5. Day Trip in Boston
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"So what say you now?" Jack asks as he lies in bed with his arm behind his head while I pull clothes on.
"I say we leave for the Caribbean as soon as possible," I say finally, sitting on the edge of the bed. He sits up, his long dreadlocks sliding over his bare chest.
"Luv, we don't 'ave to. If ye really wanna stay 'ere a couple more days, I will," he says in a soft and low voice.
I turn to him and smile. "I appreciate that, Jack," I pause for a moment, "I'll make a compromise with you then. We spend one day here instead of two, and then leave for your century,"
"Aye, I'll agree t' that, luv," he says with a nod of his head and a smirk.
"Good, now get dressed—we've got a lot to do today," I declare jumping off the bed.
"Like what?" He asks nervously.
"Like, there's a lot you don't know about me and now I'm giving you the chance to find out a little bit more!" I exclaim with a laugh.
"I think I know a bit more about ye than ye think," he winks at me and scans me up and down with his dark glossy eyes.
"Jack Sparrow! Enough! Now get dressed so we can go somewhere!"
"Alright!" he rolls out of bed and pulls on his pants, tugs on his shirt, slides on his vest, buckles his belts and wraps his cloth about his body. He finally pulls on his boots and is overcoat. He stands before me in no time. "Ready, dahling,"
"Of course you are," I reply bitterly, shaking my head at how quickly it took him to be "ready". I grab his tricorn from my bed and place it on top of my head.
"Pirate," he snickers at me as we leave my room. I just shake my head and roll my eyes.
"Where are you two off to?" Matt asks from the other room.
"I dunno yet. I'm thinking of taking Jack over to the Constitution," I say thoughtfully, "and then I'm not too sure where else yet,"
"OH! I have an idea! I'm heading over to Symphony Hall in a few hours for a voice lesson. You should come and sing something for Jack—show him how you can sing," Matt says.
"Ye can sing?" Jack asks, raising an eyebrow.
"You know that! Remember how I played piano for you and the crew way back when?" I ask, trying to make it seem like I don't need to sing for Jack.
"No I don't," he says with a cunning smile, "I say we go with Matt and ye sing us a tune,"
"Matt's the one who really sings! He went to a Conservatory of music! You should hear him sing!" I plead.
"Well, then I'll 'ear both o' ye sing!" Jack exclaims with a wave of his hands.
"Alright, we'll see," I say, "Call me when you get there, okay?" I ask Matt as we leave the apartment.
"Will do! Have fun!" Matt calls back to us as we shut the door. We walk down the hall to the elevator. I press the button and we walk into the chamber. Jack is looking around, confused at the situation.
"Interesting," he says as he takes a closer look at the buttons.
"It's an elevator. It's gonna take us to the main level," I say as I press '1'. The elevator moves downwards and Jack jumps up in shock and then grabs onto the railing tightly. I look over at him and just laugh.
Once we are on the first floor, the elevator door opens and we make our way through to the apartment building door.
"Here we go, Captain Sparrow," I say as I take deep breath. I open the door and step outside. The air is warm and thick from the city. I glance over at Jack who is in awe at the sight before him—apartment buildings and in the distance the grander buildings of Boston's business district.
"Welcome to Boston—2008," I say as we begin walking down the street towards the train station. We walk down into the hot subway and people gawk and point at us, but it's all in good jest.
"Look! It's a pirate!" is exclaimed quite readily by many as we pass through the subway. I tap my Charlie card and gesture for Jack to walk through the sliding gate. It closes and then I follow him. We wait for the green line train for some time. Jack is just silent, in awe at the world he was never a part of.
"Jack, you wouldn't like living here," I say quietly to him.
"I know," he replies turning towards me. The train arrives and we get on and stand, as there are never any seats available on the green line.
"We're gonna get off at North Station," I tell Jack as the train takes off down the railway.
Finally we arrive at North Station. We hobble off the train and up the stairs from the steamy subway and onto the street. I lead Jack down some streets until I see that we're close to the water front.
"Now close your eyes Jack," I instruct.
"WHAT?! I'll get killed fer sure without me eyes!" he exclaims.
"Jack, I'm gonna lead you. I promise you'll be fine," I say grabbing his wrist and walking towards the harbor front. The sight of the tall ship appears before me and I get excited at the mere sight of such a vessel. It reminds me of the Pearl and sailing. Once we are in perfect view of the Constitution, I stop.
