"Where are we going, Dad?" I asked.
We had just docked the Pearl. Dad gave a quick smile.
"To a friend," he said.
His palms became very sweaty. I did not press the matter, though, because being only six, I was only interested in meeting this "friend." We came into the heart of the city. Something about it reminded me of something. Something I could not put my finger on. Maybe it was the smell of rum that was potent in this area that made my nose tingle, like it did whenever I was around my dad. I pushed the thoughts out of my head and enjoyed finally being able to stand on sturdy land.
We came to a small cottage at the end of a road.
"You might want to cover your ears," Dad cautioned.
I was confused, but nodded my head all the same. Nervously, he knocked on the old, wooden door. It creaked open a little bit. There cam a shrill from the other side, then the door slammed shut. I was too curious to cover my ears. I looked up at Dad.
He rolled his eyes, then called "Anamaria, open the door, you're being unreasonable!" Suddenly, the door swung open.
"Oh! So I'm being unreasonable? Are you drunk? You still owe me a ship, Jack Sparrow!" a lady shouted.
She was African and had on… pretty much the same thing I did. Ye know the ruffled blouse, the pants, boots, and bandana.
"You still remember that? Well, you can go to Davey Jones locker to retrieve it but at the moment I need you to do me a favor," Dad snapped.
He looked at me, then Anamaria.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no, and just for the record, NO!" Anamaria protested.
"Please?" Dad pleaded. "It'll only be for a little while."
I had no idea what they were talking about then, so I just looked back and forth, between Dad and Anamaria.
"But Jack," Anamaria cried in one last attempt to argue.
"Thanks Anamaria," Dad said quickly. Then he bent down to me. "Marie, you're going to stay here for a while, savvy?" he said, staring straight at me.
I defiantly stared back.
"No," I argued.
"Marie," Dad said sternly.
My eyes softened. "But I want to stay with you!" I cried.
"I'll come back, I just need to sort out some… business first," he said.
I ran to him. He lifted me into his strong, caring arms.
"You be a good lass for Ms. Anamaria," he told me, wiping tears from my eyes.
I nodded, to sleepy to respond verbally. Anamaria hoisted me into her arms as I waved good bye to my father. Once he was out of sight, I felt my eyelids get heavier…
I sat up right in my bed. Tears ran down my flushed cheeks. The dream, as most do, seemed so real. Wiping my eyes on the sleeve of my gown, I walked over to my window and thrust aside the curtains. Bright morning sunlight streamed into my bedroom, illuminating everything insight. It had been 7 yrs since that night. Seven years. So much for my father returning soon. Shaking my flowing red hair, I walked to my dresser. Upon it was the usual, a comb, papers scattered everywhere. I pick up a bandana and pulled my hair back so it looked presentable. Then I rummaged through my drawers until I found a nice ruffled shirt and as much as I hate to admit, a long, brown skirt. That was the attire I was to wear whenever I went to work. "It makes the customers enjoy there meals," Anamaria had said when I had protested. I slipped on my boots and stumbled into the galley. Anamaria was seated at on end of the table, writing a letter. To whom, I didn't really care at that point. I picked a plump peach from the bowl on the counter and bit into its juicy center as I sat myself across from Anamaria.
"Ready for work?" she questioned, not taking her eyes off of her letter.
When she did not here an answer, she looked up to see me studying my peach. I slowly raised my head and met her eyes. Sheepishly, I smiled and nodded my head. She raised an eyebrow, then returned to the piece of parchment. My stomach churned. I hated work. Not just any work, this was torture. Anamaria owned a bar not to far from her house called Togo's. Don't ask me why it was named that. I happened to be the unfortunate waiter that nobody liked.
Finally, after much writing, Anamaria folded the letter, placed it in an envelope, and tucked it in the pocket of her long coat. I got up and together we walked to Togo's.
It was a lovely day outside, and I had to be stuck inside serving dishes.
"Get me some Captain Morgan, lass, " a man ordered.
He was tall and muscular with a mustache and a short beard. The type that you knew not to mess with. I nodded and rushed to the back the restaurant. Moments later, I emerged with a jug of rum. As I was making my way over the customer, some bloody drunk man stuck his foot out infront of me, tripping me. The jug went flying into the air as all chatter and music ceased. Rum splashed the customer's face. He quickly snatched the flying jug from the air and gripped it so tight that his knukles turned white. His face turned a dark shade of violet. The man chucked the jug at a nearby wall and advanced towards me. I gulped. Once he was right infront of me, he bent down and punched me right under my eye! I curled up in a ball, a mixture of tears and blood dribbling onto the floor. From what I could here, conversations started back up and the music continued playing, ignorant to me. A cold hand gripped my shoulder and yanked me up. Anamaria led me to the kitchen and handed me a frozen steak. The bastard had broken the skin with his bloody ring.
