An Essay by Zack

Zack's 8th grade history class is studying the early European explorers. His history teacher is also his language arts teacher. She made them write an essay. Zack will probably shoot me if he finds out I posted this. What are mom's for?

Fernando Santosh
By Zachary L

My name is Fernando Santosh and I was born in 1502 on September the second. I explored with Hernando Cortez and I have the biggest passion for sailing these seven seas. My brother was attacked by a shark on my tenth birthday when my father took us out in his canoe. The canoe flipped and that was the last we saw of him. I have devoted my life to the sea so I can find the shark that killed my brother so I can kill him. I plan to catch him on Cortez’s ship.

“I love you, Mother,” I say as I leave our hut in Spain. I went down to the shipyard to join my shipmates and meet our captain, Cortez.

“Isn’t he the one who sailed to Hispaniola in 1504?” asked my best friend Roberto.

“1503!” I corrected as I glared at him while he walked out on the dock. “And yes, I think it is.”

He said we were to set sail and explore Mexico. In the early sunrise, we untied the ship from the dock and we were off for Mexico. It didn’t feel as if it were to be that short of a journey, but if you have to work to keep yourself busy, you’ll see land on the horizon before you know it.

This journey would make this my first birthday away from home. I wouldn’t have the fruit from my mother’s garden of any of her seasoned chicken, which I loved the most. I began to feel a tear rolling down my face as I was looking out on the horizon knowing that my mother had no one to keep her company as her birthday passed as well. Now I am eighteen years old and have been sailing since I was twelve years old.

“Stop dreaming. Get back to work!” said Roberto. “It’s for your own good. It won’t be long before we’re back home. Oh, and happy birthday!”