lucy and I made it yesterday, and it’s a real good one.”

  “Wow! It looks like a real pirate map,” Cara says.

  I shout, “Set sail, me mateys!”

  Paula grins. “I think I’m finally starting to understand pirate talk,” she says. “You mean we’re leaving now, right?”

  “That’s right!” I say. “I mean, aye!”

  “I have a surprise,” Cara says. She has her hands behind her back. “Kylie Jean, what’s a pirate flag called again?”

  “You mean the one with a skull and crossbones?” I say. “That’s called a Jolly Roger.”

  Cara brings out her hands. “I made this for us,” she says.

  I gasp. Cara is holding a Jolly Roger. And it isn’t black like the ones you usually see. No, our Jolly Roger is pink!

  “That’s fantastic, Cara!” I say. “I love it!”

  Cara smiles and sticks it into the back of the wagon. “Okay,” she says. “Now we’re ready!”

  My crew and I head out past the pretend lagoon. There are blue jays in it, but we ignore them. Our dog parrot barks “Ruff! Ruff!” and they fly away.

  Miss Clarabelle is out working in her yard. She does not look like a mermaid, but we pretend she’s one anyway.

  Across the street, Cole is standing in his yard with a mean look on his face. He snarls, showing his teeth just like a shark.

  “Girls can’t be pirates,” he shouts. “You just look silly.”

  I turn and give the order to keep quiet. If we say anything, he might follow us to our hideout!

  Once we’ve passed him, he yells, “Go ahead and run away, little girlie pirates.”

  We just keep ignoring him. But when I look at my crew, I can tell they don’t like what he’s saying.

  Up ahead of us, the Black house looks kind of like a skull with its peeling white paint. The dark windows are like eyes, and the porch, missing some boards, looks like a toothless grin. I’m glad we’re not treasure hunting at night. It would be super spooky!

  “Come on, y’all,” I say. “We’re almost there.”

  We head to the backyard. I follow the map and look for the little stone I left to mark our spot. But I can’t find it.

  “I know it was right here,” I say, looking closely at the ground.

  “Where is it, then?” Paula asks.

  “I’m not sure,” I answer. I turn around in a circle to look. “I left a pebble to mark the spot.”

  The whole crew starts looking for the pebble, but it is gone.

  Lucy says, “Maybe an animal moved it.”

  “Animals wouldn’t move a rock for no reason,” Cara points out.

  Suddenly I realize that if I don’t find that bracelet, Momma will be really mad at me. That means I’ll be in BIG trouble!

  “Dig!” I yell. “We gotta find that treasure or I’ll walk the plank!”r />
  Lucy and I dig with a shovel, Ugly Brother digs with his paws, and Cara and Paula use the rusty bucket.

  We keep digging holes near the spot Lucy and I buried our treasure yesterday, but nothing turns up.

  Suddenly, a giant shadow looms over us. A shiver runs down my spine.

  When I turn around, I see an old man. He has long white hair and a beard and is wearing a black patch over one eye.

  Standing between us and the stranger, Ugly Brother growls, “Grrrr!”

  Bravely, Cara asks, “Who are you?”

  The man’s voice is low and creaky. He says, “I am Bart Black. Who are you and why are you digging all of these holes in my yard?”

  Without thinking, I blurt out, “I think your real name is Black Bart and you’re a famous pirate.”

  Ugly Brother growls again, “Grrrr, grrrr!”

  Mr. Black laughs deep from his belly. “I’m no pirate, little gal! If I was, I’d have a lot of gold and a parrot,” he says. That makes Ugly Brother whimper.

  “Did you steal our things?” I ask.

  “I found some crackers in the shed,” he says. “Were they yours?” I nod. “I’m sure sorry I took them, but they were so tasty!” he says. “I thought maybe they were mine and I’d just forgot about them.”

  That’s when I notice something. Mr. Black found our buried treasure. He has the pink bag in his hand.

