Lessons Of Nature

• Mary Bekele
• Short Story
• 2009

The water stood smooth and motionless against the warm summer’s breeze, vibrantly coloured sea creatures darted nimbly through the waters like vivid bullets shooting out at all angles, the skies were creamy blue blotted with misty white clouds that emitted shapes and pictures of all kinds and the sun shone, power in its golden gaze that gave radiant light to the world. Upon all these magnificent things that made the world seem like a seventh heaven there was a very out of place ship. It was a filthy pirate’s boat that had seen better days and there was a putrid stench of rotten fish and stale beer. The lazy, rebellious, human waste (pirates) sailed the seas in search of innocent ships to rob. This particular ship was named after its foul condition and the name suited it nicely. Its name was noxious rider. The captain, captain grobblebeard was an avid man that only cared for alcohol, money and power. He was blinded from cruelty and that had no use on our earth and didn’t even know his meaning of life. On this fine day sent from the gods of Cradle Mountain he complained. He whined of the sun, saying it glared in his eyes. One particular goddess of Cradle Mountain named Spari was angered by his spiteful talking about what nature provided. She decided to teach him a lesson that would always stick to his mind. She sent him a powerful storm that ripped across the ocean. Pirates and slaves alike laboured to keep the boat upright while he sat on a plush leather sofa drinking whisky. While he poured a glass he heard a clinking sound. He ordered his oily grungy lapdog to bring him what had caused the noise. When he saw it, it was a glass bottle with a message inside. “Lovers” he muttered but he opened the bottle anyway. Inside it said, in the north-east there lies cave darmouth. Got to find treasures and pleasures. He was flicked into his voracious mood and all thoughts were about cave Darmouth. Abruptly the storm eased and he was able to tell his ashen sailor the direction. His crew sailed for one whole week and a half before they docked on the mystery cave. The captain had spent most of the time sulking or drinking his precious whisky while the crew members drank zestless watery beer. When they clambered off the boats they searched for riches, grog and power over the tough nut cave. But all they could see was pure white sand, palm trees swaying in the cool sail of wind, animals scampering together and unclouded water. The captain shrieked in outrage for traced in the sand it wrote NATURE IS A TREASURE AND PLEASURE FOR IT CAN PROVE TO BE BETTER AND MORE LOYAL THAN YOUR USELESS WANTS. The pirates were blinded from the beauty of nature and therefore they suffered until they understood that a flowering lily was priceless compared to a diamond.