The Giving Tree: Little Girl’s Gift and Captain Competition

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Hello. I’m am releasing for the first time in about 12 years some of my experiences on Hollywood Boulevard dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow (a.k.a. Mr. Rhumsmithe). This collection of stories will be released a little at a time.

The full book isn’t written yet. There are still things I must work on both in my personal life and writing before this project is completed.

Your constructive feedback is greatly appreciated; please, UPVOTE, SHARE, FOLLOW ME, and enjoy.

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LITTLE GIRL’S GIFT

A small girl about the age of four comes running out of the Kodak Theatre towards James holding a piece of paper in her hand. She stops about a foot from him and extends her arm to hand James the paper.

The paper has on it a drawing of a person, the best a four-year-old can do. The person is decorated with different shapes and colors of paper cutouts, forming a necklace around the neck, bracelets around the arm, and a gold earring.

She says, “Thanks for the sword you made me yesterday.”

James takes the drawing from her hand and bends down to his knees to say, “Thanks very much for the fabulous drawing that you have given me.”

He extends his hand to shake hers. She accepts the handshake. Then James lifts the small lady’s hand to his lips to give her a small peck on the hand.

Her face turns red as she turns to leave, going back to her mother who is standing six feet back. The mother waves goodbye as she mutters the words, “Thank you.”

CAPTAIN COMPETITION

Davy Jones, a.k.a. the fish, had decided to set up right next to James, standing one block away with another Captain Jack by his side. James’ blood starts to boil from the site of another Captain standing next to him.

Instead of going into a frenzy and yelling at the poor sap who was brought into the middle, James walks calmly over to the other captain and says, “Look, I know that you are working with the fish, but I am going to have to ask you to move out of the area. Due to the fact that I have been here longer, it would be respectful of you to move away so that we are not competing closely together.”

The captain looks at James as though he is crazy. The fish mutters, “Bullshit,” under his breath. The new Captain says, “I am working with him,” points a finger at the fish, “and he says that we are going to work here,” He points his finger to the fish, as a smile crosses his face.

The fish jumps in to say, “Ya, so go back to where you were standing, bindlestiff!”

James’ face and voice change from being pleasant and nice to agitated and frustrated. “Okay, you want to play games! We can play games.”
James turns his back to the both of them. He decides in his head to change his energy into positive energy so that the crowd will feed off of him better. He stands an arm’s length away in front of them. He starts to yell aloud towards the crowd, “I need 27 billion dollars from everyone here! Yes, you kid, come this way. Get yourself a sword.”

A Spanish kid, not far away, leaves his parents to grab the balloon sword.

“Now parents,” James says, “let's get a picture together, that way I can get your money afterward.” Without saying anything, the mom rummages through her black purse to find the camera.

Davy Jones and the new Captain stand behind James and the kid, dumbfounded by what is going on. They look at one another and decide to move to the right of them. James has the kid do a quick pose, both stand still until the photo is taken. The dad walks up to James, handing him money. James thanks the kid and then moves himself back in front of Davy and the new captain.

“Stay outta my way you homeless drug dealer,” says Davy.

James pays no attention to the words he has said. If anything, it fuels his energy even more as he shouts to the crowd, “Come get a picture, I need your money!”

He goes to make another balloon sword as one kid walks up with his mom and dad. The mom asks James if it is ok to get a picture with all three characters.

Finishing the sword, James hands it to the kid and says, “I will, but you will have to ask them if they would be in the picture as well, love.”

She looks behind James and says to Davy and Captain, “Would you mind taking a picture with my kid?”

Davy steps forward purposely hitting James in the back with his shoulder as he begins to say, “You see lady, we don’t work with druggies,” pointing to James, “so if you would like to take a picture with me and this Captain Jack,” the new Jack steps to the left of Davy, “then we will take a picture over to our left.”

Davy and the new captain step to the left, motioning with their hands to come their way. The mom looks perplexed from what she has heard and then says, “We will stick with this one.”

Davy gives a disgruntled face towards James and makes a grunting sound as he watches James take the picture, then the money. After James finishes with the family, he dances over to where Davy and the new Captain are standing, looks him dead in his face and says, “Now if you would kindly move to another area away from me, I will leave you guys alone.”

Davy turns to walk to his right with the Captain by his side but once again stops just a few feet away to continue to work. James comes right back in front of them.

This time Davy motions to the Captain to walk, along the curb, trying to gain attention from the people passing, but James is an arm’s length away, following side by side.
Davy yells, “Arrr, who has come to join our crew!?”

James yells over the top of Davy, “Come one, come all, 100 years before the mast you must serve.”
James stays animated as they are freezing up. He plays with the people, stabbing passing locals and tourists with his balloon sword, yelling, “I need your money now!”

A lady steps up, stopping James, with money in her hand, ready to take a picture. Davy and Captain continue to walk away a few feet, stop, and turn with their backs to the street. Their frustration with James is making the people walk by them, going straight to James to take some pictures. Both Davy and Caption watch James take a few pictures before they get a customer of their own.

A small group of people starts to crowd around Davy and the new captain. James comes over and starts to pick off the outside people waiting to take a picture. Moving fast through the crowd, he takes three groups of people to their one.

Davy says to James, “Why don’t you stay over here by the pole next to the star of Harrison Ford, and we will go stand over by the star of Steven Spielberg.”

James looks at both of them like they are crazy. “I’ve been here every day. Whether it’s raining, freezing cold, hot as fuck. I sleep on the streets cause I am trying to get somewhere.”
“Ya and you give your money to that black guy who is stealing from you,” Davy says in a raised voice.

Getting a little agitated James rebuts, “You don’t know what the fuck is going on!” pointing his finger in Davy’s face, “so stay out of my business and move along, either to the Chinese Theatre or to the train station. You get no respect from me!” James turns to take more pictures as Davy and the new Jack decide to take off in the direction of the Chinese Theater. At least for the time being.

James continues working in between the stars of Harrison Ford and Kevin Costner.

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YouTube video of me as Jack