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Honey Girl

Seeing sails was always something I enjoyed ever since I was a little girl. I would watch my father from the docks as he shipped out to sea and wouldn’t leave until the sails were full and the ship was out of sight. He never stayed at port long and spent much of his time on the Ocean. I always tried to go with him, but he would only laugh and pat me on the head and say, “Sorry little girlie, ye be a jinx ‘en me ship if ye be a comin along. To me gang plank with ye and close the door.” I so much wanted to go with him, but females of any age were considered a curse amongst the men of the sea.
As I grew I spent most of the time at the docks watching and learning how to operate the big ships. Everyone thought of this little tom-boy to be a curse upon them, but deep down in their hearts I could see that they really enjoyed my company. When I wasn’t at the docks , I had built my own little ship in the back yard. My friends, who thought I was strange, would come over and play in the a boat. We would pretend that we were hunting pirates, not a normal girls dream I suppose. Mom always thought me to be silly and said I was a daddy’s girl.
At the age of eleven a man with a peg for a leg and patch over the right eye delivered news of my fathers death. He said he fought valiantly in battle and left father’s personal belongings. His cutlass sword caught my eye along with his French style hat. I begged my mother for them, but she said a women’s place was in the home, not on the sea.
A few years later my mother married another man. He was a fighter, brawler if you will, who liked to scrap in the pit fights at the warehouses. We didn’t get along at first. It wasn’t until one day when we were horsing around that I decided to except him in the family. He had made a promise that I would learn to fight if I treated him with a little respect. For this I couldn’t refuse. We trained hard everyday and I even taught him how to read and write as well as how to handle himself on a boat. We grew into a great friendship.
Finally womanhood had come to me at sixteen and many men wanted to court me. I had refused all for my love fell with being on the sea. I even promised that the first one to take me to the sea, marry him I would, but none offered. I knew no man was going to let a woman aboard a ship.
I decided at age seventeen I was going to find a way to sail on the sea, so I cut my long hair and bound myself up to look like a man, then joined the navy. Training wasn’t to hard, nothing I hadn’t already done and it seemed that I knew more about piloting a ship than the rest of the trainees. My captain had said I was like a baby sea turtle who knew my way back to the sea. I quickly gained in rank and finally got my chance to board a sea fairing vessel.
My first voyage would be on the ‘Clipse’, a battle worn vessel that still held strong. She was the third largest ship built with large wonderful sails. I spent two years aboard this ship hunting down whalers and pirates. We had many battles and with each I moved up the chain of command until I was first mate. I was even transferred over to ‘Spider Wind’, a smaller ship with lot’s of fire power. She was faster than any other ship and outgunned most two to one. I knew I had found my home.
Late at night, I liked to walk aboard the deck and see the silhouette of the ship rippling on the waters dancing surface under the magical moonlight. On breezy nights I would stand on the stern to catch the wind in my face. I don’t think anybody enjoyed this kinda life more than I. I looked forward to the day I would command my own ship.
One stormy night we were sailing to intercept the Red pirates of Miashea went out of nowhere cannon fire erupted. With each flash of lightning and crack of thunder a piece of our ship was blown away. We had no target or defense for we could not see our attacker. We were cut to pieces in moments and our ship was to sink. I thought my dreams would go down with it. Many lost their lives in an instant and the others died slowly. The storm kept on for three nights before it broke and I managed to remaining alive afloat a scrap of what was left.
I floated for what seemed like days starving an thirsting for something other than salt. I felt my death coming to me slowly. My head went delusional and everything I tried to look at was like a hazy blur, even the large shape approaching me could not be made out. I was so weak, not a muscle would move or a sound came out. I could feel myself being carried up a ladder but everything after that was dark.
I was told later that I slept for five days. The men of the ship I was now aboard could not believe that the navy would permit a women aboard ship and that had to be their down fall. I assured them that I served for many years with the navy before this defeat that had befallen me. This didn’t go well with them and they had prepared the plank for me, but first I would speak with the captain.
