Second Chances~ Maggie and the Sparrow
Miss Steele made sure I was out to market before the Commodore was done with breakfast nearly everyday. I would wake up hours before, get dressed, make some tea, and then busy myself with cleaning while waiting for the Commodore to awake. I would then attend to him and then take my leave of everyone as I left to the market. Since I arrived at ungodly hours, I always got the freshest fruits and vegetables that the vendors had. I wouldn't have minded being at the market so early, but the real scummy gossip about pirates and various other criminals never starts before late afternoon. At this insanely early hour of the morning all the vendors wanted to discuss were their families or their crops or the coming economic instability of Port Royale. No vendor would even hear of the word "pirate" so early into a new day.
I would buy different spices and herbs with my own money to make new and exciting teas for the Commodore. I daresay he loves his Earl Grey, but the man cannot live on Earl Grey alone. With constant encouragement from me he learned to broaden his tea horizons and has acquired quite a taste for Chamomile tea. He would insist his Chamomile tea be served before he retired for the evening to his private chambers. He always slept easier while under the Chamomile's relaxing effects.
Chamomile was one of the rarer teas to be found in Port Royale, so I would clean out all of the vendors that confessed to selling the herb. Because I was at the market at strange hours and stayed until I absolutely had to leave, many of the vendors came to know me by my name, Irene. Some of the vendors became partial to my charm and overall sweet disposition. These vendors gave me deals on the produce I purchased. These were the vendors that became my network of information. Through these vendors I stayed connected to the world outside of Port Royale and knew of the comings and goings of local pirates. I came to love Miss Steele's fervor for seeing me out of the house at such early hours. She was nothing but devoted to this task.
It was on one of many early mornings at market that I stumbled upon a most intriguing character from my piratical past. I was making my way through all the lovely vendors and their carts, collecting what was needed by the Commodore's house staff, when a peculiar scent reached my nose. It was the smell of dead fish, sea water, moldy wood, rum, and an unwashed body. It was the smell of a pirate.
I followed this criminal scent through the markets, around corners and through alleys. Finally, at the very end of the market—nigh three streets away—I was able to find the pirate to whom this scent belonged. To the unaccustomed eye, this pirate might be overlooked, but not to me. This man, standing not twenty feet from me, was wearing clothes that did not exactly compliment each other. He was trying to blend in, but failing horribly in my opinion. I moved in his direction, determined to know this man's identity. Upon closer inspection, his dark matted hair was kept in a low crude pony tail with a brown tri-corner hat over his head. He wore typical seamen's boots, dark brown suede. His pants were slightly torn, no doubt from years at sea working onboard ship. His loose billowy shirt was no longer white; it was a light yellow from many years in the sun. Perhaps the only new article of clothing on this man was his overcoat. It was black and almost gleamed in the early morning sunlight. It was very crisp looking as it flowed out from his knees. This overcoat gave his figure more definition; it also gave his true occupation away as far as I was concerned.
The man strutted around between the different vendors, slyly stealing what unprotected coin purses he could. The overcoat had probably been filched with the same grace and ease. As I watched this man with increasing curiosity, I made sure that I was not directly downwind from him. While I found it comforting to have at last found a fellow pirate, I did not find his musk appealing. I watched as he strutted, swaggered really, around; this man had not been long on land. And he was doing nothing to adjust to being on land. Obviously not a landlubber.
A sense of familiarity with this mysterious pirate swept over me. This pirate was known to me. The tri-corner hat, the un-kept hair, the sea swagger, the pungent aroma! This pirate was none other than Captain Jack Sparrow.
I moved closer to him with the urge to giggle. I knew his identity, but he was still unaware of me. He moved away from the vendors and into the middle of the street, heading away from the market. I refused to pass up an opportunity to speak with the infamous pirate Captain, so I too left the market. He swaggered his way down to the harbor, where I seized my chance to speak with him.
He was humming an all too familiar song, so I decided to add my voice to the melody.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
When he heard someone singing the words to the song he was humming, he immediately swung around on his heel, nearly falling over with such fervor. He stood in front of me, eyeing me quizzically. We sized each other up and down, recognizing a fellow pirate. Captain Jack took one step away from me before continuing on with his song.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We
extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Maraud and embezzle and even high-jack
Drink up me hearties yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
We
kindle and char, inflame and ignite
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We burn up the city, we're really a fright
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We're
rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me
The last stanza, Jack belted out with all his vocal ability. We yelled out the last lines of his song as we made our way to the last dock.
We're
beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads
Drink up me hearties, yo ho
"Really bad eggs!" Captain Jack yelled out again as our rousing song came to a finish. "Well, strumpet, not many a lady are acquainted with the delights of pirate songs."
"Aye, ye be correct. A lady I am not, at least not a lady of good breeding." Said I to Captain Jack, at which he laughed.
"Iron Maggie, I presume?"
"Aye, Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Bloody good!" said Jack as he pulled me into a big embrace.
"Oy, Jack! I've become acclimated to cleaner smelling men than thou. Unhand me!"