"Open your eyes, Jack," I say, still holding onto his wrist. His blackened eyelids slowly open and his chocolate eyes glisten at the sight of the tall ship before him. He is speechless at first, just looking at the ship. He then turns to me in awe.
"It's quite heady tonic, this ship before me eyes," he says finally.
"It's called the Constitution," I explain, "and I was thinking you might like for us to go aboard,"
"That would be truly magnificent," Jack smiles as he takes a hold of my hand. We walk down closer to the ship and entry way.
"I'll be right back. No stealing the ship while I'm gone!" I say to him as I walk over to the ticket booth to buy tickets for the next tour.
"Mommy! Look! A pirate! Do you think he's sailing the ship?" a little boy runs over to Jack. Jack looks down at the kid and smile.
"I'm Ben! What's your name?" the little boy asks Jack.
"Jack Sparrow…Captain Jack Sparrow," he replies with a golden grin.
"Captain Jack—are you a pirate around these parts?" the boy's mother asks, playing along, thinking Jack is just dressed up as a pirate for the Constitution.
"No dahling, I pirate the Caribbean," he replies truthfully, "but I'd 'ave to say that it would be quite thrilling pirating in a vessel such as this," he says, gesturing to the ship in awe.
"Of course," the mother replies.
I return to Jack with tickets and just grin inside at this mother and son talking to Jack.
"Ah, yer back, dahling," Jack says to me.
"Ready?" I ask, handing him a ticket.
"Is this your boyfriend?" the mother asks me, "He's quite the actor!"
"Uh, yeah, he is," I chuckle, patting Jack on the back, "he does plays all over the region! You should watch for him in the upcoming performance of the Pirates of Penzance at the Colonial!" I exclaim as I haul him off to the ship.
We join the tour group and board the ship.
"I don't understand why we 'ave to listen to this amateur talk about such a brilliant vessel! I could give such a tour!" Jack exclaims rather loudly. The tour guide suddenly stops speaking.
"Well if you think you know more about this ship, please! Enlighten us, sir!" the guide exclaims in amusement.
"The pleasure is all mind, master…Chris," Jack says as he reads the guide's nametag. Jack swaggers his way through the crowd to the front.
"Jack! Your hat!" I exclaim and toss him his tricorn.
"Thanks, sweetheart!" he calls back to me into the crowd. He places the hat upon his head. "Now, where were we?" he ask with a cunning grin.
"Now I don't know anything about this ship in particular, but I do know a thing or two about ships o' this kind, so Chris, I'll leave the information on this particular ship up to ye! Now, as for this very location where we are—the main deck—sailors and crewmen…or women, use this space…" Jack explains everything about main decks to his knowledge. He then leads us up to the helm.
"The helm—a very familiar place t' me, as ye might imagine. The Captain, or whoever the captain gives order to sails the vessel from the helm—at the wheel," Jack takes a light hold of the ships wheel as he speaks further. The crowd is very enthralled by Jack's knowledge and presentation of tall ships and what it's like to sail them.
"This wonderful array of hanging ropes above ye may look like a complete and utter mess, but if they be worked proper…" Jack just goes on and on.
"Are you here with him?" The tour guide asks me quietly as Jack entertains the crowd.
"Yes I am," I smile back.
"Who is he? We should offer him a job here!" he exclaims.
"His name is Jack Sparrow—Captain Jack Sparrow, actually," I reply.
"Captain of what?" he asks, a confused expression spreading across his face.
"His ship, the Black Pearl," I respond, still smiling. The guide shakes his head in amazement as Jack leads us all below deck.
We travel all over the ship and when Jack is finally done, we are back up on the main deck. "Any questions?" Jack finishes up. Almost every hand in the tour is raised.
"I'm afraid we haven't any more time," Chris the guide says as he walks through the people to the front of the tour. "Thank you…"
"Captain," Jack says, narrowing his eyes and grinning.
"Let's give a warm thanks to the Captain here," he guide says.
Everyone applauds Jack and as he walks through the crowd towards me, people are talking to him left and right, asking him questions ranging: "who are you? Where are you from? How do you know so much about tall ships? Why are you dressed like a pirate? Are you a real pirate? Are you single?"
His answers: "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, I'm from England but I've sailed the Caribbean for near fifteen years, I know about tall ships because I've sailed them fer most o' me life, I'm dressed like a pirate because I am a pirate…yes a real pirate, and no I am not single. I'm with this bonny lass here," he says as he finally walks over to me and takes my hand in his. I just look at him and shake my head, smiling and laughing at the situation.
