Chapter 1 – The Younger Sister
"I hear Jack Sparrow an' 'is crew jus' pulled inta port."
The scruffy man's words fell just in reach of a petite, slender girl, who happened to be walking past the open tavern.
She was the tailor's youngest daughter and wrapped in a blue kimono, lighter than the bright sky. Dark bangs, cut straight, fell flat across her forehead and dusted her brow. Dark, glistening eyes sat in almond-shaped lids, hidden by her woven straw hat.
There was a stirring of excitement in her stomach. 'Captain Jack Sparrow is in our town?' she thought. She had never seen him before, but she had heard plenty of stories about him, especially from the tavern girls.
Her eyes shifted, still shrouded by the rim of her hat, to glance at the man who had spoken. The man was sitting at a small, wooden, round table with two other men. The two men also looked up at him, mildly interested. One man's gaze shifted to the passing girl. She quickly turned her eyes forward and continued walking.
"Mei!"
She looked up from under the brim of her hat to find who had called her name. There, at one of the vegetable stands, was her older sister, Mao. She waved to her.
Mao was taller and stouter than her sister. She was twenty years of age and Mei's older sister by three years. Every since their mother had died from a sickness, Mao took a motherly role over Mei, sometimes seeming bossy and controlling. But things were changing in their town, and Mao did not know what she would do if something were to happen to Mei, and Mei knew she loved her.
They greeted each other hello with a hug and a kiss.
"Come," Mao said, "Father wanted us home before lunch."
"Oh! Can we buy some mangoes?" Mei asked, pointing to the barrel of fruit. They were her favorite. "They're juiciest in the early summer."
Mao held her head up willfully.
"Father only gave us enough money to buy bread. We can't afford it right now."
A sorrowful smile appeared on Mei's lips. They weren't poor always. Before their mother, the talented seamstress, passed away, money was easier to come by. But now business was slow and their father was forced to remarry to support them with all he could get, which was very little.
She turned away from the plump mangoes.
"Okay, Mao. We will enjoy the bread."
They linked arms as they walked through the busy town market place to their home.
Mei's thoughts again turned to the mysterious pirate captain.
"Mao," the little sister said in a hushed voice, "Guess what I heard!"
Mao smiled and rolled her eyes. "I couldn't possibly guess, just tell me."
Mei smiled back.
"Captain Jack Sparrow is in town!"
"Where did you here that?"
"Shh!" Mei hushed her sister. Some townspeople turned to look at where the outburst had come from, and returned to their business. "I heard some men at a tavern-"
Mao rolled her eyes again.
"- but they looked like pirates! So, they would know!"
Mao laughed. It was a pleasant, charming laugh.
"Oh, Mei. Stay away from those pirates."
They walked in silence through the rest of the market. Mei watched children playing in the streets and clutching to their mother's skirts. The mothers were busy buying from and bargaining with the vendors, but they kept one hand open to pet the head of their clinging child. A man walked passed them, probably towards the tavern, and Mei caught sight of a tattoo on his arm.
The man's arm was permanently inked with a bleached skull wearing a pirate's bandana. It was surrounded by blood red roses and sea blue ribbons.
"What do you think he looks like?" Mei asked, breaking the silence between them.
"What do I think who looks like?" said Mao, checking that she had everything in her woven basket.
"Jack Sparrow!"
"Mei!"
Mei giggled behind her pale hand and continued to imagine what the notorious pirate might look like.