The Mysterious Treasure (A story for Liam)

THE MYSTERIOUS TREASURE
by:
KAY OLDS

Ya ever had one of those mornings when you just didn't want to wake up? The bed felt so good I wanted to stay there all morning. I tried to keep my eyes shut tight and I stifled a yawn and resisted the urge to take a deep breath and then stretch like I was 10 feet tall. I knew that if I moved, the alarm would go off and then I would have to get up! But as usual, I was too late. The alarm always seems to know the instant I ever even think about waking up, and as usual, he pounced on me like a lion! Yep! Jack! the alarm dog! He always stands on my bladder, like that is the only place in the world to stand, and I swear, when he does that, he thinks bricks! You know, making himself heavy. Very heavy!
He moved on up to my chest and began to lick my chin. I put both hands on his cute little face and ruffled his hair and hugged him tightly and asked him if he was ready to face the day. He was ready. Jack was always ready!
I got up and went to the bathroom then took Jack out so he could do what he needed to do.
Mr. Atkins, the new neighbor, was washing his car and his radio was on. I heard something about treasure in the area, but I didn't hear it clearly.
I was about to get Jack and go in when Mrs. Graham called out to me that the twins were coming over to visit. That made my day! I loved it when they came to visit. I ran home to grab some breakfast and to get dressed for the day ahead.
I took the trash out for my Mom and then checked our mailbox to see if we had any mail. When I looked up, I saw the mailbox across the street. Yeah! That one! R7342X. It had been like a regular mailbox for quite some time but today it flashed a message in bright green letters. T-R-E-A-S-U-R-E.
It flashed 3 times then stopped.
A few minutes later the twins arrived. I had to force myself to go in and tell my Mom that they were here and that we were going on an adventure.
I ran to my closet and grabbed some of my camping gear, extra batteries for the flashlight and radio, and a large back pack. I grabbed another one, ran to the pantry and filled it with some food and water for the three of us. I told Mom we would be gone awhile so not to worry. I had my cell phone and my camera.
I was trying to think of what I would need for finding treasure. I must have had a million thoughts at once. I mean, how do you prepare to find treasure when you have no clue where it is , what it is, or how much it is?
If it was cash, how much could I stuff in my back pack? Can you stuff more if you fold it carefully or if you just cram it in? If it was like gold, would it be worth more than money? But how much could we carry? So many questions!
Jack reminded me that I had to get a move on and go next door to get the twins so that's what I did.
I quickly said hello to the Grahams and motioned to the boys that we needed to go. Mrs. Graham offered us sandwiches and chips and I asked if we could have a strong tote bag to carry them in. She gave us a really nice one, but it said "Girls rule" on the side. I couldn't be choosey so I took it and thanked her.
Once we were outside, I told the boys I had something very important to tell them and we needed complete privacy when I did so.
We jumped on our bikes and as we passed by the mailbox, it started flashing again. We stopped and watched it as it once again showed the word treasure, but then it flashed A-W-A-I-T-S.
The guys didn't understand cause I had not told them about that mailbox. I told them to ride like the wind and we headed to the woods.
We were so out of breath by the time we got there it was several minutes before I could talk.
After we had time to settle down, I told Brett and Chett what I had sort of heard on the radio and then the mailbox flashing the messages and asked them their thoughts on it.
"Where do you think it is?" asked Brett.
"What do you think it is?" asked Chett.
"Good questions, Dudes, but I don't know the answers yet," I said.
We sat quietly for a few minutes, thoughts of all kinds of treasures and how we could find it soaring through our heads. That's when Jack came to me holding a piece of newspaper in his mouth. To this day, I don't know where he got it or why. Part of the article was missing, but the following words were left:

Treasure to be found in or near Tri-City area
Many dig into Mad Rush bonus Better than Gold Who Can Grab it. Worth a Fortune.
the right person first come Winner annou

