Thank you all for continuing to read and respond. I really appreciate all your support!
This is the last "chapter", but I have one more post which will the Epilogue. I hope to have that up within the next week.
If I don't post before the holiday, Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Chapter Twenty-five
Her words, "I am with child", struck him in the gut, seizing his breath, weakening his stance, to the point in which his crutch could hardly sustain him. He fixed his mouth to speak, to ask her if he had indeed heard her assertion right, when the tenderness in her gaze and the quickness of her breath, answered his doubt, confirming what she'd said. The heaviness of that reality rushed him with emotion, causing him to turn away, towards the scenery that was darkening under the setting sun. They had created a child... and would in turn be parents to this little person who was now growing within her. He thought with awe, when anxiety rose within him, enveloping his swelling happiness. How was he to do this? He fearfully pondered. He, John Silver, who had lived such a nomad life, that had been laden with deceit and violence. How was he to be a father to this child, when he had not had a father himself and never been responsible for anything but his own well-being? How could he, a pirate, a killer, nurture and protect something so innocent and vulnerable? He silently challenged with uncertainty. When he heard her voice, calling to him, and sensed the softness of her palm, grasping his hand, compelling him to return his eyes to her.
"Does this please you?" She softly asked what he had not heard before as her gaze, brimming with reverence held his, further stirring his heart, for the moment, banishing his fear.
"I am happy." He expressed, what was again surging within as he gently touched her cheek, rousing her to an exhale, when he then pressed his forehead to hers.
"Are you certain?" She queried in a hushed tone. "Because I... detect more than happiness in your eyes."
Silver slowly pulled away, to clearly capture her uncertain gaze. "The acuteness of my joy is indescribable…" He uttered with impassion, quickening her with felicity. "…and yet…I feel an unease at this new development in our lives." He admitted. "When crafting schemes that would ensure I would attain a future filled with treasure and not a care in mind, never did I imagine I would be here, embarking upon a life of marriage, and now… a child. Though I am…very happy, I cannot deny the uncertainty that assails my mind, inciting me to question what kind of father can I be, to this little person that I have aided in creating, being the man I am?" He emotionally confessed. Feeling the honesty of his words, the fear in his concern, rushing her with empathy, Madi squeezed his hand that remained nestled in hers, then voiced a response.
"It is the richness of your struggles and triumphs, your errors and infallibilities that make you who you are, a man whom I love, a man who is my husband, and will be an incredible father to our child." She passionately contended as she placed his hand on her belly, causing his breath to hitch in his chest, for his soul to ache with profound sentiment for this woman who he loved so much. Silver crushed his mouth to her lips, kissing her with fervor, strongly holding her to him as he delved deeper, sweeping her teeth and tongue, igniting her with fire. When he gradually tamed his ardor, his tender hotness, stirring her to a moan, before he concluded their nuzzle, and dropped his eyes to her flat tummy. Again laying his hand upon it, he was amazed that there was a life growing within her. "Are you feeling alright?" He then quietly asked, lifting his gaze to meet her warm stare. Madi nodded with a loving smile before casually confessing she felt a little faint, prompting Silver respond with instant worry...
"Why did you not say?" He interjected. "You should take a seat." He directed, which she planned to protest, with the reasoning that it would pass in a moment, when the feeling became slightly more pronounced, dictating her heeding his suggestion.
"I will be alright." She still claimed as she made her way to the table with Silver following behind.
"Have you eaten?" He then inquired, her 'I will be alright,' not registering as he recalled her sparse eating as of late. Now realizing it was likely due to her being with child.
"I have not…" She answered as Silver hopped ahead, reaching the table before her and pulled out a chair for her to sit. "I had planned to take some food earlier, but I was deterred by the news of my condition." She explained as she sat down.
"It is the news of your condition that should have inspired you to take a meal." He scolded with love, then tenderly kissed the top of her head, warming her inside, then went to the kitchen across the way, in search of a quick meal. Within minutes he'd pulled together a generous helping of Otaheite apples, June plums, and plantains. He'd also kindled the hearth to heat a modest pot of stew from one of the many food jars she kept on a shelf, then returned to the table, serving her the plate of food. Madi did not realize how famished she was until the food was set in front of her. She immediately began eating, savoring the delicious fruit while occasionally sipping the water he'd brought, feeling her wooziness abate. When she turned her eyes to Silver, who sat at her side, grasping her free hand, and found him affectionately watching her.
