The Straw Hat

Rocks crunched under my wooden heels. The wind fresh with the scent of peaches far off in the vast orchards. Where HAS that boy gone!?

I search through the row of trees. Peaches so large the branches droop. “Alex!” I called. There was no answer. “Alex please come out where ever you are! You’re making me scared!”. Still no answer.

Worry began to run through my quickened heart. Maybe I passed him.

I turned back passing the lined shrubbery. Alex jumped out and grabbed hold of me. “AHHHH” I squealed putting my hands to my face. “Alex You! You frightened me!” The little boy looked up not saddened at my scolding but only laughed. Realizing my foolishness, I began to laugh too.

We skipped through the gardens and sang silly rhymes, not knowing the adventure that was about to begin.

At the edge of the orchard is a cliff. The sea ragged and folded onto itself. Deep blue and enticing. “I’ve heard stories of the Sea Spirit. When you lose something valuable in its alluring depth of the sea, you must offer it a gift of richest value. Then the Sea Spirit would bring you what you’ve lost.”

Alex looked up. “Let’s try it!” his eyes wide with excitement. He jumped up and snatched my straw hat.

“Alex!!” I panicked. “What are you!?-“

He tossed it out to the wretched sea. Its light blue ribbon waving.

I watched as my hat hit the water. Sputtering, my words knotted on the salty air. Sipping gulps of air I panicked. “ALEX! What am I going to DO with you!!!”

Far deep down was my hat. Sinking to the sand floor.

“It’s alright Shannon, we’ll just get it from the Sea Spirit!” The little boy grinned not realizing the anger I felt. “Follow me! We’ll get your hat!” He cheerfully skipped on the steep path to the edge of the cliff.

“Be careful Alex!” I ran to the edge and held my cotton skirt out of the way following the path that led down.

Alex stopped skipping and held to the rock on the side. We inched ourselves down to the sandy beach. Hundreds of seagulls flew off the closer we came to the water. It glimmered and rippled with aqua light. Just looking into it made me want to sip it up.

“I don’t see your hat.” Alex whispered. “Sorry.”

“Keep looking.” I glared out to sea. “Maybe it’s not as far as we think.”

Alex ran up and down the shore. We waited to see if the water would spit it up, but nothing happened.

“I’m going to jump in and search for it.” Alex stood up and began lifting his shirt as he strode. I stood up and grabbed his arm.

“No! you’re not going to be difficult! You’ve already lost my hat! I will not loose my friend! Now you be a good boy and go home! I don’t need your parents to be cross with me!”

Reluctantly he stormed off and ran home. I sighed, relieved he didn’t disobey. What would have happened if he jumped in? I shivered at the thought. Being by the ocean didn’t help. I just wanted to go home.

Mother was going to be cross that I lost my hat, but there was nothing else I could do. At least Alex was safe.

I walked home and went to sleep. It was late.

I heard a small knock at my window, which startled me. It was Alex. What was he doing out in the middle of the night?

I opened the window and asked what he was doing up this late.

“I found this out by the beach!” He held a open shell coated with mother of pear on the inside. It caught the candle light and shone bright.

“That’s beautiful but why are you showing me this now?”

“Let’s go see the Sea Spirit. We can offer this to him and maybe he will bring us your hat!”

I stared down at him in shock. After a moment of silence I closed the window and went back to bed.

Tap tap tap.

I turned in my sheets and pulled the blanket over my head.

Tap tap…

“OK!” I jumped from my sheets and opened the window. Alex bounced for joy.

I just wanted to get this over with and go back to sleep. I took the book I had read the tale of the Sea Spirit. Alex climbed in and sat on the floor with me. We turned the pages to where to find the Spirit. Thankfully Alex couldn’t read very well and just bothered to look at the pictures.

A great cave was drawn on the right page. I prepared a long story to make this easier than the story had said. But Alex just pointed to the picture and said, “We need to put it in there!” He got up and climbed out the window and began running toward the forest towards the edge of the cliff. Everyone knows of the cave by the cliffs. But it’s forbidden.

Shannon told Alex all they had to do was go to the cave and drop the shell in. So off they went out into the night.

They crossed the gardens and the wildflower field. Once they reached the forest Alex stopped.

“What is it Alex?”

“I’m scared.” He looked up with starry eyes.

“Well if your too scared let’s just go home.” I scoffed. I turned to leave but Alex took my pinky and headed into the forest. I sighed and followed.

“Alex we’ll need to be back before sun up-or-or the magic won’t work.

He intently stayed on the path leading the way.

It was very dark, I should have brought a lantern. Maybe I’d be home sooner.

We heard growls and saw little glowing eyes. The fireflies began to glow, illuminating the bright green leaves. It was almost as if they were showing us the way…but it must be my imagination. I just wanted to go home as soon as possible.

