Chapter Nine: The Very First
I got up from the table at which Jack left me a few minutes ago. I walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a new bottle of water and a tankard. I poured the water into the cup and sat back down at the table. I wanted to continue reading. I picked up one of the books and opened it. I copied every word and sentence on that page onto a piece of parchment. I was confused by the weird symbols I have not learned. ~Why is there a dot at the end of most phrases, and what is that little curve at the end of a word? I guess I'm not ready for this yet. I'll just figure out the words.~ It was easier said than done. I have only learned words with two, three, or four letters. Many of the words I encountered had more than six. ~Wow, reading is a lot harder than I thought it was. I'll just wait for Jack to teach me.~ I got up, put away the reading supplies, blew out the candle, and left the room.
I leisurely strolled out of the kitchen. The sky and my surroundings looked like a black canvas with tiny white dots in a beautiful array. I sat down on the steps and deeply inhaled the soothing salty air. A warm breeze touched my cheek the same way Jack had. I smiled at its comfort. I felt it run through my hair as the wind became stronger. The loneliness was reassuring, yet I desired for the company of Jack. I heard soft footsteps. I turned around to see who was behind me. ~I hope its Jack.~
"Keep working ye scallywags! Keep working ye scallywags!" It was Mr. Cotton and his aggravating parrot. I had forgotten that Mr. Cotton was sailing the ship tonight. ~"Keep working ye scallywags?" What does that mean? Oh, where is Joshamee when you need him?~ I already knew for a fact that Mr. Gibbs was sleeping. ~I can hear his snoring all the way out here.~ Mr. Cotton stared at me for a while, and I had no idea what he was trying to tell me.
"Fire the cannons! Awk! Fire the cannons!" Mr. Cotton turned and left. Suddenly feeling tired, I stood up and tiptoed into Anamaria's and my bedroom. I could hear Anamaria's quiet and deep breathing and knew that she was sound asleep. I crept into bed feel asleep as soon as my head touched the soft pillow.
~~~~
I woke up the next morning to loud and worried chatter outside. I got up and walked outside to see what was going on. The sky was bright red and orange and the clouds seemed to be very heavy. Jack was shouting orders at his crew, and they hustled worriedly as if we were under attack. I saw Joshamee Gibbs run by.
"Mr. Gibbs! What is happening?" He turned around and hurried to where I was.
"See those skies? 'Red sky at mornin', sailors take warnin'.' We're goin' to be caught in a storm." Mr. Gibbs ran over to the mast and tightened the ropes. I stood there stupidly as the crew hassled. I could hear the cries of Mr. Cotton's damn parrot. "Make ready the guns!" ~A storm? What should I do? I need to see Jack.~ I pushed and shoved my way through the crowd of worried pirates. Jack was at the wheel of the Black Pearl.
"Jack, I've never been in a storm before now, what should I-"
"Go into yer room and lock the door." Jack interrupted fiercely. "Sit or lay down on the floor. Do not stand up or lay on yer bed, savvy?" I understood and ran back into my bedroom and shut the door. I went to the most secure corner possible and sat down.
For the next several hours I sat out of harm's way in my little corner. I could hear the screams and shouts of agony outside. The tremendous storm was very audible. I could hear the roaring wind and vicious rain pounding and beating the ship with mighty fists. I was so worried as I sat there doing nothing. ~How bad is it? Will the ship and crew be alright? More importantly, will Jack be fine?~ I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but apprehension and the shrill clamor overwhelmed my body and kept me alert. I waited for another couple hours or so. I didn't know how long it was. A few minutes seemed like days. The storm seemed to subside, and the uncontrollable rocking of the ship became evanescent. I stood up shakily. ~Is it over?~ I walked uneasily outside. A few pirates were putting the sails back up on the mast. I saw a few others loosening ropes. I looked up to the wheel of the ship. There was Jack. Relief spread through my body like a fire in a forest. It warmed me up. Jack turned his head and noticed me; he smiled, and I smiled back. I had survived my very first storm.
Some pirates weren't as lucky, though. Throughout the day, I've noticed that four pirates were missing. Jack later explained to me that they had fallen off. At dinner, Jack made a toast and tribute to these brave pirates lost at sea.
~~~~
I shut the kitchen door behind me as I entered the room. Jack was already seated at the table. I pulled the chair across from him and sat next to Jack.
"Alright luv, let's get started." Jack grabbed the supplies and a bottle of rum.
"Jack, you're teaching me how to read. Don't drink." I ordered him strictly. Jack gave me a pitiful stare. ~Awww, he's so cute.~
"I'll just have one, savvy?" I gave in. He was too adorable to reject. He took a small swig and put a piece of parchment in front of me. "Let's review, eh? Write the alphabet in order." I scribbled down the alphabet. Some of the letters like "w" and "f" I had accidentally left out, but Jack corrected me. ~I usually hate it when I'm corrected, but I don't mind when Jack- ~
"Yer not payin' attention, luv. Focus. Here, let's try some more words." Jack gave me three and four letters words. I could soon read short phrases and sentences.
