Disclaimer: PotC is not mine...
Thanks: To Maeve (my beta-reader) and Rita (the translator) :)
Hot winds of the Caribbean 4
(Tortuga)
I woke up in haunting headache again. The rum tasted still in my mouth and I didn't feel very well. I rose to sit on the bed and I rubbed my aching temples. I definitely needed water... and a hot bath. I quickly glanced at sleeping Jack next to me and I got up the bed quietly.
I explored the cabin very closely and I did find a bottle of water. I opened the bottle and drank almost half of it at once. Surely water hadn't ever tasted so good. I combed my hair with my fingers and rubbed my temples once again. I guess a bath was an impossible wish in the middle of the sea.
Jack turned but didn't wake up. I pulled my socks and my sneakers on and headed to the deck. The sun wasn't very high yet, but the crew were in full workswing. I let my eyes wonder around the deck and I noticed Anamaria was at the helm.
I walked quickly to Anamaria and inquired from her at the possibility of bathing. The woman looked at me like I was crazy and shook her head.
"Bathing's extremely dangerous!"* she cried. "D'ye really wanna take the risk?"
Now it was my turn to stare at Anamaria like she was a lunatic or at least wacko. I had never heard of anything as stupid like that. Bathing dangerous? Since when? Anamaria though looked serious.
"I want to take the risk. Where can I bath?"
Shaking her head once more disbelievning Anamaria seemed thinking about it. Finally she said there was an old tub in the kitchen which maybe went for a bathtub. I asked could it be possible to borrow it. Anamaria nodded and ordered a man called Mr. Cotton to take the helm. The man's parrot screeched something which sounded suspiciously like "Dead men tell no tales!" I shook my head. Maybe I had heard it wrong.
I followed Anamaria below the deck and straight to the ship's kitchen. She locked the kitchen door and pulled out a shabby tub and some soap. She showed me how I could heat up the water and stayed then for a moment to help me.
"Well, how the last night went?" she asked suddenly.
"How so?" I wondered.
"Ye know what I mean..."
"Well, I drank too much rum and passed out on the floor..." I answered honestly.
"So nothin' happened?" Anamaria asked a bit disappointed.
"No", I said and shrugged my shoulders. What suppouse to have happened?
Anamaria smiled at me wryly and left the kitchen. I locked the door after her and poured the warmed water into the tub. Then I dived into it enjoying every second.
I bathed quickly and scrubbed myself as clean as possible. I didn't have a shampoo so I had to use soap to wash my hair. It wasn't very good for my hair but I had no options. I couldn't stand dirty hair. Luckily I found an old comb from the kitchen. After checking there weren't any lice I combed my hair straight and pulled my clothes on again.
When I went back to the deck, the sun had risen high. I noticed Jack was at the helm and I went to him.
"Morning, captain!" I remarked chearfully although my temples were still pounding lightly.
"Mornin', luv!" Jack answered me. "We're arrivin' at Tortuga quite soon. Have ye already made up yer mind?"
"Yes, I'm staying with you... I mean on the Pearl if that suits you", I said a bit uncertainly.
"O'course it does. But d'ye know anythin' about sailin'?" Jack asked.
"Not really..." I mumbled embarrased.
"Well, ye'll learn everythin' necessary", the captain said smiling.
I nodded reliefed that I was allowed to stay on the ship. On the other hand I was excitid. Would I ever learn to sail properly? And I guess I had to learn other things as well. Pirates had to know how to use a gun and I had only shot once. And that time was with a BB-gun and my father had stood next to me giving me advice.
"I think ye'll need some supplies... I'm gonna give ye some money and ye can go with Anamaria to buy everythin' necessary", Jack kept talking.
"Why can't I come with you?" I wondered. I had thought Jack enjoyed my company.
"I have some things to take care of, luv", the man answered smiling mysteriously. I shrugged my shoulders at him and I walked to the bow of the ship to watch the spreading sea in front of me.
