he feared the gold cursed, he felt that maybe the curse would lift if he passed it on to help others. At least proceeds from the sale would come in handy for his grandson John and his family, with him being out of work and a new baby on the way.
Albert wrote to the admiralty and various government departments. The government responded by writing him a letter, informing him about the vessel: Steam Ship SS.Batavia V, which sank in May 1916, along with its cargo of gold, rice, etc. The letter explained about the vessel and its contents insured by a Swiss company, so with no one salvaging the wreck or its contents, the gold legally belonged to him.
On receiving the letter, Albert dug the boxes the following day. Unfortunately, the fickle finger of fate stepped in, and Albert suffered a fatal heart attack. He died before his planned excavation.
“I would like you to help my grandson John find the gold,” said Albert and gave Church instructions and relevant information he thought useful.
“Good luck Church,” said Granny Pearl, as her and Albert’s spirits faded, and the portal closed. Church read his notes and called his parents.
The following day, Church borrowed his mother’s battered, second-hand Ford Escort car and drove the four hours to the northeast coast. He arrived at Albert’s old house in Grimsby late afternoon.
John, a fisherman like his father and grandfather but with the fishing industry in severe decline, with most of the trawler fleet decommissioned, John was unemployed. Albert had bequeathed his house, including the contents to John, and he and his pregnant wife had moved in several days ago.
Church sat outside in the car, trying to figure out his best approach. Albert had told Church that as a child, John would often visit, but he had seen little of him over the past few years. Using this information, Church figured out a plan. John and his wife Sandra were in the kitchen unpacking boxes when Church knocked on the door. John answered.
“Hello John. My name is Church and I was a friend of your Grandad’s,” Church smiled and extended his hand.
John frowned and looked bewildered. “He never mentioned you,” he said and shook Church’s hand.
“Probably not,” said Church. “The last time I spoke to Albert he told me that you rarely visited, but he often spoke about you.”
John sighed, as it had been well over a year since he had last seen his Grandad.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Church. What can I do for you?” asked John.
“I wanted to offer my condolences and tell you that your Grandad mentioned something that concerned him the last time we spoke,”
“Who’s at the door?” shouted Sandra from the kitchen.
“A friend of Grandads,” John shouted.
“Invite them in, but tell them we are in the middle of unpacking, so excuse the mess.”
“Yes dear,” said John smiling and said, “Come inside Church, we can chat over a cuppa.”
Sandra joined them in the living room bringing in two mugs of tea and the three sat on a couch. Church told the couple how he was a neighbour until his family recently moved. “I often came to see Albert and listen to his stories. One of the neighbours called my dad and told him that Albert passed away. I came to see you and keep a promise that I made to Albert. He wanted to make sure you found the gold,” said Church.
John chuckled and said “Not you too. Grandad used to rave on when I was a child about this cursed treasure buried in the garden. I never believed him. It was only a fairy-tale,” he laughed and said, “Don’t tell me that you believed him.”
Church smiled and said, “Well, he had me fooled, especially after showing me the letter.”
John frowned and asked, “What letter?”
“The one from the government,” said Church. “Didn’t you read it?”
John and Sandra looked at each other.
John shrugged and said, “No, we have seen no letter.”
“Oh, that’s strange,” said Church. “Perhaps it’s still here somewhere. It was very important, so I doubt if Albert threw it away.”
John thought for a moment and went to find the box of papers that he was about to put in the rubbish. He brought in the cardboard box containing letters, papers, and various photos.
John placed the box on the table, and they rifled through it.
“Is this it?” Sandra asked, holding up a government-franked envelope.
“Yep, that’s it,” said Church, hoping it was.
John read out the letter from the admiralty. When he’d finished, he looked shocked and said,
“It says we own the gold, great!” he and Sandra smiled at each other and then John’s expression change as he screwed up his face and said, “Hang on a minute; what gold? Not Grandad’s fairy-story gold.” He then smiled and said, “Grandad was a great one for stories and exaggerating.”
“Maybe so,” Church said, “But Albert told me where it’s buried.”
“Why didn’t he dig it up before then?” John asked, sounding suspicious.
“Albert told me it was cursed for anyone, except you, John,” said Church.
John smirked and said, “And you believed him?”
“Albert was a mariner and superstitious, so yes, I believed him,” said Church, knowing that John also being a fisherman would understand about fate.
“What do you want?” Sandra asked sounding abrupt.
“Nothing,” said Church.
“We’ve only known you for a few minutes, and you want us to dig up our lawn because you made friends with a crazy old man,” said Sandra glaring at him.
“I know it sounds bizarre, but what do you have to lose? I know where to dig, so if I am wrong, you can laugh me out of your home… But what if I’m right?” Church asked and gazed at the couple.
Church and John took turns digging at the spot where Albert had instructed. They had only excavated down a short way when John’s shovel struck something solid. They removed the boxes and, joined by Sandra, opened the first box of gold ingots. John and Sandra’s eyes widened and they gasped.
“He wasn’t such a crazy old man after all, was he?” said Church grinning.
John fumbled for words while examining one of the gold bars. “There must be a bloody fortune here!”
“And it’s all yours,” said Church.
They spent the rest of that day and the following morning at banks and gold traders around Lincolnshire with the Admiralty letter in hand. They sold some of the gold bars and the rest John put in a bank’s safety box. Church spent the night in a spare room at John and Sandra’s.
The following day, Church said
