by Megan Marple
Bigfoot turned, and looking like the cat that caught the canary, grinned at me. “Well, then. What are we waiting for?”
Luckily for us, my grandparent’s house wasn’t too much farther away from the Lighthouse, and was on the marsh side of the island, their house backing up to the water. Even though it wasn’t a big house and it was painted funny shades of pink with green shutters and trimming, it still made me smile as we walked up the front porch.
Propping my shovel next to it, I yanked open the storm door and unlocked the main door, the scent of fresh laundry hitting me. It sorta made me want to take a quick nap on Granddaddy’s hammock out back. “Okay. So, I think he keeps the metal detector in the garage. Down this way,” I said.
The garage was a musty sort of place where Granddaddy worked on his weekend projects. Nana said he was a ‘tinkerer,’ always tinkering with one thing or another. So the inside of the garage was filled with scraps of woods, buckets of paint, and tons of tools that I hoped he’d show me how to use one day.
Shuffling through some of the old magazines my grandparents had stacked in the corner, Bigfoot turned his eyes back on me. “Man, your grandparents have a lot of junk in here, don’t they?”
I bit my tongue, trying not to fly off the handle so easily despite Bigfoot’s rude remark. “You don’t exactly have a filter on your mouth, do you?” I replied through gritted teeth.
But he just snorted, shaking his head as he trailed his fingers over some of the thingamabobs hanging around on my granddaddy’s pegboard.
I pushed a few of the old rakes aside and found the metal detector shoved into one of the corners of the garage. “Here it is. Perfect! They already told me I could use it, so there’s that.”
“I sure hope this works.”
I spun back around to face Bigfoot, feeling as though something had lit a fire inside of me. A grin creeped across my face as I told him, “Believe me, this will be worth the wait.”
“You know what would be great? If all these things weren’t so heavy . . .” Bigfoot whined, reminding me of my friend Shawn’s little sister, Tia. She was only four, but whoa, when she didn’t get her way everyone needed to watch out!
“If I knew you were gonna be doing all this bellyaching, I would’ve found somebody else to find the treasure with.”
I could almost see Bigfoot rolling his eyes behind me. “You didn’t exactly have a line of people waiting, you know. Besides, why do I have to hold the metal detector and the big shovel?”
With my hand on my hip, I narrowed my eyes at him, but still walked to keep up with him. “Because you’re bigger, duh! Don’t be getting all grumpy on me now. We’re already halfway back to the lighthouse. Just try and picture how awesome it will be once we find the treasure.”
He mumbled something under his breath that I didn’t quite hear, but I ignored it anyway and pushed my sweaty hair out of my face. Even if he had a good point—it was getting warmer out as the day went on—I wasn’t going to stop digging for my dream just because Bigfoot was a little tired.
When we finally did make it back to the lighthouse, Bigfoot took a seat on one of the large rocks they had placed out on the front lawn, letting out a long breath. “You know, we walk around everywhere too, back in the city. But this is ridiculous.” He watched as I turned on the metal detector, raising an eyebrow at me. “Are you sure you know how to work that thing?”
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist. You just turn the power button on . . .” I began, placing my arm inside the little armrest. “Put your arm here, grab the little thing here, and . . .” my voice trailed off as I figured out what to do next.
He rolled his eyes at me, taking a few steps closer to get a good look at the metal detector, and turned his head so he could read the little screen from upside down. “Aren’t you supposed to have like a pair of headphones or something? To hear the machine when it beeps?”
My shoulders slumped forward. “Yeah. Dang-it! Why do I keep forgetting things? I mean I’m sure we could probably use it without a pair of headphones but it might sound really loud.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it.” And with that, Bigfoot pulled out his pair of thick headphones from somewhere out of his many pockets in his shorts, handing them over to me. “I never go anywhere without my music.”
I offered him a smile and took the headphones, plugging them into the little hole along the side of the metal detector. “That should do it. My granddaddy bought this a couple of years ago so it’s not super old, at least.”
