You know what? I really don't feel like doing homework tonight anyways- how about a third chapter in one night! sounds good to me too. It's a little short anyways, and still in the transitionary phase, so why not?
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: JACK'S DAD!
Sunni coughed, nearly choking on her scrambled eggs. "Yer dad?" she sputtered. "I thought ye said he died!"
Jack shook his head, playing his shocking suggestion off as if he had suggested a day in the park. "Nah, I tol' ye Mum died. Not dad."
Sunni continued opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Finally, she spit out, "Ye never told me anything about him!"
"Ye never asked."
"I thought it was a painful subject."
Jack smiled a little. "I'll tell ye all about him while we're ridin'. We're takin' a horse-drawn carriage. It'll take about an hour."
Still in shock, Sunni just nodded and finished her breakfast before getting dressed. "Jack," she suddenly cried in distress. "I'm goin' ta meet yer father lookin' like a whale!"
Jack laughed richly. "I met yer father wearing shackles."
Sunni frowned and finally nodded.
"An' ye don't look like a whale," Jack said, helping her into a jacket to protect her against the awful England weather. "Maybe a walrus?"
Sunni smacked him and walked out the door. Jack just grinned and followed her out.
"So," Sunni began, clutching her stomach as the carriage rode away from London. "Tell me about good ol' Dad."
"He had an affair with me mum, and nine months later, I was born."
Sunni waited for more, but nothing came. "And?" she prompted.
Jack sighed. "He didn't know about me until I was about seven. That's when Mum got sick and wrote him. He came back ta take me when she died. Took me aboard his ship, and I learned all I know now."
"Was he a captain?"
Jack nodded. "Yes, he was."
"A pirate captain?"
This time, Jack narrowed his eyes. "Maybe."
"What do you mean, 'maybe'?"
"Well, he posed as a legit merchant, but he pirated quite a bit. He was a fierce pirate."
"An' when did he stop?"
"When his best friend was shot in an attack. They were tryin' ta take a Spanish ship. The man died and Dad vowed never ta set foot on a ship again."
"When was th' last time ye saw him?"
Jack seemed to think a moment. "Fifteen years? Yeah, about fifteen years ago."
Sunni started. "Fifteen years? And why have ye chosen now for a reunion?"
Jack shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "I want him ta meet ye. Ta see I haven't completely screwed up my life as he seems ta think."
"He doesn't approve of your choice of lifestyle?"
"He thinks I should've given up pirating when he did."
Sunni moved from her seat across from Jack and to his lap. "Ye nervous?"
"Nah."
The carriage stopped less than an hour later at a narrow lane that led back to a wooded area. There was no house evident. Jack climbed out and helped Sunni. Her stomach was churning, she was very nervous. Jack, outwardly, however, seemed as if he were doing nothing other than visiting a pub.
They walked down the dirt path into the shadowed woods until they arrived at the doorstep to a quaint little cottage. Jack only hesitated momentarily before pounding soundly on the wooden door.
Sunni would not have been surprised if a scraggily man with a peg leg answered the door, she would not have been surprised if a staggering drunk answered the door, but she sure wasn't expecting a typical-looking farmer to answer the door. The man who turned the knob was wearing a pair of brown trousers and a flannel shirt, no bottle of rum, and a kind look in his dark eyes.
"Jack?" he muttered. "Jack!"
"Hey, Dad," Jack smiled.
Suddenly, the older man threw his arms around the older one and laughed. "I ain't seen you in years, kid! Come in, come in!" Then he saw Sunni, all five feet-two inches of her standing behind Jack.
"Who- who is this little lady?"
Jack stepped back and wrapped a possessive arm around her. "This is Sunni. She's my wife."
Mr. Sparrow lifted an eyebrow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sparrow," Sunni held out a hand.
The old man's face broke in a grin. "Call me John," he wrapped her in a huge hug. "Welcome ta th' family, darlin'."
John quickly ushered them into the small cottage. "Ye married a beautiful little lady, son," he told Jack.
Sunni blushed
"An' from high society, too?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow again. Sunni found it reminded her of some of Jack's facial expressions.
"My father was th' Governor of Port Royal," she supplied.
"How many months along are ye with my grandchild?"
"Six," she answered.
"An' how long ye been married?"
"Near a year, now," Jack said, knowing what his father was getting at. "We were married afore we got pregnant."
"Goodness," he breathed. "Well, sit down! Let me make ye some grub!"
The couple stayed at the small cottage well into the afternoon, Sunni listening to delightful stories of Jack's childhood, while Jack tried to stop the embarrassing stories.
"An' that's when Jack became their chief," John laughed, scooping a spoonful of mashed potatoes on Sunni's plate.
"That's a bit different than th' way Jack told it," Sunni laughed, wiping away the tears that were streaming down her cheek from laughing.
"It's not true," Jack pouted, taking a swig of rum.
"Ye still like yer rum, eh, son?" John asked, drinking from his own bottle. "An' sailin'. I take it ye still have yer ship."
"Oh, it's th' most magnificent ship," Sunni supplied.
"An' ye are planning on staying on board?"
"Of course," Jack said, knitting his eyebrows, ready for what was coming next.
John, however, just nodded and said nothing.
At about three, they left to return to their hotel and begin packing up for the long haul home.
"He's a great man," Sunni said as they rode away. "We'll have to come back and visit him again."
"He'll want to meet his grandson."
Sunni just shook her head and smiled.