"Anamaria," I began. She slowly turned around.
"Ya know, I think you would have more customers if you had a better waitress, so..." I waited for her to say something. She just stood still, probably hoping for a different outcome. But I knew she knew, we both knew that this was not the job for me. The previous event had not been the only reminder.
"I'm quitting."
Dead silence. It was like you wanted to break it, but you couldn't. It was just there.
Finally, after what seemed a long while, Anamaria just nodded her head and left. No pleading or begging, just a simple realizing of the circumstances. I was happy that I did not have to fight for my freedom, but at the same time it made me wonder if she had just given me the job because no one wanted it and knew that sometime, I would not be her little waitress anymore. Pressing the cold steak against my broken skin, the bastered had cut deep with his stupid ring, I pondered on what to do for the rest of the day.
"Benjie! Open the God forsaken door!" I called.
Benjie opened the door and smiled.
"What happened to you?" he snickered.
"Just shut up and get out a game of Liar's Dice." He shrugged and opened the door wider to allow me to enter, a smug look still painted across his face.
"What do you want to bet?" he asked, pulling a dust-covered board from a shelf in the den. A little maroon pouch hung off of a corner, holding the dice. "Chores," I grinned. I was the best gambler on the island, even though it was one more thing I'd rot in hell for. Still, Benjie always had his hopes of finally beating me.
After a few rounds, I got Benjie to do some of my chores. He scowled, and shoved the game away. "I'm done," he growled, crossing his arms across his chest. I nodded, and exited through the way I came. The time had flown by. It was already afternoon! I raced home for supper.
When I opened the old door I knew so well, I found Anamaria seated infront of a bowl of soup. Everything was right, except for the fact that she wasn't eating. When I closed the door, she looked up at me, held my eyes for one second, and went back to concintrate on stirring her soup. It had been only a second, but in that short time I had seen deep cuts of sorrow. I bowed my head in guilt, and dragged my unwilling feet into my room.
It was 2hrs untill midnight. I had devised a plan. Tonight was the night I was going to runaway. There had been too many signs that showed that I did not belong here. I listened to hear if Anamaria was alseep. No sound came from her room. I quickly jumped out of bed and grabbed a leather shoulder-sack from my dresser. Quietly as possible, I picked out 2 seafairing outfits and put one of them on, shoving the other in the sack. I then opened my sea chest. Don't ask me why I had one in my room, I don't exactly know. All I know is that a real sea chest was two times the size of my own. I unlocked the chest, and rummaged through it untill I found a small dagger with a belt and a map of the Carribean that happened to be my father's. I lay the dagger on my bed and stuffed the map into the sack aswell. I belted the dagger around my waist and silently snuck out into the galley in search for money.
When I got there, it was pretty dark. With only the moonlight to guide me, I snuck over to the counter, scanning it for any pouches that might contain a few shillings, my back to the table. Nothing. Where's the money when ye need it? I thought, cracking my knuckles in irratation. A rustle from behind me belayed my thoughts, I whipped around, pulling my knife out of it's sheath, ready to call Anamaria if the need came.
A figure stood, holding an unlit lantern. The figure turned the knob on the side and the lantern blazed with life, lighting the face of...
Anamaria. I stood, mouth ajar, my heart slowwing down.
"I, I c-can explain!" The words tumbled out of my mouth without thought. Anamaria held up a hand for me to be silent.
"You don't hide your feelings very well." She tried to smile but it turned out looking like she was constipated, and would have been funny in the right place and time. But this was definately not the right place and time to even smile.
I could hold her piercing gaze no longer and my eyes dropped to the floor.
"I understand you want to go find your father, though I can't say I'm happy about it." I stole a glance and almost choked up myself as I saw a big, fat tear role downn her cheek.
"Here," She handed me a black pouch that jingled with shillings. A lot of shillings.
"Anamaria!" I started but again she cut me off.
"Take it, you have more need of it than I," she smiled, the first time I had seen her smile since this morning. A single tear rolled down my cheek as I accepted the gift.
"You should be off, I beleive that there is a ship leaving port tonight but you'll have to hurry to catch it," Anamaria said. All I could do was nod, and with that I opened the kitchen door and left Anamaria and my home town to find my father.
- how you liked that! This is my first fanfiction and I'm proud of it! I'll give you one clue for a chapter a ways off, This is not the last time Marie will see Anamaria!