Image made by me using Canva
There was nothing much to do for fun in the quiet seagoing and market lovin life of Elrhode island.
Kids aged 3-9 played on the shores and markets before going to help tie nets and fish from the time they turned 10.
Then they start selling in the market from when they retire from the sea at the age of 60.
It was a quiet, peaceful and yet awfully boring way of life.
Everyone knew it yet everyone followed the cycle.
Play → fish → sell nothing more, nothing less.
Although amongst the kids, there was a different way out of this cycle.
A childhood mantra, shared from child to child, and yet carefully hidden from adults.
"From the middle flag of the Elrhode market,"
"North of the woman's shop selling Salmon,"
"East of the man's stall selling crab and lobster legs,"
*"Opposite the couple selling eels,"
"There's a shop with a box full of dreams and wishes,"
"A box that could take you away from this sorry life of fishes and stalls,"
"Gather around kids, take it with your hands, take your dreams and watch as you soar."
A set of instructions passed from child to child.
It's known that once a child reaches 9 years old, he sets out on this quest.
It's usual that some kids don't pass the quest, being confused by the instructions or simply losing the courage to take it on, but once in every 10 years, there is a child that's brave enough to take his gate by his hands.
A child that gets to the stall with the box but doesn't come back.
It's assumed by the children that this child succeeded in getting out of this island, while it's assumed by the adults that this child has either drowned or been eaten by beasts of the sea.
It is known by all that this child is gone.
This year like every year there were kids who had reached the requirements to take on the quest of the box.
Despite the bad rumors of it, the quest has been taken as something as mild as a test of faith.
The top participant, a 9 year old daredevil known as Khal, simply spewed out courage and preteen manliness as he did backflips and roared for the 8, 7 and other 9 year old girls.
Another participant, the 9 year old beauty and smarts, Leah, stood far away from Khal.
Disgusted by his brute ways and the fact that other girls and boys her age fawned over him despite having male admirers herself.
And there's me, the last participant, Reo by name. I wasn't as motivated as Khal, nor as stuck up as Leah.
Just turning 9, the day before the drafting for the quest began, I wrote my name only because I lost a game of sticks and was dared to do so a week before.
My dare givers didn't expect me to do so, neither were they present for the sending off, yet I wrote my name down to prove I wasn't chicken, I'll start but I have no true intention of finishing.
After about an hour of Khal flexing, Leah vexing about the flexing and me trying to ignore both of them and keep a low profile, the children were called to order by the big 5.
A council of 9 year olds who were known as the wisest in Elrhode at the time. They walk underneath a huge bed covering, hiding their heads and faces, despite most of us knowing them up to where they live and sleep.
"We think it's time to start the quest, don't you?" One of them said, as always not forgetting to refer to themselves collectively.
I remember asking one of the previous big 5, an 11 year old called Duma, why they talked like that.
He thought for a while, trying to remember his childhood fun despite it being 2 years ago - a common ailment for adults in this island.
After about 2 hours of thinking he finally answered.
"I don't know the true reason, but I think if I were to summarize, it was meant to signify unity within the children." He said, holding his hand together.
He then continued, "Like if the big 5, the most high ranking kids were one, together under that big sheet. Then all the kids on the island can be together, under the big sky."
I didn't understand it then, nor did I understand it now, yet I saw the reaction on the children's faces as they looked up at the sheet housing five sweaty 9 year olds with awe and respect and as they screamed in affirmation of their previously asked question.
"Are you ready for the start of the quest?" They asked again, getting in return another scream and this time I decided to join in cause why not.
"Can the participants this year please step forward?"
Khal and Leah were already at front, kneeling down so I walked up to take my place before them.
As I knelt, I noticed Leah glance at me then face forward shaking her head slightly. I paid her no mind.
"Brave children of the Elrhode island, the quest your about to go on, is one that has so many risks, but with a huge reward."
The big 5 began, reciting a speech that has been retold every year, yet never getting old nor faltering in the energy it brings.
"You'll be pushed to your limits, trying to get to a stall long forgotten by Islanders armed with the faintest of clues, your brains and simply the gods luck."
I smiled beside myself, wondering who wrote such an inspiring script, the energy it brought seemed even stronger as I was kneeling about to be sent off.
"Your job is to find this shop with the box of dreams and steal your dream for yourself, take your fate into your own hands and not stop till you get it."
I looked to my left, seeing Khal practically shaking with excitement and to my right I saw Leah, eyes closed and muttering something under her breath.
"By now, you three should know the clue, even though we'll recite it again, for its tradition."
Then they began, a poem that I've heard since I was 6
"From the middle flag of the Elrhode market,"
"North of the woman's shop selling Salmon,"
"East of the man's stall selling crab and lobster legs,"
"Opposite the couple selling eels,"
"There's a shop with a box full of dreams and wishes,"
"A box that could take you away from this sorry life of fishes and stalls,"
"Gather around kids, take it with your hands, take your dreams and watch as you soar."
"With that we send you off, be safe and may the odds forever be in your favor."