~o~
Before noon I saw a island head of me. Slowly the island grew bigger and I discerned a town on it's beach. The town was very small. Probably it would have been called a village in my time.
It didn't take for a long when we arrived at the harbour. Soon every pirate had left the ship on their own ways. I saw Jack coming towards me. He handed me a full coinpurse and grinned.
"As I promised", he said at the same time when I stared surprised the quantity of money.
"I told Anamaria to go with ye, she's waiting ye at the dock."
"Thank you... Jack", I said feeling a bit awkward.
"Captain", the man straightened me and smiled again. "See ye in the evening!"
Jack left the ship leaving me to stand all by myself at the deck. I stuffed the coinpurse into my pocket. It weighed heavily but I daren't to carry it in my hand either. Then I step out from the ship as well.
Like Jack had said, Anamaria was waiting me at the dock. She greeted me delighted and then started to walk towards the town.
"We are we going?" I asked quickly speeding up to catch her.
"To eat somethin'", Anamaria said and remarked she was very hungry.
At the same I realized I was almost dead by starvation myself as well. I started to think when was the last time I had eaten something. In few moments later I came to result it had been before I had left to my fateful shopping trip which was two days ago. Wonder I wasn't feeling any worse.
We wandered through winding streets of Tortuga. Everywhere were drinking pirates. There seemed to be far more men than women and the very few women seemed to be hookers.
Finally we stopped in a small sort of restaurant. At this time of the day it was quite empty and quiet. Anamaria walked to the counter where wasn't anyone around. She yelled someone's name and soon grayhair, black man appeared behind the counter. A wide smile appeared onto the man's face and he rushed behind the counter to hug Anamaria.
"Ann, this is me father", Anamaria introduced the old man smiling. I greeted the man politely.
I looked around in the small restaurant when Anamaria talked with her father. It was surprisingly clean, at least compared with the rest of the town. A thought of Tortuga made me remember I had decided to stay on the Black Pearl. I guess the ship was about to come my home. It seemed terribly so I had no way to go back into my time. I thought it would have felt horrible but it only stung a bit. Of course future made me afraid (especially ending up in gallows) but I decided not to worry about it yet.
"Hey, are ye sleeping? I asked would ye like to eat somethin'!" Anamaria interrupted my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry... I was just thinking... And yes, I would like to eat", I answered quickly.
Anamaria led me to a small corner table where had already set a whole meal. I sat down by the table sighing. Potatoes, meat, more meat, apples and don't know what all else. It made my mouth water. Anamaria suggested me to eat and piled her plate full. Nearly half an hour we ate silently. Only which didn't feel like eating was the wine. Just a thought of alcohol made me sick.
After completely wonderful meal Anamaria led me upstairs of the house. There was a simple apartment which had a table, a chest of drawers and two beds.
"Welcome to me home!" Anamaria wished and pointed at a small room. Was this where she lived?
I nodded unsure. I sat down on the bed when Anamaria started to rummage through the chest of drawers. She jammed clothes into her piratebag from the drawers. Suddenly she threw couple of pair of trousers to me.
"I don't need those and it seems ye don't have any other clothes than what ye're wearing", she explained quickly and threw a bag to me as well.
I thanked her in amazement and jammed the trousers into the bag. Now I only needed to get few blouses, a comb and some washing supplies.
After few minutes we came back downstairs and Anamaria said goodbye to her father again. The man's face had a missing look on and I almost felt sorry for him. It must felt terrible able to see own daughter so rarely. Then I thought how my own parents had to felt at the moment. I felt unpleasant pinch in my stomach and I forced sad thoughts away from my mind.
Anamaria took me to tour around the town and I almost got everything I needed. Anamaria talked me into buying pair of boots as well although I liked my sneakers better. She thought they were unpractical on the sea so I agreed to get proper boots. After the shopping tour we took our stuff back to the ship. Then Anamaria went somewhere and left me alone.
