Hello, friends. Gather around and hear(or more accurately, read) my tale of (almost) becoming a young pirate.
It all began in the summer following my twelfth birthday. I was visiting my grandparents who live along the coastline of southern Brazil. I was chasing after my dog, Pepe through the nearby forests after he had stolen my one and only baseball. As fast as I ran, I never could catch Pepe.
"Pepe!" I yelled. All I heard were the thumping of his feet as he made his way through the forest.
I soon found myself at the edge of the forest, overlooking an empty beach. Pepe was down below, chewing and slobbering all over my one and only baseball. I carefully made the climb down the steep terrain leading to the beach. At this point, I was exhausted but relieved to find Pepe laying down in the sand. I reached down towards Pepe to retrieve my ball when I heard a booming voice behind me.
"AHHHH, it's just a young boy," the voice said with a grunt. I quickly turned around as I grasped my one and only baseball, to see three burly men. Their attire looked a bit dated and worn out. The one in the center was definitely more muscular than the other two who looked like hadn't had food in well over a week. He also sported a yellow bandana with the word "Hulkamania" on it. His bleach blond handlebar mustache was quite magnificent if I do say so myself. His arm reached towards me and his index finger pointed directly at my face.
"S-Suh- Sir," I stuttered. Pepe quivered in fear. I took a half-step back before the man continued to speak.
"Oranges," the man delivered with a growl.
I stood there in confusion with my mouth wide open. What does oranges have to do with anything? So I asked "Do you want some oranges?"
"Yes," the man answered. His buddy on the left handed me a burlap sack. The man in the center pointed up to the forest that I came through.
I looked down at Pepe and he looked up at me. During all of the time that I had spent wandering through that forest earlier that Summer, I had never seen a single orange tree, let alone any fruit of any kind. I looked back at the man in the center before I gave him the bad news.
"Sir, there are no oranges in that forest," I explained. Just as I had said that, Pepe had reached up and snatched my one and only baseball out of my hands yet again! Oh I was so mad! Pepe dashed off into the forest and I was right on his good for nothing tail.
I ran and I ran, but Pepe never tired. I can't lose my one and only baseball. I had to follow Pepe as fast as I could. "Pepe!!!!" I screamed as I hurried through the trees. Suddenly, Pepe came to a stop.
"I've got you now," I said joyfully as I grabbed Pepe up with one hand and took back my one and only baseball. "Bad dog!" I yelled when my nose was suddenly filled with a familiar odor.
Oranges. The smell was so sweet, yet the citrus scent was unmistakable. I looked up and found myself at the foot of a giant orange tree. Not only was this tree huge, but there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of oranges dangling overhead. I quickly sat Pepe down and gave him my one and only baseball. He surely deserved it after all of this.
I eagerly climbed the tree, being careful not to slip as I walked along the branches. I must have been twenty feet off the ground as I walked on the lowest branch. From there, I was able to grab as many oranges as I pleased. The fruit felt so wonderful and juicy in my hands, I couldn't wait to taste it myself. I filled the sack and hurried down the tree so I could taste the fruit of my labors.
Words can not describe what I experienced when I took my first bite of the orange. It was so sweet that it took me to a world all my own. The tang of citrus danced on my tastebuds as the juices flowed down my throat. In that moment, I knew I had found something special. I knew that I would be returning to this tree many times Summer. I would take home plenty of oranges to my grandparents so they could exerience the pure awesomeness that they were. As I devoured the last bite of my orange, my stomach felt full. I could not eat another bite if I tried.
I looked down at Pepe who was still chewing on my one and only baseball. I wondered how Pepe managed to take me to this exact spot. Then I began wondering how the strange men seemed to know that there were oranges in this forest. I would surely have some questions to ask them when I delivered the oranges. I considered not delivering the oranges, but it seemed only fair after how great of a find it turned out to be. Plus they were waiting for me, and it would be rude to leave them waiting for nothing. Pepe and I made our way out of the forest.
As I made my way back to the beach, I noticed something different on the water. There was a small ship with giant sails floating maybe a quarter mile from the shore. The three men were waiting exactly where I left them.
"I found the oranges!" I yelled as I approached the three men from afar. I ran through the beach sand and Pepe was right behind me. I showed the man in the middle the sack of oranges. He took the sack from my hand and threw two oranges to the other men. They quickly began eating them as the man in the middle began to speak.
"Thank you, young friend," the man began. "You have proven yourself loyal to the Freedom Pirates of the South Atlantic. You are now one of us. A boat is headed our way to take us the the ship. "
"I-I can't do that," I explained. "I can't leave my grandparents without any warning. I'm twelve."
"Then we demand a replacement. Perhaps your companion will take your place." The man said as he looked down at Pepe. I kneeled down and pet Pepe one last time.
"That's not how freedom works, you crazy idiot!" I shouted as I grabbed my stupid baseball and threw a curveball right at his nuts. The man in the middle fell to the ground in agony as his buddies continued eating the oranges. I grabbed my one and only Pepe up and made a dash for the forest. I didn't feel safe enough to stop until I made it back to the orange tree.
I stopped to catch my breath as I hugged Pepe. I would do anything to protect him. I noticed one orange laying on the ground, I picked it up and inspected it. There was nothing wrong with it, so I decided to take it to my grandparents so they could have a taste.
I made it back home just in time for dark.
"You're late for dinner!" my grandmother scolded me.
"You'll never believe what happened today," I said as I joined my grandparents for dinner. I explained everything to them. I don't think they believed me but they nodded as I talked.
"Yeah, yeah, that's enough,there's no orange tree in that forest," my grandfather proudly stated. To his astonishment, I pulled out the single orange that I managed to carry home.
I spent the rest of that Summer visiting the giant orange tree and taking fruit home for my grandparents. When I look back on it though, there's not a single thing that I loved more about that Summer than spending my time with my one and only Pepe.