The Book Pt 1 <Doughboy>

Books have been around for eons. They were used since nearly the beginning of time to tell stories and track history. Books can be sacred and treasured. There are some that touch the heart and soul other send chills through the spine. Some transport you to adventure and exotic locations while others take you into mysterious places following thieves and murderers. And every now and then there is a book that comes along that changes our lives but what if that book is more than just a book. That is the story of Jamie Benson a small boy in Florida who spends his days reading stories of pirates and buried treasure.

"Jamie dinner time!" his mom called up to him from the dinning room.

Jamie rushed down the stairs with an eye patch over his eye, pirate hat on his head and plastic hook for a hand, "Argh, what be we eating fir supper tonight."

"The usual gruel," his mother answered. She would play along with his fantasies, after all that is a nine year old boy for you. She placed a plate of mac and cheese in front him.

"Argh, what be this strange new dish before me?"

"Mac and cheese, we got a fresh shipment of it after our last raid on the Spaniards."

Jamie's dad chuckled from the other side of the table. "The super market full Spaniards now?"

"Oh Will, I'm just having fun with the boy you should try it some time."

"Well Janet, I live in the real world."

Jamie's dad was like this, always a dream killer. He believed in only what he could see with his own eyes. There are no pirates, no buried treasure, no adventure in life, just hard work. Will works as a construction foremen and he spent many years of back breaking work and hard studying to make it to that level in his job.

Janet on the other hand was a housewife and she believed in keeping a dream in the heart. In fact Jamie's 10th birthday was just a week away and they were planning a big pirate themed party and they were planning on burying Jamie's gift in the yard in a treasure chest with a map leading to it.

Will never discouraged Jamie's imagination but he rarely played along, he said he had better things to do with his life than play pirates. Jamie's grandfather, Will's father, was just like Jamie on the other hand. In fact Will blames his father for his son's overactive imagination. "A little imagination never killed anyone," he would always tell Will, "Perhaps if were a normal child you would be better off."

Will would always reply, "I am sure spending my days playing pirates instead of doing my homework would have got me this far in life." He has always a nerd in school, constantly studying and reading never playing with other boys his age. Right out of high school he got into construction, his father got him the job as he was working there for decades. Will also went to night school studying hard which is what eventually led to him being an engineer and foreman of the construction company.

Will wanted this for Jamie but he spends all his time watching old pirate movies and looking for buried treasure in his sandbox which thanks to his mother he would frequently find.

That evening Jamie's dad tucked him into bed, "Tell me a story daddy," Jamie asked as he does every night. Jamie's dad picked up Treasure Island from the shelf and picked up where he left off the night before. Jamie's book shelf was full of adventure stories from all the greats, Jack London, L. Frank Baum, Sir Arthur Conan Doyale, Lewis Carroll, and many more.

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