Once out and off the ship, Jack and I walk down the streets of Boston, just admiring the city itself.
"Luv—now that's a ship I'd love t' commandeer," Jack says as he takes one final look at the Constitution.
"I know Jack—but the Constitution is an historical site," I reply with a laugh, "I told you Boston is old!"
"JACK! Can we take a picture with you?" a group of girls from the tour run up to us on the street.
"First off, it's CAPTAIN Jack, t' the three o' ye, and yes, ye may take a…picture…or whatever that is, with me" he says, wrinkling his nose as the three girls gather around Jack and hand me the camera to take the picture with. I roll my eyes as I snap the picture.
"WHOA! That's bloody bright! What?! D'ye hope t' blind me so ole Jack can no longer sail me ship?!" Jack bends over and closes his eyes tightly, blinking rapidly. The girls all giggle.
"Thanks Captain!" they squeal as the run away. I just laugh at Jack and the flash from the camera.
"It's a camera flash, Jack. You'll survive," I laugh as I drag him along with me.
"Good—I can't be blind and captain o' me ship!" Jack exclaims, rubbing his eyes more.
0 0 0
Jack and I spend all day walking through Boston. I expect Matt to call me about Symphony Hall, but to my excitement, he text messages me that he is not going to Symphony today. Relieved, I turn to Jack, hungry and wanting to eat something. The sun is no longer in the sky and the city lights are brightening the sky.
"Let's eat something," I say. Jack nods.
"Aye, me stomach is aching something fierce" he says. I decide to take us to the Union Oyster House—the oldest restaurant in Boston.
"This is the Union Oyster House—the oldest restaurant in Boston," I say to Jack as we walk inside. "You know, Jack, this city was founded in the 1630s," I say as the hostesst seats us.
"You don't say," he replies, looking around the restaurant, up at the ceiling and all over. The lights are low and dim in the restaurant and I get the feeling of being back in a tavern in the Caribbean with Jack—perhaps a tavern in Tortuga. Across the table, Jack's eyes appear dark, and even darker, the kohl that is caked below his eyes and on his eyelids.
"Luv, bein' here really makes me long for the Caribbean and taverns of me century," he says finally.
"I agree," I say without hesitation. "Let's leave as soon as possible,"
"I love it when ye agree with me, luv," he says with a smirk.
"You know, Jack—hearing you talk so much about the ship today was a real turn-on," I say with a slight laugh.
"Then I'll 'ave t' talk about me ship more often. It's a good thing I'm not a fool, aye?" he replies with a raise of his eyebrow.
"You're a smart man, Jack—intelligence is a big thing for me—and clearly, there's more to you than meets the eye," I respond with wide eyes.
"Well ye should know that by now," he states.
"Yes, but like you said—there's still a lot I don't know about you, Jack,"
"True—in time, dahling, in time," he replies with a sly grin.
0 0 0
That night, we arrive back to my apartment to find Matt packing things in his room.
"Matt, why are you packing?" I ask quickly, rushing into his room.
"Well, if we're going to the Caribbean, in colonial times, I'm gonna wanna take a few things with me," he says, stuffing clothes, comics, music and other things into his backpack.
"Good idea," I reply with a laugh, "we're leaving tonight,"
"Tonight?! Fuck—I really gotta get packing then!" He exclaims as he shoves about twenty more things into his bag.
"And by tonight, I mean…like…now," I say.
"Well thanks for letting me know!" Matt says sarcastically.
"I'm sorry! It's just better if we get there sooner than later," I reply.
"Okay, well I'm ready. How do we do this?" he asks, taking a deep breath. I look at Jack and he takes out the leather pouch filled with powder.
"Just a little bit o' this powder goes beneath yer nose. That's it," Jack explains. Matt looks nervous, but slings his bag over his shoulder and takes in another deep breath. I look at Matt and smile and grab his hand. Jack takes the powder and smears it beneath my nose and Matt's and then his own. I grab Jack's other hand quickly as we all begin to feel weak in the knees.
"Is this supposed to happen?!" Matt shrieks as feels as though his head is spinning.
"Yes!" I reply back lethargically, my vision growing blurry. Matt's grasp on my hand is tight, as is Jack's, right up until we fade away—they grow loose and limber.