The big 9 closed the ceremony and the children parted ways, giving us space to dash out of our special meeting space on the beach into the market to start our quest.
We stood up uniformly, our hearts set ablaze by the moving speech delivered, turned towards the open space made by the children and started running.
Why we were running, nobody knew but it just felt right to run.
Expectedly, Khal took the lead, Leah second while I trailed as third.
I hadn't forgotten that I didn't plan on participating in this quest, and I was constantly looking for a spot to 'drop out'.
The mistake I had made was not noticing how moved kids could be, for as we, the quest goers started running, the other kids ran up with us.
With them at my back, I had no chance to safely leave.
They pursued us till we reached the center of the market and thus the quest began.
Despite having specific directions from once we reached the center flagpole, each kid broke off in different directions trying to lose the other competitors.
It was disheartening watching Leah, who I complimented as being smart, went East instead of following the directions.
I looked to my back and watched as the kids stared at me, expecting me to do something.
Instead I sat down at the flagpole and thought to myself.
After a few minutes of deliberation and some hurtful stares by kids younger than me, I decided to take part in the quest.
I looked to my right and saw a stall, emaciated from weathering the times.
I cleaned the dust from the sign and saw it.
Mama Nkam's Salmon shop-this was the first part of the clue.
So I have to go North of here.
Looking at the sky, I used the sun and measured my way North, there was no path there.
"Is he going?" I heard from the onlookers, surely a 6 year old kid who had whispered the question too loudly.
That question in itself motivated me, taking a stick from the shop, I parted the bushes that had grown on the way North and began my quest.
An hour later of trekking in the heat bush, battling mosquitoes, staying shy of vines that looked like snakes and snakes that looked like vines and constantly checking the sun to make sure I wasn't on the wrong track. I made it back onto a path again.
I continued walking and came up next to another part of the beach, on it I saw another stall.
This one was in way better shape, a small shop with no sign but a net that I knew well from experience.
It was a low casting net that was thrown out in high tide to use and catch small fishes but mostly crustaceans, namely lobsters and crabs.
"It must be the shop for crabs, huh?" I heard someone behind me.
I turned and saw Khal limping towards the shop, using a stick to support himself.
He was bleeding from an arm and his leg was bloated.
"What happened to you?" I asked in concern.
"Got scratched by thorns and stepped on an ants nest." He said simply.
He sat down and waded his leg in the water.
I cringed as I imagined how painful it must have been walking with that on this sharp sand.
"Aren't you going to get going?" Khal asked me.
"You look fairly unhurt, you better start going on before it gets dark, the quest would be way more harder and more dangerous in the dark." He said with downcast eyes
I nodded and went on, taking a look at the sun's position from the crab stall and headed east back into the market.
I looked back at the beach and saw him crying, I could feel the pain and hurt of not being able to continue.
The leg in itself would take at least 12 hours for the swelling to stop, that's if it's not already infected.
I pushed Khal's misfortune out of my mind and threaded on,moving quickly and surely, taking note of all the stores I came across for a couple selling eels.
3 hours spent and sunset was quickly approaching.
Tired, sweaty, stressed and undoubtedly lost, I resorted to asking for directions.
Asking the closing store owners for any couple that sells eels shown itself to be a waste of strength and energy.
All shook their heads after exchanging glances.
With all hope lost, I decided to ask for directions back to the beach with a crab shop in it.
"Pssst." I turned my head to see a small boy in rags beckoning me towards a corner.
"Heard you are lookin fa eelz." He said, trying to put on a fake accent mixed with the fact he couldn't pronounce some of the words normally.
It made me laugh despite my current predicament.
I nodded my head after taking a healthy dose of amusement.
My affirmation made the boy show a joyful toothless grin.
"If thaz tha caze, you'll haf ta go there." He pointed at a shop in the far corner.
I ran towards the shop and indeed saw a sign of a couple presenting eels.
Although the store was closed for the night.
I turned opposite it and saw a path towards another shop.
I walked towards it, glad that this quest was finally coming to an end yet wary of any defenders.
If I remembered correctly, I was meant to steal this box of dreams.
Meaning there'll be someone to steal it from.
I tiptoed silently to the shop and saw that the door was already open.
I listened in and heard tears.
Slowly, I looked into the store on the floor, I saw bones that looked roughly the same size as us kids and I saw Leah, her gown ripped and her hair filled with leaves and she was crying and wailing.
I walked up to her and saw her with the box.
"Why're you crying if you won?" I asked her, confused.
She looked at me and scoffed.
"Won? There is no winner!! This whole quest has been a hoax."
She handed me the note..
𝐒𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬.
𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐈'𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐨𝐛 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐱.
𝐈 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟.
𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐚, 𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡.
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚, 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞...
𝐌𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭.
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝
Immediately I was through reading, I heard the door lock and a growl low enough to make my ears hurt.
"Leah, do you hear that?" I asked but I was alone...
Shaking and scared at Leah's sudden disappearance, I looked at the last trail of sunlight that shone through the window of the store, then I remembered Khal's warning.
It would be way more dangerous, in the dark.
