DM 31
Chapter 31 Aftermath
Jack was found by a restaurant staff disposing of trash later that night and the authorities were called. He was taken to the nearby Naval Hospital in Port Royal. His heavily sedated barely audible, and confusing pleas for his wife went misunderstood as delirium.
It was only when James had been contacted and arrived to claim his son, almost a week later, that the story of his missing wife was deemed viable and investigated. .James Sparrow was livid. His daughter had been missing over a week and not one person had lifted a finger to find her. He called in favors from anyone who might be useful.
The kitchen help said they had thought Jack was a gypsy. The kitchen help remembered the gypsy man leaving through the back door. They thought he had stolen a bit of food and let him go on with it. He was scruffy looking and wore a red scarf on his long trinket adorned hair. How could they know it was the son of James Sparrow?
Yet few people saw Sidi. Those who claimed to have seen the pretty little mother- to- be considered her to be a fine British lady. No one had any idea the two were together. The authorities had decided that the two events were not related but merely coincidental as no one outside could have known the fine British lady and the gypsy man were a couple. They had not sat together, they had not left the building together, no one had even seen them enter together. Could there be a ransom involved? Their hands were tied with no clues.
Anna Maria arrived at the lock up and paid the fine for her sister's release. "Peter, Allen" she nodded at the jailers.
"'owdy Miss Anna Maria" they smiled at Colette's pretty sister. Such a fine woman they thought. "Colette be awaitin' ya. She be in a fowl mood." As usual they tossed her the keys to the cells.
Anna Maria walked down the stairs and down the long dark hall flanked with cells. The stench was unbearable.
"Its about time you got 'ere!" Her sister howled. "What took ye so damned long girl?"
Anna Maria smiled. "You welcome Colette. I got home last night' from Montego Bay with Mr. Sparrow and my trip was wonderful. Thank you for asking."
"Anna" Colette said quickly. Look in dat cell. Is a baby in dare?"
"Why wut a baby.." She looked into the cell. A small woman lay motionless in the dirt and filth. She looked around the cell.
"Oh my God Colette dare is!!"
Anna Maria fumbled with the keys on the ring the lazy jailer had given her and opened both Colette's and the other cell door. The women slowly and breathlessly stole into the Gypsy's jail cell. Anna Maria looked at the tiny little newborn baby girl lying by her mother. With great sadness she pulled the apron from her waist and wrapped the dead baby in it. Gingerly she laid the little girl by the door to the cell.
"Don' you worry baby girl. You be in a better place now. I will take care of your Mama."
She turned her attention to the battered and bleeding mother. "Good Lord woman. What did you do to deserve this?" She was barely breathing. Anna Maria pulled the naked woman into her arms and pushed the curly black hair from her face. "Oh my God.. Colette" she screamed. "Colette! Colette! Go get Mr. Sparrow now! Go!" Anna Maria started to yell directions. Colette flew from the cell and down the hall without listening to her.
"I know where to find James Sparrow" she called back." Anna Maria removed her jacket and put it on Sidi. She cradled her friend in her arms, rocking her back and forth and waited for Colette to return with Mr. Sparrow. Colette returned almost an hour later with an entourage that included James, a doctor and it seemed, the entire British Navy. James pushed his way into the cell and gathered the girl he called his daughter to his chest. He cursed and swore revenge on the savages who dared harm his family. He had to be convinced to lay her down her down again so the doctor could do his job. Colette told them the story. Haltingly, Anna Maria picked up James' grand-daughter. James accepted the bundle and struggled not broke the cardinal rule. He cradled his grand-daugher in his arms. "I always wanted a girl." He said. "Mr. Sparrow, I need your gun please."Anna Maria said. . Distraught and in shock James automatically handed it to her. Without question he could trust Anna Maria with anything. He didn't give it a thought. She thanked him, left the cells and climbed the steps.
" Peter, Allan.!" She yelled to the jailers who had just realized something was wrong and were half way out. While they were approaching her to ask what was going on downstairs she shot them both in the head. They died instantly. "Thank you Sir." she said when she returned the weapon to James. Sidi was also taken to the Naval Hospital. Colette was the only witness to the crimes and was enjoying the attention from the hospital staff, the handsome Naval officers and James. She relayed every detail of Sidi's captivity in exceptional detail. Sidi's wounds were cleaned and bandaged. She lay curled up in the hospital bed unable to speak, eat or drink. It would be a very long time if ever that she could be considered healed. Soon both she and Jack were able to go home.
