Chapter 17 Perhaps you should have considered dying.
He opened his eyes in his own bedroom in Montego Bay. The doctor and nurses fussed and proclaimed a miracle. His brothers were quiet and if all went well his father would forget to explode later. All that lingered from the experience in the Port Royal alley was a bit of slurred speech and memory issues.
Confined to his bed Jack begged anyone and everyone to keep him company, everyone except the person who had just walked through the door.
"Anna Maria." Jack winced. Adam had let him have it over the incident at her home.
"Jack" she sat on the foot of the bed.
Silence.
"How are you feeling?"
"Up to now fine."
Silence.
"You remember nuting?"
"I remember nuting."
"You my friend have big trouble." she whispered.
"Why?" he whispered back..
Anna Maria related the little she knew of the experience in Port Royal.
Jack pouted. "I can't remember!"
"Jack," she said seriously. "You don' understand. You were dying. You were dead!"
"I don't feel dead." He mocked.
"Don' laugh at me Jack Sparrow. Your wife knows what you did."
"That's impossible. You are making this up. You are still angry with me for - "
"No!" she urged. She described his wife. "Jack she come to me.I feel her.. I tell 'er to work 'er magic. I dreamed I meet her and we spoke. She is a strong witch. She healed you Jack, from England she healed you."
Jack grew up with Anna Maria and her family. He knew all about their strong beliefs in magic and was not unfamiliar in Vodun (voodoo) and other religions of Black Jamaican slaves.
"Could she know - the other things? How?"
"Cards? Crystal? I don' know. She is a strong witch Jack. I saw her face. I touched her. She is a strong witch."
"Gypsy." He corrected her.
"Whatever. She knows" I do not know what you will find when you return to England."
"I didn't do anything wrong."
Anna Maria's jaw dropped. "What!?"
Charles and Adam's entrance into the room saved Anna Maria for being hanged for the murder of their brother. Adam pulled Anna Maria up and kissed her.
Charles informed Jack that because of the burden he had put upon the family a return trip to England was planned as soon as possible. Apparently James thought it necessary for Jack to be seen by a doctor in England.
"I personally recommended leaving you in a hospital for the insane." It would be comforting for you to be with your own kind" Charles sniffed. "Constantly you seem compelled to shamefully display your lack of breeding. Why must you torture us so? Jonathan, vomitting in an alleyway. Really!"
"Oh you do love yourself don't you? " countered Adam. You're just upset because they pulled you out of the gutter before you were finished breeding with vermin. Which is more shameful and Charles?"
Jack was in awe. It was the first time Adam stood up to Charles let alone stand up to him in his behalf.
Charles sneered. "Dad prefers vermin to vomit."
"Is Dad still mad?" Jack asked.
Charles enjoyed being the bearer of bad news.
"He's not happy Jaaack. You embarrassed him. You know that's not forgivable."
"Not even if I almost died?"
"Perhaps you should have considered dying."
Adam, noticing but not understanding his lady love's extremely volatile bearing, made excuses and talked her into a walk.
Upon their exit Jack leaned over to his oldest brother. What was with Adam? What happened in Port Royal? I want details!
Thought made Charles readjust himself in the chair. He looked around making sure the room was empty and leaned toward his brother delighted to discuss his favorite topic. Himself.
" The Shivering Jemmy was was positively a contortionist...." He started.
NEXT: Welcome Home
He opened his eyes in his own bedroom in Montego Bay. The doctor and nurses fussed and proclaimed a miracle. His brothers were quiet and if all went well his father would forget to explode later. All that lingered from the experience in the Port Royal alley was a bit of slurred speech and memory issues.
Confined to his bed Jack begged anyone and everyone to keep him company, everyone except the person who had just walked through the door.
"Anna Maria." Jack winced. Adam had let him have it over the incident at her home.
"Jack" she sat on the foot of the bed.
Silence.
"How are you feeling?"
"Up to now fine."
Silence.
"You remember nuting?"
"I remember nuting."
"You my friend have big trouble." she whispered.
"Why?" he whispered back..
Anna Maria related the little she knew of the experience in Port Royal.
Jack pouted. "I can't remember!"
"Jack," she said seriously. "You don' understand. You were dying. You were dead!"
"I don't feel dead." He mocked.
"Don' laugh at me Jack Sparrow. Your wife knows what you did."
"That's impossible. You are making this up. You are still angry with me for - "
"No!" she urged. She described his wife. "Jack she come to me.I feel her.. I tell 'er to work 'er magic. I dreamed I meet her and we spoke. She is a strong witch. She healed you Jack, from England she healed you."
Jack grew up with Anna Maria and her family. He knew all about their strong beliefs in magic and was not unfamiliar in Vodun (voodoo) and other religions of Black Jamaican slaves.
"Could she know - the other things? How?"
"Cards? Crystal? I don' know. She is a strong witch Jack. I saw her face. I touched her. She is a strong witch."
"Gypsy." He corrected her.
"Whatever. She knows" I do not know what you will find when you return to England."
"I didn't do anything wrong."
Anna Maria's jaw dropped. "What!?"
Charles and Adam's entrance into the room saved Anna Maria for being hanged for the murder of their brother. Adam pulled Anna Maria up and kissed her.
Charles informed Jack that because of the burden he had put upon the family a return trip to England was planned as soon as possible. Apparently James thought it necessary for Jack to be seen by a doctor in England.
"I personally recommended leaving you in a hospital for the insane." It would be comforting for you to be with your own kind" Charles sniffed. "Constantly you seem compelled to shamefully display your lack of breeding. Why must you torture us so? Jonathan, vomitting in an alleyway. Really!"
"Oh you do love yourself don't you? " countered Adam. You're just upset because they pulled you out of the gutter before you were finished breeding with vermin. Which is more shameful and Charles?"
Jack was in awe. It was the first time Adam stood up to Charles let alone stand up to him in his behalf.
Charles sneered. "Dad prefers vermin to vomit."
"Is Dad still mad?" Jack asked.
Charles enjoyed being the bearer of bad news.
"He's not happy Jaaack. You embarrassed him. You know that's not forgivable."
"Not even if I almost died?"
"Perhaps you should have considered dying."
Adam, noticing but not understanding his lady love's extremely volatile bearing, made excuses and talked her into a walk.
Upon their exit Jack leaned over to his oldest brother. What was with Adam? What happened in Port Royal? I want details!
Thought made Charles readjust himself in the chair. He looked around making sure the room was empty and leaned toward his brother delighted to discuss his favorite topic. Himself.
" The Shivering Jemmy was was positively a contortionist...." He started.
NEXT: Welcome Home