{"id":40587,"date":"2022-12-21T00:04:14","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T05:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=40587"},"modified":"2026-07-29T12:41:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:41:44","slug":"the-treasure-by-sibylle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=40587","title":{"rendered":"The Treasure (by Sibylle)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Summary: A special keepsake brings back Adam\u2019s memories of the early history of Virginia City, and one unforgettable person in particular.<br \/>\nK+\/ Word count: 1421<br \/>\nWritten for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Bonanza<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">* Day 21 *<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">The Treasure<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">I stood near the window so the sunlight could shine on the small item in my hand. Its gold paint was almost rubbed off and the loop of once-red ribbon, tips glued between the half shells, had also faded into a pinky grey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">No wonder; by my calculations that gilded walnut had to be at least 65 years old. I remembered very well where I had seen it first&#8211;at the Washoe diggings, when Annie O\u2019Toole and I briefly had been partners in a so-called restaurant, before I managed to free myself from the arrangement. Admittedly, it was also before the Comstock Lode\u2019s silver had turned everyone into sharks, criminals, or greedy capitalists with armies of lawyers. Back in those days Pa\u2019s good judgment could smooth out most of the miners\u2019 disagreements, and if that wasn\u2019t enough a good fistfight settled any quarrel. To be honest, we three Cartwright boys were in the middle of it often enough, and enjoyed it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Still, a troublesome time, as I said:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cYou robber, you Chinese sneaker \u2018n\u2019 robber, you \u2026 you. Give it to me. Don\u2019t you dare not give it back. I\u2019ll shave you and give you a haircut with this very skillet, you robber.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cMistel Cahtlight, this woman clazy, vely clazy. You ask me help her but she try kill Hop Sing. Hop Sing not clazy, he quit. Not a fool. Only fools work for Cahtlights or their friends. Good bye! Go back to China,\u201d Hop Sing shouted as he ran around the corner of the restaurant tent and saw me. Right behind him came a furious Annie, swinging her largest skillet and yelling equally loudly, \u201cAdam, tell him he has to give it back! Tell him! Give it back, you robber!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">In that moment I knew how grain feels to be between the millstones. Hop Sing, now screaming in Cantonese, was on my right side, and with my left hand I had managed to grab Annie\u2019s weapon arm. \u201cWait a minute, wait a minute, both of you, please,\u201d I tried my best to de-escalate the situation. \u201cThere must be a misunderstanding. I know you, you are both honest people, not robbers&#8211;and not murderers.\u201d When I heard a grunt from my right and a snort from my left I dared to release Annie\u2019s arm. \u201cWhat is all this about? What\u2019s that you\u2019re holding, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cNutmeg grinder.\u201d He brandished the thing wildly, nearly poking my eye out. \u201cHop Sing need grind nutmegs and find this&#8211;this stupid thing in box. Hop Sing not fool, never grind golden walnut. But what for such foolish thing in nutmeg box? Not place for it, no can eat it! Not put things where they don\u2019t belong!\u201d When Hop Sing held out the gilded nut in his other hand, Annie snatched it and quickly dropped it into her corset.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201c\u2019Tis not your concern\u00a0where I put my things!\u201d she retorted, stroking back a wisp of hair pugnaciously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cYes, because Hop Sing quit, not work in such a kitchen, not with clazy woman, not with Cahtlights.\u201d Hop Sing stripped off his apron, flung it on the ground, and stomped back around the corner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Fortunately, I knew he couldn\u2019t actually leave the camp without\u00a0transportation, so I decided to deal with Annie first.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cAnnie, please,\u00a0tell me, what\u2019s the meaning of that walnut?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cHe dinnae gave it back to me! He say things in that strange tongue of his and looked all mean, with that big grinder in his hand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cOh, Annie, Hop Sing was only upset that something was in the wrong place. I know him; he is very orderly in his kitchen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cDo you think so, Adam?\u201d Annie looked almost sheepish.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cI know so. But why was this painted walnut there in the first place?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cI hadnae better place, Adam. When\u00a0Himself and me set out for here we couldn\u2019t fit but so much in our wagon. So I put the walnut in the box with the nutmegs where it was dry and safe.\u00a0Dinnae\u00a0want to lose it.\u201d Annie plopped down onto a bench and I settled next to her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cWould you like to tell me about that walnut, Annie?