Author's note: If you get a chance to hear the song"Molly Malone" someday, do enjoy it... it is a lovely and sad, and will touch ye if ye like old Irish music as Pirate Cat does... it is the unofficial anthem of city of Dublin. No one seems to know when it written, or if Molly Malone really existed, but there is a statue dedicated to her and the song in Dublin.
This is the last chapter, mates, and I am posting it early because next weekend, the weekend before Christmas, will be busy for us all... it is a very long chapter, so please enjoy... and as always, thanks for taking in my meager attempts at story telling with our favourite pirate crew... and now, back to the Inn...
۞
Mr. Gibbs and Meg O'Shaughnessy had spent the entire morning and afternoon, and there was still good light in the winter sky as they pointed Toby and the small pony cart back toward Meg's boarding house in the village at the Cliffs of Moher... Meg also ran a pub, and she would be open for many to dine for the evening meal, so it would be remiss if she were to not be there to serve up stew and stout to those who did not have as fine a meal as was served at the Ó Madáin Inn. Bundled in their blankets, Meg waved goodbye to all with a muffed hand, as Gibbs flicked the reins and urged, "Get your hooves t' trottin', Toby! We have a fire t' stoke in County Clare!" Meg giggled at that, and Joshamee's ruddy face flushed with embarassment, as he had not meant it the way that she took it!
Settling in, William and Bill were at the great room table, looking at Jack's charts and comfortably sipping on mugs. Jack was sitting by the fire, his boot soles being warmed as he put his arm across Janie's shoulder - he was so proud of the dinner that she had prepared for her guests upon this day, and was letting her know by showering her with extra attention. She was finally resting against Jack, a blissful smile upon her face, as she watched Elizabeth fuss over Little Will - he had just been fed, and she was rocking him in her arms, humming to him, softly, as the peat fire crackled... Teague was peacefully sitting by the fire in the overstuffed chair, puffing on his own pipe, his black eyes watching Elizabeth and the baby... lost in thought.
William took a sip from his mug of hot coffee laced with Janie's best Irish whiskey, as his father took in the sight before them in the great room... Bill smiled slightly, and said, "We have a lot t' be thankful for, don't we, William?"
William also looked around, and a feeling of great warmth washed over him... Elizabeth was finally placing their baby into his basket, her face illuminated by the fire and the warm candles in the room. Her golden hair was braided down the back, tied with a soft green ribbon from the Orient, her own creamy, tanned complexion taking on a glow such as was on Janie's freckled face this afternoon.
"We have a great deal to be glad for, Father... it could have been so much different..." William leaned on his elbows and sighed with a feeling of contentment, as he grinned at Jack, who was reciting amusing poetry to Janie, to make her giggle with pleasure and call him affectionate names...
Bill turned his face toward a silent Teague, who was now gazing at Jack and Janie, quietly enjoying the pipeful of tobacco, and his own mug of fine Irish whiskey. Now and then, his eyes would crinkle at the corners a little in pleasure, watching his son's delicate hands twiddle Janie's curls, crossing his wide eyes at her, making her laugh out loud... like two children, they were. Teague remembered little from his own childhood, and it was amusing to see that Jackie had never lost his sunny nature, even if his own childhood had ended much too quickly.
Bill leaned into the chart before them, idly, and said, "I have had the pleasure of getting to know my half brother much better during our voyage here, and our stay... he has had quite a life, as have I... it goes on, even in the state that I exist in now..."
Smiling at his son, Bill filled his own pipe, he said, "I don't mind tellin' ye, son, that I could go on like this forever..." his eyes changed, and he hesitated to ask William something that he had never had the courage to ask. William looked up at him, questioningly. Bill lit is pipe and asked, softly, "... tell me, William... why did you want to rescue me from the Dutchman...after I abandoned ye?"
William looked concerned that his father would feel the guilt, still, after all that had taken place, and as close as they had become. But perhaps it was this closeness that gave Bill the courage to finally ask... glancing over at Jack, and then at Teague, William answered, simply, "... some sons have an inborn desire to know their fathers, no matter what the circumstance... I wanted the truth even if it was an ugly one, and I had what I might admit to calling an unreasonable faith that I could rescue you, just when my faith in all that I held dear was shaken to the core..." looking back over at Jack, who had fallen silent and was now gazing into the fire, William said, with finality, "... I have found that faith is all that one might have, sometimes... I tried to keep my faith in others, and I am now being rewarded for it..."