Putting on the headphones, I nodded my chin in the direction that I wanted to go looking first. And then… we began to search.
I don’t how long we were out there, the sun beating down on both of us and for sure giving me my next sunburn, when the headphones started to pick up a little beeping noise. I passed over the grassy area of the side lawn of the lighthouse, right where the sand met the soil and stopped. Running the metal detector over the same spot again, I paused for a moment, wondering if maybe I was just hearing things when I suddenly heard it again. My eyes went wide. “I think I heard something.”
Without waiting for an explanation, he reached over and took the headphones from me, placing them over his ears and listening in, too. I passed the metal detector over the spot again and his eyes lit up. “Yeah, something’s there,” he said a little too loudly.
Right away Bigfoot clambered over, helping me to scoop the sand away from the hole, the dark, sharp edge of something sticking out the more and more we brushed the sand off.
“This looks super old. Maybe this is it!” I said, excitement flooding through me. “Help me dig it up!”
We dug down further, our fingers hitting the sides of the box that was most definitely bigger than the breadbox at home.
“Man, this thing is really down in there,” Bigfoot muttered, grunting with effort as he tried to yank it out. But it was no use, it was definitely stuck.
“Hold on.” I gripped my fingers underneath the only corner I could grab, my knees sinking into the ground as I helped him pull even harder. “Okay, now you try and scoop the sand away while I pull. Ready? Now!”
He dug his fingers deep in the sand and quickly starting scooping huge handfuls of sand out from around the box’s corner, freeing up more and more of it as I kept pulling. I nearly fell backward as the corner came up, sand rushing underneath it.
“Almost got it!” Bigfoot said, his face pink.
I took in a deep breath and started pushing at it from the bottom, the box finally moving inch by inch as I did.
Bigfoot let out a long whistle as he brushed the last of the sand away from the sides and lugged it out of the shallow hole, his wide eyes slowly finding mine.
The box wasn’t just some plain old boring trash… it was definitely holding something valuable inside. Each corner of the poorly-preserved wooden box was capped with a dull metal piece, matching the rusted-through metal lock on the front of it.
“This is totally a treasure chest,” I managed to squeak out, in awe.
Bigfoot only nodded, running his hand over the top, sand falling away.
“You ready?” I asked, adrenaline rushing through me. This was the moment I’d been waiting for, and I didn’t think I could wait a single second longer. Everything in me told me that my whole life might change in just another moment…
“Let me,” he offered, pulling himself up to a stand using the shovel for support.
Aiming the point of the long-handled shovel directly at the worn-down lock, Bigfoot hit it as hard as he could, the rusted metal busting open and small bits of coppery flakes floating down around it. It was almost too easy.
I drew in a quick breath, my knuckles white as I clenched my fists together, bracing myself. Here we go, I told myself.
I pried my fingers under the lock which I could tell was old as dirt with the way the metal easily bent, and pushed open the rounded top of the chest.
“What’s in it? What do you see?” Bigfoot asked excitedly,
leaning down to get a better look.
“I can’t believe this,” I whispered, noticing the eaten away hole at the bottom of the chest. “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! It’s empty!” Desperate, I dug my hands deep into the sand underneath, not caring about the bits of sand flying and stinging my eyes as I tried to claw around, looking for the treasure. Surely it had to be just underneath?
Bigfoot quickly got to work helping me, both of us frantic as we dug another foot down, the chest falling slowly into the little pit as I finally pulled back, breathing hard.
I shoved away from the chest just as hot angry tears welled up in my eyes. He picked up the chest, quietly sighing to himself, but I looked away, unable to do much else.
All that searching, all that hoping and dreaming was for nothing! I bit down on my lip hard, utterly devastated.
There’d be no fancy bracelet, or membership to The Island Club. No cool dance floor at the tavern, and definitely no awesome new beach house with my own private library. Not even a stinking new bike.
“Wow, that was not what I was expecting,” Bigfoot’s voice finally echoed my thoughts.
