Chapter Fourteen
"Look at him," Annamaria sighed as Gibbs stepped up next to her at the
wheel of the Pearl. Jack stood several feet away at the railing of the
ship, grinning stupidly and tossing bits of bread off the side for a
flock of seagulls that was following them.
"Well, ye gotta imagine he's happy," Gibbs replied, staring at the
captain. "He probably thought that this really was the end; never get to
see Katrina or Annie again, and after just gettin' the bloody Pearl back,
to lose it again? And now, it's all back AND he's considered a free man."
"Gibbs, he's a pirate, of course he's a free man."
"Clemency—ye know what I mean," Gibbs said, swatting his hand at her.
"Free of charges, aye. I bet he never thought he'd be hearin' those
words, specially from a figure of such high authority," she agreed. "But
still, he's so bloody happy, it's almost frightening. I've known Jack for
six years now and never has he been this happy."
"Ye should've seen him when he met the girl; Bootstrap and 'is dad said
he was practically giddy."
--- --- --- ---
The Preston Plantation (off the English Coast)
June 3, 1766—Just after sunrise
Jack quietly crept across his cabin aboard his father's ship, the Black
Pearl. He weaved around the creaky floorboards, knowing if he stepped on
one, he would wake his father who was sleeping in the cabin below his.
The ties on his boots were laced around his fingers, hanging down at his
side and brushing against his hip as he walked.
He twisted the doorknob and slowly pulled the door open, stepping out
onto the deck in his bare feet. He turned around slowly without looking
up to shut the door behind him. The door creaked loudly and Jack winced,
his finger flying up to his lips.
"Shhhhhhh!" he hissed loudly, as if the door could actually hear him. He
glared at it before turning away. He walked with his eyes on the ground,
not looking where he was going, and bumped directly into the chest of
someone. His eyes slowly turned up and a grin quickly crossed and left
his face as he saw "Bootstrap" Bill Turner, his father's close friend,
right in front of him.
"Mornin' sir," Jack gulped, flashing him a false grin again.
"Jack, I don't want to sound like yer overbearin' mother or nothin', but
just exactly where do ye think yer goin'?"
"Just, um........." Jack gulped. "Just for an innocent lil' walk in the
market."
"Well," Bill crossed his arms and tried not to look too cross, "if it's
such an innocent lil' walk, why ye be sneakin' about the way ye are,
hmmmm?" Jack gulped again, knowing his father didn't want him leaving the
Pearl without permission, which Jack hated; he felt he should be allowed
to come and go as he pleased. "Plus, its Sunday—the market aint open
today on account of it bein' God's day and whatnot."
"To church then!" Jack flashed another grin, showing off his one golden
tooth on the bottom row of his smile.
"Jack, it's a Christian church," Bill called as Jack pushed past him, not
moving an inch as his eyebrow went up. "You're Catholic. And ye haven't
been to church not once in yer life before."
"That's just the problem with me, don't ye think??" Jack asked, spinning
around as he tossed his boots into a small boat he would use to take him
ashore, "I woke up this mornin' thinkin' that I didn't have enough
religious......... guidance......... in me life, so, what better place to nab some
than church, eh?"
"Ye know what yer father said," Bill sighed. "But somehow I imagine that
isn't gonna stop ye, is it Jack?"
An ear-to-ear grin spread out on Jack's face. "Nope." He stepped into the
boat and began lowering it into the water. Bill just let him go, shaking
his head and knowing there was nothing he could do or say that might
change Jack's mind. He watched his boat until it hit the shore, Jack
dragging it up and putting it in the shade of a palm tree as he laced his
boots on.
"Jack??" Bill turned around as he heard Edward Sparrow—Jack's
father—stepping out on deck.
"Mornin' Eddie," Bill chimed, a sarcastic grin on his face. Edward
stepped up beside Bill, watching Jack up on shore. He shook his head and
sighed, putting his hands on his hips.
"I thought I 'eard him leavin'," Edward sighed again. "What am I gonna do
with him........."
"Ye could send him off to live with Patricia," Bill suggested, speaking
of his wife back home.
"Are ye kiddin' me? He would probably eat poor Patricia and that baby of
yers out of house and home, not to mention drive her absolutely crazy,"
Edward replied, shaking his head.
"Nah," Bill said, shaking his head as well. "Patricia's always been fond
o' Jack."
"At least someone is," Edward replied with a slight chuckle. "That boy is
all I have left—all I have left of his mother. If anythin' were to ever
happen to him, I don't know what I'd do with meself."
"Become a priest," Bill lamely suggested, leaning against the railing and
continuing to watch Jack as he got onto his feet and disappeared into the
small cliff-side town. "Where do ye reckon he's goin' this early in the
mornin', Eddie?"
"I don't know," Edward shook his head. "But he's gonna be hungry soon."