Bill nodded in agreement, as he looked over at his dark, mysterious half brother, Teague, whose boots were propped up on the old trunk before him, looking rather interestingly like his son's, also propped up in exactly the same fashion.
"I had tha' discussion with my brother..." Bill said, "... we had a good talk while on our way here, on th' Dutchman, courtesy o' Captain Norrington... Jonathan is just like Jack, in that he hides a great deal deep down. Much like you an' meself, he an' Jack are becoming closer. Jonathan thought that th' damage might have been too great t' mend their relationship, but he didn't know Jack well enough t' know that th' lad has desperately wanted t' be close t' him, especially since th' Locker. They need each other, like you an' I need each other. And Jack is th' one tha' can give Jonathan th' strength t' face Maggie's death, even all these years later, an' that's a good thing... Jonathan blames 'imself..."
"But it wasn't his fault... it was Janie's father that had Aunt Maggie murdered..." William's face took on a look of sadness, "... I know that he thinks that Aunt Maggie didn't love him, but she did... Uncle Jonathan blames himself for waiting too long to come back to Eire to talk to her, but her death was not his fault..."
Bill looked at his son, wisely, and said, "I could have blamed meself for your mother's death after I left her, but our love had died long before she did... what I blame meself for is leavin' you behind, yet ye forgave me... Jonathan was on 'is way back t' his heart's desire, yet Maggie's life was already taken by th' bigotry of another because of her race, an' he blames 'imself for bein' too late t' save her... he can't forgive himself for letting her leave with his baby boy, especially with her instability that Jack inherited... hearts are complicated things where forgiveness is concerned.'
'In my own experience, I told him that ye just have t' have faith that ye sometimes do th' right things t' make ye go on, when reason tells ye that having faith is folly... Jonathan has yet t' get past the 'reason' part, an' needs t' have faith restored that Maggie loved 'im... an' somewhere, she still does. Maybe Jonathan, in lookin' at how Jack is, now, might understand better what Maggie had become... Maggie is gone, but Jonathan was able t' save a son tha' loves 'im, in spite o' everything..."
William fell silent, as he perused all of this... it was so true, and it then deeply sank in with him just how lucky they all truly were... sipping his coffee, William silently hoped that Jack would help his own father find peace among those who wished to include him in this new family... that Jack would know of a way to help his father cross a bridge from a past that he could not change, and toward a future, and what it had to offer to his thawing heart...
Jack looked up, just then, and met William's eyes... they had an uncanny ability to know what each other was thinking, when Jack was in his right state of mind, and together, they looked over at the guitar, leaned against the fireplace... Jack nodded mysteriously, and William nodded back...
۞
Jack took yet another hard swallow of the strong spiced rum from his mug... Janie turned to look at him, as a sudden change in his relaxed demeanor let her know that he was up to something that concerned his father. Squeezing his hand, she studied him, as Elizabeth was now watching him, noticing this, also. William had taken Jack's look as a signal, so he nodded his head toward the fireplace so that he and Bill could quietly make themselves comfortable in an innocuous fashion. Apparently Jack had something on his mind... he had become very quiet, and even a bit nervous. William took his place on the couch, next to Elizabeth, who was now watching Jack intently...
The only one not noticing was Teague, who was lost in thought whilst gazing into the dancing flames... his memory going far back to a time when he was happiest, on his ship, expecting the birth of his child, with his girl singing to him as she played her harp, accompanied by the very guitar that was silently leaning against the fireplace's massive stones.
Suddenly, Teague was aware of a figure standing in before him, swaying a little ... all of the eyes in the room were upon them, as he looked up at his son, who was nervously clearing his throat... "Papa..."
Jack paused, his hands poised in mid-air... "Papa... I have somethin' to say t' ye... " Jack's high cheekbones coloured a little, and he stopped. It was then that Janie got to her feet, and put an arm around his thin waist ... what he was about to say to his father seemingly was not easy for him...
"Papa, I did not know that you were comin' t' join us for th' holiday. Janie surprised me, an' I couldn't ask for a finer gift than t' have ye here wif me... I'm glad tha' yer here." Jack's voice faltered, and he began to shift from one foot to the other, like a child.
Teague put his feet down from the trunk... he sat up, and gave his son his undivided attention. He said nothing, patiently waiting for Jackie to say more.
