The Sailor's Ring - A Book

The Sailor’s Ring
The Adventures of Lucas Stanley Hamilton
“God is Faithful”
My grandparents lived in Contiki Bay, Virginia, where they worked as caretakers of the lighthouse on Cape Shad. They’ve been there since my grandpa retired. Prior to that, he’d been a sailor with the merchant marines for over 30 years.
When I was a young boy, I spent a lot of time with them. We’d take the train all the way from Littleton, Washington where I lived with my parents, Robert, and Jennifer Hamilton, and my little brother Jonathan Mark.
Jonathan Mark did not have much consideration for other peoples’ sleep. His constant wailing kept me awake many nights. So, each time my grandparents came for me, I was always willing, and ready to go!
While on the train on one of those trips to Contiki Bay, a severe storm broke out. Laying my head on grandma’s lap - I didn’t want to admit to being scared -I asked grandpa to tell me a sailor’s story. Grandpa loved to tell stories of his travels as well as old tales from sailors before his time. Shortly after he began to tell his story, I looked outside just as a bolt of lightning brightly lit the sky, and I saw the landscape rushing past the window. After that, I closed my eyes for what seemed like a very long time.
Suddenly, I was at the lighthouse holding a brocade-covered box; embossed gold letters on the cover read: “To have and to hold.” As I opened it, the brilliance from the ring inside made me look away. As I looked back, there, before me stood a lady I’d never seen before. She was wearing a long pink dress and a bonnet. Strange clothes, just like the ones used in the “olden days.”
“Hello Stanley Lucas,” she said. She knew my name...... “I am Elizabeth Parker. Roderick, my husband, was caught at sea during the hurricane, and he hasn’t come home yet. I must keep an eye out for him.” She said as she looked sadly to the deep blue ocean through the large windows behind me.
“But, my..... “I tried to say, when she moved towards the window and after pausing briefly, she walked toward he closed door and disappeared before my very eyes!! She walked through the door without opening it!!! I was so scared I ran out of the room and right into my grandma’s arms.
“There you...” she started to say.
“Grandma, there’s a lady who walked through the door!!! I told her, but she only smiled, amused.
“I see you’ve met Elizabeth, the house ghost. She won’t hurt you. I’ll let your grandfather tell you about her,” she said as she took my hand and led me downstairs, back to the house, and into to the dinning room.
During dinner, grandpa told me how the Parkers came to Cape Shad and about how Capt. Parker shipwrecked during the hurricane so close to the lighthouse. Apparently scraps from the ship had been recovered nearby but his body was never recovered.
Somehow I felt that Elizabeth Parker had appeared to me looking for help, and it was up to me to do something about it: the problem was that I had no idea where to start.
Grandpa and I went outside the next day, and walked to the waterfront entrance of the lighthouse atop the cliff. Looking at the lighthouse from the beach, it looked immense and it made me wonder how they ever got it upon those huge rocks!!!
We walked further to an embankment on the other side of the lighthouse. Below you could see the vast white sandy beach with the little waves of white bubbly water with a never ending splash.
“There is a deep cave down in through the rocks, and you must never go down there alone,” grandpa warned, pointing down the embankment and the rocks below.
“Legend has it that a treasure of gold and jewels was left in the cave by pirates during the fifteenth century. Many people have been lured there, only to drown because they forgot about the tide,” he continued.
I knew then that Roderick’s disappearance was linked to the cave. So, the next morning while the tide was out, I asked permission to go shell-seeking, but I planned to go into the cave instead. My parents told me about the importance to always telling the truth. “God hates lies,” they would always say to me. I knew it was wrong to lie so I felt bad about it, but as I walked toward the cave I put my guilt out of my mind.
The cave was very big; very dark, and it seemed to go on and on. My flashlight was the only light, and I prayed the battery would not die. It was very cold and also it didn’t smell very good in there. Finally I came upon the end of the cave, and there was nothing there!!!! Disappointed, I started to walk, and just as I turned, my hand rested briefly on the wall and I was surprised that the cave wall seemed to move!!!! There seemed to be a hidden door that opened as I touched the wall. When the wall stopped moving I stepped into a very dark room, but lost my footing and felt myself falling several feel below. During the fall I lost my flashlight. But I could see it’s light a few feet away from me. I rolled toward the flashlight, to get it, and I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
To my horror, and judging by his clothing, I was looking at the skeleton of a man. There was a crack on his skull and the angle on his right leg did not look quite right. He was laying on the bare cave bottom; one his hands rested on one leg. I could hear my heart beating so fast when there on his left hand, I saw a ring just like the one on the brocade box and I knew I’d found Roderick!! I was now so excited, and anxious to get back!
