Chapter 12 - Ghosts, Ghosts. Ghosts.
Not long after Jonathan set sail on the first trip Sidi sat reading in front of the fire. The fire was fading and her teacup was empty. She was comfortable and warm were she was. Getting up to call a maid would force her out of her delightful cocoon. It hadn't taken long to become spoiled had it? A few years ago she was very happy living in tents and wagons and bathing in brooks and streams. She laughed to herself.
"Would you like more tea Miss?" a timid faltering voice asked.
"Yes Anna. Thank you." Her cup was refilled.
"Would you mind tending to the fire as well?"
Anna's face brightened. "Oh no Miss. I would be 'appy to!" Anna went to work. "I am terrible sorry about the baby Miss."
It still hurt to think about the loss of her daughter. She wondered if the baby she had named Marissa would count as a first daughter.
"Thank you Anna."
"Miss, it were a big mistake to be sure telling you before it 'happen. Sometimes Miss I be gittin confused about the day."
Sidi looked at her. A scatter brained ghost? "You didn't mean to tell me Anna?"
"No Miss. I thought it already 'appened."
Sidi sighed. "It's alright Anna. You did nothing wrong. You just made a mistake "
"You're very kind Miss. Will that be all Miss? "
"Yes Anna, Thank you"
"My pleasure Miss." She curtsied and was gone.
Sidi lay back in her chair once again comfortable and warm.
A man with a toolbox walked by her. He sat the box on the floor and proceeded to work on the window overlooking the ocean.
"Julian you really need to knock before you come in. I've told you this before"
The man looked over to her surprised. "Oh I'm sorry Miss Sidi. I know you wanted this window fixed. I keep forgettin' you can see me. Fleshies don' usually give us no mind."
Sidi smiled. "Most of us can't see you Jullian. What if I were naked?"
"They can if they want. They just don' want. S'pose one time naked mattered but now it ain't no good to me you bein' naked miss. Naked, clothes..all the same ."
She knew he wanted that to be true but he was lying. She had seen him watching her bathe once. There were lots of ghosts that loved to watch people and touch people. Many envied the living and mourned their own deaths. That's usually why they were still on the earth. They didn't want their lives to be over.
"It matters to me Jullian."
There you are Miss. He opened and closed the window twice. Good as new!"
She whirled around as Courtney screamed and fainted to the floor.
Sidi fanned her Mum and lay a cold compress on her forehead. Courtney opened her eyes and found herself on Sidi's fainting couch.
"Sidi.the window.it kept opening and closing by itself. I saw it.."
"No Mum." Sidi lied. She didn't want anyone knowing about the ghosts. She had been ostracized as a child because of it. She didn't want it happening in her adult life too.
"I saw it with my own eyes Sidi"
"No Mum. You called out to me from the hallway and fainted before I could get to you. You must have dreamed it."
Courtney looked up gratefully to the girl. She wasn't losing her mind! Sidi brought a cup of hot tea to her.
"Here. This will make you feel better."
"Thank you daughter. You are so good to me. Oh goodness me I came up to tell you that Mr. Sparrow has to make a trip to Jamaca and has invited us to accompany him to London to see him off!. I thought we could go shopping and perhaps you could find that special something you were looking for to give Jonathan for his birthday."
"That would be wonderful" Sidi enthused "Oh Mum I can't wait!"
Courtney got up from the couch and kissed her daughter. " Thank you dear. Goodness I am a silly old woman. Thank God I have you to take care of me."She left the room.
"London!!" she said aloud. I should think I could find something wonderful there!
"I am knocking on the door." a disembodied voice called. Sidi Laughed. "Come in."
NEXT - Welcome to Jamaica Mon.
Not long after Jonathan set sail on the first trip Sidi sat reading in front of the fire. The fire was fading and her teacup was empty. She was comfortable and warm were she was. Getting up to call a maid would force her out of her delightful cocoon. It hadn't taken long to become spoiled had it? A few years ago she was very happy living in tents and wagons and bathing in brooks and streams. She laughed to herself.
"Would you like more tea Miss?" a timid faltering voice asked.
"Yes Anna. Thank you." Her cup was refilled.
"Would you mind tending to the fire as well?"
Anna's face brightened. "Oh no Miss. I would be 'appy to!" Anna went to work. "I am terrible sorry about the baby Miss."
It still hurt to think about the loss of her daughter. She wondered if the baby she had named Marissa would count as a first daughter.
"Thank you Anna."
"Miss, it were a big mistake to be sure telling you before it 'happen. Sometimes Miss I be gittin confused about the day."
Sidi looked at her. A scatter brained ghost? "You didn't mean to tell me Anna?"
"No Miss. I thought it already 'appened."
Sidi sighed. "It's alright Anna. You did nothing wrong. You just made a mistake "
"You're very kind Miss. Will that be all Miss? "
"Yes Anna, Thank you"
"My pleasure Miss." She curtsied and was gone.
Sidi lay back in her chair once again comfortable and warm.
A man with a toolbox walked by her. He sat the box on the floor and proceeded to work on the window overlooking the ocean.
"Julian you really need to knock before you come in. I've told you this before"
The man looked over to her surprised. "Oh I'm sorry Miss Sidi. I know you wanted this window fixed. I keep forgettin' you can see me. Fleshies don' usually give us no mind."
Sidi smiled. "Most of us can't see you Jullian. What if I were naked?"
"They can if they want. They just don' want. S'pose one time naked mattered but now it ain't no good to me you bein' naked miss. Naked, clothes..all the same ."
She knew he wanted that to be true but he was lying. She had seen him watching her bathe once. There were lots of ghosts that loved to watch people and touch people. Many envied the living and mourned their own deaths. That's usually why they were still on the earth. They didn't want their lives to be over.
"It matters to me Jullian."
There you are Miss. He opened and closed the window twice. Good as new!"
She whirled around as Courtney screamed and fainted to the floor.
Sidi fanned her Mum and lay a cold compress on her forehead. Courtney opened her eyes and found herself on Sidi's fainting couch.
"Sidi.the window.it kept opening and closing by itself. I saw it.."
"No Mum." Sidi lied. She didn't want anyone knowing about the ghosts. She had been ostracized as a child because of it. She didn't want it happening in her adult life too.
"I saw it with my own eyes Sidi"
"No Mum. You called out to me from the hallway and fainted before I could get to you. You must have dreamed it."
Courtney looked up gratefully to the girl. She wasn't losing her mind! Sidi brought a cup of hot tea to her.
"Here. This will make you feel better."
"Thank you daughter. You are so good to me. Oh goodness me I came up to tell you that Mr. Sparrow has to make a trip to Jamaca and has invited us to accompany him to London to see him off!. I thought we could go shopping and perhaps you could find that special something you were looking for to give Jonathan for his birthday."
"That would be wonderful" Sidi enthused "Oh Mum I can't wait!"
Courtney got up from the couch and kissed her daughter. " Thank you dear. Goodness I am a silly old woman. Thank God I have you to take care of me."She left the room.
"London!!" she said aloud. I should think I could find something wonderful there!
"I am knocking on the door." a disembodied voice called. Sidi Laughed. "Come in."
NEXT - Welcome to Jamaica Mon.