"Are you not going to take some fruit? Or do you plan to watch me until you are satisfied with my intake of nourishment?" She quipped, causing him to smile.
"I will take some food when the stew has warmed." He declared, then kissed her hand. "But in the meantime, I wish to know how you made this discovery that you are with child?" He inquired, thinking how she had not mentioned any suspicion about her condition to him. "Did you suspect but did not say?"
"I did not." She answered, after finishing a piece of plantain. "I believed the ailments I suffered were due to the weight of all that has been transpiring. It was not until my mother came to see me, following your visit and request, that I made the realization...Mother challenged the potential of our move to Nassau and referenced my condition as a reason for concern. When I denied her deduction, she called attention to my recent infirmities and cited the source as a child growing within me."
"Your mother determined you are with child?" Silver queried with shock, concerned at the implication, how Madi, and even he, his interaction with her, would be viewed by her mother.
"I suppose that can be inferred, but when I scrutinized the symptoms I had been having, some of which I had not recognized until that moment, my conclusion was the same."
Silver remained silent and thinking, while watching Madi resume eating. Her mother's respect for him was clear. He mused, remembering their discussion earlier in the day. And she believed he loved Madi very much, but he could not imagine she was pleased to discover they had been intimate, which had in turn resulted in her daughter becoming impregnated. Though he was certain the Queen had deduced, a long while ago, that he and Madi's "closeness" went beyond discourse. He still felt ill at ease that she would think he had taken advantage of her daughter.
"Was she…your mother, troubled, by this discovery … you being with child in this unwedded state?" He finally quizzed.
"She did not say." Madi replied and ceased eating to look him in the eyes. "I believe she understands what we are to each other, and while I do not believe she was overjoyed, neither do I believe she was displeased with the circumstance." She said, easing Silver's mind, then continued... "Nonetheless, she did question if it would be wise, considering my state, for us to leave the Island for the risk that is Nassau."
Silver wondered if the woman knew of her daughter's condition when they spoke, then recalled her strange gaze during their discussion as if she knew something he didn't, and logically concluded she was indeed aware. "She expressed similar concerns to me." He proclaimed, almost distractedly, still contemplating his deduction. "but we will have no other choice, if the elders decline our request."
"As was my response, but my mother assured that she would never allow this to happen and thus we would not be forced to leave the Island." She revealed, surprising Silver.
"I am well aware of your mother's authority on this Island." He said as he dallied with her hand, intertwining their fingers and caressing her thumb, teasing heated sparks through her form. "But, do you truly believe she can sway the elders to favor our request, even if it is not what they wish to do?"
"I do." She sincerely answered, thinking of how her mother, the Queen, had swayed many decisions to her liking in the past as Silver contemplated the complication this may cause, then voiced his thoughts...
"If the decision grants us the marriage rite... then it will present a dilemma we did not expect." He declared.
"How so? Did you receive word from Featherstone?"
"I did…He has granted our request to take up residence in Nassau." Silver revealed, bringing to Madi's mind, her mother's words that if the opportunity arose for her to live away from the Island and continue the Cause, she would go. Madi again thought of Nassau, the possibilities there and a burning excitement flamed within her as did a smoldering uncertainty as to whether such a move, a risk, would be wise considering her vulnerable state.
"I know it is your wish to leave this Island..." Silver softly uttered, suspending her thoughts, drawing her eyes back to him. "...and live in the world beyond this place, while furthering the Cause of aiding those in chains…I wish for this as well, for fulfillment of your dream to reside where it most pleases you, and where our work on the Cause will yield the most impactful result…However, this new development in our lives has given me pause, and thus I am not certain Nassau is our best course."
"I too question if logic still remains in choosing Nassau, considering the state in which we have found ourselves…but then I remember those who are in bondage, suffering at the hands of men who view them as less than human." Madi fiercely avowed. "No matter my condition, no matter the risk, we cannot stand idle, when such an opportunity as Featherstone's has presented itself."
Silver considered her words, understanding them, knowing that there was truth in them, that being on the ground, in Nassau would serve their Cause best, and that this chance to live there without resistance may never present itself again, but what of the risk? What if something went wrong? What if they found themselves in a predicament akin to where they'd been when the Spanish invaded the island? He mused, remembering the resulting battle that had been brutal in nature, and how he'd nearly lost Madi. "When I thought…you were lost to me, dead at the hands of the Spanish…" He quietly spoke, then stopped, as the pain he had not visited for months rose within him, bringing to mind what he'd feel if he truly lost her or their child. "I cannot bear it again… losing you, and now losing our child."
