Kyle had a deep bond with his grandmother; they spent their days doing treasure hunts together. After she passed away, he was emotionally crippled. However, after yet another treasure hunt and a few words from his grandmother’s parrot, he learned a beautiful lesson about life’s hidden treasures.
Kyle was a 12-year-old boy from a modest home and upbringing. He was the youngest of three siblings. His sister, Kira, was 22, and his brother, Dylan, was 17. His father worked as a school bus driver, and his mother worked as a secretary for a small company.
Like most children his age, Kyle was quite the adventurous child. While it came naturally to him, this trait was also strongly influenced by his relationship with his Grandmother, Linda.
Linda was a wise and loving woman. And even though she was in her senior years, she still had the adventurous, kind, and vibrant spirit of a child. This may be the reason she and Kyle got along so well.
Moreover, Kyle and Linda spent a lot of time together and adored each other dearly. Linda loved all her grandchildren. However, she noticed that none of Kyle’s siblings shared the strong bond Kyle and her shared, neither when they were his age nor after.
Linda had a thing for pirates, something she would soon pass down to Kyle. She even had a very old macaw named Jack, after Jack Sparrow. Kyle loved Jack and would often pick at the parrot’s brain just to hear all the quirky things his grandmother and sometimes even Kyle himself had taught it.
“You know, they say pirates never actually had parrots as pets and that it was all fiction and pop culture. I think that’s absolutely nonsense. If you spent your life on quests across the world and vast oceans, coming all its beauty. Surely you’d pick a good old parrot like Jack here. And that’s simply because he is portable and good company,” Linda would often say.
Words like these would often entice little Kyle’s imagination, and likewise, he reminded his grandmother of the inner child in herself. They would spend days playing pirates as if they were on their own adventure of the seven seas.
Linda would set up maps for them to search for hidden treasures around her apartment. Kyle’s grandmother would tell him stories about how her great-great-grandfather was a pirate back in his days.
Besides Kyle, the rest of the family barely visited Linda. On occasion, Linda’s son, Kyle’s father, would bring Linda groceries. Kyle would use the opportunity to spend time with her, pleading with his father to stay over for the weekend. Most of the family didn’t get their peculiar bond, but they didn’t get in the way of it. They were an inseparable pair.
However, in her old age, Linda’s health began to deteriorate. Her vision and hearing were growing weaker each day. One day, the family gathered at Linda’s apartment to celebrate her 85th birthday party. Nobody bothered with getting her a gift that day.
Everyone figured she was too old either way, so any gift would be wasted on her. This grieved Linda deeply. While she appreciated their presence, she would have loved for them to treat it like any other birthday. In fact, she would have appreciated a little extra effort.
“Oh. I thought it might be because you didn’t get a present. But don’t you worry, I got you something. A little booty to keep your blood running! Are you ready for another adventure?”
At the rate her health was deteriorating, she figured it may have likely been one of the last birthdays she’d be celebrating, and she had wanted it to be memorable. While she understood that the rest of the family may not have considered this, it didn’t make the disappointment any easier to digest.
However, Linda decided to focus on what she had and not what was missing. She sat on her chair, watching as her family vibrantly prepared her birthday dinner, and at that moment, she found solace. A lonely tear ran down her cheek as she looked at the two generations of her family together in one room. She realized she had more than enough to be grateful for.
“Granny. Why are you crying?” Kyle asked, creeping up behind her.
“It’s tears of joy, my child. I’m just happy to see you all,” Linda replied.
“Oh. I thought it might be because you didn’t get a present. But don’t you worry, I got you something. A little booty to keep your blood running! Are you ready for another adventure?” Kyle said as he handed her a treasure map.
Linda was deeply moved. It was as if the little boy was in her head. She was lost for words, touched by his gesture and thoughtfulness.
“Aye-aye, captain,” Jack added from his bird cage.
Linda and Kyle couldn’t help but laugh as Jack’s remark suddenly cut through the emotional stillness. Linda hugged her grandson and whispered, “I can’t see or hear too well, my boy. So I’ll need a little help from you to find this treasure,” Linda explained.
“Promise me you’ll never stop seeking treasure. Not just in the world, but the hidden treasures in yourself and others.”
Kyle gently grabbed her hand and ushered her on yet another treasure hunt. She tried to hold back her tears as it dawned on her that this may very well be their last treasure hunt together. The map finally led them to a little treasure chest. Kyle opened it and pulled out a pearl necklace.
“Pirates used to gift their ladies with necklaces just like this,” Kyle said as he carefully placed the necklace on his grandmother’s neck.
