The Old Cape House

by Barbara Eppich Struna

  With a snap of the reins the wagon rolled on into the dark. Harding knew which roads were the fastest, and within a short time, they arrived at the edge of the coast where they could see the remains of the Whydah. The sky had turned into the misty gray of dawn and exposed the sheer devastation to all who were alive to see. Mangled bodies and large pieces of the ship with rope and iron still attached were strewn along the wrack line. A few yards away, several chests were being pushed back and forth by the waves crashing onto the beach.

  “Look!” Davis yelled, pointing to the floating chests.

  Sam jumped down from the wagon and doubled over in pain; his impulsiveness had irritated his throbbing wound. After a few seconds, he regained his strength and ordered his men, “Hurry, lads, we must be quick.”

  With each chest that was loaded into the back of the wagon, Harding’s excitement grew stronger for treasure. By the time they were finished, he was ready to burst with anticipation of what was inside. When all was ready, Davis and Julian looked for Sam. They saw him standing over the dark mass of what once was a man. He turned him over and recognized James Fergursen, the surgeon on board the Whydah. His clothes barely covered his body from the fury of the water and waves. Sam covered him with the blanket from his shoulders that Maria had given him for warmth. A few feet to the left lay young John King, whose arm was torn off as he tried to hold onto part of the rigging during the storm. Sam thought John should have listened to his mother and not chosen piracy.

  “Sam! We must leave!” Julian called out from the back of the wagon.

  Sam didn’t listen and walked further down the beach. Finding more of his men, he slowly pushed over another body, that of Joseph Rivers, the oldest pirate he had ever known. His face was bloated and blue but this career pirate died doing what he loved.

  He could see the Whydah, or what was left of her, floundering amidst the dark, frothy water. All is lost, he thought: my ship, my men and my fortune…did the past years of my life mean nothing?

  “Sam! Now!” Davis yelled.

  Feeling beaten and in pain, Sam turned and dragged his weary body through the thick, wet sand to the waiting wagon.

  Harding pulled the reins back to turn the horse around to leave. He was pleased to be carrying whatever was in the chests to the privacy of his home.

  47

  Present Day – July 25

  BREWSTER – CAPE COD

  THE NEXT EVENING, my cell phone rang, and I recognized Paul’s number right away. “Hi honey. How did the exhibit go?”

  “Pretty good. I sold four paintings. Not a sell-out but well worth the trip.”

  “That’s wonderful news.”

  “I’m at the hotel waiting for the kids to come down to the car. I stayed at the gallery till 6 pm. Now I’m going to take them back with me to load up the unsold paintings.”

  “Glad they were a help.”

  Paul’s voice softened. “Hey, I really miss you.”

  “I miss you, too. Everything else okay?”

  “Yeah, we’re all fine.”

  “Paul, the guy from the Whydah Museum came into the gallery yesterday, a Mr. Kevin Kennedy. Things got a little strange. He really made me feel uncomfortable.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, he wanted to see the cellar, so I showed him. As we were standing in the backyard, a car pulled in. I told him I had to take care of the customer, but before I left him, he asked to use the bathroom.”

  “Who used the bathroom?” Paul sounded distracted. “Jesus… Casey! Hold Molly’s hand!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Molly almost tripped down the stairway coming from the second floor. What did you say?”

  Exasperated, I repeated again, “The guy from the museum, Kennedy, asked to use the bathroom when some customers came in.”

  “So…?”

  “It was just weird.”

  “What happened that was so weird?”

  “When the customers finally left, I went back to find Kennedy, but he wasn’t by the cellar. I found him by the kitchen table looking at the three gold coins. I had them out this morning and forgot to put them away. When he finally handed the coins over, he quickly rushed to leave, saying something like he couldn’t resist looking at them. The whole thing just made me uneasy.”

  “Okay. Just make sure the doors are locked tonight. Is Jim home?”

  I could hear the kids bickering in the background as they got into the car. “No, not yet. He’s working an extra shift at the restaurant.”

  Paul yelled out, “Casey, make sure your sister is buckled in.”