"The dog ran." I read slowly. ~Hehe, I read my very first sentence.~ He smiled and gently pulled the parchment away from me.
"Excellent luv." Jack complimented. He drained the last of his rum and put the bottle away. We heard the door cautiously open. Jack grabbed my arm and yanked me behind the counter once more. I expected it to be sleeping Will again. Sure enough, Will walked into the kitchen, but he was wide awake and accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth. She was smiling brightly and holding Will's hand.
"Hee hee, come on Willie boy!" She took his other hand and pulled him into the far corner.
"I'll go anywhere you want me to go, Lizzy." He giggled. She pulled Will close to her body and planted a steamy kiss on his lips. Jack and I acted like two little kids spying on their parents. We tried hard not to laugh aloud. Jack took a hand towel and pushed it into my mouth to keep me from bursting. In retaliation, I plunged a wet one into his. ~Hey I touched his lips!~ His expression was even more amusing than what was going "on" with dear Willie boy and Lizzie. Jack looked shocked yet disgusted at the same time. Will and Elizabeth's make out session went on for about a half an hour.
"They're gone, finally." Jack said once he pulled out the filthy and damp towel. I did the same. ~At least mine wasn't wet. Poor Jackie boy.~ He chuckled to himself and then turned to face me.
"Have you ever been in love?" I asked him innocently. His smile faded, and he looked down. ~Did I say something wrong?~
"Not like that... have you?" I paused. ~Nope.~
"It's hard to fall in love with complete strangers," I began to ramble "I don't get to pick the suitors either. They are all these clean, respectable men whom are all considerate. They compliment everything about me, take me to gardens for tea, and then ask me to dance." Jack shrugged
"They don't sound all that bad. It's not as if they're torturing ye or something."
"Yes, they are torturing me. All of that is just to cover up about what they really want. They don't care about me. They don't care about how I feel. They don't know anything about me. Want to know what they really want? Money. Power. They see me as a token to the throne. They don't want me. They want the crown. That is all everybody sees in me."
"I don't." Jack stated in a very sincere manner. I gazed up at him. His eyes glowed with deep honesty. My heart filled with emotion, and I let it cascade out like a waterfall.
"You're different than the others, Jack. That's why I love you." ~Shit! Why did I say that?~ "You don't care about who I am, or what I will become." ~No, no, no, no, no! Damn it, stop!~ "You listen to what I have to say, and I feel that I can be myself around you. I have never fallen in love with any man before." ~Don't say it!~ "I haven't even liked a man besides my father till I met you. I love you Jack, more than I can possibly describe. You're my very first love!" ~Stupid! Why did you tell him!~
"Yer different from them other girls as well. Yer courageous, and ye don't take shit from anybody. Honestly, can ye name another girl, besides Anamaria, who is like that? Yer the first girl to ever ask to be kidnapped, so I knew ye wasn't like the others." I absorbed everything he said like a Bounty paper towel. ~And paper towels aren't even invented yet.~ "Yer strong and willful," he continued "and I mean everything in a good way. I love ye too." Jack leaned forward suddenly and pressed his lips against mine. I was stupefied, but I kissed him back. I could taste the rum in his breath. I felt him place his hands on my cheeks. I reached back and undid my braid. He ran his fingers through my hair as I finally put arms around him. Our breathtaking liplock still had not ended, and I wanted it to go on forever. I inhaled deeply as Jack began to kiss my neck. He gently pushed me onto the floor and was on top of me. I shifted him beside me and yanked his body closer to mine. My lips found his again. ~I never want to let go ever again.~ After nearly an hour, I drifted off to sleep in Jack's arms.
~~~~
I woke up the next morning. I had slept in the kitchen. I looked to my left and found Jack softly snoring on the floor. I bent over him and kissed his lips again. He woke up and kissed mine back. We separated and he smiled wearily. "Morning luv." He stood up and pulled me with him. We kissed one more time before he left the kitchen. ~No, don't leave me.~ I grabbed my hair- tie and braided my hair the same way as before. I walked outside to bright blue skies. I did not notice that I was smiling even more brightly. Anamaria walked over to me. "Ye won 'im, didn't ye?" I was too shocked to answer. ~Is it that obvious? I hope she will forgive me.~ "I saw Jack walking out of the kitchen smiling happily, and ye never came back to yer bed. Did ye get 'im?" "Yes, but I don't want this to ruin our frien-" "Don't worry; it won't." She said smiling. I was relieved. "Tell me, how was yer very first kiss?"
