A Storm on the Horizon
People tell you that, you can't miss something you never had, right? But I know for a fact that they're lying. I wanted to be a wealthy as a child; I yearned for it, the parties the gowns. It never happened and I had to come to terms that it never would, but I suppose you could say that's not missing something. I can truly say I miss something I never had , and never will have I wake up every morning wishing the dream I had was real, wishing that the boy I loved really was in love with me but he's not. He loves another and I forever have proof that when someone says that statement to your face their lying.
I decided I didn't want to spend my birthday alone in the shop, whist father managed the clients so I tagged along with Will whilst he delivered the orders that we had made up the night before. He made me promise to stay quiet whilst he spoke to the clients as these deliveries were for work and could get him promoted as he wanted to become Mr. Brown's partner in the blacksmiths, so I did as I was told. I felt so proud in my new dress and Norrington's pearls; I thought to myself, this good feeling of having something so nice is probably what makes dearest Elizabeth so self-centred.
We delivered and fitted some new shoes to Brandy, Mr Jacobs the tailor's horse. Mr Jacobs was very grateful as he had to travel to the next village to drop of a suit to a very rich gentleman, he gave Will the owed money and then we looked at the next name on the list which was Mr Oliver the Butcher who had Will make him some special knives for carving meat, we repeated the previous process again and again until we reached the last name on the list.
"Who's next on the list?" I asked Will, he pulled the list out of his Jacket pocket and ran his finger down the list until he reached the bottom,
"It appears to be the Governor." Will replied.
"What?" I exclaimed, ripping the list from his hands astounded, and sure enough even on my birthday, we had to go there, we had to see her, I had to see him wanting her. After try to casually pass off that I didn't think Governor Swann hadn't ordered anything, to stop Will being suspicious we arrived at the Governors house , no his mansion. I told Will I would wait outside but he dragged me with him, he knocked loudly holding my arm tightly so that I couldn't run away and we were shown in by an older man who was the butler he wore fine clothes for a servant and a powdered wig, the Governor does seem a nice enough man who looks after his staff, shame I could not say the same for his precious daughter. The butler told us to wait and the Governor would be there in few moments, Will paced nervously and I stood there gawping at how big the house was and the grandeur of it all, Will was inspecting the elaborate candle holder on the wall but I was taking much notice of him then, CRACK he had broken it we were both dead if the Governor found out about this we were dead. We were panicking trying to think of somewhere to put the arm of the candle arch, "Will I can hear footsteps!" we searched for somewhere to hide it when I had an idea not brilliant and someone would find out eventually, but they wouldn't know that it was us (Will).
"Quick the umbrella stand, put it in the umbrella stand!" Will finally plonked candle arch into the umbrella stand, the footsteps which then passed us weren't the Governor's after all, and it was a butler. Will coughed awkwardly and I smiled nervously and we both started to giggle. The Governor descended the stairs talking to Will about the sword, I remembered to keep my mouth hushed and say nothing, he did a little trick with the blade nearly taking out the Governor's eye in the process but it was still impressive. He told Will to pass his complements on to Mr. Brown and Will was delighted, because the complement was actually his, and to hear that coming from dear Lizzie's Dad made it even better for him.
The way his face looked as he saw her, she came down those same stairs looking radiant, elegant and beautiful all at the same time, and then there's me uncomfortable and average, how does that compare to Elizabeth? It doesn't.
As her father said she did look beautiful even I could tell of that , Will looked like he had just swallowed a toad he was that nervous and all the colour had drained from his face making his usually hansom features look inexplicably average. Elizabeth had some dream about her meeting with Will when they where children, and even though her father was there she was giving off strong flirting vibes, and bating her long eyelashes. She was being ok at first she completely ignored me though, all the better I suppose. Will knew his place especially in front of her and especially her father and so he called her Miss Swann to keep it formal, as Elizabeth does though she got upset that it was going her way and flounced off pushing me roughly aside with her bony elbows. As she got in the carriage I realised it's strange he's formal with her and not with me and she is with both of us informal (probably because she thinks that she is above us). Weird the way the world works.
Will followed her outside and watched as she got in the carriage, and drove away he then quietly almost sadly said "good day."
Will said whilst we were walking back to the blacksmiths that he was tired and was going back to his bed for a nap, I shrugged as I did enjoy having time on my own and headed off towards the docks. The harbour master was a friend of my father's apparently, when my Mother was alive but he and my father stopped seeing each other after her death, and my father became a recluse.
She died a long time ago, well not that long, I was seven ... but I seems like a lifetime ago, she was walking home one night, from a friend's house and not paying attention she stepped into the road and was hit by a carriage. The Governor's carriage! Her injuries were awful and she was buried the following week my father lost contact, with everyone our family, friends, even the partner in the bakery he then left to marry a beautiful woman from London, so it was just us my father and I. For years I wasn't allowed out of the house without him, and then only when I was with Will not that long after that I was allowed on my own for only a half a day, it made my father and I closer but he never stops to miss my mother and I only could wish Will would love me as much as my father still loves her.
The harbour master still pitied me I think over my corrupted childhood and let me go to the docks whenever I wanted, free of charge. That's where I sat after Will and I parted ways that day on the end of the pier legs dangling out into the ocean, and thought about when I ran and sat in the same place I was sitting at that moment, when my mother died that night, but then my tears landed in droplets in the ocean rippling out at the sides...
I was shaken from my thoughts, when I heard loud talking about some ship in the ocean and people where pointing out to sea. When I looked out to see I saw the most curious sight a half sunken small boat coming towards where I was sat, there was the most odd looking man I had ever seen stood atop of the vessels small masts. As the boat sunk lower and lower I realised that it was heading straight for me!
I was nudged out of the way by a worn, brown leather boot and I shambled out of the way so I wouldn't get my toes caught between the dock and the fully sunken boats mast. I collected my discarded shoes and barefoot followed the odd man with brown boots entranced. Little did I know that I was following the infamous Jack Sparrow!
