Chapter 5 Clancy and Foster remember days gone by
Clancy was on his ship; he would not be sailing for a couple of days, but he had invited his friend Foster for a drink and to reminisce about traveling the seven seas.
"Remember Clancy when that typhoon hit, and we were near the coast of Japan?"
"Aye, I do, you said that we ought to have drink and ride it out!" Clancy stopped and poured some more of his whiskey into his cup and into Foster's cup.
"That's the time that the typhoon hit the hardest and threw Captain Berrymore over the bow! Best way to get rid of him wasn't it!" Clancy laughed and so did Foster who said:
"You mean we thought we got rid of him. Turned out he showed up after the typhoon was over! He had ridden it out just under us inside a nice warm cabin. We thought we were seeing a ghost when he came up top and looked at us as if he were going to hang us!" Foster took another drink and laughed.
"He didn't hang us, but we were scrubbing the deck for the next week. No shore leave!" They both drank from their cups and laughed at their memories.
"Do youse remember that little black ball of fur you called 'Spike' Whatever happened to him?" Clancy asked as he went to his storage locker and pulled out a couple of pictures. He gave them to Foster.
"Well, Spike died one day, just ran off the ship in India and never came back, I went looking for him but did not find him at all. I waited on my own ship then, called the Lost Whale, and when it was about a week I knew he was gone. I just hope someone took him in." Foster said as he stared at a picture, it was of him, Clancy, Spike and two women, One a dark-haired dark-skinned beauty named Fatima and another who had olive skin and blue eyes named Alena.
"Do you remember these two beauties? They were painted in a picture by that artist, Eugene Delacroix I think it was?
"I sure do, that picture was called 'Women of Algiers in an Apartment'!" Foster said as he looked longingly at the picture.
"Aye, I remember, Alena was going to marry you wasn't she?" Clancy said smiling. His favorite had been Fatima. She was just the kind of woman he wanted back then. He looked at her picture as well.
"It was too bad that their brothers found them getting their pictures painted and we had to leave rather quickly, do you remember the name of one of the brothers?" Asked Foster. Clancy looked at the picture, yes, it was too bad. They killed the girls and then came after him and Foster. They were fortunate that Faheed was in charge and let them get to the ship and set sail without much fighting.
"Yes, his name was Faheed, I believe, he was Fatima's younger brother, he was only 15 at the time but because of honor they had to kill the girls! Clancy said sadly as he a drink from his bottle.
To change the subject Foster told Clancy he had picked up another ball of fur from the African jungle. Well actually it had been in a zoo and the zoo was closing so he took this animal and taught him some useful skills.
"And what pray tell is its name?" Clancy asked
"Bungee. He used to live in India now he lives with me!" Clancy looked around and asked;
"Where is he, I would like to meet the little fellow?" Foster sat for a long two minutes deciding how much to tell about Bungee and how much not to say.
"Well, Bungee is a little spider Monkey, he was in a zoo in India and since the zoo was closing down, there was no circus around, so they were planning to kill all the animals that did not get taken. So, I promised to pay them 3 rupees for the animal. He came to me and immediately sat on my shoulder. We have been friends ever since. He is quite adept at helping to support me and him." Clancy looked at Foster and then asked:
"Well, is he here on this ship?"
"No, I really don't know where he is at the moment, but he seems to make an appearance every now and then if he is searching for food and can't find any. I am sure we will be seeing him in a day or two!" Foster said and drank his whiskey as well. They both sat for a time remembering and reminiscing about things they had done, adventures they had been on and how their lives ended up.
Back at Lottie's saloon, the evening visits were starting up. Most of the loggers and millers had gone home and then came back to the saloon to visit with their friends. They had heard about Jason, and Harve as well as Lottie, who was still up in her room. Candy had gone to be with her for a while and Biddie was coming back later that night to sit with her. Jasper and Jennifer were in the kitchen, two others from the dorm, Sara and Alice both were helping clean the kitchen, saw Jasper and Jennifer and told them that their mother was looking for them.
"Mom is upstairs with Aunt Lottie, I will tell her we are here, you get the apple and crackers, and I will meet you out behind the saloon. Is the monkey there waiting for us?"
"I think so, we showed him where we were going so I think he will be there?" said Jasper. Jennifer went upstairs to tell their mom that they would be their behind the saloon playing and having a snack. Candy said okay, and then went back into Lottie's room. She was still not feeling well but she just decided that all she could do was to wait until tomorrow and then check in with Dr. Wright. Jeremy just walked into the saloon with Joshua. He got the beer for him and his brother and went to sit down with Swede and the other guys. Joshua had already sat down and was waiting for his beer. Jeremy noticed Jennifer coming downstairs and waved her over.