  “Are you gonna give our treasure back?” I ask.

  “Yes ma’am,” he says. “That’s why I came out here when I saw you diggin’ for it.” He hands it over and adds, “I bet your momma wouldn’t like to know that you buried that pretty bracelet out here.”

  “No sir,” Paula says. “Her momma would be mad.”

  “I thought nobody lived here,” Cara says. She looks up at the big old house. “Why’s your house all fallin’ to bits?”

  Mr. Black looks sad for a minute. Then he explains that he is old, so he can’t keep up with the house and the yard anymore. He doesn’t have enough money to spend on hiring people to work for him.

  All of his family members live too far away to help, and he is all alone. I don’t know what that would be like. After all, most everyone I know lives here in Jacksonville!

  “I bet it used to be a real nice house,” Lucy says kindly.

  Mr. Black smiles. “Yep,” he says, “a long time ago, this was a beautiful house! I was proud to live in it.”

  I think for a second. Then I have a great idea! “I bet we could help you clean up your yard,” I say, smiling up at Mr. Black.

  “Well, that would be right nice of you,” Mr. Black says.

  Then I get another great idea. “And then maybe you could help us out with some boy trouble we’re havin’,” I add. “I know how to help out in yards. Miss Clarabelle lets me help her all time.” I point out Miss Clarabelle’s house.

  “That’s a real nice yard,” Mr. Black says.

  “My brother T.J. can come mow your grass for you,” I offer. I’ll have to explain to T.J. that Mr. Black doesn’t have any money. T.J. usually likes to get paid when he works.

  Then another great idea hits me like pirates on a ship deck. T.J.’s youth group at church has been helping old folks fix up their houses!

  I decide not to say anything to Mr. Black until I talk to T.J. first. Maybe T.J. and his other friends can help!

  Ugly Brother is barking. I look at him and he looks at me. Then I remember my manners!

  I say, “Mr. Black, may I introduce my other brother, Ugly Brother. He wants to apologize for lookin’ like a parrot right now, but we’re pirates and we needed a parrot!”

  Ugly Brother barks, “Ruff, ruff.”

  Mr. Black frowns. “He sure does have an unusual name,” he says.

  “His real name is Bruno,” I explain, “but he doesn’t like it, not one little bit. He really wants to be called Ugly Brother.”

  Mr. Black smiles at me. I bet he knows that Ugly Brother thinks he is a person.

  “Now, what’s this boy trouble you’re havin’?” Mr. Black asks.

  We all sit on the ground and explain all about the scurvy dogs — I mean, boys — who don’t believe that girls can be pirates.

  I add, “If those boys could just see you, sir, they’d think you were a real pirate and then you could tell them girls can be pirates, too. Would you do it? Tonight when we go trick-or-treating?”

  “Hmm,” he says. “I haven’t planned for Halloween this year, so I don’t have any treats to pass out.”

  “That’s okay,” I tell him.

  He agrees to pretend to be Black Bart and tell the boys we are pirates! I would like him to say that I am a pirate queen, but that’s probably asking too much.

  It’s lunch time and we have to get home. We’re going to carve pumpkins for tonight after we eat lunch. We wave goodbye to Mr. Black, and then I give the orders to go back to the lagoon.

  That afternoon, the girls and I carve pirate pumpkins!

  First, Momma cuts a hole in the tops. Then we scrape out all the seeds with Momma’s old kitchen spoons. The spoons have long, long handles. Finally, we use markers to draw on pirate faces. T.J. helps me cut the design out on mine. It kind of looks like Mr. Black.

  That reminds me about helping him. “Do you ever cut grass for free?” I ask T.J.

  “Not really,” he replies. “Except for Momma. Why?”

  “You know the old Black house at the end of the street?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” T.J. says. “That creepy old place.”

  “Well, Mr. Black needs a lawn boy!” I explain.

  T.J. stops carving and looks at me. “Someone lives in that creepy old house?”

