My mother was behind me lacing up my dress. Today I would marry and I
would never be the same.
"My only daughter is marrying" Mother said sullenly
"I hate him you know" I said staring bitterly at the cloth fabric that covered my skin.
"Which one?" Mother said sitting me in a chair so she could start on my hair, her hands moving quick and skilled through the red strands.
"Father. Both. I don't know. I just don't want to do this" I sighed and looked once again at the blue fabric.
"Go look at yourself in the mirror" She said pointing to the full length across the room. I crossed the room and looked. Not much to see, Mother had done a wonderful job on her hair, causing a little cat tail on her shoulder. Her dress her fit her curves slightly though not impeccably. I then looked into my face to see my deep brown eyes staring over my slightly rounded cheeks. Mother walked up behind me and placed her arms around my shoulders. "You look beautiful" she said earnestly and I smiled just as earnest.
"I need to tell you something" Mother said pain flashing over her face.
"What is it?" I said hoping against hope she had found a way for me to get out of it, to live my way.
"He isn't you father" she said meekly looking down
"What?" I said confused.
"Matthew Wood, has not, nor ever will be your father" She said looking up her green eyes meeting my brown ones "Perhaps we should sit whilst I speak?"
"Yes" I said quietly and sunk into the chair next to me and she did the same.
"I had just had eldest brother John five months prior to our meeting. I met him trying to find Matthew in the local pub, thank goodness he wasn't there or I would have never met him. I had just asked James the 'tender if he had seen him when this very drunken man with dreadlocks and beads throughout his hair came and slipped his arms around my waist.
"Well I was outraged by this and slapped him across the face straight away. Then he said, slurred is more like it. 'Not sure I deserved that love' I was disgusted and was about to slap him again with the most handsome man came behind him and pushed him away.
" 'Go have yerself another one Jack 'fore you make the lady give ya another slap' He was gorgeous. He had dark hair, a rugged face, clean shaven unlike most of his company, and the most dazzling eyes so much like yours. 'Care for a drink?' he asked
"I tried to get away saying I had a very important matter to get to at home, but he saw through me and told me no harm would ever befall me or any kin over mine whilst in the care of him or his crew. He was a sailor you see.
"So we started to have an affair and when he went out to sea and didn't come home I grieved greatly for him, at least on the inside I did. But he did leave me the most wonderful gift, my one and only daughter. " Her hand moved to my cheek and rubbed it gently.
"What was his name?" I asked, curious.
"Bill Turner" she said the pain flashing once again across her face. I looked at my mother, truly looked from an unbiased point. Her face was wrinkled and her eyes wearied. Her red hair was tucked neatly beneath a cap. Her haggard figure had never appeared more beautiful.
"I love you, Mama" I said honestly
"I love you too, but you see just because you are married does not mean you can't find love" she said. She didn't understand, that wasn't what I wanted. I don't want love, I want freedom. Would I ever find it?
* * * * * * * * *
I look ahead to see my bridegroom grinning madly at his new prize, his white wig swishing in the Caribbean breeze. A loud boom shocked the city, children screeched, women screamed, and men hurried. We were being attacked!! My bridegroom ran to help as did my father. My mother was at my elbow; she grabbed me and whirled me around so I was facing her.
"As soon as I let you go run to the docks as fast as you can. Count three ships to the left and hide in the hold" She pushed me away "Go! Now!!" I looked back at her confused "Go!" she screamed, another blast racked the air and I ran through the chaos of the city. I was vaguely aware of my relief of wearing my boots instead of heels. I reached the docks and counted then ran into the correct ship, not even noticing if it was right or not. I hid the darkness for god knows how long listening to the screams. When they stopped I didn't dare move part from fear, part from exhaustion.
When the door opened I tried to scrunch my self into myself to make myself smaller. I looked up to see an elderly man and a dwarf walk in. The dwarf was bald whilst the elderly man seemed to be covered in hair.
"Good haul, eh Marty?" the elderly man asked the dwarf. Both their hands were laden with loot.
"Aye" Marty answered. I looked at the two with such surprise. I must have miscounted. I was on a pirate ship!! Oh lord have mercy! My legs were cramping and these pirates were taking their time. I couldn't stay in this scrunched position much longer. Suddenly my legs gave out and as they did the left one knocked over a barrel of potatoes.
"What have we here?" the elderly man said leering at me.
"An invisible person?" I asked hopefully
"Aye that be what we have" the man said with a smile "and the Captain loves an invisible prisoner for his collection."