"Jenni, where is your brother Jasper?"
"He is in the kitchen we are getting some snacks and going to sit out back for a while." Jennifer said to her father. Jeremy smiled and then asked:
"Is your mother still upstairs with Lottie?" Jennifer nodded.
"Okay, we will come to get you when we are ready to go home." Jeremy said. Jennifer nodded and ran out through the kitchen door just as Sara and Alice came the other way, almost knocking them over.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to run so quickly like that!" Jennifer said to Sara
"Jennifer, isn't it time you started to act like a little lady? Your mother has impeccable manners, why can't you be just like your mother?" Sara said shaking her head. Alice just walked past Jennifer. Jeremy heard the exchange and went over to Sara and Alice and said:
"Candy and I would appreciate it if you had any opinions about how to raise children that you come to us, and not say anything to our children. We will discipline and take care of the matter. Thank you. Jennifer, please don't run through the saloon. Thank you." Jeremy finished and went to sit with his brother and friends.
"I am glad you told them, if Candy had said something I think they would have been more embarrassed then they were with you!" Jeremy smiled and took a sip of his beer.
"Well, if anyone is going to yell at my children, I get to do it. But first, I want them to understand why I was unhappy with their behavior. Candy also wants to be the one to talk to them not others." He smiled and took another sip of his drink and continued the conversation they had been having about Jason, Harve and now Lottie.
Candy finally came down the stairs and told Jeremy she was ready to go home. He went out back to get the children, but he could not find them. He looked around the other areas, they might have gone and finally found them. He saw the monkey and wondered where it had come from.
"What are you too doing so far from the Lottie's?" he asked
"We found this little monkey and wanted to feed him, so we went and got some apples and crackers, he is really very funny. Look he can stand on his head!" Jasper said. Jeremy smiled and then said:
"Well, it is time to go home." Jeremy was ready to walk the children back to the saloon when the monkey jumped on his shoulder and then chattered in his ear. He laughed and said:
"I don't think you are coming home with us little monkey, go back to your own home!" Jeremy then put the monkey on a rock and the children said goodbye to the animal and headed to the front of the saloon where Candy was waiting. The monkey stayed behind for a little bit then followed them. He got on the wagon without anyone seeing him. Even Jasper and Jennifer did not see the monkey who had curled up between the boxes in the back of the wagon.
Chapter 6 More Shenanigan's
Bungee stayed hidden most of the night. The children had gone to sleep, and the parents were sleeping as well. Bungee decided to climb through an open window to see what he could find. He especially liked shiny things and was good at pilfering shiny objects as well as leaving messes. It was about 2 in the morning. Jasper again was awake. He crawled out of the bed and went out the bedroom door. He went downstairs to the kitchen. He heard noises as if something were being dropped on the floor. He opened the door to the kitchen and saw Bungee throwing spoons, forks knives, flour, and other food stores onto the floor, on the table and all over the kitchen.
"Monkey, how did you get in here. Momma's going to be mad. I have to get you out of here and I have to clean the mess!" he wondered how he was going to clean the mess and then get the monkey out of the house. He thought about it and then thought about Clancy, he has a big ship, he can ask Clancy to take care of it for him and then when the kitchen was clean he could go get the monkey and see if momma would let him keep it. He got the monkey to come to him and he wrapped a string around its' little coat. Then he put his finger to his mouth and went 'shhhh' to the monkey who imitated his actions. Then quietly he stole out of the house and ran down to the ship in Seattle.
Clancy and Foster were in a drunk sleep state and did not notice Jasper getting on the ship. He sat with the monkey for a little while on deck and yawned, then he decided to go down to the hold and then when he was ready to release the monkey, he found the monkey would not leave him. So, he stayed in the hold and fell asleep, and Bungee fell asleep with him as well.
Jeremy was awake early. He saw that Candy was still sleeping, so he got up himself and went downstairs to get the coffee going. When he walked into the kitchen he saw the mess. He was not sure what happened, it looked like an animal had gotten into the house somehow. But there were things that an animal, at least the kind that were four legged might not have done, such as drawers open and silver all over the floor. He looked around and found a little tiny hat under the flour bag that had been open. Then he saw the string that Candy used to tie packages up, they looked as if they had been cut on purpose but there was no knife near the string. Also, as he turned to start the morning fire, he saw that the wood had been tossed around. He wondered why no one heard the sound. Then he went upstairs, Jenni was asleep in her room. He checked to see if Jasper was still in the bed in the little alcove in their room. When he saw that Jasper was not there, he began to wonder. Candy moved a little and opened her eyes.
