Chapter 4
Amber decided to ignore Jack's infuriating behaviour and carried on walking in the direction of the tavern. She knew she needn't stress herself out with pointless bickering but she found it so hard to compress her anger enough so that she was capable of being able to carry on walking and to attempt to pretend that Jack wasn't walking beside her making irritating comments. Jack seemed almost like a child. It was just the way he annoyed her in his childish, mocking ways. He knew he was getting to her yet he seemed to enjoy tormenting her. It seemed to amuse him when she was angry and frustrated. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction.
Jack sashayed beside her, uncharacteristically quiet. Amber preferred it that way. It made it much easier for her to pretend he wasn't there.
The tavern came into view, already with a collection of tarted- up wenches and mindlessly drunk louts hanging around outside it. Amber noticed Jack's friend, Gibbs, casually perched on an upturned rum barrel, taking a swig out of a little satchel thing. He appeared to be waiting for someone. Amber assumed that it was Jack. Gibbs happened to look over in the direction of Jack and Amber and he raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. Amber looked at Jack to see what his reaction back to Gibbs would be. She had wondered what Gibbs was suggesting by raising his eyebrows. She hoped he didn't think that she and Jack were together. That was not the image she wished to portray to people who were seeing them walking the streets of Tortuga together.
Jack just glanced at Amber quickly. His tanned face rather emotionless but with the exception of his dark eyes, which appeared to be full of thought as though he was considering something. Amber frowned at him and was about to turn away when he suddenly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close to him. Before Amber's brain even started to comprehend what was happening, Jack's lips connected with hers.
Amber immediately pushed him off, deeply shocked and absolutely fuming. She couldn't believe the nerve of him. She felt furious hate build up inside her as she automatically reached for the hidden dagger. Just as she was about to pull out the dagger and prove to Jack that he can't just follow her around, mess with her head and kiss her without her putting up a fight, Jack grabbed her arm and pulled it away from her before she had the chance to grasp the dagger's hilt properly.
"Now, there's no need for that, missy..."
Amber glared up at him, her green eyes vivid and her tiny face contorted slightly in anger and slight confusion. Jack gave her a wry smile, probably arrogantly thinking that he has one over Amber and that she can't do anything about it. Amber scowled deeply at him and suddenly brought up her free hand and with all the strength she could muster, slapped him across the face.
Jack reeled back slightly looking rather shocked.
Amber felt the grip on her arm loosen and she took this opportunity to hastily tug it from his grasp. Determinedly averting his gaze, she swung around violently and scooped up Smoky (who was threateningly spitting and hissing at Jack) and half walked, half ran towards the tavern, almost knocking Gibbs off of his rum barrel as she did so.
Gibbs approached Jack, shaking his head and finding it extremely difficult to suppress his laughter.
Jack, who had been watching after the furious Amber storming off, was interrupted by the odd, choking noise of Gibbs desperately trying to stop himself from laughing at Jack.
Jack's emotionless face clouded over into a frown as he waited for Gibbs to stop spluttering uncontrollably and actually speak.
"I see your making progress there…" Gibbs wheezed as he took another gulp from his little satchel as though to prevent himself from erupting into another gale of laughter.
Jack scowled deeply at Gibbs, sensing his sarcasm "You know what this means though, don't you, mate? You owe me 5 shillings,"
Gibbs choked on a huge mouthful of rum he had just gulped from the satchel. He stared at Jack wide-eyed, "And what makes ye say that?"
"If I remember correctly, our accord stated that if I kiss her I will receive 5 shillings from you, savvy?"
Gibbs continued to stare at Jack. A bemused expression engulfing his face. The little cogs in his brain appeared to be working overtime as he tried to figure a way out of paying Jack. "Aye, but she wasn't very willing, was she?"
"Willing or not willing was never mentioned in our bet. We simply agreed on that if I kiss her I'd get 5 shillings," Jack was persistent.