  While he cuts out Cara’s jack-o’-lantern, I tell T.J. all about meeting Mr. Black. Cara’s pumpkin looks like the Jolly Roger. It has the skull and crossbones on it. Next, he cuts out Lucy’s pumpkin. It looks like a happy face.

  T.J. laughs the whole time he is cutting out Paula’s pumpkin. When he finally turns it around to show us, I laugh and laugh because her pumpkin looks like Ugly Brother.

  Cara blushes. “I didn’t have any ideas,” she explains, “and he was just sitting there, so I carved his face on my pumpkin.”

  Then my friends’ mommas start to come over to pick up my crew so they can get ready to go trick-or-treating. A cool breeze is blowing. When it gets dark, it will be a little chilly. I don’t mind, because part of my costume has a coat.

  When my friends are gone, I look at T.J. “You never told me if you’d help out Mr. Black,” I remind him.

  T.J. shrugs. “I could mow his lawn a couple of times,” he says. “And I was thinkin’, maybe I could mention him to the youth group and we could help him fix up his house a little bit.”

  I clap my hands. “That would be fantastic!” I say. “Thank you, T.J.!”

  A horn honks outside, and T.J. dashes for the door. He yells, “Have fun, Lil’ Bit! Save some candy for me.”

  “Okay,” I say. “I’ll try not to eat it all.”

  Then I hear the front door close and a truck drives away. I climb upstairs to my room to put on my costume. My parrot comes, too.

  I put on my black jeans, a white ruffled shirt, and my black boots. I tie my sash around my waist. Now I need help.

  I holler, “Momma, please come help me!”

  I sit on the bed while she brushes my hair and pulls it into a ponytail. Then she uses her black makeup pencil to draw a fancy mustache right on my face! After I tie a pink bandana on my head, I add my black eye patch, just like Mr. Black. Next is my pirate hat with the glitter skull and crossbones on it. The last thing I put on is my long pink coat and all of my jewels.

  “You’re the cutest pirate I’ve ever seen!” Momma says. “All you need is a gold hoop earring.” She hands me a clip-on one. YAY! I’m the happiest pirate in t
he whole wide world.

  “I love it,” I gush. “Thanks, Momma!”

  Downstairs, Daddy is surprised by my costume. He says, “I didn’t know pirates wore pink!”

  “Yes, sir, pirate queens do all the time,” I say.

  Just then, the doorbell rings. It’s Paula and Cara! Paula is a fairy and Cara is a black cat. As soon as Lucy gets here in her cowgirl costume, we can set sail on our own trick-or-treat adventure. Besides, Mr. Black is expecting us.

  We decide to wait out in the front yard. I hope I see Cole, so I can dare him to go to the haunted house at the end of the street and knock on the door.

  Once Aunt Susie finally brings Lucy, we start to trick or treat.

  “Let’s go to Cole’s house first,” I say.

  He answers the door wearing a monster costume. He looks at me and snarls, “A pink pirate. No way!”

  I wink at Lucy. Then I turn to Cole and say, “Would you think I was a real pirate if I knocked on the door of the haunted house at the end of the street?”

  “The old Black house?” he asks. He shivers and nods. “Okay,” he says. “But you’ll chicken out before you get to the door.”

  I laugh. “Let’s see who the real pirate is and who the chicken is,” I say. “Come on. Whoever knocks on the door is the real pirate.”

  “All right,” Cole agrees.

  We walk down the street. The closer we get to the Black house, the more jumpy Cole gets. Under the dim glare of the street light, the house looks really scary.

  The house is dark. I start to walk up to the porch, but Cole hangs back. He says, “You aren’t going to get close enough to win the dare.”

  “Are you comin’ or not?” I ask.

  Cara, Paula, and Lucy wait on the sidewalk. They are trying not to laugh. Lucy has her hand over her mouth. Cole probably thinks she is trying not to scream because she is so afraid.

  The steps creak as we walk up to the door. I ask, “Are you ready?”