I got up from the table at which Jack left me a few minutes ago. I walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a new bottle of water and a tankard. I poured the water into the cup and sat back down at the table. I wanted to continue reading. I picked up one of the books and opened it. I copied every word and sentence on that page onto a piece of parchment. I was confused by the weird symbols I have not learned. ~Why is there a dot at the end of most phrases, and what is that little curve at the end of a word? I guess I'm not ready for this yet. I'll just figure out the words.~ It was easier said than done. I have only learned words with two, three, or four letters. Many of the words I encountered had more than six. ~Wow, reading is a lot harder than I thought it was. I'll just wait for Jack to teach me.~ I got up, put away the reading supplies, blew out the candle, and left the room.
I leisurely strolled out of the kitchen. The sky and my surroundings looked like a black canvas with tiny white dots in a beautiful array. I sat down on the steps and deeply inhaled the soothing salty air. A warm breeze touched my cheek the same way Jack had. I smiled at its comfort. I felt it run through my hair as the wind became stronger. The loneliness was reassuring, yet I desired for the company of Jack. I heard soft footsteps. I turned around to see who was behind me. ~I hope its Jack.~
"Keep working ye scallywags! Keep working ye scallywags!" It was Mr. Cotton and his aggravating parrot. I had forgotten that Mr. Cotton was sailing the ship tonight. ~"Keep working ye scallywags?" What does that mean? Oh, where is Joshamee when you need him?~ I already knew for a fact that Mr. Gibbs was sleeping. ~I can hear his snoring all the way out here.~ Mr. Cotton stared at me for a while, and I had no idea what he was trying to tell me.
"Fire the cannons! Awk! Fire the cannons!" Mr. Cotton turned and left. Suddenly feeling tired, I stood up and tiptoed into Anamaria's and my bedroom. I could hear Anamaria's quiet and deep breathing and knew that she was sound asleep. I crept into bed feel asleep as soon as my head touched the soft pillow.
~~~~
I woke up the next morning to loud and worried chatter outside. I got up and walked outside to see what was going on. The sky was bright red and orange and the clouds seemed to be very heavy. Jack was shouting orders at his crew, and they hustled worriedly as if we were under attack. I saw Joshamee Gibbs run by.
"Mr. Gibbs! What is happening?" He turned around and hurried to where I was.
"See those skies? 'Red sky at mornin', sailors take warnin'.' We're goin' to be caught in a storm." Mr. Gibbs ran over to the mast and tightened the ropes. I stood there stupidly as the crew hassled. I could hear the cries of Mr. Cotton's damn parrot. "Make ready the guns!" ~A storm? What should I do? I need to see Jack.~ I pushed and shoved my way through the crowd of worried pirates. Jack was at the wheel of the Black Pearl.
"Jack, I've never been in a storm before now, what should I-"
"Go into yer room and lock the door." Jack interrupted fiercely. "Sit or lay down on the floor. Do not stand up or lay on yer bed, savvy?" I understood and ran back into my bedroom and shut the door. I went to the most secure corner possible and sat down.
For the next several hours I sat out of harm's way in my little corner. I could hear the screams and shouts of agony outside. The tremendous storm was very audible. I could hear the roaring wind and vicious rain pounding and beating the ship with mighty fists. I was so worried as I sat there doing nothing. ~How bad is it? Will the ship and crew be alright? More importantly, will Jack be fine?~ I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but apprehension and the shrill clamor overwhelmed my body and kept me alert. I waited for another couple hours or so. I didn't know how long it was. A few minutes seemed like days. The storm seemed to subside, and the uncontrollable rocking of the ship became evanescent. I stood up shakily. ~Is it over?~ I walked uneasily outside. A few pirates were putting the sails back up on the mast. I saw a few others loosening ropes. I looked up to the wheel of the ship. There was Jack. Relief spread through my body like a fire in a forest. It warmed me up. Jack turned his head and noticed me; he smiled, and I smiled back. I had survived my very first storm.
Some pirates weren't as lucky, though. Throughout the day, I've noticed that four pirates were missing. Jack later explained to me that they had fallen off. At dinner, Jack made a toast and tribute to these brave pirates lost at sea.
~~~~
I shut the kitchen door behind me as I entered the room. Jack was already seated at the table. I pulled the chair across from him and sat next to Jack.
"Alright luv, let's get started." Jack grabbed the supplies and a bottle of rum.
"Jack, you're teaching me how to read. Don't drink." I ordered him strictly. Jack gave me a pitiful stare. ~Awww, he's so cute.~
"I'll just have one, savvy?" I gave in. He was too adorable to reject. He took a small swig and put a piece of parchment in front of me. "Let's review, eh? Write the alphabet in order." I scribbled down the alphabet. Some of the letters like "w" and "f" I had accidentally left out, but Jack corrected me. ~I usually hate it when I'm corrected, but I don't mind when Jack- ~
"Yer not payin' attention, luv. Focus. Here, let's try some more words." Jack gave me three and four letters words. I could soon read short phrases and sentences.
