Chapter fifteen: Finding the lost one
Life on the ship was like life on a ship always is. Except this time, I had someone to talk to other than a man, or some scurvy crew member or another. Maryanne was a shy little thing who only spoke when spoken to. It turned out that her family came from America, and they were on their way back to Ireland where they originated. Maryanne's mother, Marcile, avoided me whever possible, and only God knows why. The kids still didn't warm up to me, and frankly, I wasn't too sore about that. Even though I went out of my way to be nice to them all, I still couldn't please anyone but Mary. Her husband, Drake, and father, Jonas, stayed out of the cabin all day, and only came in for bed. Sleeping on the floor made my back ache and the my shoulders sore, yet I didn't complain.
Marcile still found ways to nit pick me.
"Isabella," She would say my false name as if it were a swear word. "Please don't slouch like that in front of young Deliverance...She will learn bad habits." Like the reason I slouched was just to teach young Liv to do that same...I'm so sure. The reason I slouched was due to the fact that my back hurt to sit straight due to sleeping on the floor.
Or;
"Isabella, if you tsk one more time, I shall tell Captain Kian you are teaching Rememberance bad habits." I would simply roll my eyes...But one day she even called me out on that.
"Isabella, If you roll your eyes one more time, I am afraid Mercy shall pick it up, and start rolling her eyes to me when I tell her to brush her hair, or write lines." That day I got fed up with Marcile's antics.
"Mrs. O'Conner," I said in my sweet tone. "Why don't you leave the raising of Mercy, Deliverance, and Rememberance to Maryanne, their mother? And please, stop telling me what to do...you are not my mother, thank Heavens." She stood there for a moment, the sea breeze blowing about her bonnet. We were up on deck on a particularly nice and breezy day, and Kian had just told us it would be another week before we got to England.
"How dare you!" She said dangerously, then slapped me hard on the cheeck. I raised my hand to do the same, then thought better of it. Just my words made her slap me...what would actions do? Besides, I couldn't let on that I could fight like a man. For all I know she could be just the same. I turned on my heel and stalked off into the shared cabin. I sat on Marciles decent cot and brushed my hair. I thinned out a bit more with the rationed eating that always came when one is aboard a ship, yet my hair seemed to be falling out here and there in chunks. Mary said it was just stress, and to relax...maybe even write or sing. I scoffed at that. My writing looked like chicken scratch, and my singing rivaled that of a dying cat.
"Would you care to talk?" Captain Kian said from the doorway. I looked up and then got up to follow him back on deck. It was his rule that no one of the crew be it male, female, or captain(there were two women in the crew) should enter a passenger's cabin. There was only the cabin full of passengers, yet I felt somewhat releaved at this rule. Jack would always come barging into my small and dirty cabin to say something or another, or maybe just tease me.
There I go again...Thinking about that asshole captain. The ego-maniacal pirate whou couldn't keep his temper at bay. He was a shrewed man...and yet sometimes something would remind me of him...It wasn't love, for I had felt that once and know what it feels like, but it was a bit of affection...Maybe fond attatchment like it was with Emilio.
"Yes, Captain?" I asked as we went strolling along the length of the ship.
"It seems that your mind has been on something, or someone else this whole voyage," He replied, and tried to take my arm in his, but I refused.
"I don't know what you mean,"
"Well," He said slowly, obviously choosing his words wisely. "You seem to be putting in only half of your efforts when it comes to conversations at meal time, or the likes. Do you still mourn your late husband?" I bit my lip, trying to think of a fast and plausible excuse.
"That, and other things," I sighed. Captain Kian furrowed his brows in question, so I continued making half-truths.
"You see, I am going to see my daughter...She is very sick, with the pox, I think. I fear for her life, as well as the life of my brother who is taking care of her. I am afraid that when I do get to my destination, they shall both be taken by the illness." I finished, and cast my eyes downwards, as if ashamed to have any fun or light-heartedness whilst my "brother" and daughter were dying of the "pox". Captain Kian tried to put an arm around my shoulders, but I quickly sidestepped him.
"Sir!" I said as if outraged. "I am still in mourning for my husband." I gestured to the black dress I had been wearing for the whole voyage. He nodded and apologized, and I mentally wiped my forehead as if I had evaded capture.
"I am sorry for your troubles," He mumbled, then excused himself to check on the direction, and to make sure we were still on course. I continued walking by myself, and pulled my shawl tighter around my shoulders as the cool wind swept off the ocean and unto my gooseflesh-like skin. I shivered and looked out to the east, and thought; India, I shall be with you soon. Mummy will be with you finally.
In England we all parted ways and I bought passage upon the ship Gentle Maiden where I shared a cabin with only one person this time. The passage to India was dull and boring, only punctuatied by a small squall, and two brawls between the crew members. I missed the excitement of being on a pirate ship...not just a merchant vessal that carted around passengers. India was just how I left it...Hot, dry, and almost a different shade of color then England or the Caribbean that I loved.
It was with hasty plans and excited hands that I signed out my daughter, India, from her current home in the mental institution for young children. I was practically bouncing up and down with excitement and thought of all the wonderful things that could be expected.
When she was brought out, I was beaming. Her long black raven-like hair was brushed and plaited down her back. He face was washed and no longer had that bloated look about it. And her eyes...thats what really got to me...her blue eyes held much more understanding then they had when I first glanced upon her. The nun-nurse who brought her out, hand in hand, slowly walked with her to me. India had a vague smile on her face as she looked up at me.
"Mummy?" She asked in a voice that sounded as if she was still learning to speak correctly. I kneeled down and hugged her to me tight, and never ever wanted to let go.
"Yes, baby. It's mummy." I picked her up and stood there in front of the nun-nurse while she explained India's "condition".
"She will be childlike forever," She warned. "She has had some sort of trauma while she was young that will keep her in a youth mental copasity. She may reach the mentality of seven or eight, slowly one of these days...but please don't get your hopes up. Her ruitine is everything to her, and shouldn't be broken, no matter what you do, or where you live." I nodded gravely.
"She wakes up at eight o'clock, eats breakfast, plays for an hour or so, learns her lines and the likes for her age, eats lunch, takes a nap, plays a bit more, then goes to be at eight." She handed me a hand-written chart of India's daily ruitine. I folded it carefully and put it in the pouch at my wrist.
"Please refrain from yelling at her, or punishing her sevearly. She doesn't know any better and it will only make her be reclusive...Which is something we don't want. Any questions?" I shook my head, anxious to get out of this horrid place that had kept my daughter for a short time.
"Then, God speed, and God bless." The nun-nurse said, and showed me the door.
"Where?" India struggled to say as we got into the carraige. I chewed on the inside of my cheek and thought about that.
"Wherever we want to go," I said finally, but I knew she didn't exactly understand what that ment.
"To 154 Mognolia Lane, then the docks." I told the carraige driver, then sat back againts the set. A plan was forming in my mind that would both help India, and satisfy my own needs for something more than a house, and a home.