S.S. Buddy

The child's pencil skipped across the paper, finishing the dimples on a smiley face. 

"Hello friend :)" the paper read.

Putting the pencil on the dirty tree stump, the child began folding the paper. Like a skilled craftsman constructing a mighty ship, the child toiled to make this paper boat a seaworthy vessel, ready to brave the dangers of the open water and deliver its cargo of good will.

On the side of the boat, he emblazoned it "S.S. Buddy", and on the other side, he inscribed "Open me!"

Satisfied with his handiwork, he ran through the soft mud to the riverbank. "Find me a friend, Buddy!" he ordered the ship, before placing it gently on the glistening water. With a firm salute, he bade the S.S. Buddy farewell.

It didn't take long for the S.S. Buddy to catch the current and begin its maiden voyage. The light breeze tipped it side to side, and the sun reflected brightly on its sterling white exterior. It bobbed up and down as it hit ripples; the S.S. Buddy was proving to be quite the ship.

It wasn't before long that it picked up its first passenger. The bow of the S.S. Buddy, dipping down then up, brought with it someone new. A brilliantly sapphire butterfly had latched onto the hull, clinging for dear life. The S.S. Buddy was more than accommodating, and the butterfly maneuvered its way to the tip of the sail, where it could dry its azure wings in the warmth of the sunlight. 

The butterfly recovered, and departed, but the S.S. Buddy needed no payment nor thanks for its service. It was a loyal, driven ship, and would adhere to its duty no matter the trials and tribulations. 

It didn't take long for the S.S. Buddy to face its first challenge; a waterfall, at least three inches high faced it. The S.S. Buddy was neither deterred nor phased, and steamed into the danger with all the gall it could muster. 

The drop was far, and the S.S. Buddy hit the water hard. Its starboard began to dip into the water; it seems as though it might be the end. Nobly, it carried on against its inevitable doom.

But, suddenly, a creature from the depths approached. A large, scaled beast, perhaps a minnow, rammed the S.S. Buddy just before its sails hit the surface, knocking it back up. 

With the help of the fish, the S.S. Buddy was upright again. Its good deed was now paid, and it was now reoriented and ready to continue its mission.

However, a new hurdle blocked the S.S. Buddy. A hefty rock, rising up from the riverbed, lie ahead. On its side, a collection of fallen debris festered. Every little twig seemed to get caught on this ensnaring mass. 

The S.S. Buddy was no stranger to danger, and approached the clot with steely determination. It seemed as though it was going to escape, but just at the last moment, it got itself entangled. With its stern trapped, it appeared that the S.S. Buddy's voyage was cut short.

Help was not far off, though. A massive frog, shimmering green, leapt atop the rock. Glancing down, it dove into the floating island of flotsam, breaking it apart. With that, the S.S. Buddy was loose, and again on its way.

Now it was the S.S. Buddy that owed debt. Its mission now was twice as important, and the stakes of its success raised. The S.S. Buddy, ever the stoic caravel, was more than up to the task.

It steered rightward, approaching a sandy shore. The ropes of destiny pulled it across the waves and onto land, and it beached itself, waiting to unload its goods.

The old man on the bench had watched the little paper boat drift to the edge of the river. He was tired, his aged body lacking limberness. His heart weighed him down; for he had nobody left, the twilight having claimed his beloved Gloria but cruelly sparing him many years ago. 

In his haze of loneliness, he normally would've ignored something so trivial. But this little paper boat had caught his eye. There was just something about it, some enthralling power that he couldn't shake. It radiated importance, for whatever reason.

Clutching onto his cane, he slowly moved himself off of the bench, and shuffled towards the water's edge. His joints ached and popped, and his back groaned with pain, but he carried onward. 

Craning down, his wrinkled fingers managed to grasp the sail of the paper boat. Lifting it up to his glasses, he read its name: S.S. Buddy.

Turning the S.S. Buddy over, he read the message of "Open me!". He worked his way back to the bench, and after easing himself into the seat, he slowly unraveled the paper until it was opened.

"Hello friend :)"

Water began to well in the man's eyes. His heart warmed, and he felt a tinge of care, something he had been deprived for a long time. As tears dripped down his face, his lips turned upward; his first smile in ages.

He clutched the note to his chest, and whispered to the page "Hello to you too, friend". The S.S. Buddy had fulfilled its oath.