A few weeks were spent at the family's home in Montego Bay, after which the decision was made to return to England. James hired doctors to travel with them and tend to his family's needs. Sidi refused to leave Jack's quarters on the trip home to England. She was positive that everyone was looking at her in disgust. She knew they knew everything that had happened to her and felt that she was polluted and could not be allowed to contaminate those who were not. She was degraded and humiliated. Her constant washing and bathing was beginning to try Jack's nerves. She would not allow him close to her and recoiled at his touch as if it burned her. Jack slept in with the crew as not to have to be near her. Their arrival home didn't make Sidi feel much better. The support of her family should have made a difference to her but it didn't. She loved her husband but just couldn't bear to be touched or even looked at. He didn't understand. He didn't want to understand.. He wanted her to understand it didn't matter to him. He wanted her to get over it. Again and again he tried to show her how much he loved her and cared about her. But every time she would shut him out and recoil at his touch sending Jack away feeling as if he were the perpetrator. She would see no one but him but cry the entire time he was with her.
Months passed and nothing changed. The the crying lessened and she did start speaking to him when she allowed him into her room. He and Sidi would talk about their relationship, she would promise to try harder and be a wife to him again if he would just give her more time. Jack gave her more time but again she could not make love to him. Jack discussed his situation with his parents. They agreed to help him find a hospital to send her for rest and to talk to people that could help her if it is what he thought would be best .
Jack entered her bedroom and told her of the conversation with his parents. Sidi took it as the ultimatum it was meant to be and begged him to reconsider. She didn't want to be sent away. She vowed to try satisfy him and to work hard to repair the damaged relationship. She pleaded for more time and forced herself to kiss him.
"You've had enough time. I want you to prove to me that you mean it this time." He said bitterly. He removed his clothing and helped her do the same. He ignored her tears and sobbing. He was relieved she had finally come to her senses and had sex with his wife. Sidi tried to respond and hoped he mistook her moans and gasps of breath as passion. She prayed for it to end and crept away as he fell asleep when they finished. She ran out of their house and vomited. When she finished she continued through the woods and stood in the waterfall for hours trying to wash away the dirt that covered her. He moved back into their bedroom and every night expected her to make love to him. Every night after he would fall asleep she ran to the woods for refuge feeling filthy and violated.
Chapter 31 Aftermath
Jack was found by a restaurant staff disposing of trash later that night and the authorities were called. He was taken to the nearby Naval Hospital in Port Royal. His heavily sedated barely audible, and confusing pleas for his wife went misunderstood as delirium.
It was only when James had been contacted and arrived to claim his son, almost a week later, that the story of his missing wife was deemed viable and investigated. .James Sparrow was livid. His daughter had been missing over a week and not one person had lifted a finger to find her. He called in favors from anyone who might be useful.
The kitchen help said they had thought Jack was a gypsy. The kitchen help remembered the gypsy man leaving through the back door. They thought he had stolen a bit of food and let him go on with it. He was scruffy looking and wore a red scarf on his long trinket adorned hair. How could they know it was the son of James Sparrow?
Yet few people saw Sidi. Those who claimed to have seen the pretty little mother- to- be considered her to be a fine British lady. No one had any idea the two were together. The authorities had decided that the two events were not related but merely coincidental as no one outside could have known the fine British lady and the gypsy man were a couple. They had not sat together, they had not left the building together, no one had even seen them enter together. Could there be a ransom involved? Their hands were tied with no clues.
Anna Maria arrived at the lock up and paid the fine for her sister's release. "Peter, Allen" she nodded at the jailers.
"'owdy Miss Anna Maria" they smiled at Colette's pretty sister. Such a fine woman they thought. "Colette be awaitin' ya. She be in a fowl mood." As usual they tossed her the keys to the cells.
Anna Maria walked down the stairs and down the long dark hall flanked with cells. The stench was unbearable.
"Its about time you got 'ere!" Her sister howled. "What took ye so damned long girl?"
Anna Maria smiled. "You welcome Colette. I got home last night' from Montego Bay with Mr. Sparrow and my trip was wonderful. Thank you for asking."
"Anna" Colette said quickly. Look in dat cell. Is a baby in dare?"
"Why wut a baby.." She looked into the cell. A small woman lay motionless in the dirt and filth. She looked around the cell.
"Oh my God Colette dare is!!"
