The Bequest

The Bequest

"And to my nephew, Bill, I leave 'The Barnacle' and ask that he and I sail her one last time and that he scatter my ashes in the open sea," the lawyer concluded. "Are there any questions?"

Bill looked around the room. He and Molly were the only ones present. Uncle Bill hadn't many relatives and not much in the way of worldly goods. In fact, "The Barnacle" was pretty much it.

The lawyer handed him a set of keys, an urn with a small plaque that read "William J. Kidd, 1936 – 2009" and ushered them out of the office.

Bill's thoughts flashed to a time when he was younger. Gosh, it seems so long ago - sailing on the weekends, sitting by Captain Kidd – he used to laugh at that - listening to tall tales of the sea. When had the magic disappeared?

Bill knew the answer. When I left for college – when I met Molly – when I grew up.

"What now?" asked Molly.

"Let's go see our new boat," Bill said, feeling a rush of excitement.

"The Barnacle" was just as Bill remembered. He climbed aboard and offered a hand to help Molly, then led her to the small cabin. Everything was ship-shape.

Sitting in the middle of the small galley table was an old tin box.

"I remember that. It was my treasure chest from when I was a kid."

He opened the lid. Inside was a collection of seashells, a seagull feather, and a folded piece of paper.

Bill carefully read the note and sat, tears filling his eyes.

"What is it, honey?" Molly's voice asked, concern coloring her voice.

He pushed the piece of paper over to her which read:

Remember - what keeps the Barnacle going is a love of the ocean, a brisk wind to fill her sails, and plenty of elbow-grease.

"It was his favorite saying," Bill choked out.

Taking a deep breath, Bill knew that the ship – his ship – would have a long life ahead.


Notes

Word Count: 300 .

An entry for Sept 9 "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  [13+]
Prompt: Write a story that includes the words: seashells, feather, and elbow.

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even praise are all equally welcome.

Ken