"Jeremy, why are you out of bed?" She asked sleepily.
"I kind of woke up a little early. Jasper is gone again. I am going out to find him." He said this as he put the rest of his clothes on. He lit the lamp and looked at Candy, she looked like she had not slept well.
"Darling, why don't you stay in bed, I will send Biddie over to help you today!"
"But I have to get downstairs and start the stove and get your coffee!"
"Well, Candy, please don't go downstairs until Biddie comes. It seems that we had a little furry invader and I think I may know where Jasper is." Jeremy said as sweetly as possible.
"What do you mean a 'furry invader' and where do you think Jasper is?" Candy sat up and looked at her husband.
"You know that little monkey that showed up at the saloon that the children were playing with? That is the 'furry invader' and Jasper may have caught him and I think with Fosters tales of the south seas, he may have taken it to Clancy!" He kissed her as he was ready to leave and said:
"Please stay in bed until Biddie and Dr. Wright get here." She nodded, it was always hard for her to stay in bed, but if Jeremy asked her as sweetly as he was doing now, she would stay in bed. Jenni came in and Jeremy told her to get dressed and when Biddie got there to help her with the kitchen. Candy explained to Jenie what happened and then Jennie waited with her mother.
Clancy woke up that morning with a very bad headache. Foster was just happy as a lark and ready to go to Lottie's for breakfast, when he heard something down in Clancy's hold.
"Clancy, do you have a stowaway perhaps down in your hold?" Clancy looked at Foster and then did a double take, there on the deck was Jasper and a funny looking creature sitting with him. When the creature saw Foster, he immediately started 'talking' and ran over to Foster and jumped on his shoulder. Jasper, still looked a bit sleepy and was about to say something when Jeremy walked onto the ship.
"Good Morning Clancy, Mr. Foster, I am missing a little boy about 5 years old who might have a monkey with him, have you seen him?" Both Clancy and Foster looked at each other and Clancy said:
"You know, as a matter of fact, yes, he happens to be sitting right on that crate behind you!" Jeremy turned and looked at Jasper as if he was seeing him for the first time.
"Oh, so there you are! I am glad I found you, you need to go home and start on your kitchen duties, Miss Cloom will give you directions!" Jasper looked at his dad and was about to say something when his dad looked at him and he knew. Talke about mother's evil eyes, dad's disappointed eyes were even worse. He said nothing but got off the ship and ran all the way home. He arrived just as Biddie arrived as well. Jeremy had told her that Jasper would be along as soon as he was found and was expected to help clean the kitchen. She gave him his tasks.
"Miss Cloom, could I have something to eat or drink first?" Biddie looked at him and said:
"Here is some water. But your father said you have to complete your tasks before you have breakfast! So, I suggest no dilly dallying after you drink your water." He finished his water and went straight to work. Meanwhile Dr. Wright had come by and found that Candy was weaker than usual.
"Candy this is your fourth pregnancy right?" Dr. Wright asked her. She said Yes.
"Your face is very pale, do you bruise easily?
"Well, lately anytime I bump into something or my children bump into me, I seem to have a bruise there."
"Yes, that would make sense, let me see your finger nails." Dr. Wright looked at her finger nails. And then she said:
"Are you eating a lot of meat?"
"Well, we haven't had too much lately. I know that when Jeremy goes hunting he does bring a rather large bird or home. But we haven't had any beef as of late!
"Well, have you heard of Anemia?
"No!"
"I am pretty sure, I will need to take a little sample of your blood and examine it but I am pretty sure that you are anemic. Which can cause problems with pregnancy. That is probably why you have had a couple of miscarriages, you had low blood cell count.
"What is a 'low blood cell count'?" Candy asked. Suddenly having a heart palpitation.
"That means that you blood is not producing enough for you or your baby. I want you to stay in bed for the next week. I will need you to start taking these pills once a day. You take them with food. Drink plenty of water. Let Jeremy or someone else take care of you and your family. I will bring you more pills later! May I tell Biddie, or do you want to tell her?" Dr. Wright asked Candy said okay to send Biddie upstairs, she would have to discuss this with Jeremy and the children, but she would wait until that night. said and then left her in the room. She went downstairs and saw the mess and Jasper doing his best to help clean things up. Biddie went upstairs as soon as she was able, and they talked for a long time. She stayed most of the day and made sure that Candy was fed and comfortable.
Jeremy still had to see Jason and then Lottie and had Mr. Foster come with him. He had a sneaking suspicion about that little monkey called Bungee and wanted to talk to Jason and Lottie and then to Harve.