"... I have nothin' t' give as a gift t' ye except words for makin' th' voyage... " Jack licked his lips nervously, then said, "... th' last holiday tha' Janie an' I had together was wif Mama, an' she said tha' ye were... ummm... " Jack could not continue for a moment.
Janie chimed in, "I can remember her exact words to this day, Captain Teague...'"... Jack, your papa, Captain Teague, is a wonderful man... just remember that... he may be hard to understand, but he is like no one else... maybe someday, ye'll understand him. He needs the sea as much as I need the forest... you, my son, will need both, since ye are the wonderful combination of your pirate father and myself... you are like no one else!'"
Janie paused, then said, "She never once said anything bad about ye in the three years that I knew her... she always said ye were wonderful... she loved ye, Captain Teague, simple as that... she would have married ye..."
Jack continued, "... We miss her, but we can't bring her back or change wot happened, Papa. When we were reunited after ye rescued me, Janie an' I learned a song t' sing together when we missed Mama, as it helped for two little ones such as we were t' sing, t' keep her memory alive. I know it's a sad song, but a lament makes ye face yer sorrows when ye sing them, an' ye feel better..." Janie looked at him in shock, as she now knew what he wanted to do...
Closing his eyes, and raised his hands slightly. All were mesmerized by what they were witnessing and the room grew very quiet, as Jack Sparrow was laying his soul bare to a father that had distanced himself from his son to protect both of their hearts... hesitantly, softly, his fingers moving only slightly and with no accompaniment but the crackling fire and the wind outside, Jack began to sing, in a surprisingly good voice...
In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets, broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh!"
"Alive-a-live-oh,
Alive-a-live-oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh".
Janie's voice joined Jack's in a beautiful two part Irish brogue tinged harmony, as Jack's own voice grew stronger... a husky, rich baritone which astonished them all...
She was a fishmonger,
And sure 'twas no wonder,
For so were her mother and father, before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets, broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive oh!"
"Alive-a-live-oh,
Alive-a-live-oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh".
Jack's hands raised higher, and Janie buried her face in Jack's shoulder, her singing muffled into his vest, as all in the room listened in awe...
She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the death of sweet Molly Malone.
Now, her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets, broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive oh!"
"Alive-a-live-oh,
Alive-a-live-oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh...
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive alive... oh...".
"She's like Molly Malone, Papa... Mama is gone from us, but she is lives on in other ways, in our hearts, an' on the warm winds that fill our sails... we can't change anything... but we can remember an' be glad that she was here, once..."
Looking at William, Elizabeth and Bill, Jack said, "... we can't change th' past, but we can learn from it, an' try t' move on..." They all thought about this, coming from this man that they had accepted for all of his faults and his flaws, for they all had faults and flaws... and good hearts under it all.
Teague was stunned as he stared at his son and his son's lassie, who were both now looking at him... it was sinking in what a gift had just been given... his Jackie was trying to alleviate his father's pain by revealing some of his own, and Janie's, too, and urging him to move on in his heart, as they had...
Silence filled the great room, as they all bore witness to something that was truly wonderful... hearing two people ease their loss with the singing of an Irish lament about a beautiful young woman who had died of a fever, and who could not be saved... and who lived on in the memories of others...
Teague stood up in front of his now silent son... Jack's face reddened as his father said nothing... perhaps he had insulted him.
The Keeper of the Code went over and picked up the guitar, which had been mute and untouched since the arrival of it's owner at the inn, and he turned to Jack. "Greensleeves, Jackie..." Teague's own lament... the song that he and Maggie would play, and Maggie's favourite...
Jack's closed his eyes in concentration, tilting his head slightly, saying, "I can only remember th' chorus..."
Teague nodded that this was alright, and Jack softly hummed as the soft, rich notes of guitar music flowed from a master's fingers, and Jack's hesitant voice followed suit at the chorus... Janie sighed deeply, and looked into the fire... oh, she could hear a clear soprano singing across the decades that had passed, joining Jack's voice in her mind...
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady greensleeves.
The singing stopped, as it was all that Jack could remember... all of the faces in the room were reflecting upon the beauty of the unexpected music that was floating all around them from an unexpected source in Jack Sparrow... Captain Teague's eyes were closed, and he played another full verse and chorus, his fingers searching for the melody that he had locked out of his heart for all of these years, his craggy face smiling slightly as the pleasure of playing this meloncholy song brought the music of an Irish harp back into his mind...
