Hello! It is nice to meet you! I was born in Spain to my mother and father, Desiree and Paulo Demarco. They named me Paulo Jr. but my closest friends call me PJ. I guess that makes us friends!

Our family was once known all over Spain as the greatest sea-faring fishermen in the land. We supplied fish for people from the market to the palace. We owned a fleet of fishing boats and Papa was their Captain... until the day we lost him and everything else to the Great Storm.

With Papa gone, the money did not last long. Mama and I were forced to move to our servants quarters and sell handmade goods in the market. Life was not the same...but at least we had each other...for a while...

I lost Mama soon after to a strange disease that colored the lips black as night and turned a home into a prison. This was the worst day of my life...but not the hardest...

Soon came the day when I met Juan Ponce de Leon and his boss, Christopher Columbus. They were looking for deckhands and I knew my way around a ship. I needed help and they needed me. It seemed like a match that would work for everyone!

It was hard work...and a long journey to someplace they called the New World. I lived most of my life in the 'tween deck serving the Gentlemen and cleaning up after those who became sick. It was not fun, but it was better than begging in the market. Papa would have been proud. 

Until one day, when our ship finally found solid ground on an island we named Hispaniola. It was a beautiful place filled with interesting people who made art out of everything they had...including gold, which caught the attention of our greedy captain.

But it wasn't all bad. Mr. de Leon decided to remain there for a time with his family...so I decided to stay too. I liked de Leon. He was creative and funny, often telling stories about how someday he would remain young forever. His excitement was infectious. He reminded me of my father.