I sat down on Jack's bed to think. What was I really doing? I had decided to become a pirate and sail through all the seas and oceans with captain Jack Sparrow. I didn't know was it wise decision, but actually it was the only choice for me. At this worldtime woman needed a man who put food on the table and I didn't have a man. I didn't even have a home. If I hadn't stayed on the Pearl, I would had to become a hooker.
I laid down on the bed and stared the ceiling of the cabin. Perhaps the ship would become a good home for me. At least Jack and Anamaria were nice to me although I didn't know anything. Maybe I was finally there, where I belonged...
I felt myself really tired and I thought it was because the hangover which still bothered me. I decided to take a little nap, hardly it would do any harm.
~o~
I woke up a slam of the door and I jumped up. It was really dark in the cabin, but I could saw someone standing at the doorway. How long had I slept? Was it night already?
"Luv, are ye here?" I heard Jack's voice asking and I sighed reliefed. At least it wasn't a stranger.
"Yes, I am, and don't call me 'luv'!" I snapped for an answer.
Jack walked in and lighted few candles. Then he went back to shut the door. I could smell a rum again. He surely was drunk. How could anyone drink rum two days in a row?
"Look what I have here", Jack said and sat down on the bed next to me. He spread some kind of piece of paper into his lap and I bent over to look at it.
"What is it?" I asked curiously.
"A map... A treasure map of captain Hook", Jack said with a charming voice.
"Excuse me?", I cried. I must have heard the name wrong. "What was the name again?"
"Captain Hook", Jack answered smiling satisfied.
"And next you are going to tell me that you are going to look for Peter Pan!" I uttered. Jack must be kidding.
"Who is he? Or just forget about it... I'm not gonna go look for 'im after all. But this treasure..." Jack started to explain to me how great captain Hook's treasure was. I listened with interest because I was tired no longer.
*Bathing was really considered as an extremely dangerous in the 17th. It was enough for bathing to get your toes wet, otherwise their wiped their body with a fragrance towel. Other smells was covered by strongs perfumes.
Thanks: To Maeve (my beta-reader) and Rita (the translator) :)
Hot winds of the Caribbean 4
(Tortuga)
I woke up in haunting headache again. The rum tasted still in my mouth and I didn't feel very well. I rose to sit on the bed and I rubbed my aching temples. I definitely needed water... and a hot bath. I quickly glanced at sleeping Jack next to me and I got up the bed quietly.
I explored the cabin very closely and I did find a bottle of water. I opened the bottle and drank almost half of it at once. Surely water hadn't ever tasted so good. I combed my hair with my fingers and rubbed my temples once again. I guess a bath was an impossible wish in the middle of the sea.
Jack turned but didn't wake up. I pulled my socks and my sneakers on and headed to the deck. The sun wasn't very high yet, but the crew were in full workswing. I let my eyes wonder around the deck and I noticed Anamaria was at the helm.
I walked quickly to Anamaria and inquired from her at the possibility of bathing. The woman looked at me like I was crazy and shook her head.
"Bathing's extremely dangerous!"* she cried. "D'ye really wanna take the risk?"
Now it was my turn to stare at Anamaria like she was a lunatic or at least wacko. I had never heard of anything as stupid like that. Bathing dangerous? Since when? Anamaria though looked serious.
"I want to take the risk. Where can I bath?"
Shaking her head once more disbelievning Anamaria seemed thinking about it. Finally she said there was an old tub in the kitchen which maybe went for a bathtub. I asked could it be possible to borrow it. Anamaria nodded and ordered a man called Mr. Cotton to take the helm. The man's parrot screeched something which sounded suspiciously like "Dead men tell no tales!" I shook my head. Maybe I had heard it wrong.
I followed Anamaria below the deck and straight to the ship's kitchen. She locked the kitchen door and pulled out a shabby tub and some soap. She showed me how I could heat up the water and stayed then for a moment to help me.
"Well, how the last night went?" she asked suddenly.
"How so?" I wondered.