"Nor can I." She shakily concurred at the agony in his gaze, reminding her of what she thought she'd lost when witnessing him being blown from the ship into the bay, and never seeing him resurface in the water. "But you will not lose me, or our child…We will not lose each other." She passionately declared. "This is my vow."
"As it is mine." He echoed. "Nonetheless, I do not wish to make a choice tonight." He said, to which Madi agreed, then took his lips, loving them with slow heat.
A lifetime seemed to have passed before a resolution was reached regarding their request. Moreover, though they knew the result would likely be in their favor, and no matter the fact that Madi was with child, which had remained secret from all except one, she and Silver had to follow the community tradition when such a request was being considered, and keep their interactions to a minimum. As a result, they'd forgone their daily walks, shared meals at Chajio and in private, had barely talked and no longer had the time alone, which would've allowed for making love. It had been a difficult separation, with their only interaction being their "chance" encounters as they traveled to their early morning duties.
They'd always meet, just for an instant, at the diverging paths in the forest, where Silver would be heading to his task at sea, and she to aid in sowing seeds for the spring. There, he'd ask a litany of questions about the baby, her energy, if she'd eaten or if she was feeling unwell, hardly giving Madi the opportunity for her own inquiry about his well-being. Though he had enlisted Ruth's aid in visiting with her each day, to make certain she was well nourished and getting the proper rest, he still needed to hear it from her lips, and see it for himself. Once he was certain she was well and she'd confirmed that he was the same, they'd steal a kiss, long and passionate, then quickly part to ensure they would not be discovered by others in the community.
For weeks, their life had consisted of fleeting touches and anemic communication, missing each other so much, anxious for an answer, no matter the outcome. When finally, a decision was declared, three weeks into their separation, and just as the Queen had vowed, Madi and Silver were granted the marriage rite.
Although they'd been bound for some time in their hearts, they were pleased to have the support of the elders in making their union official. Whilst some elders, as well as people within the village – during the weeks in which they were awaiting a decision, had expressed reservations about the Queen's daughter, marrying a white man, most had concluded that Silver had proven himself loyal, not just to Madi, but the people of the Island and accepted her choice for a husband.
With the granting of the marriage rite, Madi and Silver had happily resumed their courtship. Yet it still was not what it had been, with private meals, kisses that were fervid and chaste and nights spent alone reading or making love. Nearly every interaction they had was conducted with an audience, due to the tradition of purity before marriage, in their case the perception of it. Yet, they still reveled in what they had missed over the past three weeks, simply talking and sharing their time with each other. Additionally, they'd chosen where they'd reside, deciding to take the opportunity that would be Nassau. However, they would not be going alone. Baako, who had inherited Kofi's duties upon his death – leading security of the Island and protecting Madi when she traveled abroad, would be joining them upon Silver's request to the Queen, and in turn her directive. Though Silver knew they had allies in Featherstone, Eme, her husband and perhaps a few others, and that he and Madi would be meticulous with any dangerous actions they may take, having an ally, who came from the Island and could be trusted with her life, living amongst them, eased his concerns about residing in Nassau, most especially if he had to return to pirating.
Having received the official announcement that they'd been granted the marriage rite, the community began excitedly preparing for the ceremony. Food was gathered - fruits that grew naturally about the Island - plantains, June plums, coconuts, Otaheite apples, Jack Fruit, guava; crops that did not grow there naturally – peas, corn and potatoes; and meats – fish, geese, and goat, the latter not only needed for the coming feast, but as a sacrifice to purify the grounds on which they'd be married. Meanwhile, Madi received days of cleansing at the springs and advice from elder women on how best to please her soon to be husband, and Silver was advised on how to be a good provider, whilst tirelessly crafting gifts, per tradition, Madi should receive from him, prior to and during their ceremony.
Now, days later, dusk was upon them, with the moon luminous and full, ascending in the sky as millions of brilliant lights gradually came to life around it. Madi stood before the small mirror, eying her modest ceremonial garb that was a dress, made of tan fabric with yellow, maroon and blue embroidery. The garment was wrapped around her body and breast, strapless, and tying in the back, while her hair was covered in a tan cloth and her ears were bare. Pleased with what she saw and thrilled with what soon would be happening, she turned from the mirror just as her mother returned to the room with a twill sack in hand.
