Melancholic Memories

He looked at the stunningly blue ocean. His lifelong ambition had always been to become a pirate. He’d always dreamed of having his own ship so he could travel and explore the world. And above all, to gather as many exquisite treasures as possible.

He had been perceived as a criminal by many; perhaps they were correct. He had stolen a great deal of treasure, including mountains of gold and diamonds—not from the poor, but rather from the rich, who were so avaricious. He still disliked the term “criminal,” though. He favored the moniker “treasure collector.”

Why did he enjoy treasures? The tale actually started when he was a young boy. He was an orphan who lived on the streets, begging for money because his parents were unable to provide for him. He was so unfortunate; he labored with his frail arms and fought hard just to obtain a half-loaf of bread. He toiled day and night for a wealthy landlord, hoping that he would be compensated for his work.

He didn’t realize how pitiful the poor were until he was an adult. So, why then wouldn’t he develop the same level of brutality as the landlords and kings, who were so ruthless as to torture a young boy and so avaricious as to give a single silver coin to a helpless old woman? With so little money, they could provide so much assistance, but they opted not to.

As he had promised himself, he would steal the money from them and give it to those in need.

As it always is when a dream is realized, it was difficult and a huge struggle. The most crucial thing was that he fed the people who were hungry. He stole, became wanted, was listed as the most dangerous criminal, and was wanted dead or alive. And that was sufficient.

But when you’re a pirate, the adventure never ends. He yearned to explore more of the globe, learn about the unknown, and go to each and every nation, city, island, and kingdom. He then considered traveling to an island with sizable mineral deposits because he had been told they were so priceless.

He arrived with his crew, and he made the decision to explore the stunning island. Though he was well-known and sought-after all over the world, he was unknown on this tiny island. The streets of the kingdom were so vibrant and lovely as he strolled down them. He saw some dancing among the children running around. He couldn’t help but smile as he stood there watching.

He caught a glimpse of a young woman dancing joyfully with some children out of the corner of his eye. Her dancing captivated him. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, never missing any of her graceful movements.

She was dancing so beautifully and with such grace.

He was impressed by her movements and could tell why the youngsters adored her. Her vivacious emerald eyes, her long brown hair that swayed in the wind, and her feather-light movements. She was gorgeous. He had to talk to her; he couldn’t help himself. Everyone in the area applauded and shouted for her as he picked a lovely flower from the area and moved closer to her.

She grinned sweetly at everyone before noticing a strange man approaching her and handing her the flower before she even realized he was nearby. She pulled the object out of his gloved hand and examined it.

“Thank you,” she started to say, but he had already disappeared. She looked around with startled eyes, but no one was there. Everyone had left to complete their tasks, leaving her alone. He appeared to be a shadow, maybe even a ghost… She smiled once again and gave the flower a second glance before placing it in her hair. She wanted to see him once more. If it was even possible.

Sundown was approaching. It was now time for everyone to return home. He loved watching the sea’s glistening effects, which made the water appear to be melting gold. He looked toward the shore when he saw someone approaching the water, and then he saw her—the girl with the emerald-colored eyes. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one who adored this view.

He couldn’t help but gaze down at her from his ship. The glow of the setting sun made her skin shine. She looked like an angel. He desperately wanted to approach her, despite knowing that doing so would be risky. He eventually gave in to his emotions.

She was standing with her eyes closed, skin glowing, and the flower he had given her still in her hair when he stood beside her and gave her a close-up look. She didn’t notice him because she was preoccupied with her thoughts. He was staring so intently that he failed to notice her open her eyes.

She gasped and took a step back away from him, startled. He snapped back to reality and quickly protested that he didn’t mean to scare her. She looked at him for a couple of seconds before she asked, “Are you the man who gave me a flower earlier?”

He nodded. “You dance so beautifully, my lady. The flower I gave you was to show my admiration.”

She smiled bashfully before looking away from him. “Thank you,” she said and looked back at him. The moment their eyes locked for the first time, he felt something strange in his stomach. His heart started beating so fast that it hurt. Her eyes weren’t emerald, but rather chromatic, a mix of blue and green. It was beautiful.

They talked for a while, and he told her he was a pirate. He showed her his ship, told her about his dreams. She admired him a lot, noticing how kind and handsome he was. She fell for him. He fell for her. They fell for each other in just one day—and that was it.

He gave her a ring and asked her to run away with him. He promised to show her the world she’d never seen. He promised he would make her the happiest woman alive, and she agreed. But she told him that she needed to confront her father first.

She rambled about the young man she met to her father. She was so happy, hopes high, smiling ever so brightly. But her father wasn’t pleased.

“You met him this morning, and now he wants to marry you?” he frowned.

“Father,” she started, “if you met him, you’d really like him! He’s so kind and gentle. He’s so different from the gentlemen here. He is generous, wise, and handsome.” She was already daydreaming about him.

“Did you say he’s not from here?” Her father frowned.

“Yeah, he’s a pirate,” she smiled.

Her father’s eyes widened. It took him a while to process what she had just said. A pirate? He shook his head.

“Listen,” he held his daughter by the shoulder. “Earlier today, some knights came and asked the people around for a man. They said he’s a pirate.” He looked at her worriedly.

“He told me that he is sought for all over the world. He’s misunderstood. Father, he’s not like they say.”

“No, I’m not going to let you be with him. It’s dangerous. You can just marry a nobleman from here. You’re beautiful; you can live a normal, happy life here.”

“Father, but I…” Tears streamed down her face, and her heart ached. She fled away from him, not able to control her sadness.

He stood there looking at the open door. He sighed and sat down in a chair, hand on his forehead.

Meanwhile, the pirate was hearing their conversation from the window. “Knights?” he thought. “They came here sooner than I thought.” He turned on his heels to leave, but something stopped him. His heart felt heavy, and he couldn’t help but look back at the small house. Then he saw her running outside. He hid behind the shadow of a long tree beside the house.

He saw her climb up the roof and sit there, holding her knees close to her chest. He knew he had to leave right now, but…

He sat beside her. “Why?” she asked, “Why are they so cruel?”

He smiled sadly at her. “That’s the way humans are. I used to ask the same question, but I realized humans are just cruel.”

“I don’t care. I will go with you. I want to see your world,” she stood up and looked at him determined.

He shook his head. “No, your father is right. You deserve a better life than the one I can give you.”

“You said you loved me, or was that a lie?” She teared up, her vibrant eyes clouded with emotion. It made him feel sad.

“No, I love you, but it’s not safe to stay.”

“So, you’re the pirate?” The pirate looked back to notice the older man—her father—standing there.