On the shore of the island, Bearnacle Bear and his three pirate companions looked out to sea. They sat quietly, as each one of them was transfixed by the water, by the position of the sun in the sky, by the places out of sight and, for the time being, out of reach. The island had been a good home with plentiful fruits, nuts and leaves. There was seaweed to gather from just offshore. The sun shone most of the time. But still, the bears were getting restless.
“I miss the ship,” said one of the pirates.
“So much rum. Such good times,” said another pirate.
“I miss the plunder and the excitement of the chase,” said the third pirate.
“I miss the adventure,” said Bearnacle. “But only a little. I know that there’s a new adventure just out of sight.”
The bears sighed and went to look at the wreckage of their tender. They shook their heads at the holes in the sails.
“Aye, the sails are shot,” said the first pirate. “But the boat is still seaworthy. We shall have to turn it into a rowing ship. Who here knows how to make oars from wood?”
“I do,” said Bearnacle, who went off to make the oars. He spent several days making a tool and then making the oars. As he created the oars, he remembered his father teaching him how to make the oars. He remembered building his first small boat. And he thought about the happy time he spent sailing that small boat and looking over the side at the colorful schools of fishes.
“But I can look at colorful schools of fishes here. And I can eat seaweed and coconut and anything I want, and the coconut gives me water and milk. I am happy here. But I too have wanderlust, and it is time to explore,” Bearnacle said.
A few days later, Bearnacle and the pirates pushed off the boat. They began to row, using the new oars that Bearnacle constructed. Soon, they fell into a rhythm. All was peaceful in the sea until, suddenly…
Uh oh! Something went wrong. I didn’t realize (or remember) that they were pirates. Hope they don’t get into too much trouble. 🙂
I love how you crafted the memory of the bear’s father teaching him. Often we forget how much the people in our lives have taught us. As we chase our future we often forget to take the time to pause and reflect. Thank you for sharing this part of the adventure. Looking forward to the next piece.