"Ye know what I mean..."
"Well, I drank too much rum and passed out on the floor..." I answered honestly.
"So nothin' happened?" Anamaria asked a bit disappointed.
"No", I said and shrugged my shoulders. What suppouse to have happened?
Anamaria smiled at me wryly and left the kitchen. I locked the door after her and poured the warmed water into the tub. Then I dived into it enjoying every second.
I bathed quickly and scrubbed myself as clean as possible. I didn't have a shampoo so I had to use soap to wash my hair. It wasn't very good for my hair but I had no options. I couldn't stand dirty hair. Luckily I found an old comb from the kitchen. After checking there weren't any lice I combed my hair straight and pulled my clothes on again.
When I went back to the deck, the sun had risen high. I noticed Jack was at the helm and I went to him.
"Morning, captain!" I remarked chearfully although my temples were still pounding lightly.
"Mornin', luv!" Jack answered me. "We're arrivin' at Tortuga quite soon. Have ye already made up yer mind?"
"Yes, I'm staying with you... I mean on the Pearl if that suits you", I said a bit uncertainly.
"O'course it does. But d'ye know anythin' about sailin'?" Jack asked.
"Not really..." I mumbled embarrased.
"Well, ye'll learn everythin' necessary", the captain said smiling.
I nodded reliefed that I was allowed to stay on the ship. On the other hand I was excitid. Would I ever learn to sail properly? And I guess I had to learn other things as well. Pirates had to know how to use a gun and I had only shot once. And that time was with a BB-gun and my father had stood next to me giving me advice.
"I think ye'll need some supplies... I'm gonna give ye some money and ye can go with Anamaria to buy everythin' necessary", Jack kept talking.
"Why can't I come with you?" I wondered. I had thought Jack enjoyed my company.
"I have some things to take care of, luv", the man answered smiling mysteriously. I shrugged my shoulders at him and I walked to the bow of the ship to watch the spreading sea in front of me.
~o~
Before noon I saw a island head of me. Slowly the island grew bigger and I discerned a town on it's beach. The town was very small. Probably it would have been called a village in my time.
It didn't take for a long when we arrived at the harbour. Soon every pirate had left the ship on their own ways. I saw Jack coming towards me. He handed me a full coinpurse and grinned.
"As I promised", he said at the same time when I stared surprised the quantity of money.
"I told Anamaria to go with ye, she's waiting ye at the dock."
"Thank you... Jack", I said feeling a bit awkward.
"Captain", the man straightened me and smiled again. "See ye in the evening!"
Jack left the ship leaving me to stand all by myself at the deck. I stuffed the coinpurse into my pocket. It weighed heavily but I daren't to carry it in my hand either. Then I step out from the ship as well.
Like Jack had said, Anamaria was waiting me at the dock. She greeted me delighted and then started to walk towards the town.
"We are we going?" I asked quickly speeding up to catch her.
"To eat somethin'", Anamaria said and remarked she was very hungry.
At the same I realized I was almost dead by starvation myself as well. I started to think when was the last time I had eaten something. In few moments later I came to result it had been before I had left to my fateful shopping trip which was two days ago. Wonder I wasn't feeling any worse.
We wandered through winding streets of Tortuga. Everywhere were drinking pirates. There seemed to be far more men than women and the very few women seemed to be hookers.
Finally we stopped in a small sort of restaurant. At this time of the day it was quite empty and quiet. Anamaria walked to the counter where wasn't anyone around. She yelled someone's name and soon grayhair, black man appeared behind the counter. A wide smile appeared onto the man's face and he rushed behind the counter to hug Anamaria.
"Ann, this is me father", Anamaria introduced the old man smiling. I greeted the man politely.
I looked around in the small restaurant when Anamaria talked with her father. It was surprisingly clean, at least compared with the rest of the town. A thought of Tortuga made me remember I had decided to stay on the Black Pearl. I guess the ship was about to come my home. It seemed terribly so I had no way to go back into my time. I thought it would have felt horrible but it only stung a bit. Of course future made me afraid (especially ending up in gallows) but I decided not to worry about it yet.