As I looked around the cave, I was surprised to find a wooden locker, so I walked over in hope to open it but was unable to. It appeared to be locked, but I pushed several times on the lock until it finally opened! I couldn’t believe it but the locker was full of gold coins!!! This must be the treasure Grandpa talked about. It seemed Roderick had looked for a treasure but found his death instead. How tragic that Roderick unknowingly had forfeited his life with beautiful Elizabeth Park for mere coins.
Taking Roderick’s ring and placing it in my pant’s pocket, I stood up and tried to reach up hoping to be able to get out, but I was too far down! I tried jumping several times; over and over until I was so exhausted I had to rest. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up the flashlight was no longer working and water had started dripping in. Panic crept through me as more water kept rushing in, filling the chamber where I stood. The thought of drowning, and my grandfather’s warning, echoed in my brain just before I began to cry. I was so ashamed of my lie and disobedience, and so scared of what was going to happen if no one came looking for me.
I started to pray as tears kept streaming down my cheeks, “Dear Lord, I am so sorry I lied and disobeyed grandpa, and disobeyed you, please for give me. I don’t want to die in here, please dear God send someone to look for me, please!” I cried again.
Shortly thereafter I noticed that the tide was coming in. “I have to get out of here fast!!!” I thought as I felt the water rising above my knees all the while I could not see anything.
I tried jumping again, but the water now made it hard. I was now beyond fear.
Rapidly then, water rose to my waist, and pretty soon my feet were no longer touching the bottom, and a ray of hope came to my mind, “The water will push me up!” I had no idea how far I had fallen, but I hoped it was not too far down.
I floated there it seemed like for hours and then as I reached up one more time, my hand was finally touching the ledge by the opening where I stood before I fell!! I pushed my self up and soon I was up and out!! I sat on the edge feeling around me with my hands and I remembered I was not too far away from the door when I fell. I could not see anything, so I turned and started to crawl and as I did, I felt water was coming in from somewhere, but the opening where I came in was no longer open! I walked around the walls and found that there was no other opening for me to get out!!
As I walked around, I screamed, and also banged on the dirt walls with my fist.
“Somebody please let me out!!” I screamed as my fists hit the dirt time and time again. I kept screaming and nobody was coming. I rested to catch my breath and just as I was ready to hit the wall again, I faintly heard a voice.
“Stanley! Stanley!!! I heard my grandfather voice outside the wall, and it was like heaven had come down to rescue me.
“Grandpa I am here inside the cave wall!!!!” I yelled as loud as I could. I heard nothing back.
“Grandpa!!!” “I am here!” I tried to scream louder. I banged frantically on the wall again.
“Stanley? My grandpa’s voice now seemed right outside the wall.
“Yes, Grandpa, I am here inside the wall,” I yelled.
“Thank God!! Are you all right?”
“Yes, I am fine, just cold.”
“How did you get in there?”
“There is a hidden door made along the cave wall. I pushed it by accident, and the door opened,” I replied.
Grandpa had brought several men with him, and they all started to push around the entire area hoping to find the right spot.
Soon, the rock started to slide and lights were streaming through he opening.
“Hurry son, we have to get out of here, the tide is coming in!” Grandpa said as he hugged me, and lifed me up.
“I found ..... “I started to say.
“Yes, you can tell me about all you found in there,” he interrupted. “Later, after we get you into some dry clothes.”
“But I found Roderick an the treasure!” I managed to say.
“Yes,” he said with a frown. “It is too bad you ignored my warning about this place; you could have drowned: but we’ll deal with that later.” For now we must get you in the shower and some dry clothes on.
Much later, after I took the longest shower, and while I was in bed for a nap (I hated it when they made me take a nap), I slipped out of the house, and went to the lighthouse with the ring in my pajama pocket.
I found the brocade box and placed the ring inside of it, in the empty space next to the other ring. Just as I closed the box, I felt a movement behind me.
“Roderick, Darling, you are home!” I heard Elizabeth’s voice.
“Couldn’t keep a pretty lady a waitin’! “ I thought I heard a man’s reply.
“Wake up, Stanley!!” Grandpa urged. “We are home, son; you’ve slept long enough!” We will be at the depot very soon. Get up and gather up your things so we’ll be ready as soon as the train stops.
“Grandpa, do you want to know something? That was the best nap I ever had!" I said as I stood up and picked up my bags.
As we got off the train, I was very excited to begin another vacation and adventure in the place I loved so much. The deep blue ocean not far away from where we stood beckoned me once again. I can’t wait to go to the lighthouse!!! I said, “But I won’t be going into the cave any time too soon, at least not alone.” Somehow, in my dream, God heard my prayer for help, and saved me from sure death.
I do not know if are there are such things as ghosts, but the danger of drowning, and the consequences of lies and disobedience, and the temptation of making wrong choices are very real. I am amazed that God is so faithful to save us even when we don’t deserve it. Thank you God, in Jesus, name. Amen!!!!
The End

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