That was it! We were certain that Jack had somehow found some of the clues needed to find that hidden treasure!
We read it over and over trying to imagine where we could begin.
Lunch seemed like a good idea so the three of us ate sandwiches, chips and fruit and drank juice packs and water, and of course, shared with Jack.
Our first clue said "dig" so we had to assume that it is buried. One clue said that it was "Better Than Gold". What could be better than gold? Diamonds? Emeralds? Sapphires? Maybe it's a pirate's treasure, I thought. That would be so cool!
Now, something in that article got me thinking-----if there was going to be a "mad rush" and the first one to "grab it" is the "winner", then we aren't the only ones who know about it. However, if we keep it to ourselves , then we only have to share the fortune 3 ways.
If I asked my Mom and Dad for advice, would I have to share it 4 or 5 ways? Maybe 6 ways, cause Jack brought us the clues. Or 7, because the neighbor's mailbox also gave us clues! Should we say anything?
I looked over at the twins and they were deep in thought.
"Guys," I said. "We need to go to that mailbox now!"
Without so much as a word, they jumped on their bikes and we took off down the street.
Two boys were walking by when we reached the mailbox so we rode into my yard and sat down facing the street. As soon as the boys were gone, the letters began to flash. L-O-O-K T-O T-H-E
S-K-Y.
It once again flashed 3 times so we were certain it was a sign. Keep it between the 3 of us!
We looked up at the sky but there was nothing there.
Chett said, "Hey! Maybe the treasure is in a tree!"
His brother laughed and said, "Don't you think if it was in a tree, it would have said, 'look to the tree' ?"
"Point taken," said Chett.
We checked in with my Mom and with the Grahams to let them know we were okay, then we grabbed some plastic cups and a bag with some ice in it and we started back to the woods. This time Jack didn't want to come with us so we left him there with Mom.
Upon reaching the woods, we heard a plane go by and of course, we looked up! There was a banner flying behind the plane but it was so high up we couldn't read it. The plane flew out of sight and we had nearly forgotten about it when Brett stood up and said, "It's coming back!"
We noticed that it was much lower this time. So low in fact, the banner caught on a tree and snapped into 3 pieces! THREE! Get it?!! Three pieces! Another sign!
A piece of the banner fell nearby so we raced to grab it. Remember the two guys I mentioned earlier? Yep! They beat us to it.
One of them picked it up and looked at it then looked up at us and said, "you wanted this?"
The three of us nodded and Chett said, "We saw it fall."
"What did it say?" I asked.
The boy wadded it up and threw it aside and said, "Nothing."
Glancing quickly at each other, we just said thanks, and turned to go back to the woods. The boys laughed and started walking back towards the subdivision. When we were sure they weren't coming back, we ran for the banner.
'Treasure' was all that was written on it.
Benny, our friend who lives down the street, was coming towards us on his bike. We waved to him and as he came near, he said "Hey guys, look what fell from the sky!"
He showed us another section of the banner. Our hearts were jumping out of our chests, but we stayed calm and looked at the banner.
'Civic Center' was written on it.
He asked us what did we make of it and he said that he saw the banner from the plane and it said something about treasure at the Patterson Civic Center, but that was it.
Now we had a dilemma. Should we tell him what we knew and have to share the treasure with him? We decided somehow to keep quiet about it until we could discuss it and decide together.
Benny stayed about an hour and when he said he had to go, we said that since it was getting late, we would go too.
When we got back to my house I asked the twins to come in, and we found Jack sitting at attention in my Dad's chair, staring out the window at the mailbox.
All of a sudden, Jack jumped down and ran to the back door, in a big hurry to go out.
I ran to the door to let him out and the boys followed. Jack ran straight to the mailbox and sat looking up at it like he knew what was coming. This time it flashed, P-C-C S-A-T & S-U-N three times.
We started walking back across the street and I asked them if we should include Benny in this, because after all, he gave us a clue. Chett added that so did this mailbox, so should we include the owner. Brett said that we should sleep on it and decide tomorrow. I was thinking about the two older boys. They had the other clue but they tossed it away and they lied to us about what it said. They were definitely out!
Usually when the twins stay over at their grandparents' we sleep out in the tent. This night we would not do that. We seemed to know that we needed to keep apart and to sleep and rest our brains. We agreed to meet at 9:00 the next morning.
A storm hit during the night and the streets were under water so no way could we go out to the woods.
I looked out and saw that our trash bin was blown over into the street so I ran out to get it before a car hit it. Right on the side of it was a piece of paper, which I picked up to throw away. I noticed that it looked like a piece of the banner. I was so excited, I ran straight over to tell the boys.
Mrs. Graham had some fresh peach cobbler and hot cocoa. She tossed a towel my way so I could dry off.
We sat and had a bowl of cobbler and then took our mugs of cocoa out to the patio so we could talk.
I showed them what turned out to be the missing piece of the banner. We could see a hint of some writing on it but the only word we could make out was 'gold'.
The twins had decided last night that we should include Benny in since he was our friend and he did have a part of the clue. I thought it was only right to include him.
Brett asked about the owner of the mailbox. I had given that a lot of thought. The man never spoke to any of the neighbors. We didn't even know if he knows about what R7342X was capable of. If it wanted him to know, wouldn't it have flashed a message to him? We took a vote and decided that if we found the treasure, then we would tell our parents and let them decide with us whether he should be included.
Mrs. G came out then and said that the twins were going home early because of the rain. I made sure they had my cell phone number so we could talk during the week if we needed to.
The rain kept up for another three days, and I was able to talk to Chett and Brett only once during that time. Benny was ill and his Mom told us that he was asleep when we called so he still had no idea about the treasure.
On Thursday I sprained my ankle at school during P.E. and my dad had to come and get me and he and Mom ended up taking me to the E.R.
I was so bummed out about my ankle! How in the world could I find the treasure now? I couldn't ride my bike and I certainly couldn't walk to the woods when the boys came back. As soon as I got home I was going to have to call Chett and Brett and tell them the bad news.
The foot was x-rayed and the doctor put a lace-up boot on it that had 2 steel rods down each side to keep my ankle from moving, but when the swelling went down and the pain lessened, I would be able to walk on it a bit. He gave my Mom a sheet of paper with instructions on it and a prescription for pain patches to apply to the foot as needed.
We went to my Grammy's house to eat some homemade soup. Grammy set me up on her sofa and raised the foot of the recliner and put a pillow under my foot. She and my Mom got some ice and wrapped an ACE bandage around it to secure it on my foot. Paw Paw even said that I could watch whatever I wanted to on TV but I wasn't interested in TV or in food. Disappointment made me lose my appetite!
Grammy came to sit next to me to eat her soup, and she asked me if we were going to the concert this weekend or if my ankle was going to prevent me from going. I wasn't really listening to her but my Mom answered that no, we probably weren't going. She said something else, but I didn't hear that either, and my Mom said, "Mac! Answer Grammy when she asks you a question."
I looked up at Grammy and she said she had asked if I liked Treasure.
"TREASURE?!" I said. "Why would you asked me if I like treasure? Of course I like treasure! Do you know where it is? Did you or Paw Paw find it?"
Everyone in the room stopped talking and eating and looked at me like I was from another planet.
Mom and Grammy both asked, "Find what?"
"The treasure!" I exclaimed. "The treasure!"
"What treasure are you talking about Mac?" asked Grammy.
Paw Paw asked if I was talking about buried treasure.
I told them the whole story then. I just knew they were going to think I was crazy, but when I was done, my Grammy patted my hand and said, "I think I can explain this mystery."
She went to another room and came back with a newspaper and handed it to me.
"Please read this article, Mac, and you will understand."
There on the front page of the newspaper was a picture of a beautiful young woman. Under her picture was the caption, "Treasure comes to the Patterson Civic Center". The following article was next to her picture.
Treasure, the newest pop sensation is coming to our town! She will be arriving at the end of the week to perform a concert at the Municipal Auditorium in Morgan City on Saturday and Sunday.
There is not a hotel room to be found in or near the Tri-City area.
Many have told us that they had to dig deep into their pockets to be able to buy tickets to her concerts in other areas. Treasure is giving away 150 tickets free and has announced a surprise. The first 50 people to purchase a ticket will receive her new CD, Mad Rush, as a bonus. Also on sale is her first CD, Better Than Gold, featuring her #1 hits, Those Who Can, Grab It, and Worth A Fortune.
Of the 150 tickets to be given out free, one will have a code printed on it and will be revealed at the concert that night. Treasure is giving that lucky ticket holder a signed hand-written original draft of her song, The Right Person. We remind you that you can pick up your free ticket at the Patterson Civic Center on Friday night on a first come, first serve basis. The winner will be announced by Treasure during the concert, and will be invited to go up on stage with her as she sings that song.