“This was the hugest waste of time,” I muttered, crossing my arms and trying to keep myself held tightly together. I hated that I actually believed in searching for pirate’s treasure like some dumb little kid.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say all that. At least it gave us something to do . . . It does suck that we didn’t find anything though.” Even him trying to get me to look on the bright side of things didn’t help. I had completely gotten my hopes up for nothing.
“Hey, maybe we can find something else to do. Isn’t there like a basketball court around here somewhere?”
I held up my hand as I straightened up. “No thanks. I’m not really into basketball. I should probably just get these shovels and the metal detector back to the Tell-Tale.”
Bigfoot looked at me funny as he put the chest back down, but I didn’t care. Maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal to him, maybe his family had lots of money too. Finding treasure would be cool, and he’d be famous sure, but would it have been as much of a help to him as it would’ve been to me? I didn’t know.
“We might as well bring this stuff back, right?” Gesturing to the chest and the map on the sand, Bigfoot tilted his head to the side, waiting for my answer. I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t see why it mattered much one way or the other, but I didn’t want to just leave a hole in the sand and bury the chest back in it, so we both slowly filled the hole, Bigfoot hoisting the chest up onto his shoulder. Something about it made me dearly miss Poe all of the sudden…
After Bigfoot offered to help me carry the shovels back too, while I carried the metal detector, it didn’t take long until we were standing outside of the tavern, Bigfoot shuffling his feet as he handed me the shovels. “Well, I guess I’ll go find where my parents went. See you around . . .”
I really did want to say something, to say anything even if it was just thanks, but I just muttered “Bye,” and watched him walk away.
Hanging my head, I drug the everything back behind the tavern and carried the shovels back up to the storage box, propping the metal detector up against the wall.
I looked out over the ocean, and for once, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore did nothing to soothe me.
7
I opened one bleary eye, irritated by the way the sunlight was pouring in and warming a small part of my cheek, my eye caught half caught in the bright beam of blinding light. “Ugh,” I groaned, pulling the blanket up over my head. If I could just stay in bed forever, that would be great, I thought, curling up on my side.
The knock at my door told me otherwise. “Edie, honey, it’s breakfast time. I made you some of those buttermilk pancakes you’re sweet on. Edie . . . what in the world?” The door cracked open and in came Nana, her footsteps creaking along the old wooden floor. “I’m surprised you’re still in bed. You feelin’ all right, hon?”
I groaned again. “I’m not hungry.”
“Not hungry? Since when does my cooking not get you right on out of bed? I knew you and Granddaddy shouldn’t have been up late watching that silly horror movie. Bet your Mama won’t be happy to hear about it. C’mon, sug,” she replied, patting my leg over the covers. “Come eat before it gets cold.”
Slowly I pushed down the covers from my face, still frowning as I slid my legs off the side of the bed. Really all I wanted to do was stay in bed and read all day. Whatever it took to get my mind off of the disaster from the day before.
The whole time at breakfast both of my grandparents kept eyeing me then looking at each other, until finally, Nana spoke up. “Spill it, Edie-girl.”
I pushed the bits of mutilated buttermilk pancakes around with my fork, still looking down at the blue and white checker print tablecloth. “What do you mean?”
Out of the corner of my eye I could just make out Granddaddy’s shoulders heaving as he silently laughed while Nana put her fork down and let out a dignified snort. “Hon, you know better than to play dumb with your Nana. What’s eating at you?”
It wasn’t like there much of anything to really be secretive about anyway… “Well, you know how I was asking about the hypothetical treasure?” I asked, looking over at Granddaddy as he nodded. “I found this map, and it was an actual pirate’s map! With an ‘x’ and everything! But . . . when I went to dig for the buried treasure, the chest was empty. There’s this big hole in it and I think someone must have stolen whatever was inside, or it was just washed away in the tide. So . . . I guess we’re not going to be rich after all.” Saying it out loud only made me feel that much worse as I held my chin in my hand.