I will admit, it was beautiful at night. You could hear trickles of little streams. The forest seemed to glow on the inside. If you were at the edge of the wood you wouldn’t be able to tell it was warm and alive. No one would need a lantern in here. It almost made me want to stay, but something still tugged at me. I should tell Alex the truth. It isn’t safe for us to be out here in the middle of the night. I looked down at Alex who was thinking about what the spirit might look like.

“Um…Alex? We should probably be heading home. We don’t know what’s out here. We’re not even supposed to be in the forest.”

“We need to get your hat back.” He kept walking.

“Listen, I was just making it all up.”

He turned to me. Expecting to see him cry, I was surprised to see he just lifted his brows and said, “You just want to go home.”

Not knowing how to answer this, I really did want to go home, I tried to keep up with him. “No really, The story isn’t true. I was just playing around and gave in thinking it would be fun to sneak out for a minute but we’re pretty far from home Alex. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“Liar.” He raised his brows again and folded his arms. “You’re just sccccaaaarrred.”

“No i’m not!”

He ran following the path as he laughed.

“Alex!” I ran after him.

The glow started to fade away….and it got dark. Maybe I was a little scared, but I was scared of something more. Something deep down.

We made it to the opening of the cave. It’s just a hole in the ground made of stone. It leads down to a cave that opens up to the beach down below the cliff.

“Ok. Now that we’re here let’s just toss the shell in and hurry home. OK?”

He tossed it in and listened to it fall down the slide like tunnel.

“Ok let’s go.” I turned to leave.

“Wait! I want to see the spirit! Let’s see if he will bring us back your hat.”

I turned back around to argue with him,

but he slipped.

“AAAAAHHHHHH!” His scream trailed down the cave.

“ALEX!” I rushed to the opening. He was gone!

“ALEX!” I called again.

There was no answer.

I stood up and looked around biting my nail, putting my hand to my forehead. What was I supposed to do now! I was sure to be in trouble. What if he’s hurt!?

The only way to get to him now was out of the forest and down through the beach. The hole was too tight.

“ALEX!” I called again.

I waited.

A small groan echoed the cave.

“Alex!?”

No answer.

Thank heavens he’s alive! I’ll have to go down the long way.

I ran on the path brushing through leaves and runaway things, fireflies darting away. Jumping over logs, ignoring the animals reaching out to claw at me.

I ran through the flower fields and inched myself down the path to the beach.

I wasn’t sure how far it was from here. All I knew was to run.

And so I ran. Sand spilling into my leather shoes making it harder to run and yet I ran faster. Faster than I ever had. My breath inching away from grasp. I wanted more air but yet I used it too fast. I ran. I ran, I ran, I RAN.

The sun slowly started to peak from the horizon making my heart beat faster.

What if he fades away before I can reach him?

I felt my insides bruise, my heart ooze.

In the distance I see a cave. I speed up, “I’m coming!!!!”

I entered the cave. “Alex!!? Where are you?!” My voice traveled the space and bounced off the stone walls.

“Over here!” His voice staggered.

I turned to a little corner of the cave. There Alex laid, his hair a mess, his sleeve torn.

“There you are! I was worried sick!” I knelt down beside him. “Are you hurt?”

He shook his head. “I think I’m okay.”

“Good.” I felt lighter. I looked back down to him. “I’m sorry for being a bit hard. The truth, well, the real truth is I wanted you to go home so your parents wouldn’t get mad at me. I really like to spend time with you, I have lots of fun. Its just… sometimes its best to follow the rules than to have fun, because in the end you’ll end up in a place like this.” I motioned to the cave around us.

He looked down. “I’m sorry too. I keep forgetting your too old to play now. I just want to play and your always busy. I took your hat because,….” He looked almost sick, “I just wanted your attention.”

The cave fell silent. We studied the cave floor.

“Hey,” I softly said. “Let’s head home, okay?” I held my hand out to help him up. He grabbed on and lifted. He found the shell and stuffed it in his pocket.

We walked out of the cave. “What are you going to tell your parents if they see you’ve been gone?”

“The truth.”

“Good.” I smiled warmly. The sun halfway peeking over the horizon shone bright. There’s a new day ahead. We walked along the shore.

I felt bad ruining his imagination. Forcing him home and saying goodbye feeling yucky about everything that happened and what was said at the cave. So I decided to make things better.

“Hey,…..If you toss the shell out to sea, the Sea Spirit WILL bring back my hat one day.” I winked at him. His eyes brightened up. Pulling the shell out he ran towards the sea and tossed it.

The shell landed far off were the waves began to turn. He turned back to me with a great smile. “You’ll get your hat back! Don’t you worry!”

I laughed relieved he was of high spirits again. “Race you home!”

We ran off, the wind blowing our hair about, the sun shining bright.

When where we stood washed up on shore, a straw hat, with a little blue ribbon.