Gibbs sighed and gave Jack an exasperated look, "Jack, you of all people should know that I don't have that kind of money,"
"Yes, and that's because you're a silly old fool who wastes all his money on rum..."
Gibbs looked at Jack with an expression which simply meant, 'Well, you have a point..' He accepted the criticism because he knew he had to find a way of wriggling out of giving Jack money. Besides he knew he only had a couple of shillings left over anyway. He couldn't afford to give any to Jack even if he wanted to.
"Okay, Jack, I just had a thought. How about if I manage to gather some money together. I'll pay ye 5 shillings, I swear. Just give me some time. How about it?"
Jack looked sideways at Gibbs, his brow furrowed as he considered it, "Alright, Gibbs, just as long as you do pay me back…"
Amber wasn't all too surprised when she no longer 'accidentally' ran into Jack. She in fact felt rather relieved. She wondered if she had finally frightened him off. It was about a week until she noticed Jack's ship, 'The Black Pearl,' was no longer docked up at the harbour. She knew he'd be back though. He always came back. He'd always take long, sometimes short, voyages on 'The Black Pearl,' with his buccaneer crew but he'd eventually come back to Tortuga- probably to restock on rum or to go and visit his favourite wenches in the brothel. Amber wasn't all too sure.
Amber walked down the street, Smokey scurrying to keep up at her heels, her black hair whipping back behind her. She scanned the scenery ahead of her and was rather surprised to see Captain Jack Sparrow walking towards her. Amber stopped in her tracks causing Smokey to collide with her ankles. She looked down at Smokey who was shaking his little, furry head as though he was dizzy. Amber smiled at him, apologetically, before picking him up. She looked back up and saw that Jack was approaching ever closer and was looking determinedly at Amber.
Amber rolled her eyes. She had hoped she wouldn't have to see anymore of Jack. She wondered if she should turn back and start walking towards the tavern to get away from him. She sure wanted to. But before she got a chance to even turn around she realised Jack was only a couple of meters away from her. She noticed he had a package tucked under his arm.
He stopped in front of her, gave her a slight smile, and said, "Here…My apologies to you for my inappropriate behaviour last week. I realise it was uncalled for," He shoved the package into her arms, "I saw this and I thought of you. Green really suits you,"
With that he flashed her another smile before whipping around and walking back in the direction he came from, leaving Amber feeling rather stunned.
Initially all that was running through her mind was, 'Omigod, did he just apologise to me?' She hadn't expected him to do anything like that. It seemed to be completely out of character for him. That threw Amber's just- like- any- other- pirate- here view of him out the window. She'd never been apologised to before.
But then she started to think 'But did he really mean it?' She didn't want to be taken for a fool and she didn't want to accept fake apologies and bribes. How likely was it for Captain Jack Sparrow to apologise, admit he was wrong, and actually mean it?
She put Smokey down on the ground so she could get a better look at the package. She felt curiosity build up inside of her as she wondered what it was. It had been years and years since she had a present and that distantly familiar feeling of being six years old and first seeing all your Christmas presents on Christmas morning was returning to her.
She carried the parcel down to the beach so she could sit down and open it. As she kneeled down on the soft sand, Smokey immediately settled himself on her lap and sniffed the parcel curiously.
Amber began to pull apart the loosely- wrapped, brown package and found the most beautiful material she had ever seen inside. It was a startling emerald green colour and had shimmering gold thread running through it in elaborate patterns. It looked truly beautiful and the material felt like the softest silk as she ran it through her hands. It must have been extremely expensive. No material in Tortuga looked or felt like that.
Then Amber realised that Jack had probably looted it from some rich ladies home when he was on his travels. Amber's expression of awe changed into one of disgust. She felt rather silly thinking for that split second that Jack could of possibly put thought and money into getting her something as beautiful as this. He probably just saw it and decided to grab it, no thought or consideration at all. Thinking this almost made Amber want to throw the material away but watching the material glisten and flicker against the light, she knew she couldn't do it.
