Junhong giggled as he dropped blades of grass in the path of the little ants marching along on the sidewalk. The bugs had to crawl under and over the obstructions, finding new ways to reach their destination with a single minded determination that had the young boy amused for long minutes.

“Honey, why don’t you go in and pick out which room you want?” His mother came up beside him with her arms full of cardboard boxes. Excited, Junhong jumped to his feet. He smiled, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

“Really? I can pick annnny room I want?”

His mother’s tired eyes crinkled at the corners as she gazed down at him fondly. Junhong was practically bouncing with happiness.

She pursed her lips and pretended to think about it, hitching the boxes higher up as they began to slide from her grasp.

“Umma!” Junhong pouted cutely. His mother laughed and nodded toward the house.

“Go, go!”

Before she could blink, Junhong ran up the porch steps and into the house. He paused a moment to take in the unfamiliar place that would now be his home. The living room was immediately inside the doorway, connecting to an open kitchen area toward the back of the house.  The walls were an icky shade of white and there was only a very scratchy looking couch and some tables. Junhong found them boring and continued on his search for something more interesting.

There was an open door to his right, and upon closer inspection, he was disappointed to discover it was an ordinary bathroom.  Sighing, he ran past his mother as she set the boxes down on the kitchen counter, and darted up the staircase leading to the second floor as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. He stumbled on the last step, landing in a clumsy mess on the itchy carpet.

“Ow…” he mumbled, rubbing his sore knees. The carpet had left a rug burn on them both. He heard his mother chuckle from the kitchen.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” she called up to him.

Junhong rubbed his red knees again but refused to make a fuss. He wasn’t that hurt, and he didn’t want to act like a baby. After all, he was the man of the house now, and men didn’t cry over every little oo.

“I’m fine!” he yelled back. He heard his mom chuckle again as he stood up. He turned around and peered at the doors. The one on his left was shut tightly. The one on his right was wide open revealing the end of a plain bed and a dresser.

It was the door directly in front of the stairs that caught his attention though.

The dark wood was the same as all the others in the house that he’d seen so far, so that wasn’t all too exciting. No, what sparked his curiosity was the fact that the door was partially cracked open, only enough for him to reach his tiny hand through. He grasped the wood in his hand and slowly peeked his head inside.

With the curtains drawn shut, most of the room was cast in shadow. Most kids his age would have been scared to go in by themselves, but Junhong was a big boy and not afraid of anything. He puffed out his chest and walked in.

There was a twin sized bed pushed against the far wall, an old night stand, a dresser and a closet. He took a hesitant step inside. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something move. Always curious and ready for adventure, Junhong quickly made his way to the closet and wiggled the handle. He had to stand on his tippy toes to get a good hold on the stuck knob. Blowing his bangs out of his face with a huff, he tugged hard and fell to the floor when the door swung open.

“Stupid door…” he grumbled as he rubbed his sore bottom. A shuffling noise from inside the closet distracted him. A mouse? A cat? Maybe even a puppy? Junhong had always wanted a pet! Smiling, he reached into the darkness and felt around. He stumbled over the edge of something small and bent down to pick up whatever it was. It was smooth, flat and round like a coin and easily fit in the palm of his hand. It felt warm within his fingers.

Excited to find out what his new treasure was, Junhong ran back out to the top of the stairs so he could see. He carefully unwrapped his fist.

“Did you pick a room?” His mother was coming up the stairs with his blankets and sheets folded over her arm. She paused at the top step to see what had him so captivated. “What do you have there, sweetie?”

“I dunno. Maybe it’s treasure!”

He held it out to her like a precious jewel. She picked it up just as delicately and held it to the light. The tarnished silver gleamed in the sun shining in from the windows. From this angle Junhong could see that it intricate designs etched onto it's surface, but he didn’t know what they meant. It didn’t look like money he’d ever seen before.

“That’s right, my little pirate. This is treasure so keep it somewhere safe, okay?” His mother smiled as she handed it back to him. Junhong grinned mischievously.

“Does that mean I should bury it?”

She ruffled his hair affectionately, and he savored the happiness in her eyes. It made his heart hurt when she was sad.

“No, don’t bury it. You’ll never find it again if you do. Just keep it where you won’t lose it,” she replied. Then she grandly gestured for him to lead the way. “Show me which room will be your captain’s quarters, Pirate Junhonggie.”

Junhong giggled and slipped the coin into the front pocket of his shorts until he could find a better spot for it. He knew exactly which room he wanted. He tugged his mother’s skirt and dragged her straight ahead. “This one, matey!”