Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The Wonder had come to port here for repairs after a storm had hit us on route back to England. It was only my third storm ever rode out on ship, but it was one of the worst so far. It was only by a miracle that nobody on board was lost to the high winds, the driving rain and the unforgiving nature of the stormy seas herself. Sailing back and forth between China and England and all the countries in between, I had seen many different cultures and people, and had seen more than I had ever wished to, of different funeral rites for sailors lost at sea.
It had been three years after my last trip to Underland and though I had maintained my muchness, much had changed for me. I had become an apprentice with Lord Ascot and had learned much about my father's former company. Though the trip to China had been a success, it was still very hard for a woman to be seen as anything more than a wife and mother for a man's home. It took awhile for me to receive the respect that I felt I deserved, and to be truthful, I still didn't feel like I had achieved that from the other men of the company. I still held my head high as I followed my heart wherever it led me. But there were still times when the whispers and the questions about my lifestyle and I became too many and too much too bear. I didn't deny it, I couldn't, but there were times when I wished I could fall back down the rabbit hole and back to my childhood getaway. But while I knew that one day I would go back, I still had questions that I needed to answer and things that I needed to do.
Port Elizabeth was something of a booming town with trade increasing and people from all over the world coming in to port. Looking around I could see lots of beautiful and exotic goods for sale, and decided that it would be a good time to perhaps purchase gifts for my mother and sister. Ironically, the only time my mother and sister are not trying to convince me to find a husband and settle down, was when I was telling them stories of my adventures overseas. Of course mother worried almost without end after I told her about the storms and the stories of pirates and even some of the sea monsters that I had heard of while in different countries, ports or taverns with First Mate Erikson.
First Mate Latham Erikson was a large, broad and burly man from Norway. He had been Captain Wallace's First Mate for almost ten years and was a well seasoned sailor. Since I first met him aboard The Wonder three years ago, Latham and I had become fast friends. When I first boarded The Wonder, Latham had taken it upon himself to show me around the ship, explaining how to sail, introducing the sailors and what their jobs aboard the ship were. I learned a lot from Latham and Captain Wallace about sailing and after the first year, when I was not busy working at being Lord Ascot's apprentice, I was learning the exciting art of sailing.
The rumbling in my stomach told me it was time to get something to eat, since I hadn't had anything to eat that day. Suddenly a large hand landed heavily on my shoulder and I turned to find the ever smiling Latham behind me.
"I don't know about you, little lady, but I'm starving. Let's go to the Inn and get something to eat. It should be on the outskirts of town over there. Let's be careful now, I don't trust anyone here." Latham guided me through the crowded town streets and out of town toward the inn. Among the buildings, shacks, and stalls, it was hard to tell one building from another.
"How come all the buildings look alike? How can you tell which is which?" I asked as I turned to Latham. He looked all around at the other buildings and looked back at me, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, growing up in a town where the architecture is all the same, I guess helps somewhat. Of course the signs do help a lot too." I should have noticed the sparkle in his eyes when he turned my way. I looked up and saw a sign The Rusty Anchor Inn. Laughing, we both went in and looked around, completely unimpressed. It was dark and dank with a stale smell all around it. No longer laughing, Latham and I walked through the crowed, ignoring the stares we got from a few of the patrons. We were hard pressed to find a table that looked even remotely clean, but finally found one at the very back of the inn. With no idea how to order service at a place like this, I waited for Latham to do something. He looked up at me with a twinkle in his eye and I knew that I was in for some kind of trouble. But loving his sweet and friendly nature as I did, I couldn't help but smile back. "Alice, I believe I should do the ordering for you. It's time you learned how to drink like a man. Ready?" he snickered as he watched the look on my face.
"I know you're playing games with me. I would like to eat and drink something that is not unpalatable or against the laws of human consumption. Thank you!" By the time I was finished with my speech, Latham was in full blown laughter.