Nana patted my hand, softly smiling at me. “I’m sorry you didn’t find anything inside the chest, Edie. But hey! Finding a treasure map and a real treasure chest? That’s nothing to sneeze at, believe you me! Why, I bet the Charleston History & Art Museum would love to take a look at those things. Wouldn’t they, Denny?”
Granddaddy scratched at his whiskery chin, obviously hatching some kind of crazy thought in his mind. Everyone always said I got my wacky ideas from him, after all. “You know what, Lois? You’re absolutely right. I’m going to go look in the phone book right now for the number and call the museum up myself to see what they say. They’re still open in the summer, ain’t they?”
Nana rolled her eyes, the corners of them still crinkled from her grinning. “Yes, Denny, of course they are. Everyone and their mama are open during the tourist season.” She turned her eyes back on me. “Why don’t you hurry up and finish your food and we’ll get ready for work? I can hold down the fort at the tavern and maybe you and Granddaddy can go see what the museum people have to say. Do you still have the map and the chest?”
I nodded. Even though I knew they were only getting all excited for my benefit and to cheer me up, I couldn’t help but feel a little better anyway, “Yes, ma’am. I brought them up to the guest room when we came home last night.”
I shut the car door and went around to unlatch the back, grabbing the map while Granddaddy carefully picked up the chest which they had wrapped in an old sheet. According to the museum director, they actually were interested in taking a look at what I found. Granddaddy drove me over to the museum while Nana stayed at the Tell-Tale.
“You ready to see if this old junk is worth anything?” he winked at me, closing the trunk shut.
I shrugged my shoulders. I was not about to get my hopes up all over again. “Guess we’ll find out.”
As we walked up the stone steps, I looked up at the big marble columns on either side of us, small angels kneeling on both and reminding me of how I probably should’ve left well enough alone. It was safe to say the little devil on my shoulder was getting its due.
A short man in a pinstripe suit and neatly trimmed mustache spotted us immediately as we walked in, and thanking another man that he was talking to, he approached us with a cautious smile. “Mr. Allan? And Edie, I presume?” Shaking Granddad
dy’s hand as he nodded, the man introduced himself as the museum director and head curator, Thomas Higgins. “I’m excited to see what you have for me today,” he said gesturing to the chest. “Shall we?”
He led the way past the front lobby area and to a door that read ‘MUSEUM STAFF ONLY.’ Inside, was a short hallway with three more doors off of it, and Mr. Higgins opened the one straight ahead letting out a whoosh of cool air past us as he did. “This is our on-site warehouse. We like to keep it perfectly climate-controlled with all of the artifacts here. Ah, here we go,” he said, pulling out a white fold-up chair at one of the long metal tables already cluttered with heaping stacks of papers.
Granddaddy placed the chest down on the table, and watching Mr. Higgins and his expectant look turn my way, I frowned and pulled out the map. I didn’t know why I was suddenly so attached to it, but it was hard to hand it over.
Mr. Higgins pulled on some white gloves, adjusted his glasses and flipped the map over, tilting it this way and that as he scrutinized it.
“So, what do you think, Mr. Higgins?” Granddaddy finally interrupted the silence a few minutes later. “Did my granddaughter find something good?”
My heart leapt just a tiny bit at the way Mr. Higgins smoothed the map out on the metal table and looked back up at me, a polite smile on his face. “I’d like to think so. It seems you may have found the lost part of the Ogden Map.”
“The Ogden Map?” I repeated, completely puzzled.
“Oh yes. It’s a map of your island, drawn up circa 1793, by one of the more famous European cartographers at the time, Phillipe Ogden. We actually have the remaining half on display inside the museum.”
Raising a brow at him, I folded my arms across my chest. “You mean this isn’t a pirate’s map?”
“Actually, contrary to belief, pirates didn’t make a habit of burying their treasure—or anything of theirs, for that matter. There are several cases of pirated ships lost at sea and sunken treasure being found of course, but . . .” his words faded away as I tuned him out.