Anna Maria fumbled with the keys on the ring the lazy jailer had given her and opened both Colette's and the other cell door. The women slowly and breathlessly stole into the Gypsy's jail cell. Anna Maria looked at the tiny little newborn baby girl lying by her mother. With great sadness she pulled the apron from her waist and wrapped the dead baby in it. Gingerly she laid the little girl by the door to the cell.
"Don' you worry baby girl. You be in a better place now. I will take care of your Mama."
She turned her attention to the battered and bleeding mother. "Good Lord woman. What did you do to deserve this?" She was barely breathing. Anna Maria pulled the naked woman into her arms and pushed the curly black hair from her face. "Oh my God.. Colette" she screamed. "Colette! Colette! Go get Mr. Sparrow now! Go!" Anna Maria started to yell directions. Colette flew from the cell and down the hall without listening to her.
"I know where to find James Sparrow" she called back." Anna Maria removed her jacket and put it on Sidi. She cradled her friend in her arms, rocking her back and forth and waited for Colette to return with Mr. Sparrow. Colette returned almost an hour later with an entourage that included James, a doctor and it seemed, the entire British Navy. James pushed his way into the cell and gathered the girl he called his daughter to his chest. He cursed and swore revenge on the savages who dared harm his family. He had to be convinced to lay her down her down again so the doctor could do his job. Colette told them the story. Haltingly, Anna Maria picked up James' grand-daughter. James accepted the bundle and struggled not broke the cardinal rule. He cradled his grand-daugher in his arms. "I always wanted a girl." He said. "Mr. Sparrow, I need your gun please."Anna Maria said. . Distraught and in shock James automatically handed it to her. Without question he could trust Anna Maria with anything. He didn't give it a thought. She thanked him, left the cells and climbed the steps.
" Peter, Allan.!" She yelled to the jailers who had just realized something was wrong and were half way out. While they were approaching her to ask what was going on downstairs she shot them both in the head. They died instantly. "Thank you Sir." she said when she returned the weapon to James. Sidi was also taken to the Naval Hospital. Colette was the only witness to the crimes and was enjoying the attention from the hospital staff, the handsome Naval officers and James. She relayed every detail of Sidi's captivity in exceptional detail. Sidi's wounds were cleaned and bandaged. She lay curled up in the hospital bed unable to speak, eat or drink. It would be a very long time if ever that she could be considered healed. Soon both she and Jack were able to go home.
A few weeks were spent at the family's home in Montego Bay, after which the decision was made to return to England. James hired doctors to travel with them and tend to his family's needs. Sidi refused to leave Jack's quarters on the trip home to England. She was positive that everyone was looking at her in disgust. She knew they knew everything that had happened to her and felt that she was polluted and could not be allowed to contaminate those who were not. She was degraded and humiliated. Her constant washing and bathing was beginning to try Jack's nerves. She would not allow him close to her and recoiled at his touch as if it burned her. Jack slept in with the crew as not to have to be near her. Their arrival home didn't make Sidi feel much better. The support of her family should have made a difference to her but it didn't. She loved her husband but just couldn't bear to be touched or even looked at. He didn't understand. He didn't want to understand.. He wanted her to understand it didn't matter to him. He wanted her to get over it. Again and again he tried to show her how much he loved her and cared about her. But every time she would shut him out and recoil at his touch sending Jack away feeling as if he were the perpetrator. She would see no one but him but cry the entire time he was with her.
Months passed and nothing changed. The the crying lessened and she did start speaking to him when she allowed him into her room. He and Sidi would talk about their relationship, she would promise to try harder and be a wife to him again if he would just give her more time. Jack gave her more time but again she could not make love to him. Jack discussed his situation with his parents. They agreed to help him find a hospital to send her for rest and to talk to people that could help her if it is what he thought would be best .
Jack entered her bedroom and told her of the conversation with his parents. Sidi took it as the ultimatum it was meant to be and begged him to reconsider. She didn't want to be sent away. She vowed to try satisfy him and to work hard to repair the damaged relationship. She pleaded for more time and forced herself to kiss him.
"You've had enough time. I want you to prove to me that you mean it this time." He said bitterly. He removed his clothing and helped her do the same. He ignored her tears and sobbing. He was relieved she had finally come to her senses and had sex with his wife. Sidi tried to respond and hoped he mistook her moans and gasps of breath as passion. She prayed for it to end and crept away as he fell asleep when they finished. She ran out of their house and vomited. When she finished she continued through the woods and stood in the waterfall for hours trying to wash away the dirt that covered her. He moved back into their bedroom and every night expected her to make love to him. Every night after he would fall asleep she ran to the woods for refuge feeling filthy and violated.