This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago.
They say we should treasure the moments and live for the now. Right now, the warm mid-morning breeze is pushing its way through the car windows. We are on our way to Speyside and moments like this feel surreal. We passed a couple of goats grazing at the side of the road. Then a jeep with two surfboards in the back seat. We stopped at a parlour and bought bourbon biscuits and peanut punch. My friend Chatty tells me that he read that Speyside is a small fishing village, calm and close-knit, where life moves at a gentler pace. Mornings often start with fishermen heading out to sea, and evenings wind down with ocean breezes and cricket talk. It is surrounded by dramatic hills, rainforest, and rocky coastline—very postcard-worthy. Speyside is considered one of the best diving spots in Tobago. How about bird watching on Little Tobago island? Maybe you are lucky to spot the Red-billed Tropicbird with its white body, red bill, and those long streaming tail feathers.
My friend Chatty tells me that he read that there is no proven pirate treasure in Speyside, but the village is rich in legends—stories of pirates, hidden chests, shipwrecks, and secret coves passed down through oral history. Its rugged coastline and position along old Caribbean trade routes make the tales believable, even if no gold was ever found. In the end, most locals say Speyside's true treasure is its sea, wildlife, land, and stories—quiet riches that don't need digging up. I took a look at the fifty cent piece I got as change from the parlour and realised it was quite old. Minted in 1966. We checked online and it is worth fifteen US dollars today and valued by coin collectors. I guess you could say I found some treasure. Hopefully this piece of treasure brings me some luck. My own lucky coin and story to go with it.
The taxi driver was telling us about the message in a bottle he found in Speyside a long time ago. He keeps it in his taxi because the tourists like to hear stories like this. The message is still legible after all these years and it reads: "To whoever finds this, I passed this sea under a wide moon, heading west and not knowing why. If this bottle reached you, then the ocean kept its promise. Remember me when the waves are calm, and forgive me when they are not. (J 1950)". The driver tells us that it reminds him that life is like the waters, calm some days and rough some days. He had found his own treasure in the form of some wisdom that he shares with visitors. As we rolled into Speyside, the breeze softened and the sea flashed between the hills. I slipped the lucky coin into my pocket and thought about stories, promises, and the small treasures that ask only to be noticed.
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