"It is a gift from Mr. Silver." She declared, then handed her the bag. Madi calmly accepted the item, even as excitement teemed within her, at him keeping with community tradition of future husbands presenting their brides with a gift on the day the rite of marriage would be performed. She then unknotted the bow at the end of the bag, stretch it open and pulled the object free of the covering. Madi expelled a wondrous sigh at the square box, that was made of Blue Mahoe wood, with symbols of strength, courage, love and beauty, intricately carved over its lid and sides. She then gingerly cracked open its top, and looked inside to find a knife, with a wooden handle, encased in a sheath made of turtle skin, a tiny bag of ginger, a book - The Tempest by William Shakespeare and a brief note that simply read "For the Future Mrs. Silver." Emotion surged her heart at the profound meaning of the box and the contents within. She then closed her eyes and drew a breath, fighting to control her joy that was close to deluging her with tears.
"It is a lovely gift." Her mother commented, prompting Madi to open her eyes and carefully shut the lid down. "But not half as lovely as you." She added in a motherly tone, causing her to shyly smile. "I will not ask if you are ready, because I believe that you are." The woman continued, now serious. "I will only ask that no matter where this journey leads you, you will remember that this place will always be your home." Madi lightly nodded as sentiment charged her once more, then gave her mother a strong hug.
A Short While later…
Madi slowly approached Silver as he hopped towards her. Noting his dark tan shirt, which she was certain she'd never seen, and the three-charm necklace, that she'd given him and he'd not worn since the war, adorning his neck, deeply touching her. His eyes were soulful and shining with the most gentle blue, eying her with adoration, and his hair was untied, hanging long to his shoulders. He was a wonderful and enchanting man. She mused with fervor and love.
The drums and singing floated on the air as they came to stand before the community, their gazes bound, silently expressing what they felt for each other, just as the sacrament began. It was a long ritual of sacred song as their faces were covered in white symbols of purity, loyalty, fertility and good fortune. After which Silver affectionately captured her gaze, filling her with tenderness as he adorned her left wrist with the leather marriage band. They were then directed to face forward and to "join" hands, with Silver laying his palm atop hers, fervently stirring their bodies and hearts. When the Shaman recited the marriage rites, sprightly dancing around them, sprinkling them in a faint dust of wild Allium and water, solidifying their unity, evoking their ancestors to bless them and protect them. The Shaman's ritual went on for an extend time, prior to the ceremony concluding with the people, as many who could surround them, commencing a joyous song and dance around them...
A Time Later...
"I have longed for this all evening." Madi quietly sighed at the feel of his hand, slipping into hers, kindling a hotness in her veins as they now sat idle, due to the ceremony having morphed into a grand feast of food, drink and dancing.
"As have I." Silver uttered as their gazes locked, smoldering with fire. "This and more." He huskily conveyed, rousing her with wanting. When their attention was again drawn from each other, due to the celebratory mood of the people. The evening had progressed with them remaining seated next to one another, allowing the community to feed and entertain them, while infrequently having a moment to whisper sweet nothings or engage in an evanescent, yet heated touch. When the night finally grew late, and Madi and Silver were separately whisked away, her to prepare for her wedding night and him to await her arrival in his small cottage.
It was not long before she graced him with her presence, quietly entering his humble abode that was faintly alight due to the candles scattered about. Silver saw her before she did him, for she was focused on the elder women who had escorted her to the home, and in turn were providing some final advice on how to handle her wedding night. He remained rooted were he stood, regarding her from afar, thinking how she would need no advice, for she was quite skilled at pleasing him in every way. He continued to admire her, noting her hair that was no longer cover, which left her braids to flow down her back. Her clothes had also changed to a plain, short sleeves frock, that tied at her chest, modest, in comparison to her wedding garb. She was so beautiful. He mused with aching adoration, feeling as if this was all a dream, that he, John Silver now had a wife, who was this incredibly intelligent and loving woman. It was unbelievable that he too would soon be a father, to a child, who had been sired from their union. He thought with wonderment as the elders finally made themselves scarce and Madi turned around, her gaze meeting his. Instantly, their breaths hastened, their fixed eyes swimming with happiness and yearning.
Within seconds, they were across the room, and engaged in an amorous embrace, their lips crashing in anguished hunger, leading to an infinite kiss…Silver then hesitantly pulled away, to gaze at her once more, awed that she was truly his wife.
"I love you." He breathlessly uttered as he caressed her cheek, igniting a boundless warmth within her.
"And I you." She breathed with impassion, then ardently seized his mouth.