When I was taken to the captain, I was laughed at and pushed around. The men seemed to be in good spirits while they groped and pinched on me. For a brief moment I was glad to be in the captains cabin and on the other hand I was terrified. When he walked in I recognized him as my stepfather. Neither one of us could believe that we would find each other again, but we did. The years I had been away from home had not been kind to my stepfather. He told me of how the town was attacked by our neighboring country and how the survivors of the town escaped to the sea. They were misjudged by the navy as pirates and so they decided to make a life of piracy since they wouldn’t be excepted by their own people. My mother died in the attack, skewered through the heart with a sword.
We talked for hours about the time passed since I had left home. I was so happy to talk with someone I was familiar with especially since he was my best friend, mentor, and step father. We shared a love no other could identify between the two of us. By the end of the conversation he had presented me with my fathers cutlass sword and hiss French style hat. I was also welcomed among the crew with a warning to them that anyone touching me would be walking the plank with their hand cut off.
This ship I was on was called the Black Kipper, great little ship with lot’s of fire power. After awhile it felt so wonderful to be with the crew and my stepfather on the open sea. We sailed further than any navy ship ever had before and I found being a pirate made being on the ocean a whole lot more interesting. We weren’t burdened with rules or regulations and could sail free as we wanted. The pirates code held tighter than any law that I had ever heard of.
We could chase after smaller transport and merchant ships to raid them of their goods and riches. For the most part, we couldn’t harm anyone without just cause and most wouldn’t put up a fight. After pushing off we rendezvous with another ship connected to our trade and drop off what we didn’t need. Our real problem was when we had to face off with a navy ship. In these cases if we couldn’t outrun the ship we would have to fight. With me aboard we had on advantage for I knew the navy’s tactics. Even though sometimes it seemed we took the worst of a battle, we never lost a fight or was sunk to the bottom of the sea. I spent many years within my new found home and almost was saddened the day I would have to leave.
One day weeks after gathering loot from our neighboring ships we were sailing the high sea when an island came into view. It wasn’t a very big island, but did have everything one needed to survive on. On the west side was a large mountain spiraling into the center at a slope. Tall, lovely, green and yellow trees encircled the island all, but the welcoming warm sand of the beach around the island. I estimated that the island was just under a mile across. Birds swarmed around the island and the most unnatural thing about it was a mystical, glistening waterfall coming from high atop the mountain peak tumbling to the rocks below intermingling with the ocean. Truly a wonderful site for one to see.
My step father guided our ship to the front of the water fall and dropped anchor. Some of the crew lowered one of our row boats and I was blind folded and pushed over to the edge of the ship. I protested this, but they insisted and guaranteed me I would enjoy this little game. I decided to go with it. I was placed in the row boat and told to start rowing. I got a little ways out when I heard from the ship, “ye take the fold off me matie.” When I did, I saw the ship sailing away. My step father was pointing to the water fall and yelling, “Go to the waterfall and see. Bye luv. Seeya around the high sea daughter.”
At first my heart started to jump. I couldn’t believe the crew and my stepfather would leave me here, by my self. Then fear entered my mind. What would I do, where would I go. I felt an anxiety attack starting up. I turned the row boat around and was rowing as fast as I could towards the ship, but I could not keep up. The last thing I heard from the distant was, “Turn ye around. It’s o.k.” With tears in my eyes and panic in my body I turned around. As I rowed back, I noticed my foot chest from my bunk, my fathers hat and sword, and my bed rolls lying under a tarp in the front of the row boat. I knew I had been abandoned.
As I approached the waterfall, I could see an large opening behind the water and through the over spray. It was huge, big enough to fit a ship in. I couldn’t believe the size of it and how well hidden the cavern was. One would not think to get this close to the island due to the rocks and the best place for beaching was on the east shore. The thing that puzzled me was why my stepfather pointed to the cave and why did they leave me. I guess I would find out soon.
