" The Wounds of Life"
Chapter Three
Jack tilted his head a bit at Barbossa who seemed to be in a trance. Jack had been waiting for a response to his question. Instead the quarters was at a complete silence, and all he could hear was the creaking noise of the old ship as it made its way through the salty sea.
Jack leaned a bit towards Barbossa across the table looking at him with wide questioning eyes.
"Barbossa? Ye be okay mate?" Barbossa blinked and snapped out of his memories.
"Aye, just rememberin"
"So, tell me about Franny's mother. I don't remember her all that well. I was just a lad when ye brought her on the Black Pearl."
"She was a beautiful woman. Spirited, fierce, ardent, a very intense woman," Barbossa sighed and looked over at Jack, "and even if she had not believed it, I loved the lass immensely. That is why I kept my Franny and looked after her all these years. She's the only part of her I got left. I may have not loved her the way she wanted to be loved, but nonetheless, I loved her in me own twisted way," Barbossa looked down for another moment in a pondering manner. Jack had never seen this part of Barbossa before and watched him intently, not sure if this was the same pirate who pillaged, pilfered, and went into battle with so many times side by side.
A large red parrot flew on Jack's right shoulder and shrieked the words, "ready for dinner, captain, ready for dinner." Barbossa rolled his eyes as the parrot finished his announcement. "
"Doesn't that bloody bird ever shut up? Oh, and don't worry about Franny I told Ahtziri to go let her know when dinner be ready," Barbossa starred at the parrot in disgust as it walked along the center of the table, then as he saw Jack watching him he gave a fake smile.
Francesca looked at her reflection in the mirror making sure her white dress was properly buttoned up. A knocking came at the door, and she knew it had to be her call for dinner at the quarters. She walked towards the door and opened it slowly as the door creaked. She saw a woman of age stand before her, a native woman no doubt, just like her mother. Francesca stepped back to let the woman inside, her face was in astonishment as she looked her over. There was an odd silence for a moment until Ahtziri managed to utter one word.
" Marina?" Ahtziri said in amazement how much she looked like her mother. It was as if looking at a ghost to her. Francesca looked baffled not recognizing the woman at first.
" What? No, that was my mother's name." Francesca said trying to remember the woman's face. Ahtziri smiled warmly and stepped closer to her passing a hand reluctantly over Francesca's hair.
" Yes, of course. I know, Francesca. I knew your mother well, I brought you up until your father took you away to the convent on your tenth birthday. I've missed you dreadfully my child."
" Ahtziri? You have changed so…" Francesca stopped for a moment as she noticed the other half of her face had a burnt scar. Shamefully Ahtziri looked down.
" The wounds of life my child," Ahtziri said with a slight smile as it quickly faded. Francesca slowly passed a hand over her scarred cheek, "but look at you, you're the one who has changed. A full grown young woman." Ahtziri tried to change the conversation into a positive one, besides it was the first time she had seen her in ten years.
"Yes, I suppose I have," Francesca smiled at her and looked at herself in the mirror again.
"Tell me, you have learned how to draw words? You have learned books?" Ahtziri asked excitedly.
"Yes Ahtziri, I have, I have also learned French and Spanish at the convent." Francesca smiled and took Ahtziri's hands in hers.
"Your mamà would be very proud of you Francesca. You are her living image," Ahtziri looked down for a moment towards both their hands then up at Francesca's eyes, "your papà and Jack are waiting for you at the quarters. You should go, don't keep them waiting."
"But, about your scar I …."
Ahtziri put a hand over Francesca's lips making her stop before she could finish her sentence.
" No Chesca, I do not want to talk about ill things now. Now go to dinner, before your papà has a fit," Ahtziri smiled warmly as she saw Francesca leave.
As she walked towards the quarters through the secret passage she thought about how cruel Jack had been to inflict such a wound on an elderly woman, not only any elderly woman but the woman who had brought him up. She was disgusted, infuriated by the idea, and she began to develop a sort of hate and disrespect for him. How dare he treat Ahtziri in such a fashion!
Francesca entered the quarters from behind the dining table and neither Barbossa nor Jack stood to receive her at the dinner table. She slowly walked over to her father who looked up at her and smiled. She then looked over at Jack and gave him a cold look, he immediately knew something was wrong.
Francesca took a seat next to her father and watched him eat hungrily. She noticed he had three plates of food from which he was eating. He gulped down the food like an alligator, and slurped his wine from his tankard, as he did he looked up and found that both Francesca and Jack were starring at him almost in disgust. Francesca then smiled to her father and grabbed a piece of bread biting into it. Barbossa looked at her noticing how slowly and delicately she ate compared to him, it was like watching a frail bird. Slowly he went back to devouring his three plates of food not paying attention anymore.
Jack watched Francesca for a moment as he reached for the bottle of wine and poured some into her tankard. She looked up at him with a glare, he immediately stopped pouring the wine noticing again that look of hate within her eyes.
"Don't want you to choke on your food," Jack said as he looked over at Barbossa slurping at his wine again. Francesca looked at her father as well then turned towards Jack again.
"That's very considerate, of a pirate who enjoys torturing those who have cared for him," Francesca said reproachfully as a confused expression covered Jack's face. Jack looked at her intently trying to figure out what she meant. Francesca took a sip of the wine, suddenly she jumped feeling something crawl on to her shoulder from the chair. Jack laughed a bit as he saw her alarmed expression.
"It just be my parrot Francesca, nothing to be worried about love."
Francesca looked over at her right shoulder and smiled a bit at the parrot. Mean while Barbossa had not been paying any attention whatsoever as he kept on devouring his food. Francesca felt as if she had been left all alone in Jack's presence. He intently studied her as she ate, she looked up at him from time to time and even the parrot seem to be observing her. It was intimidating, to feel watched so closely, and yet she couldn't protest. She was after all on his ship.
Dinner had been quiet, Barbossa obviously had eaten his fill, although it seemed the more he had the more he wanted. His everlasting greed even affected his appetite. Jack on the other had didn't touch anything on his plate that evening, all he had done was stare at her, observe Barbossa devour his food, and lean back in his chair.
She had been allowed to walk on deck and breath in the cool night air she couldn't possibly obtain in her cabin. She slowly walked down from the balcony towards the deck hoping to be able to explore more of the Black pearl. The ship that had seen her come into this cruel pirate world.