"Hey, are ye sleeping? I asked would ye like to eat somethin'!" Anamaria interrupted my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry... I was just thinking... And yes, I would like to eat", I answered quickly.
Anamaria led me to a small corner table where had already set a whole meal. I sat down by the table sighing. Potatoes, meat, more meat, apples and don't know what all else. It made my mouth water. Anamaria suggested me to eat and piled her plate full. Nearly half an hour we ate silently. Only which didn't feel like eating was the wine. Just a thought of alcohol made me sick.
After completely wonderful meal Anamaria led me upstairs of the house. There was a simple apartment which had a table, a chest of drawers and two beds.
"Welcome to me home!" Anamaria wished and pointed at a small room. Was this where she lived?
I nodded unsure. I sat down on the bed when Anamaria started to rummage through the chest of drawers. She jammed clothes into her piratebag from the drawers. Suddenly she threw couple of pair of trousers to me.
"I don't need those and it seems ye don't have any other clothes than what ye're wearing", she explained quickly and threw a bag to me as well.
I thanked her in amazement and jammed the trousers into the bag. Now I only needed to get few blouses, a comb and some washing supplies.
After few minutes we came back downstairs and Anamaria said goodbye to her father again. The man's face had a missing look on and I almost felt sorry for him. It must felt terrible able to see own daughter so rarely. Then I thought how my own parents had to felt at the moment. I felt unpleasant pinch in my stomach and I forced sad thoughts away from my mind.
Anamaria took me to tour around the town and I almost got everything I needed. Anamaria talked me into buying pair of boots as well although I liked my sneakers better. She thought they were unpractical on the sea so I agreed to get proper boots. After the shopping tour we took our stuff back to the ship. Then Anamaria went somewhere and left me alone.
I sat down on Jack's bed to think. What was I really doing? I had decided to become a pirate and sail through all the seas and oceans with captain Jack Sparrow. I didn't know was it wise decision, but actually it was the only choice for me. At this worldtime woman needed a man who put food on the table and I didn't have a man. I didn't even have a home. If I hadn't stayed on the Pearl, I would had to become a hooker.
I laid down on the bed and stared the ceiling of the cabin. Perhaps the ship would become a good home for me. At least Jack and Anamaria were nice to me although I didn't know anything. Maybe I was finally there, where I belonged...
I felt myself really tired and I thought it was because the hangover which still bothered me. I decided to take a little nap, hardly it would do any harm.
~o~
I woke up a slam of the door and I jumped up. It was really dark in the cabin, but I could saw someone standing at the doorway. How long had I slept? Was it night already?
"Luv, are ye here?" I heard Jack's voice asking and I sighed reliefed. At least it wasn't a stranger.
"Yes, I am, and don't call me 'luv'!" I snapped for an answer.
Jack walked in and lighted few candles. Then he went back to shut the door. I could smell a rum again. He surely was drunk. How could anyone drink rum two days in a row?
"Look what I have here", Jack said and sat down on the bed next to me. He spread some kind of piece of paper into his lap and I bent over to look at it.
"What is it?" I asked curiously.
"A map... A treasure map of captain Hook", Jack said with a charming voice.
"Excuse me?", I cried. I must have heard the name wrong. "What was the name again?"
"Captain Hook", Jack answered smiling satisfied.
"And next you are going to tell me that you are going to look for Peter Pan!" I uttered. Jack must be kidding.
"Who is he? Or just forget about it... I'm not gonna go look for 'im after all. But this treasure..." Jack started to explain to me how great captain Hook's treasure was. I listened with interest because I was tired no longer.
*Bathing was really considered as an extremely dangerous in the 17th. It was enough for bathing to get your toes wet, otherwise their wiped their body with a fragrance towel. Other smells was covered by strongs perfumes.