  “What did you say?” I asked.

  “Just talking to the kids. I’ll be home tomorrow morning, early. Don’t worry.”

  “I’ll be fine.” I said. “You be careful driving. I love you. Give the kids a hug for me.”

  “Okay, I love you, too.”

  ***

  Jim came home from work and was showered and dressed so fast that I couldn’t tell him my concerns about the stranger.

  “Sorry, Mom, I gotta go,” he said, buttoning his shirt, “or I’ll be late.” He went for the door to leave. “See you later. I guess you’ll be sleeping when I come home?”

  “I think so.” I came closer to him for a quick hug. I must have looked a little worried.

  He turned around to me and asked, “You alright?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. I guess I miss your dad.”

  “Okay.” He kissed me goodbye and ran out the door to his car.

  I yelled after him, “Got your key?”

  “Yup.” He drove away in a hurry.

  ***

  As the night fell across the Cape, I double checked the doors of the house and settled in the front parlor to watch one of my favorite movies, ‘Goonies’. It always made me laugh, and tonight I needed a distraction; something funny suited me. The couch was close to the television in the middle of the room. White lace curtains on the windows framed the dark night into black holes. Raindrops began hitting the skylight with loud splats.

  I got up for a cup of tea and passed the laundry room, opposite the new kitchen, just as flashes of lightening sparked on the driveway side of the house. As the microwave heated the water, another flash of lightening lit up the sky. It was unsettling; I braced myself against the counter, anticipating a loud rumbling of thunder. I counted the seconds for the distance of the storm; by the time I reached ten its booming sound rattled the glass cabinet doors above my head. When it stopped, I turned to look on the other side of the house for another flash. Right on cue, it came and lit up the birdfeeder just beyond the side door. The image of the guy from the museum popped into my head. I shook it off. There’s nothing to be afraid of, he’s gone, and hopefully won’t be back. When the microwave played its little tune to signal my tea was hot, I grabbed the steaming comfort and quickly returned to the safety of the front parlor and my movie.

  48

  April 27, 1717

  EASTHAM – CAPE COD

  THERE WERE ONLY A FEW OATS LEFT IN STORAGE; Maria didn’t think she would be able to satisfy the hunger of Sam and his two shipmates with such meager rations. Instead, she took some dried corn that had been harvested in the fall from her small garden, ground it into meal and prepared flatbread in the traditional way of the Indians. She had less than a cup of maple syrup remaining with which to sweeten the plain bread. How she wished she could buy from the stores in the village. The winter had been long, and she had become so tired of her miserable life.

  The thought of Sam, now home with her, gave her hope. If only she had taken the three gold coins out of the hidden compartment in the chest that held her tiny son. She realized that she had not been capable of normal thinking the day she’d buried her child. She had not been herself. Now the small pouch of Sam’s money from Mr. Smith was all she had left–a pittance, but maybe it was enough. Pouring a scant amount of goat’s milk into three cups, she understood that whatever was salvaged from the wreck, if anything, would probably
still not be enough to allow them to leave. Maria sat at the table crying, waiting for the men to return.

  ***

  The horse struggled with the heavy load of men and chests over the rutted cart-way. No one spoke the distance, each man hiding his thoughts of how the treasure should be divided. Harding stopped the horse.

  Sam ordered, “We need to hide the chests for fear that someone might see them.”

  Davis and Julian jumped off the wagon and began to haul each chest into the small shack behind Maria’s house. Sam put his hand on the last chest Davis was unloading. “Wait, this one is his,” he said, pointing to Harding. Davis turned away.

  “Aye. What might be inside?” Harding asked.

  “I’m sure you’ll be pleased.” Sam opened it a few inches for him to see. “I trust that you’ll be silent when questioned about this night’s events?”

  The look on Harding’s face told Sam that there would be no problem. “What events?” A smile curled across his lips. He flicked the reins, which made the horse bolt, and Harding, along with the wagon and chest, disappeared over the dune.