After Amber studied the material for a while she began to think, 'How on earth does Jack know I get material to make my own dresses'
A disconcerting feeling washed over Amber but she shook it off by trying to convince herself that she shouldn't look too much into things. She wasn't used to interacting with people too much although you'd think being a barmaid would be a very public job involving talking to people a lot, but the people who inhabited Tortuga weren't what you'd call friendly folk and they barely spoke to her. Not that she really wanted to talk to them either. She treated them so harshly and was so negative towards them she didn't really blame them if they didn't give her the time of day.
It's just she couldn't help but feel lonely sometimes. And now Captain Jack Sparrow seemed to be paying particular interest to her and actually attempting to get to know her and Amber had no idea whatsoever how to react. Her immediate response is to act as hostile as possible. That's what she's used to. But Jack had been so persistent…and now a gift… Amber had this little part of her which wanted to speak to Jack and not treat him so harshly. But she couldn't help it. She couldn't help but notice the negative things about him. They stood out too much to her. She's the type of person who always notices the bad points about people and finds it hard to get past that. Why couldn't she just accept the gift as Jack's well- meant apology? …She just couldn't…She'd be lying to herself if she did.
It was a couple of days until Amber saw Jack again. She was sitting at her favourite spot on the beach, working hard on the new dress she was making from the material Jack had given her when she heard Jack's distinctive voice beside her.
"Do you mind if I sit down with you?"
Amber looked up at him with a tired and disgruntled expression, "If I say no you'll sit there anyway, won't you?"
"Of course," Jack said, plonking himself down beside Amber.
Amber shuffled away from him slightly but refused to leave. This was her breather of the day and she wasn't going to leave early for anybody. Smokey seemed to feel the same way. He swiped a claw out a Jack.
"I see your guard cat isn't all too fond of me," Jack said, eyeing the hissing cat apprehensively, "Like it's owner then, isn't it?"
Amber merely nodded not wishing to engage in any conversation with Jack.
"You wouldn't think we were in Tortuga, would you?" Jack said, his dark eyes scanning the deserted environment.
Amber glanced at Jack sideways and shook her head, "No, you wouldn't..."
They both sat in appreciated silence for a while, listening to the relaxing sounds of the sea.
"Do you like it then?" Jack's voice broke the silence. Amber looked at him to see what he was talking about. He was looking at the material Amber was currently sewing.
"Yes, who wouldn't?" Amber sighed, running her hand along the soft, flowing material, "The only problem is that you pilfered it, no doubt,"
Jack raised an eyebrow and laughed slightly, "Aye, it's typical you'd think that. Even if I said I'd saved up and bought it for you, you wouldn't believe me, would you?"
"No, I wouldn't believe you…" Amber said, truthfully, her eyes still fixed on the glimmering material. Jack nodded in acceptance.
"How did you know that I bought material to make my dresses?" Amber sounded suspicious as she voiced what she'd just been wondering about.
"Well, there's no dresses like that in Tortuga," Jack said, glancing at what Amber was wearing with a wry smile.
Amber looked down at the eccentric dress she was wearing, "I suppose not,"
"I like your dresses though. They're different…" Jack said quietly, as though he wasn't used to complimenting someone and being sincere about it.
"I could say the same about you, Jack," Amber said, looking at him, "What you wear isn't exactly what you could call…normal, is it?"
Jack smiled and said, "But may I enquire as to whether you like it or not?"
Amber surveyed his clothing, his hairstyle, his kohl-rimmed eyes, his trinkets and effects. She nodded, "In a way, yes I do. Did you collect the trinkets and stuff from your travels?"
Jack flicked one in his hair playfully, "Yes…and I didn't pilfer them if that is what your thinking. They were given to me,"
"By whom?" Amber asked curiously.
"A lady friend…from Singapore," Jack said casually.
Amber frowned at this. It reminded her that Jack was yet another womanising pirate and if she was sane she wouldn't be engaging in a conversation with him at all.
"Oh," she murmured.