“Oh, my sweet, sweet child. Thank you so much,” Linda said in tears, hugging him warmly. “You’ve just made my birthday. You’ll never know how much this means to me. I love you so much, Kyle,” said an emotional Linda.
“I love you too, grandma!” Kyle replied.
“Please promise me something, Kyle,” Linda said earnestly.
“Anything for you, grandma,” Kyle declared.
“Promise me you’ll never stop seeking treasure. Not just in the world, but the hidden treasures in yourself and others,” Linda said with a loving gaze.
“I promise, grandma,” Kyle said, hugging her again.
A few months after her birthday, Linda passed away. Her passing left Kyle shattered. Not only had he lost his grandmother, but he had lost his best friend.
In the last few months before her death, she was too weak to even try to play with little Kyle. Her birthday was indeed the last day they went on a treasure hunt together.
The few weeks following Linda’s passing left Kyle in a devastated space. He eventually asked his father to let him take Jack as his own. Jack was still at Linda’s apartment, and one of her neighbors would occasionally check in on Jack and feed him.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images
His father, seeing the effect the death of his mother had on his son, immediately took him to Linda’s apartment in hopes that it may bring him some closure. His father agreed that he’d give him some time alone so he could pick anything else he felt his grandmother may have wanted him to have.
“Aye-aye, captain! 3-2-9. Aye-aye, captain!” Jack chirped from his cage as Kyle opened the door to the apartment.
“Hello to you too, Jack,” Kyle said, walking in.
Kyle strolled around the apartment several times, replaying the irreplaceable memories they had made together. He gathered all the maps they had made over the years. While collecting the maps, he came across one he wasn’t familiar with. Written on the map were the words, “Never stop seeking the treasures, Kyle. I love you.”
Remembering these words from their last treasure hunt, Kyle followed the map searching for the last treasure his grandmother had left him. This one seemed much harder than all the rest, but this only made him that much more determined.
The map finally led him to a hidden thatch in the basement with a lock and code. He had never come across this hatch before. He tried multiple codes; her birthday, his birthday, and his father’s birthday, but none of them worked. Emotionally overwhelmed, he began desperately to tug at the lock, but it still wouldn’t budge.
“C’mon, grandma! I know you wouldn’t lead me all this way for nothing. Help me out here,” a frustrated Kyle muttered to himself. Immediately he heard Jack chirping in the distance, “Aye-aye, captain. 3-2-9— Aye-aye.”
Inside the cellar, he found a gold ring with a skull. It looked ancient, like something out of a fantasy movie.
Kyle recalled all the phrases and words his grandmother had taught him over the years. He figured it couldn’t hurt to get a little insight from someone who may have been even closer to his grandmother than he was. So, he grabbed Jack and brought him to the hatch.
“C’mon, Jack. What’s the code?” Kyle asked the parrot. Jack said nothing. “C’mon, Jack! I need your help here, buddy. What’s the code?” Kyle repeated, still met with silence. Kyle sighed deeply, finally admitting defeat.
“Aye-aye, captain. Guess there’s no—” Kyle started before Jack burst out with a loud squawk, then mimicked the words:
“Aye-aye, captain! 3-2-9. Aye-aye, captain!”
“3-2-9, huh? Alright, let’s give it a shot,” Kyle said, punching in the code. The hatch finally opened.
“Jack! You amazing little pirate, you!” Kyle yelled in excitement.
“Aye-aye, captain,” Jack repeated.
Inside the cellar, he found a gold ring with a skull. It looked ancient, like something out of a fantasy movie. Kyle examined it closely in complete awe. Next to the ring was a letter addressed to Kyle. He opened it and read it. The letter read:
“This was my great-great-greandfather’s ring. My great-great-grandmother gave it to me before she passed. She said my great-great-grandfather was a pirate, but I never told anyone because they’d think I was crazy. That all changed when we started our adventures. I finally found someone I could share my exploits and hidden treasures with. And now I am leaving this treasure with you. When you fall on hard times, – sell it. It’s worth a lot of money, my dear grandson! I love you, and remember, never stop seeking treasure.”
Kyle cried as he read the letter. It could never completely heal the pain of losing a loved one, but he found a little closure that day. He found a little piece of his grandmother. Moreover, he found another precious piece of treasure.
Kyle promised himself he would never sell it and kept it as his most prized possession, hoping that one day he could pass it down to his own grandchildren in a treasure hunt.
What can we learn from this story?
- Never stop seeking the treasures of life. Linda was able to reconnect with her inner child in the time she spent with Kyle. Even though she was physically old, she could seek the treasures of her youth and joy in her friendship with her grandson.
- Faithfulness is rewarded in one way or another. Kyle was faithful to his grandmother and friend. In the end, it paid off in a way he could have never imagined.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.
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