I looked up in disbelief after reading that article! How could we not have seen or heard of her before? No one ever mentioned that she was coming here.
My Mom left the room for a few minutes and she had a big smile on her face when she came back. She asked me if I was feeling better and said that perhaps we should be going, so we got our things together and went home. Grammy said I could keep the newspaper if I wanted it. Feeling like the total fool, I said, "Sure, thanks, Gram."
I stayed home from school on Friday and all I could think of was how glad I was that I had only told Chett and Brett about the stupid treasure.
On Saturday afternoon my Mom said I needed to take a shower and get ready for church. She laid out some very nice clothes for me to wear, so I dressed and I must say, I looked pretty good.
An hour later, Brett and Chett and their parents and grandparents came over and not long after, Benny showed up. They were all dressed up too. Before I could say anything, the doorbell rang and a man asked for me. I went to the door and saw a chauffeur and a beautiful black limo! "Good evening, Master Mac," he said. "Come with me."
I looked at Mom and she nodded and said, "Go with him, Mac." Then she told the twins and Benny to go along with me.
We were taken to a very nice restaurant where my parents and theirs, and all of our grandparents met us and we all had a wonderful meal, compliments of Treasure!
When we were done, the limo driver drove us to the auditorium where our parents met us. We were going to see Treasure in concert and we had front row seats!!!
We were issued back stage passes for before and after the concert to meet and visit with Treasure. She was so nice and she gave each of us an autographed picture of her and an autographed CD from her. It was so cool!
Later that night we found out that my Mom had arranged the whole thing. She is friends with the people at the civic center and as soon as she heard my story, she called and told one of them. They loved the story and passed it on to Treasure's people and she loved it.
The limo driver took us out for ice cream after the concert and then drove us back to my house. We had quite an adventure!
As I stepped out of the limo, I glanced over at the mailbox. It lit up and winked at me!!!