Jack smiled as he let go of me. He then redirected our walk to the nearest pub. This I expected as Jack lived on rum. We arrived at a shabby little pub that was only frequented by poor sailors and small time pirates looking to avoid unwanted attention. Now, rum is not my drink of choice, but as I was in Jack's company, I graciously accepted his offer of rum.
Jack led me to a dark corner of the pub, it was lit by a single candle. The air was thick with tobacco smoke and smoke of other dried plants. We sat in our corner talking louder than usual, but the pub was very deep with voices as well as smoke. The voices were loud and drunk, and grew continually louder with each drink.
"Oh goodness Jack, please tell me you haven't been mutinied again."
"No, no, no. I've been looking for ye. And of all places I find ye here."
"Me? You've been looking for me?"
"Aye. The Brethren is quite lost without ye. They're offering a nice bit o'booty for yer return."
"Then they are alive. I was beginning to despair."
"No worries love. It was they who were beginning to despair."
"Jack, where is your ship anchored?"
"I don't really know, the Pearl is somewhere on the other side of Jamaica."
"You're a fool Jack."
"Tell me something I don't know love."
"When does the Pearl set sail for Tortuga?"
"Well, we came looking for you, and now you've been found. I expect we'll depart as soon as you are ready."
"Ah, Jack, I can't return to Tortuga yet."
"Excuse me? Are you completely mad?"
"No, my situation is…er…complicated now."
"Complications do not suite you Maggie."
"Trust me, I take no sane enjoyment from this complication."
"And pray tell me, what is this complication?"
"That's complicated Jack."
"Yes, love, I caught that allusion."
Jack was prying where I didn't want him prying. But Jack is not a man to be easily dissuaded from "gossip." And I most definitely did not want to divulge my secret love for Commodore Norrington lest I wanted to be killed by my fellow pirates. Jack knew that he had me to the point of breaking, damn him!
"Oy! You've found yerself a man!"
"Why Jack, I didn't know you could be so astute."
"I am right, am I not?"
"I shall give you the pleasure of knowing that it is indeed a man."
"Who is he? Do I know him?"
"He is a proper gentleman. I do not know if you can claim an acquaintance with him."
"Ah, in other words, he's a naval man?"
"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't."
"Yes, definitely a man of the Navy."
"You don't know that!"
"I believe only a man familiar with a ship could ever woo you, Iron Maggie."
"Perhaps."
Jack could read people more than he ever let on. But I'm sure he imagined me falling for some lonely officer in His Majesty's Navy, not the Commodore himself. This little pub-side conversation was turning uncomfortable. My inner conflict was building: should I actually admit to Captain Jack Sparrow that I had romantic feelings that were leaning towards love for Commodore James Norrington, the one man responsible for making piracy an almost extinct occupation. Jack was baiting me, but I was also allowing myself to be baited.
"Well, I hope he's worth it; giving up your home and everything familiar to you."
"Jack, I gave up all familiarity with my home and family ages ago, savvy?"
"Tread carefully, love, if that bloody Commodore discovers you, he'll see to it that you're put on display for all the Caribbean to see. And it won't be flattering Maggie."
"This I know Jack. Go back to Tortuga and tell the Band that I am well and that I will return to them in time."
"And what of this man?"
"That is my concern and my concern only."
"Very well."
We finished the last drops of our drinks before leaving the incredibly warm pub. It was later than I thought it was so I had to cut our visit short. Jack took this inconvenience in stride. He left me at the docks, walking towards the outskirts of the city. I watched his silhouette swagger out of sight before I turned to my own destination.
I was in no rush to return to Miss Steele, she would undoubtedly see to it that I received at least 10 sound lashings. It was well past the noon hour when I finally made my way home and just as I had anticipated Miss Steele was waiting for my arrival. She scolded me until I thought she had completely exhausted her vocabulary and then she began to threaten me with unemployment and future lashings. This man of a woman did not strike fear into any bone of my body, but I did take her seriously. She had power in Norrington's House, and she wasn't afraid to use that power.
She would have to be dealt with relatively soon if I wanted to keep my position next to Commodore Norrington. I would have to put that old bat in her place for my own sake. And I would make sure that this lesson would be one that she would not soon forget.
Author's Note: I am SO sorry for this being SO late! I could blame this on school, the holidays, and family; but to be perfectly honest I'm just lazy. That's it in a nutshell. I apologize for this fault of mine (it is one of many) but I am a born procrastinator. Please believe me when I say that I am trying to improve….to little effect. I've asked before that if any of you feel I am taking to long on updating to email me and express this, and I am sticking with this plan because it works (sorta). A big thanks go out to Rusulka for keeping on track. You rock!!
Uh, my friend and fellow ff.n author, Twilight Whisper, is leaving in a few days for boot camp. L So I'm very put out by that. We motivate each other in our fics, and now I won't have her encouragement or motivation….*cries*
Alrighty, I must get going on Chapter 5. Twilight Whisper's OC will be making her cameo in Chapter 5!
Please email me if I'm dragging my heals! I beg of you all, please email me or even IM me! I'm not lying when I say I'm incredibly lazy. This is for my own good and I promise that I won't get annoyed as I LOVE getting emails!