"Alright, Alice, alright, you win. No rum." Latham burst out laughing all over again. I had already had a bad experience with rum once before and Latham had yet to let me forget it. He motioned over a bar maid and ordered fried fish and ale. I had never told my mother or sister that I started drinking, not heavily or enough to have a problem, but thanks to Latham and the other sailors who now thought of me as one of their own, I could certainly shoot whiskey and ale.
"So tell me Alice. When we finally get out of here and back to London, is that it for you? No more traveling, sailing, drinking, business, and fun, and finally settle down like your mother wants you to?" Latham smirked at me from over his mug. With that twinkle in his eye and smile on his face, sometimes I can't help but think that he knows everything there is to know about me.
"Perhaps I should cut back on my drinking." I said, sighing into my mug. Latham just smiled his big grin from ear to ear.
"Cut back to how much? One shot of whiskey and ale a year?"
"That might be best, especially after the rum incident in Singapore. I have no wish for a repeat of that situation, thank you very much." Latham just laughed once again. I didn't think I ever wanted to suffer the effects of drunken debauchery ever again.
"That's alright Alice; you don't have to be drunk to tell strange tales on an unfamiliar beach in a foreign country in front of your sailor friend, who uses the information for a good laugh during long trips overseas. You can be perfectly sober for all of that. But why would you want to?" Latham took another swig from his mug before motioning the bar maiden for another one.
"You have a good point there." I handed my own mug to the barmaid for more ale.
"The truth is I know that when I get there, mother and Margret will want to hear about my trips and what I've seen and done, and whether or not I have met anyone. Any more, as soon as they see me and find out that I'm alive and well, the next question will be, did you meet any fine gentlemen overseas? Or perhaps another business associate who is single and looking for a wife? I think they are starting to get desperate. If I get any older and don't find a husband and have children, I'll grow ugly and become a crazed spinster lady who's only reason for getting up in the morning is to keep her cats from eating her face off while she sleeps." Latham broke out laughing so hard I thought he was going to explode. One thing I had always loved about the large Norwegian was his ability to always laugh at almost everything.
That night in Singapore, though I didn't want to admit it out load, was good fun for me. With only Latham there that night to watch me and laugh, I could let myself go and not be afraid. But of course I found too late that I could not hold my rum as well as I thought I could. By the night's end, I had told Latham my tale of talking flowers, white rabbits in blue waistcoats, grinning cats, and mad hatters. Much to Latham's credit, he just smiled and listened patiently to my story. It was nice to tell someone my story and not be called mad or crazy. Even today, Latham will ask for a tale or even a song from time to time. Champion, business woman, sailor and now a bard and minstrel, I find that I am certainly a young woman of many hats. Suddenly, it hit me that of all the titles I bore, family woman was not one of them.
"Latham, do you think I should stop what I'm doing and settle down? Do you think I should stop the traveling and find a husband and have children? I mean, maybe my mother and Margret are right, that all this is just an attempt to remain a child. What do you think?"
Latham had stopped laughing with all my questions, but still kept a bright smile on his face. A thoughtful look came over his face as he looked at me from across the table. After a long pause, he finally nodded and slowly spoke.
"No Alice, I think you are doing just what you should be doing with your life. You are following your own heart and making your own dreams come true. That takes a lot of heart and courage. Not many people can do it from any social class. So there will always be someone who will call you names and tell you how to run your own life and what you should and should not be doing with it. And you will have to fight every last one of them, which you will. And there may very well come a day when you wish to settle down, find a husband and have children. And when or if that day comes, you just make sure that the man you have chosen, you have chosen for yourself because they will love and support you and all your dreams. No matter what don't marry anyone who won't support the life you choose to lead. And don't marry anyone that somebody else has chosen for you. Nobody knows what you need more than you do." I listened to his every word and I knew that he was right. It was my life and as long as I was happy that was all that mattered.