"The dog ran." I read slowly. ~Hehe, I read my very first sentence.~ He smiled and gently pulled the parchment away from me.
"Excellent luv." Jack complimented. He drained the last of his rum and put the bottle away. We heard the door cautiously open. Jack grabbed my arm and yanked me behind the counter once more. I expected it to be sleeping Will again. Sure enough, Will walked into the kitchen, but he was wide awake and accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth. She was smiling brightly and holding Will's hand.
"Hee hee, come on Willie boy!" She took his other hand and pulled him into the far corner.
"I'll go anywhere you want me to go, Lizzy." He giggled. She pulled Will close to her body and planted a steamy kiss on his lips. Jack and I acted like two little kids spying on their parents. We tried hard not to laugh aloud. Jack took a hand towel and pushed it into my mouth to keep me from bursting. In retaliation, I plunged a wet one into his. ~Hey I touched his lips!~ His expression was even more amusing than what was going "on" with dear Willie boy and Lizzie. Jack looked shocked yet disgusted at the same time. Will and Elizabeth's make out session went on for about a half an hour.
"They're gone, finally." Jack said once he pulled out the filthy and damp towel. I did the same. ~At least mine wasn't wet. Poor Jackie boy.~ He chuckled to himself and then turned to face me.
"Have you ever been in love?" I asked him innocently. His smile faded, and he looked down. ~Did I say something wrong?~
"Not like that... have you?" I paused. ~Nope.~
"It's hard to fall in love with complete strangers," I began to ramble "I don't get to pick the suitors either. They are all these clean, respectable men whom are all considerate. They compliment everything about me, take me to gardens for tea, and then ask me to dance." Jack shrugged
"They don't sound all that bad. It's not as if they're torturing ye or something."
"Yes, they are torturing me. All of that is just to cover up about what they really want. They don't care about me. They don't care about how I feel. They don't know anything about me. Want to know what they really want? Money. Power. They see me as a token to the throne. They don't want me. They want the crown. That is all everybody sees in me."
"I don't." Jack stated in a very sincere manner. I gazed up at him. His eyes glowed with deep honesty. My heart filled with emotion, and I let it cascade out like a waterfall.
"You're different than the others, Jack. That's why I love you." ~Shit! Why did I say that?~ "You don't care about who I am, or what I will become." ~No, no, no, no, no! Damn it, stop!~ "You listen to what I have to say, and I feel that I can be myself around you. I have never fallen in love with any man before." ~Don't say it!~ "I haven't even liked a man besides my father till I met you. I love you Jack, more than I can possibly describe. You're my very first love!" ~Stupid! Why did you tell him!~
"Yer different from them other girls as well. Yer courageous, and ye don't take shit from anybody. Honestly, can ye name another girl, besides Anamaria, who is like that? Yer the first girl to ever ask to be kidnapped, so I knew ye wasn't like the others." I absorbed everything he said like a Bounty paper towel. ~And paper towels aren't even invented yet.~ "Yer strong and willful," he continued "and I mean everything in a good way. I love ye too." Jack leaned forward suddenly and pressed his lips against mine. I was stupefied, but I kissed him back. I could taste the rum in his breath. I felt him place his hands on my cheeks. I reached back and undid my braid. He ran his fingers through my hair as I finally put arms around him. Our breathtaking liplock still had not ended, and I wanted it to go on forever. I inhaled deeply as Jack began to kiss my neck. He gently pushed me onto the floor and was on top of me. I shifted him beside me and yanked his body closer to mine. My lips found his again. ~I never want to let go ever again.~ After nearly an hour, I drifted off to sleep in Jack's arms.
~~~~
I woke up the next morning. I had slept in the kitchen. I looked to my left and found Jack softly snoring on the floor. I bent over him and kissed his lips again. He woke up and kissed mine back. We separated and he smiled wearily. "Morning luv." He stood up and pulled me with him. We kissed one more time before he left the kitchen. ~No, don't leave me.~ I grabbed my hair- tie and braided my hair the same way as before. I walked outside to bright blue skies. I did not notice that I was smiling even more brightly. Anamaria walked over to me. "Ye won 'im, didn't ye?" I was too shocked to answer. ~Is it that obvious? I hope she will forgive me.~ "I saw Jack walking out of the kitchen smiling happily, and ye never came back to yer bed. Did ye get 'im?" "Yes, but I don't want this to ruin our frien-" "Don't worry; it won't." She said smiling. I was relieved. "Tell me, how was yer very first kiss?"