Two Young Sailors

The wind blew my hood off when the Jeanette Marie set off to open sea. I watched as the bow of the ship tackled each wave. I shivered. The dark gray of the sea felt ominous and never-ending; broken only by a furious whitecap, trying to cover up the sight of its depths in its white anger. The reality of my aloness hit me with the same force the waves hit the ship. I was alone, with no friends, and my only hope was wrapped up in a long lost brother who I hadn’t seen for years. I was trapped on a flimsy dinghy that was supposed to take me to Whales, which wasn’t actually my destination in the first place. The ocean was far stronger than the ship. How would I know I’d make it at all? At that moment a horrible thought occurred to me. What if my brother had died at sea already? My head felt dizzy. The ship hurled over another wave and sent me sprawled on the deck.

“Sea-legs usually take awhile to get,” a pleasant voice said above me. I looked up, expecting to see a badly groomed sailor with an extensive beard. To my surprise he was young and clean shaven. His smile was tender and straight. His flyaway soft brown hair blustered around his tanned face. I liked him instantly. He stooped down and offered his hand to help me up. I took it gracefully and regretted my embarrassing blunder this fine young man had to see in his first encounter with me.

“My name is Hans and I am on Port Watch,” he said like I knew what he was talking about. My face went blank. “The sailors are divided into two watches. While one watch works, the other rests. Since a ship always needs people working to keep sailing, the sailors are divided into watches,” he explained.

It sounded interesting. Though I wouldn’t dare admit such a thing. I wasn’t in the mood to be pleasant, even for him.

“Starboard watch is on now.”

“Oh.” That meant he’d probably want to talk to me with his extra time. I didn’t want to talk to him. He’d ask me about myself and I could only lie to him. I didn’t feel like lying anymore.

Unfortunately Hans didn’t notice my coldness and he proceeded to babble on about the ship I couldn’t wait to get off of. “The Jeanette Marie was once a fishing boat but they refitted her for cargo,” he told me eagerly. “Say, I never asked your name.”

“Elady,” I said quietly.

“Pretty name.” He smiled.

“Thank you,” I forgot to be cold. “It was my father’s idea.”

“The father you’re in such a hurry to get back to?”

I was startled. “How did you know?”

“News travels fast on a ship, especially when the captain’s wife is on it.”

I laughed forgetting myself. Hans beamed. “I finally got you to smile.”

At that moment I wished I was more pleasant. He was trying so hard to bring me out of my shell. “I’m sorry I’m not that cheerful,” I apologized. I meant it.

“It’s alright. I’d be worse if I were in your place.”

I smiled again. Maybe I didn’t mind talking to Hans after all.

“Hey, Wes!” He called to another sailor passing by. The man stopped. I glanced at him. He looked like any other sailor. His sandy brown hair fell to his shoulders and grew all over his face making him look altogether unkept. Tall but not compared to Hans. I found myself edging closer to Hans to avoid this person.

“This is the captain’s latest passenger, Elady,” Hans said oblivious to the fact that I was uncomfortable talking to this rough looking man.

Wes nodded to acknowledge me, but did little else to show he knew I was standing in front of him. The solid hardness of his icy blue eyes sent chills up my spine when I looked at them. It was as though the icecaps on the top of the Norwegian mountains were melding together into this young sailor’s hard face. I felt myself trapped in his gaze. I couldn’t see beyond the ice. He finally released me by lowering his eyes to the wood on the deck.

“Oh Wes,” Hans sighed. “You could be just a bit more polite.”

Wes’ lips parted slightly. At that moment he almost seemed pleasant. “I am not one for introductions Hans. Not to beautiful young women, as you should know.” With that soft reply he left. His feet, as silent as the night when it disappears to make room for morning.

“You must excuse Wesley. He isn’t shy, he just doesn’t talk much. Not even to me,” Hans’ normally smiling face grew serious laying his mossy colored eyes on me. “He’s the first man to have on your side when you’re in trouble. That’s why I introduced you to him, in case anything ever happens to you. You won’t ever have to worry as long as Wes knows you exist.”