After dinner, Latham left to use the privy before leaving for the ship. Using the privy on board was a nightmare, to that I had to admit. I was waiting patiently, when I looked up to the sounds of heavy footsteps sounding through the now much quieter Inn. When I looked up I saw a tall, older, handsome man of tan complexion walking through the now somewhat quiet tavern. It seemed that most if not all of the attention in the place had turned to this man. I had only been to sea three years, and in that time I have seen many different people of many different cultures and places. And though I had never seen one up close before, even I knew that this man was a pirate. I could not help but study the sight given to me of the long crimson embroidered frock coat coming down over a dark waist coat and reaching the man's even darker boots. As he came closer to my table I could not help but feel a bit smitten with the sight. Older though his face may have been, it was well weathered with deep wrinkles, with dreads and braids and silver crosses and other trinkets adorning his hair and beard, making for an impressive sight for my eyes. Though I was used to meeting new people in business, I still could not help but feel excited. I could not help but hold my breath as he came deeper into the inn and closer to me.
It had been a long day for my men and I, to start with, but that storm didn't make it any easier for us. It had been a long sail from the ports of Shanghai to Port Elizabeth, and as much as I love the sea, there wasn't anything I wanted more than to lay my head down on a soft pillow that didn't sway with the rocking of a ship. Port Elizabeth was as good a place as any to stay out of the storms way and maybe get repairs done. Looking at the ragged sails, I figured it was probably a good idea for repairs.
First Mate Geller gave me the report on the ship and the rest of the crew. When everything was right and ready for docking, we weighed anchor and set to goin' ashore. The rain was already starting to pour down on me by the time I reached The Rusty Anchor Inn. The loud noise and music coming from the front of the inn quieted down as I walked in. A look around the room was enough to send everyone back to their own business. Walking through the shadows of the inn, I spotted an empty table at the back and went straight to it as the music and chatter returned and I no longer felt those many pairs of eyes on my back.
Finally reaching the back of the inn and took my seat, there were one pair of eyes that caught my attention. It was that of a young and very attractive lady. She couldn't have been more than twenty or twenty two years of age. Her soft pale skin glowed gently against the light of the lantern sitting next to her, with long wavy soft gold hair framing her lovely face. Her eyes were a soft brown, with a small button nose and rosy pink clover lips. Though she was seated down, I could tell that she had a supple and lithe figure beneath her blue traveling dress.
She was a pretty lady to look at, that was for sure, but a lady that stood out in the crowd like this much like a sore thumb. Perhaps she was the lady of high office navy man, but that didn't explain what she was doing here alone. However, as she was right next to me, there was only one thing to do.
"Excuse me miss. Aren't you a little young to be in a place like this?" She turned and looked at me with a smile on her face that lit up the whole room. Her light brown eyes lit up with a grace that I had never seen before as she regarded me with curiosity. She looked far more beautiful than I had first thought.
"I'm not that young!" She said with a slight laugh. Her laugh, though soft and quiet, was as clear as a bell and seemed to fill the entire room. It sounded like music to my ears.
"You're not that old either. So what's a fine upstanding English woman like you doing this far from home?"
"I find that traveling broadens the mind. And I was on my way back home, but then the storm came up, so here I am in Port Elizabeth; for now anyway. And what of you, kind sir, what brings you to Port Elizabeth?"
"I'm just a humble sailor traveling wherever the wind and waves take me." She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and a small smile on her face. She didn't believe that lie any more than I did.
"Of course you are. And I wish you many a happy and safe travels, most humble sailor." She laughed at the look on my face and returned to her drinking. Suddenly, a commotion began from the other side of the tavern, all ending with a shot in the dark.
Hello! I do not own Alice in Wonderland or Pirates of the Caribbean. I am not making money or any kind of profit off of this story whatsoever. Reviews are greatly appreciated. I don't want to write another chapter unless people are actually reading this story. Which I hope they are and are enjoying! : D Ideas, polite opinions and constructive criticism is welcome always! Thank you : )