"Papa, I'm sorry I don't remember th' verses... I was only five, an' I never learned them, since..."
Teague looked at his apologetic son, whose fingers were now fluttering at his sash, nervously... Teague stared at his boy for a long moment, his inky black eyes looking directly into his son's warm brown ones. He was amazed... his son's very heart and soul laid bare in song, to try to reach his father's own heart and soul through a common love of music...
Teague put the guitar down, then silently pulled his Jackie to him in a deep, long embrace, patting his back, which Jack returned, fiercely, happily. "Our boy can sing, Maggie... I'll be damned... our boy can bloody sing... I'll teach 'im th' rest o' 'Greensleeves'..."
A father and son were reunited forever in the emotional memory of a loved one lost; a new family had been joined together. And warm applause broke out from everyone in the room... even if Jack could remember only the chorus of his mother's favourite song...
۞
"Teach 'Molly Malone' to me!" Elizabeth implored, "Such a beautiful song... I know that you didn't see it, but Little Will woke up and listened to it... " William was rocking the babe in his arms, humming the melody of the Irish lament to his son, and the wee one did, indeed seem to respond to it by gazing at his father's face and listening raptly... it was the Irish in him, William was deciding, proudly.
Janie did not respond, as she was standing close to the fire, her eyes closed, and swallowing hard. Elizabeth gently put her arm around her friend, who was plainly affected by her love's raw, emotional singing...
Drawing herself up with her young companion's urging, Janie took a deep breath, and said, "Saints preserve us! I have never heard that scamp sing quite like that..." Turning to Elizabeth and smoothing down her hair, Janie finally put her hands on her hips, and proclaimed, "I shall teach ye 'Molly Malone'...unlike him and his cousin, I will even teach it to ye in Gaelic!" Elizabeth squeezed Janie's waist and grinned, as William frowned, goodnaturedly... wait until he told Jack about this small bit of female subterfuge to teach Elizabeth something in the language that they had been trying to keep her from learning.
Out on the front steps of the inn, another father and son were standing together in comfortable silence. The wind was blowing, trinkets in each man's hair were jingling about, and the skies were overcast, the seas out past the mouth of the cove were, no doubt, tossing with an approaching winter storm.
Jack turned to his father, who, for once, spoke first, gruffly, "Jackie, I heard Maggie in your singing..."
Jack grinned at Teague, and said, "Stands t' reason... she was me mother..."
Teague glanced at him from his gaze over the water, and said, dryly, "I know that... I was there t' help create ye, remember?"
"I don't remember tha' part," Jack's grin grew wider, as he now knew that he could joke with him.
Teague's eyes crinkled in the corners and he allowed a smile, and said, "Yer a cheeky thing, too, just like yer mother."
Suddenly, Teague looked up, "Bloody hell, Jackie!" Much to Jack's surprise, his father smiled so widely that it revealed a gold tooth! "Look! Bloody hell... it's snowin'... damn! Do ye know how long it's been since I've seen snow?"
The snow started suddenly, like as if the clouds were playing a joke on them... large, fluffy sparkling flakes falling in such profusion that the ground immediately began to whiten... Jack disappeared into the Inn, and soon William, Elizabeth, Janie, Jack and Bill came streaming out the door, delighting in the fresh whiteness that was falling all around them. Janie had been teaching Elizabeth both the words to "Molly Malone" whilst she was lighting the large candle that was now showing through a frosty windowpane. She hurried to light the lanterns along the wooden dock, as Bill held Little Will to see the falling flakes all around them.
Elizabeth, William and Jack, meanwhile, were laughing - the last time that William and Elizabeth had seen snow was during the voyage to find Jack, and they all wished to forget that and make a happy new memory.
They were becoming covered with what looked like fluffy lamb's wool...it looked especially amusing on dark Jack, the large flakes sticking to his long, black braids like seafoam. It was falling so hard that Elizabeth was able to scoop up a hand full, and shove it down William's neck, and soon Janie and Jack were pushing each other down, and rubbing their faces in it.