I towed into the mist of the waterfall until I was showered with warm water. I couldn’t believe how warm the water was as it poured over me. After I passed through the cavern entrance I saw it was lit with florescent lights shining from the hues in the water from the light shinning through. Truly lovely, I thought to myself, I was mesmerized by the dancing lights. I lost myself to thoughts of my past voyages as I continued forward.
I had visions of my childhood how my father would step through the door with his big floppy hat and sword and how my stepfather would smile after I socked him in the chest. I remember all the close calls of being discouraged while in the service of the navy and the smoke from the cannons while being with the pirates. I had lost myself so much to my thoughts that I didn’t realize how far I had rowed until my boat bumped into something.
I quickly cleared my mind and shock myself back from any dayvo to realize I had rammed into a ship. I pulled myself around until I found a ladder, then climbed up What was a ship doing in here?
Once I stepped on board, I started noticing parts of the ship. I had seen them from somewhere. I remember the naked mermaid with perfect craftsmanship off the stern, the large furrowing yellow sails, the skull and cross bones wheel and many, many more things aboard the ship. The memories of the past came to me for I was on my fathers ship. I walked along the rail, then ran the musty air as I walked to the captains cabin. The door had the markings of my father on it, with the sharp edge of his sword, Captain Ster Hawk engraved on the door. I opened the door and walked in to see a picture of me as a little girl hanging on the wall opposing the door. My mother was o the right and he himself on the left wearing his French hat and sword. In the center of the room was his log book.
I walked over and opened the log. The first page was a deed in my name granting me ownership of the island and ship. I also found a treasure map saying, “My dear little one, stick ye neck over the tern and see what there is to loot. Father, took care of ye like ye promised. Love ye.” I followed the map and directions until I walked to the stern of the ship. I peeked my head over like the note had said and to my amazement, there was treasure. More treasure than one could dream of. I ran over to the ladder, climbed down into the row boat, and towed to the small shore within the cavern at the back of the ship. I saw five well crafted treasure chests and three piles of assorted odd and end treasure as high as I.
I was amazed at how much there was, truly a pirates dream come true. The piles had antiques and valuable type furniture, cases, tapestries and such. The chests were filled with fine crafted jewelry, gold, silver, and gems richer then any man’s heart. I dabbled and played in the treasure like a little girl playing dress up. After awhile, I gathered up a small bit, what I could wear and place in my pockets, then I turned to leave and there it was!
In big red letters was the name “Honey Girl,” a name my father had called me when I was a little girl. My father had always said that I was a girl as sweet as honey. My heart throbbed for my father and I realized just how much I missed and loved him. I was daddy’s little girl that was for sure. My emotions took over my body for I fell to my knees and with my hands covering my face, wept for hours. My father had fulfilled his promise.
Over the next two weeks, I discouraged a cabin and my fathers burial sight. I gathered many fruits and vegetables and placed them on the ship. I had found a lever that by what I could tell, released the ship to the sea and I intended on using it to leave since I had no other choice.
I made very sure that I had enough supplies to make the three week trip to the closest port. I worked hard preparing myself for the trip, I even had to rig the ship so I could pilot it alone until I could hire a crew. Finally, the day had come for me to set sail as my own Captain. I tied a rope to the release lever then boarded the ship. Once aboard the ship, I pulled on the rope and the lever dropped down.
It was astonishing how my father had rigged the boat. Water started flowing, pushing the ship out of the cave. The sails rose high in the sky and the wheel locked so the ship would guide its self out without hitting the walls or rocks outside. Was outside and beyond the danger of hitting rocks, the wheel unlocked and I could take control.
Like a dream, the wind picked up and I steered the ship towards the sunset. With a beautiful orange and purple sky, calm waters, and a slight wind. I smiled and thanked my father for the dream to be and continue. My ship would disappear sailing the ocean into nightfall leaving water ripples behind and everyone to see my fathers ship, the “Honey girl” gone with the sun.