  As dawn lightened the sky, Sam, Julian and Davis entered the McKeon house, where they planned to stay until they felt it was safe to leave. Soon the men lay exhausted on the dirt floor, grateful for whatever nourishment Maria had provided for them.

  While they slept, Maria’s curiosity grew stronger as to what was in the chests that had been stored behind the house. Without a sound, she crept through the back door to discover what was inside them.

  In the shack, she saw three chests of similar size, the fourth smaller than the rest. Kneeling down, she ran her hands over the sides and top of the lesser one. The latch was held with a nail that slid out when shimmied to one side. She opened it and leaned back. Her hand shot up to her mouth in wonder. “Oh Sam,” she whispered. Pieces of beautiful blue flowered china protruded up from gold and silver coins. Long sections of colorful silk material were wrapped around larger pieces of the china, and as she dug deeper into the chest she found red rubies, sparkling diamonds and gold necklaces. Lost in the brilliance of the treasure, a voice startled her from behind.

  “I see that you have found your gifts.” Sam leaned on the doorway of the old shack.

  She dropped the coins from her hand and closed its lid. “Sam, forgive me.” She stood and backed towards the wall, fearful for the first time in Sam’s presence. “My rudeness is inexcusable.” She knew he had become a pirate, and as her back pressed against the wall, she whispered, “I should never have been so bold.”

  He came closer to her. “Maria, I love you. Don’t fear me.” He stroked her lips. “We are in this together. What you found is yours, my beloved.”

  Maria could feel herself relax. “Is it really for me?”

  “Yes.”

  She knelt down again and opened the lid. Pulling out a teacup, she pretended to sip her tea. “Never before have I seen such treasure. I have no words.” Her hands sifted through the coins. She looked over to Sam. His black hair was tied back and revealed his handsome face. How she loved him. Her heart filled with joy as she turned back to inspect more of her treasure.

  She heard a thump behind her. Spinning around, she saw Sam had crumpled on the floor; fresh blood seeped through the linen.

  “Sam!” she screamed and crawled over to him. “Please, don’t leave me again!” She cradled him in her arms and lowered him down to the dirt floor then ran to the house.

  “Help!” She screamed, waking the two men. “You must help me. Something’s wrong with Sam.”

  When Davis and Julian entered the shack, they were surprised to see Sam lying in the dirt. Then they saw the open chest and could not believe their eyes. Staring at the gold and imagining their share, the two ignored Sam’s plight.

  Maria pleaded with them again, “Please take Sam into the house.”

  Julian looked at Davis, and both assumed that they each would do as she asked, for now.

  Sam’s shipmates laid him on the bed as Maria fetched another clean linen.

  Sam grabbed Davis’s arm. He was becoming weak with fever. “If I don’t survive this night,” squeezing his arm tighter, “promise me….”

  “What say you?” Davis asked.

  “Promise me that no harm will come to Maria.”

  “You have my word,” he said, looking over to Julian who was standing near the edge of the bed.

  Julian nodded, “Aye.”

  “Davis!” Sam whispered again.

  “Aye.”

  “The small chest is Maria’s, hers alone.”

  “You have our word.”

  “Listen to me: there are three chests, one for each of you, the third is mine. But if I die before the morrow,” he rested his head back and breathed heavily, “my share belongs to Maria.”

  Davis looked at Julian.

  Sam held onto Davis’s arm one more time. ”Do you swear to do this?”

  Reluctantly, he answered, “We have an accord!”

  Exhausted, Sam lay back and closed his eyes.

  Maria pushed the two men aside and began cutting away the bloodied linen. As she attempted to dab the wound clean, the open skin that still held several splinters seeped with yellow puss.

  She moved behind Davis and Julian to retrieve more drawing salve from the shelf. They sat at the table eating the last of the flatbreads. When she returned to Sam’s side, she pulled him towards her body and removed the soiled linen from his back. Before securing the clean linen once again, she reapplied the drawing paste, hoping the slivers would come away from his infected skin.

  Through half closed eyes, the sight of Maria’s smile eased Sam’s pain. She offered more of Minda’s numbing herbal tea. Her soft words soothed him as she stroked his forehead. “Sleep now. Rest is what you need.”