The tall man standing before me made me feel secure for a moment. Perhaps I had a friend. Of course not in Wesley, but in Hans. He seemed to actually care about me, though he’d only met me a few minutes ago. However, Hans was a stranger and a man at that. I was helpless and knew it. In my position I could not afford to trust anyone. To accept anyone as a friend.

Hans realized I had retreated into myself again and left me to my own thoughts. I didn’t mind, I didn’t really like talking anyway.

________________________

The ship around me creaked as the gentle waves raised it up and down. I was not tired. At least not tired enough to sleep. My bed was on the ground next to a much older lady, she was the cook and she snored. The large German woman had always intimidated me. As did everyone else on the Jeanette Marie.

“I need some air,” I whispered to myself as I got up and put my cloak on.

The stars were out I saw when I reached the top of the ladder. How beautiful they were. I wondered if my brother was looking up at the same stars. For one silent moment I felt close to him.

The stern was quiet so I made my way there. I wanted some time to be alone. Yet I didn’t. I wanted to grieve, but I wanted someone to talk to. I wished I could’ve been like my mother. She’d been one of those people who prayed all the time. She told me whenever I was alone, tired, scared, sad, or anything I could talk to God. I believed her. Every word of it; I even did it! At least, I did until she died. And when Malcolm left I was sure God didn’t hear. When Roderick slaughtered my father out of pure cold blood I realized I was definitely on my own. Any help I could get would be from myself, no more entertaining fairy tales. Still, the thought was a nice one. Having someone always listening, watching, and caring. Until I saw clearly that thoughts like that were just more ways of avoiding responsibility and reality. I was alone, no mistake about that. However, the sweet memory of my mother did make me feel less alone. What was that song she would sing to me…?

“Wherever you go my child, whatever you do. Know that my prayers will be following you,” I softly sang the words. “My love will never go, even if we part. Remember my love dearest child. Hold it in your heart. Hold it in your heart,” I opened my mouth to sing the next verse when I heard a sound behind me. I turned around to face Wes. Listening.

“Wesley!” I fumed, both surprised and infuriated. “What are you doing here?”

“I wasn’t aware this was your ship,” he mocked. I could feel his cold eyes watching my every move. I didn’t want to look at him I didn’t want him to be there. Staring at me in the moonlight.

“It’s not my ship. But eavesdropping is rude.”

“And you’re an expert on all things polite?”

Color was rising to my cheeks. “Well, you refuse to even politely introduce yourself!”

Wes’ face changed from sarcastic to hard again. It seemed so empty. So frozen. For a moment, even sad. “Hans can be good and polite and pleasant. I don’t possess such gifts. You think that because I will not smile courteously and say all the right things that I am an unkind barbarian…”

“I never said that!” I protested interrupting.

“Aah, but I can read it in your eyes. You’re the type of girl who sees someone and decides who they are before they even speak…”

“I do not!” I interrupted again. My voice echoing over the silence of the ship. I hoped no one On Watch turned their heads to watch me make a scene.

Wes smiled slightly. Almost bitterly. “I care little for your association.”

“Good! Then leave me be.”

“I’ll leave you when I want to, Elady.” He took a step closer to me.

I stepped back my foot making the wood under my feet to creak. “I did not give you permission to use my first name.”

Wes bowed mockingly. “But your majesty hasn’t given me her last name.”

My mind raced. What name could I have? Certainly not my real one. A character like Wes was bound to know Roderick, even be friends with him. What was my mother’s name as a girl? “Granville.”

“Very well, I shall call you Granville for the few times I address you.”

How could anyone manage to be so rude? “Goodbye!” I stepped past him in intent to retreat below deck.

“Elady,” he stopped me, forgetting that I’d asked not to be called by my first name. “I’m horrible at introductions and first impressions. Sorry…” he paused. “It is a beautiful song.”

Tears welled up in my eyes out of the many conflicting emotions inside of me. I didn’t turn around to let him see my face. Only walked away.

“Watch the stern tonight Wes,” I heard a voice behind me. “I don’t like the look of that ship yonder.”

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