"My only daughter is marrying" Mother said sullenly
"I hate him you know" I said staring bitterly at the cloth fabric that covered my skin.
"Which one?" Mother said sitting me in a chair so she could start on my hair, her hands moving quick and skilled through the red strands.
"Father. Both. I don't know. I just don't want to do this" I sighed and looked once again at the blue fabric.
"Go look at yourself in the mirror" She said pointing to the full length across the room. I crossed the room and looked. Not much to see, Mother had done a wonderful job on her hair, causing a little cat tail on her shoulder. Her dress her fit her curves slightly though not impeccably. I then looked into my face to see my deep brown eyes staring over my slightly rounded cheeks. Mother walked up behind me and placed her arms around my shoulders. "You look beautiful" she said earnestly and I smiled just as earnest.
"I need to tell you something" Mother said pain flashing over her face.
"What is it?" I said hoping against hope she had found a way for me to get out of it, to live my way.
"He isn't you father" she said meekly looking down
"What?" I said confused.
"Matthew Wood, has not, nor ever will be your father" She said looking up her green eyes meeting my brown ones "Perhaps we should sit whilst I speak?"
"Yes" I said quietly and sunk into the chair next to me and she did the same.
"I had just had eldest brother John five months prior to our meeting. I met him trying to find Matthew in the local pub, thank goodness he wasn't there or I would have never met him. I had just asked James the 'tender if he had seen him when this very drunken man with dreadlocks and beads throughout his hair came and slipped his arms around my waist.
"Well I was outraged by this and slapped him across the face straight away. Then he said, slurred is more like it. 'Not sure I deserved that love' I was disgusted and was about to slap him again with the most handsome man came behind him and pushed him away.
" 'Go have yerself another one Jack 'fore you make the lady give ya another slap' He was gorgeous. He had dark hair, a rugged face, clean shaven unlike most of his company, and the most dazzling eyes so much like yours. 'Care for a drink?' he asked
"I tried to get away saying I had a very important matter to get to at home, but he saw through me and told me no harm would ever befall me or any kin over mine whilst in the care of him or his crew. He was a sailor you see.
"So we started to have an affair and when he went out to sea and didn't come home I grieved greatly for him, at least on the inside I did. But he did leave me the most wonderful gift, my one and only daughter. " Her hand moved to my cheek and rubbed it gently.
"What was his name?" I asked, curious.
"Bill Turner" she said the pain flashing once again across her face. I looked at my mother, truly looked from an unbiased point. Her face was wrinkled and her eyes wearied. Her red hair was tucked neatly beneath a cap. Her haggard figure had never appeared more beautiful.
"I love you, Mama" I said honestly
"I love you too, but you see just because you are married does not mean you can't find love" she said. She didn't understand, that wasn't what I wanted. I don't want love, I want freedom. Would I ever find it?
* * * * * * * * *
I look ahead to see my bridegroom grinning madly at his new prize, his white wig swishing in the Caribbean breeze. A loud boom shocked the city, children screeched, women screamed, and men hurried. We were being attacked!! My bridegroom ran to help as did my father. My mother was at my elbow; she grabbed me and whirled me around so I was facing her.
"As soon as I let you go run to the docks as fast as you can. Count three ships to the left and hide in the hold" She pushed me away "Go! Now!!" I looked back at her confused "Go!" she screamed, another blast racked the air and I ran through the chaos of the city. I was vaguely aware of my relief of wearing my boots instead of heels. I reached the docks and counted then ran into the correct ship, not even noticing if it was right or not. I hid the darkness for god knows how long listening to the screams. When they stopped I didn't dare move part from fear, part from exhaustion.
When the door opened I tried to scrunch my self into myself to make myself smaller. I looked up to see an elderly man and a dwarf walk in. The dwarf was bald whilst the elderly man seemed to be covered in hair.
"Good haul, eh Marty?" the elderly man asked the dwarf. Both their hands were laden with loot.
"Aye" Marty answered. I looked at the two with such surprise. I must have miscounted. I was on a pirate ship!! Oh lord have mercy! My legs were cramping and these pirates were taking their time. I couldn't stay in this scrunched position much longer. Suddenly my legs gave out and as they did the left one knocked over a barrel of potatoes.
"What have we here?" the elderly man said leering at me.
"An invisible person?" I asked hopefully
"Aye that be what we have" the man said with a smile "and the Captain loves an invisible prisoner for his collection."