  He closed his eyes, content in knowing that his responsibilities to her would be honored.

  ***

  Davis wiped his mouth. “We need to hide the chests and ourselves.”

  “Aye.”

  He leaned into Julian. “They’ll be searching for us.”

  Maria tended the hearth, listening to their words.

  Davis whispered, “My plan is to leave tonight. I’ll pay a visit to Harding and give him another chance at kindness.”

  Julian tugged on his gold earring, saying nothing. He was a man of few words and his plans were for him alone. He needed no one.

  As dusk came, Davis was ready to take his leave and gather his share of the bounty.

  Julian followed him into the shack. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, my friend, but I’m no fool.”

  Davis grinned and proceeded to inspect his chest.

  Julian knelt next to him beside his own riches. They opened their chests together.

  Davis’s lips parted and stayed apart long enough for saliva to drip onto the mound of shiny gold pieces.

  Julian said nothing, as usual, his long black hair falling on either side of his face, concealing his expression. Only his hands showed emotion as they sifted through the jewels, gold pieces and necklaces.

  Davis swiveled around, opened Sam’s chest and began to take some of its contents.

  Julian stopped his hand. “Wait, we pledged to Sam. He ain’t dead yet.”

  “No matter, we’ve earned it. Where would he be if it weren’t for us?” Davis brushed Julian’s arm away. “We’ll leave him enough.”

  Julian let go and he too began to take of Sam’s share.

  Filling their chests to the rim from the third chest, they stuffed even more into their pockets. Davis commiserated as he finally closed it, securing the pin. “I know it ain’t right that we‘re taking some of Sam’s booty before he’s dead, but he would understand. It’s the pirate’s way.” He looked into Julian’s eyes. “Don’t you agree, partner?”

  Julian’s teeth contrasted with his dark skin as he grinned in agreement.

  Thomas Davis took off to Harding’s house, eventually convincing the old man to hide him
and his treasure for payment in more gold.

  Davis returned within the hour, along with a wagon to load his share. As he left, he saluted Julian. “Better days ahead, mate.” His last look was to Maria sitting beside Sam. “May good fortune attend you and the captain, ma’am.”

  By the time the sky darkened into black night, Julian was nowhere to be seen, but he was heard. As Maria lay next to her sleeping Sam, she could hear him chopping and cutting. She wondered what he was doing but stayed with Sam, eventually drifting into a light sleep by his side.

  Several hours passed before Julian came to Maria. He knelt close and touched her shoulder, trying to rouse her. “Maria,” he whispered.

  Half asleep, she woke with a start. “What’s wrong? Have they come for you?”

  “Shhhh. He still sleeps,” he said, looking at Sam. “I take my leave of you now.” He stood and walked away from her towards the shack.

  Maria followed him, but kept a safe distance, interested in his doings.

  From the shack’s door, she watched him fasten his treasure chest to a short pole stretcher, cover it with a blanket and tie a shovel across the top. He saw Maria in the shadows and looked to her for approval concerning the taking of her tools. She nodded yes.

  John Julian struggled to pull his treasure as he disappeared into the night. When the sky had turned to the dark gray of early dawn, Julian had finished burying his chest beneath the largest rock in Eastham. Wasting no time, he piled stones and rocks on top of the freshly dug dirt to hide what was buried. He smashed the rustic stretcher to further elude anyone from his nocturnal secret and heaved the shovel as far away as he could. He took only a small pouch of gold coins with him, leaving the rest buried. Now he needed to hide through the daylight hours and run through the night to safety.

  ***

  Maria looked in on Sam and found him quiet. Returning to the shack, she spotted one large chest and hers, the smaller. Opening her chest, she was thankful that the pirates had not emptied it. All was safely secure. Relieved, she turned to the larger chest. Lifting the lid, she could see the yellow color of gold, but it was half empty. Her thoughts ran from disappointment to anger and then to acceptance in knowing that she and Sam would still be able to make a new life. Her treasure alone would be sufficient.