“You understand why I did it, don’t you? You know why?”
The Captain took his son, and sat him on the bed in the Captain’s cabin, then bent down on one knee, so they were eye to eye. Little Jason nothing, just stared blankly at his father, tear marks running down his cheeks.
“You see, the ship is a very intricate environment, it’s the Captain’s job to keep all the riff raff under control. Otherwise, you’ll have what happened last night. It takes time to get it right.” The Captain handed Little Jason a cup and poured a little wine into it. “Try it, it’s good. You see, those men wanted to take ship somewhere, probably to Spain, Italy somewhere where the women are loose and cheap, and the wine even cheaper. Spend away their earnings this voyage. Then when that was spent, go steal other people’s hard earned gold, then do it all again.” He poured himself a cup of wine, the same wine from his dream with the beautiful Claudia. “Try the wine Jay, its good. They offset the balance of the ship by attacking me, it’s my job to reset it. But I can’t have everyone thinking that if they try and kill the Captain, they’ll get a small punishment and then back to work. No no no. So I offset the balance of the ship in my favour. A punishment so big that no one else will dare think about attacking me.” he took a seat next to his son on the bed. “The balance of the ship will return.” The crew had started a shanty out on the main deck as they worked. The Captain raised his glass, toasting the shanty, “You see, they’re happier already. They know their place, and I know they’re dangerous. But if we keep a respectable distance, the status quo will return to normal. Try the wine Jay.” Little Jason slowly lifted the cup to his mouth and took a sip, it was good, but it burnt his throat, he then upended the class above his mouth, tipping the fruity red liquid down his throat. “They attacked me, now they have to fear me. Do you understand, Jay?”
Little Jason nodded slowly, he wasn’t looking at his father, who was now pouring a tad more wine into his cup, he drank it, in one gulp, he was too busy thinking about the two men, jumping in and out of the water.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink now, why don’t you go to bed? I’ll ask them to keep the shanty down.” the Captain smiled to his Son. But there was no need, after the fifth verse of the Shanty, it slowly died. Little Jason rose mindlessly, and walked towards the door.
“It’ll all turn out allright, they’ll never hurt a child.” the Captain said from his bed, pouring some more wine. “One day, i‘m going to take a ship due east. And see if I find anything, wait until half my supplies are out, then turn back.”
“Do you want me to come with you, Sir?” Said Little Jason, not facing his father.
“No. Jay, I don’t.” his father smiled “Because you’ll be leading your own expeditions to wherever you want to go.”
“If you go due east, father, I’ll go due west.” Said Little Jason
“And we can map out the world together.” The Captain smiled. Little Jason made to leave but his father called him back
“Jay,” he turned back to face his father. “I love you, you know that, right?”
Little Jason nodded and left without saying a word, he wished he had said ‘you to, Pa’. Or something to that extent, but at that moment in time he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Little Jason walked through the ship which was eerily silent now, just the sound of the men working, and waves crashing beneath them. The sailors glared at Little Jason as he walked passed them, but he didn’t care. When he got to the sleeping deck he picked a hammock near the back of the ship, so he wouldn’t be disturbed as people came and went. He just wanted a place to hide, through the rest of the voyage, let everyone else leave and then he’ll sneak off with his father. He closed his eyes, letting the swaying of the hammocks, the crashing of the waves, and the creaking of the ship carry him off to a deep sleep. He dreamt that he was sailing a sea of liquid gold, as three men came onto the sleeping deck. He dreamt that he was leading his crew to victory against a battle against Pirates, as the three men working in unison to softly lifted him from his bed. He dreamt he was being held by his long lost mother, as the three men softly and silently carried him upstairs to the weather deck. He dreamt he was receiving an award by the King with a crowd of hundreds watched in awe, as the three men approached the railings.
He woke with a start. His eyes thrown open. Instantly stinging when he hit the stone cold water.
Which way was up?
Which way was down?
He tried to scream but water forced its way into his mouth, clogging his throat. The back of his head broke the surface of the water, he frantically tried to turn himself over. He coughed, spluttered, and began kicking downwards. Trying to kick towards the great looming shadow that was the ship before him.
“Help!” he cried. “HELP me!” he spat out some sea water.
A group of silhouettes at the railings of the ship began to laugh and jeer.
“HELP!” Little Jason cried again. “I CAN’T SWIM!”
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” a new silhouette joined the railings, facing the rest.
“Getting rid of the kid” another silhouette answered aggressively. “We need to!”
“Haul him out now.” The new silhouette ordered. But nobody moved. “Save him!”
The rest of the shadows stayed motionless. Until one of them retorted. “Why don’t you?”
“‘Cause I don’t swim” the new shadow answered. But again nobody moved.
“Teach, you buggered up the killing, you are not the Captain of this ship.”
The new shadow, the profile of Master Teach backed away from the railings and disappeared from sight. Little Jason dipped in and out of the water fighting for his life, kicking towards the ship, as the current dragged him away. The laughing taunts from the sailors echoed in his ears. Teach reappeared again, dragging something behind him, with a roar he lifted it, and dropped it over the side of the ship. The barrel smashed into the water and gently bobbed with the waves.
“Grab onto it boy!” Master Teach shouted “The tide will take you in.”
SJS writing 