\u201d I put my arm around her shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">She nodded. \u201cAdam, look. Himself was the best father you can think of but money\u00a0dinnae remain\u00a0in his pockets for long. But one Christmas, I think the year after mother died, he gave me this golden nut and said \u2018Annie, this is something from the high and mighty people, they paint these nuts gold and put something special in them, and then they put \u2018em on their Christmas trees, and when it\u2019s time for the trees to come down their little\u2019uns get these fancy nuts and all the treasure inside. I bought this one for you, my lass.\u2019 \u201d She smiled, lost in memories. \u201cLater I found out he\u00a0hadnae\u00a0bought it in a store, he won it in a poker game\u2026Adam, don\u2019t make that face of yours, you sniffer-blood!\u201d Annie pushed me away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cAnnie, I never\u2026.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cHe won it for me, that\u2019s worth even more than if he bought it. Himself was a lousy poker player&#8211;the best trapdoor jumper on the Barbary\u00a0Coast, but the worst poker player. But he played for it and won it and gave it to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">I nodded my approval for his great achievement. \u201cBut, Annie, why have you never opened it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cNever dared to,\u201d she shrugged. \u201cOften I\u2019d lie in my bed and be dreaming about what could be inside, maybe even a golden robe like Cinderella found. As long as I had my nut I had something to look forward. Maybe\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cI understand, Annie.\u201d I remembered very well how as a child I too had dreamed, in so many strange, cold places, of the home we sought after for such a long time and how it comforted me. \u201cI really do understand.\u201d I gave her a kiss on the forehead. \u201cBut now we have to decide what to do about Hop Sing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Annie gathered up Hop Sing\u2019s apron from the ground. \u201cI know, Adam. I reckon I have to apologize.\u201d Which she did, handsomely, and in return Hop Sing gave her a little wooden box with Chinese letters to protect the keepsake of \u201chonlable fathel\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">From that day forward she kept the walnut\u2019s box on her nightstand, until I came to open it \u2013 now that Annie had passed away after a long and happy life. Swede had died more than fifteen years before and after that Annie had turned her wealth and her grand house to excellent use. She built a little schoolhouse on the estate and converted the second floor of her mansion into a dormitory. She also established a foundation that would last a long time after her death so that indigent girls could go on being \u201clearned to read and write.\u201d What was more, Annie had herself taught the pupils how to cook and do calculations. Later she opened a small restaurant where the girls could practice what they learned, and because I had helped her design and build the school she made me a partner again in her restaurant. It doesn\u2019t earn me money, but I can eat there for free, and sometimes they even cook dishes Annie once learned from her friend Hop Sing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">I rolled the gilded walnut over my hand.\u00a0<i>Should I open it now? What could be inside?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">At that moment one fleck of gold reflected a sun ray and the walnut sparkled like a real nugget. I looked up at the sky with an embarrassed smile. \u201cNo, Annie, I didn\u2019t really want to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Before her coffin was closed I laid the little box with her treasure in beside her, where it had been for such a long time. It seemed the only right thing to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">While Kevin O\u2019Toole had had a big funeral, and Swede Lundberg an even bigger one, Annie\u2019s was the biggest of all, a funeral a real English lady could have been proud of.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Even more important: All who attended it\u2014the friends she had made over more than a half century, the officials and dignitaries of the town, the other mine owners and the workers, her pupils, even the son of trapdoor Gregory Spain and not least me\u2014had to laugh between our tears while we swapped memories, as we remembered our beloved, unique, quick-tongued Annie, and her antics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">You willnae be forgot, Annie O\u2019Toole-Lundberg! You will forever live in our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Main character: Adam<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Second character: Annie O\u2019Toole<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">Item: A gilded walnut<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">Many thanks to Sandspur and Sklamb for helping me with Annie\u2019s Irish and my English.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Link to the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar &#8211; Day 22 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=40600\">A Toast to Tradition &#8211; Part 2<\/a> by Cheaux<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: A special keepsake brings back Adam\u2019s memories of the early history of Virginia City, and one unforgettable person in particular.<br \/>\nK+\/ Word count: 1421<br \/>\nWritten for the 2022 Bonanza Brand Advent Calendar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":13924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1005],"tags":[1062,1099],"class_list":["post-40587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","tag-advent-calendar","tag-the-saga-of-annie-otoole","wpcat-1005-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/St.-Nicholas.jpeg?fit=182%2C300&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}