Another long silence followed this. Amber put all her concentration into sewing her dress but after a while she looked up. She watched Jack whose dark eyes were fixed on a ship in the distance. It was a large ship with billowing black sails and it had the appearance that it was very powerful and beautiful. Amber knew this ship was Jack's ship. It was the Black Pearl. She's heard so many tales and stories about it so she'd recognise it a mile off.
Jack was watching it with admiration and love flickering in his eyes. Amber could tell he was extremely fond of his ship just by studying his facial expressions as he watched it.
She decided to break the silence, "Jack….what made you become a pirate?"
Jack tore his eyes away from the Black Pearl and looked at Amber. He seemed rather surprised at the question as though he didn't know quite what to say.
"Y'know, Nobody's ever actually asked me that before,"
"Haven't they? Well it's good to know I'm the first," Amber said, giving Jack a tiny hint of a smile.
"It seems I had no choice but to be pirate, I can't think of any other life for me," Jack said, his gaze returning to the Black Pearl, "Being a pirate is all about freedom, my ship- The Pearl- symbolises freedom,"
Amber slowly nodded. She had never heard anyone talk so passionately about something before and Amber understood what he meant. It made her feel a twang of envy. Jack had freedom. Something she so desperately wanted. Jack glanced back at Amber. Her attentive expression encouraged him to go on.
"With The Pearl I can go anywhere I want. Anywhere in the world! And with being a pirate there are no rules, no regulations, I can do as I please and go where I please. I would find it insufferable to be stuck in one place following the rules like a good citizen. I'd feel suffocated. I need to know that I am free to do as I chose without limitations…."
This made Amber start to think that perhaps there was more to being a pirate than constantly drinking, bedding wenches, pilfering, rioting and setting fire to things. This was Amber's impression of pirates because that's what she had to witness throughout the many years she'd been in Tortuga. That's all she'd seen pirates as and had thought that the only reason they even wanted to be a pirate was to get an easy, dishonest passage through life. She'd never considered that perhaps there was more to it than that. She had never considered the absolute freedom of it. The fact that you have the whole ocean open to you and there's no one telling you what to do or how to live your life. Amber really, really envied Jack for this. She often dreamed of escaping from Tortuga and having the option to go where she pleased.
"A Pirates Life! An easy life for lazy fool if you ask me…" Amber said haughtily, deliberately trying to put a damper on Jack who was gazing at 'The Black Pearl,' as though it was the most glorious thing in the world.
"Easy…HA! Obviously your clueless about it. Life at sea…although rewarding…is one of the toughest life's you can have. Think about it…we run out of food really quickly and are stuck with stale bread and salted meat, horrible stuff. And there's loads of sea illnesses going around. You basically just drink yourself senseless just to get by sometimes. Then there's the boredom…sometimes your just hoping that you'll encounter another ship or that they'll be heavy gales and rain. At least it gives you something to do. You don't know how easy you've got it here, do you Missy?"
"I haven't got it easy!" Amber said indignantly, glaring at Jack, now completely abandoning her sewing, "I can understand the harshness of life at sea but I'd much prefer that to how I live now! At least you can go anywhere you chose, I'm stuck here. I've been stuck here ever since I was six years old and I hate it here!"
"C'mon, it isn't that bad!" Jack exclaimed, "As I always say it's indeed a sad lot that has never breathed the sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga,"
"Oh sure enough YOU like it. Every pirate likes it here. It's over run with the scoundrels if you ask me," Amber said, sounding slightly exasperated, "You don't even realise how hard it is for someone like me to survive here. Stuck in the same pathetic job day in, day out and constantly having to avoid being harassed by drunken louts. No wonder most of the women here become brothel girls. It's like they don't even have a choice. I've been here for 22 years and I still don't even feel safe enough to go to sleep at night. Yeah Tortuga may seem to be a 'sweet proliferous bouquet,' to a man…but for a women….it's like being hell…"
So, so, so, so, so, so sorry for the delay! No, I'm not dead- don't worry…
I'll try to be more frequent in updating…that'll be my belated new years resolution )