"Look at him," Annamaria sighed as Gibbs stepped up next to her at the
wheel of the Pearl. Jack stood several feet away at the railing of the
ship, grinning stupidly and tossing bits of bread off the side for a
flock of seagulls that was following them.
"Well, ye gotta imagine he's happy," Gibbs replied, staring at the
captain. "He probably thought that this really was the end; never get to
see Katrina or Annie again, and after just gettin' the bloody Pearl back,
to lose it again? And now, it's all back AND he's considered a free man."
"Gibbs, he's a pirate, of course he's a free man."
"Clemency—ye know what I mean," Gibbs said, swatting his hand at her.
"Free of charges, aye. I bet he never thought he'd be hearin' those
words, specially from a figure of such high authority," she agreed. "But
still, he's so bloody happy, it's almost frightening. I've known Jack for
six years now and never has he been this happy."
"Ye should've seen him when he met the girl; Bootstrap and 'is dad said
he was practically giddy."
--- --- --- ---
The Preston Plantation (off the English Coast)
June 3, 1766—Just after sunrise
Jack quietly crept across his cabin aboard his father's ship, the Black
Pearl. He weaved around the creaky floorboards, knowing if he stepped on
one, he would wake his father who was sleeping in the cabin below his.
The ties on his boots were laced around his fingers, hanging down at his
side and brushing against his hip as he walked.
He twisted the doorknob and slowly pulled the door open, stepping out
onto the deck in his bare feet. He turned around slowly without looking
up to shut the door behind him. The door creaked loudly and Jack winced,
his finger flying up to his lips.
"Shhhhhhh!" he hissed loudly, as if the door could actually hear him. He
glared at it before turning away. He walked with his eyes on the ground,
not looking where he was going, and bumped directly into the chest of
someone. His eyes slowly turned up and a grin quickly crossed and left
his face as he saw "Bootstrap" Bill Turner, his father's close friend,
right in front of him.
"Mornin' sir," Jack gulped, flashing him a false grin again.
"Jack, I don't want to sound like yer overbearin' mother or nothin', but
just exactly where do ye think yer goin'?"
"Just, um........." Jack gulped. "Just for an innocent lil' walk in the
market."
"Well," Bill crossed his arms and tried not to look too cross, "if it's
such an innocent lil' walk, why ye be sneakin' about the way ye are,
hmmmm?" Jack gulped again, knowing his father didn't want him leaving the
Pearl without permission, which Jack hated; he felt he should be allowed
to come and go as he pleased. "Plus, its Sunday—the market aint open
today on account of it bein' God's day and whatnot."
"To church then!" Jack flashed another grin, showing off his one golden
tooth on the bottom row of his smile.
"Jack, it's a Christian church," Bill called as Jack pushed past him, not
moving an inch as his eyebrow went up. "You're Catholic. And ye haven't
been to church not once in yer life before."
"That's just the problem with me, don't ye think??" Jack asked, spinning
around as he tossed his boots into a small boat he would use to take him
ashore, "I woke up this mornin' thinkin' that I didn't have enough
religious......... guidance......... in me life, so, what better place to nab some
than church, eh?"
"Ye know what yer father said," Bill sighed. "But somehow I imagine that
isn't gonna stop ye, is it Jack?"
An ear-to-ear grin spread out on Jack's face. "Nope." He stepped into the
boat and began lowering it into the water. Bill just let him go, shaking
his head and knowing there was nothing he could do or say that might
change Jack's mind. He watched his boat until it hit the shore, Jack
dragging it up and putting it in the shade of a palm tree as he laced his
boots on.
"Jack??" Bill turned around as he heard Edward Sparrow—Jack's
father—stepping out on deck.
"Mornin' Eddie," Bill chimed, a sarcastic grin on his face. Edward
stepped up beside Bill, watching Jack up on shore. He shook his head and
sighed, putting his hands on his hips.
"I thought I 'eard him leavin'," Edward sighed again. "What am I gonna do
with him........."
"Ye could send him off to live with Patricia," Bill suggested, speaking
of his wife back home.
"Are ye kiddin' me? He would probably eat poor Patricia and that baby of
yers out of house and home, not to mention drive her absolutely crazy,"
Edward replied, shaking his head.
"Nah," Bill said, shaking his head as well. "Patricia's always been fond
o' Jack."
"At least someone is," Edward replied with a slight chuckle. "That boy is
all I have left—all I have left of his mother. If anythin' were to ever
happen to him, I don't know what I'd do with meself."
"Become a priest," Bill lamely suggested, leaning against the railing and
continuing to watch Jack as he got onto his feet and disappeared into the
small cliff-side town. "Where do ye reckon he's goin' this early in the
mornin', Eddie?"
"I don't know," Edward shook his head. "But he's gonna be hungry soon."