314. Esmeraldo's Song

 314. Esmeraldo’s Song

“Girl, don’t be scared of me, little fairy girl! I’m a happy ghost. I won’t harm you!” said Matheo to Azuline, when he saw her staring perplexed at the mess that digging out the rotting ship this boy had drowned after falling from had made of the bed of reeds  by Lake Jittery.  “I couldn’t help hearing you call for  Esmeraldo! I know who that is! Yes, he’s been here, and is responsible for this mess among the reeds.”

Matheo had barely spoken when, with a loud  thump, the rotting ship Esmeraldo had sailed off to the seas in fell back into the place it had been occupying for a number of years.

“Oh, gosh! I guess he doesn’t need it anymore?” said Matheo.

“Ow!” said Calamus, showing himself among the reeds. “Ow, ow and ow! Do I have a lump on the top of my head?”

The reeds were falling back into place, leaving  the bed just as it had looked before the boat was torn out of it. Carpos surfaced from the water and cried, “Who is doing this to Calamus? Hasn’t he  had enough having had this piece of junk torn out of him?”

“I thought he might want it back!” said Esmeraldo, showing himself. “Don’t be a crybaby and put up with a jerk or two more, Calamitus, and I’ll leave you as good as new, Reedboy. There you are! It’s over, now! Final touch! Don’t you look fine again, you sissy! Oh, hi, Sissy!” ended Esmeraldo, grinning at Azuline. “Aren’t you going to be proud of me, Sis!”

“How about if we start at the beginning?” said Azuline to the four boys.

“He stole my ship to sail the seas in and terrorize everybody!” Matheo accused Esmeraldo.

“Well, you’ve just  got it back! And that means I like you, because a pirate like me doesn’t  have that kind of consideration with everybody!” said Esmeraldo.

“He had this meeting with the Lady of this here lake, and he was generous with her too because he ceded her an aircraft carrier that barely fits down there  in exchange for a rusty hoe and sinister hammer and some information,” contributed Carpos.

“A hoe?” asked Azuline.

“And a sinister hammer. Both in a pitiful state. It was what she had. No Excalibur -like object down there. There wasn’t, no!”

“And the information? That must have been good! Back home we know very well that my brother never allows himself to be shortchanged.”

“The lady said that if he wanted something legendary, there was this rumour about an infamous ship filthily full of jewels and jams and Javan spices that was doomed to sail the seas, wandering  forever without a fixed course, and that only two  twats were there to defend it. And Esmeraldo decided to swipe it.”

“But if its defenders were truly wimpy twats, why hadn’t someone sharper seized this appetizing  prize ship already?”

“Obviously for some good reason. Though we didn't know what reason. But Esmeraldo is rash, so he  decided to try his luck anyway. Was it good?” Carpos ended his explanation with this question for the little seahorse fairy turned marauder.

“He looks happy, Esmeraldo does. So my guess is it went well!” ventured Calamus.

And the little seahorse fairy decided to answer him breaking into song. First he made a tiny concertina appear, and then as he played it he danced, tapping his feet and kicking his heels as if he were celebrating on the deck of a ship.

“Oh, I am the terror of the seas! I can bring any navy to its knees! When the choice is  between the devil and the deep blue sea,´tis better to drown than to deal with me! Between brunch and tea, I have gotten to be, the wealthiest pirate on the boundless sea!”

“What? Are you kidding me?” gasped Azuline.

“My ship has sails that are woven with gold!  Diamonds  and rubies weigh down its hold!  Bins full of pearls and coral and such,  to you my sister, may not mean much, but anyone can see, this excess is a sign of success for me!”

“But… how?” gasped Azuline.

“Yes, how did a shrimpy  little guy like you defeat the two wimpy  twats?” Carpos wanted to know.

“Ho, ho, I’m a hideous pirate! ´Tis all Professor  Whackwave’s  fault,” sang Esmeraldo, “for he wouldn’t teach me his trade, and now mine is to assault! But I’m a jolly  good fellow, a splendid sharer too! So before I leave for an island paradise, I’ll share  with you a bit of advice! Now, aspirant pirates, whoever you may be, if you want to rise to the top of  the tree like me,  take my advice for ´tis wise advice , you see, to strike before anyone kens what hit your enemy! Don’t act like a  fool,  follow this golden rule, and you’ll get to be a pirate of the  oldest school!”

“You knocked them out before they knew what hit them? With the hoe?” gasped Azuline.

Esmeraldo smiled.

“With the hammer!” cried Carpos.

“First I hit one on a shin, and next  right on the chin.  Then I went to find the other with a fearsome grin. I looked him in the eye with my visage  grim, repeated the ploy and left him dim! If you are small in size, you’ve to be silver quick, if you want your foul adversaries to lick!”

“I warned you this kid was a demon!” whispered  Calamus to Carpos.

“I’ve brought some tea. Mama always packs a lot. It  might be enough for all five of us. I need a cup of tea to calm me down  and some scones to digest along with this story,” said Azuline. And she determinedly opened a hamper she carried and began to spread its contents out on a throw rug she had also brought with her.

And then…

“Oh, goodie!” said Granny Divina. “You wouldn’t happen to have some guava jelly to go with the scones, would you, Esmeraldo? From your marvellous cargo of exotic jams and Javan spices?”

“I’ve brought toast and buns and cakes and lemon tarts! What have you brought, Divina?” asked the Lady Celestial, popping out of nowhere too, just like her sister had. “Nothing, of course. Because you are never ready.”

“Well,” sighed  Divina, “I’m almost sure I can send for some tutti frutti ice cream.”

“Yes, you always have some of that stored in your fridge.”

“Sister, I imagine we are here for the same reason.”

“You imagine correctly. But first we eat!”