They all piled on top of Jack, much to his loud protests of "Mutiny!", and soon all that an amused Teague and Bill could see was his booted feet kicking in the air as the others kept him down as he howled, and stuffed hands full of snow into his shirt, his sleeves, his boots - a mischevious Janie stuffed it down his breeches... if he had been cold before, he was soon to be cold and soaked to the skin. He threatened to catch pneumonia to spite them all.
Out of breath, they all finally clambered to their feet, helping poor Jack to his own, and watched as the flakes danced in the swirling, warm wind... everyone paused to behold this wonder of nature falling from the skies, and it was then that Elizabeth said, "Oh! Look at the Pearl!"
They all looked in wonder, as the mighty ship's many yardarms were now piled up with snow that looked like frosting, glittering icicles hanging from her furled sails like crystal earrings of her own... the light from the lanterns on the dock made the Black Pearl glitter like she was dusted in sparkling diamonds, and the look of love for his ship that filled Jack's eyes was rivaled only by the look that he gave his smiling Irish lassie.
Taking her in his arms, Jack pushed her curls out of her face, tenderly brushing the snowflakes from them, and murmered, " Look at ye, now... all a-sparkle! Just like me Pearl, tá tú go hálainn..."
Gazing into his eyes, Janie had heard this from him so many times, but this time, she truly believed those words... she truly felt beautiful...
Elizabeth had now melted into William's arms, and they were slowly swaying together in the falling snow swirling all around them, talking among themselves... it was then that the beautiful strains of "Greensleeves" from a sea turtle shell guitar floated to them from the front steps of the inn... as William bent down to kiss his wife gently, she wrapped her arms around him pressed herself against him...
"Oh!" Jack said, lightly, "I nearly forgot, Janie, love! About our time of departure!"
Janie reared back and stared at him in disbelief, then despair... "What? Departure? What are ye saying?"
Jack's grin widened, his golden teeth glittering in the lanternlight, "It seems tha' we stirred up quite a to do when we pillaged th' ship o' th' new Governour of Jamaica, love, an' we were chased damn near halfway across th' Atlantic whilst on our journey here... I think it might be a wise decision t' lay low for more 'n' two weeks... "
With that, Elizabeth and William stopped and looked at Janie's growing suspicion, as the decision had been made before they had arrived, but Jack wanted to tell her, himself...
"... my gift t' ye, love... William, Izzy, Little Whelpie an' meself are stayin' wif ye until spring..."
Janie's mouth dropped open in astonishment, as Jack began to chuckle at her, flicking snowflakes from her eyelashes delicately.
"Ye're stayin' until spring?" was her shocked response... looking around at all of them, she was greeted with enthusuastic nods... "ONLY... " Jack lifted a be-ringed finger to her nose, "only... if ye sail wif us for a couple of weeks when spring nears... along the coast o' Spain... be a pirate an' sail wif me, Janie O'Madden, before ye open th' Inn for the season... or I might kidnap ye!"
"Oh! Ye daft scamp!" was the delighted response, as Janie threw her arms around Jack's neck. Laughing, he lifted her up and spun her around in the swirling snowfall, nearly losing his balance.
... all that she could see after that, through her happiness, was the glimpses of icicles on the branches of the trees... flakes dancing in the warm loving Irish winds that were blowing all around them... she saw Teague and Bill, smiling at their children from the steps of the inn, holding Little Will, a precious baby that she would hold and spoil for weeks to come... the young Turners, dancing slowly in the sparkling whiteness, oblivious to all around them as they closed their eyes and enjoyed the beauty of the moment... they could hear the sound of the distant waterfall that was buried deep in the mossy forest...
... and the loving face of her Jackie... her beautiful gypsy boy... his dark features frosted with snowflakes, his warm pirate eyes melting her heart like as if he was the dancing flame of the other sight that was within her vision... that which she always kept lit in the Irish tradition...
And as he kissed her, the captain himself, could only see the sparkle in the snowy blue eyes of his lassie ... a sparkle that matched that shine which was in his father's eyes, now...a sparkle that could only be placed there by knowing that one was loved very much. It was matched only by the glow of his lassie's golden gypsy earrings, and the ring of Claddagh on his own left hand that reflected the soft light of the candle in the window, glittering through the frost like a dark young gypsy woman's smile, to guide her family and friends home for the warm embraces of the holidays, and always...
The End
To all of my readers, a wish for a candle in the window, and a very heartfelt "Nollaig Shona Dhuit"... Merry Christmas from Pirate Cat...