Life at Sea and Destiny: Chapter II
Tempest Greets the Sea
Captain’s heart cites the scriptures, ‘ere he braves his windpipes to the challenge that batters him so, that he bellows fiercely, “The channel grows weary of the northeastern sea and thus strikes a bargain with its western counterpart, tho’ faint echoes ‘em o’er the ramparts, as bellows and boisterous favors the whole outcast that fronts away. “Shall ye call out to the crow’s nest, my captain?” “What for? Feel I naught the winds that press against my flesh, or the pale sky get darker, and the seas abreast be they nippy that sends the ship’s complement to cower in want of privacy, so they do naught be counted as fools. Nay, men! Be sharp and batten down the hatches lest the ship be your watery tomb. Get that fool down from the crow’s nest, whilst we still have fresh eyes to see him. Be certain that every item that is spoken for finds a spot to be well hidden, lest a fool wander about and marketh it his last.” “Aye aye, my Captain. I’ll be certain that your order is carried out, my Captain.”
Death phantoms the rear of the valiant and dares naught face thine ardor’s embrace for the lives of many afeared, embattled, and trampled by armors boast about thine vacant souls that shadows about within thee. Yet, the struggle against the divine and the observed forces is constant, a testament to the gritty spirit. The sea is e’er calm in length’s that arrest mine eyes, a separate voyage amid towering squalls, with tightened sails and a batten down galley, as all hands are on deck, be their best claim to life, so whence the sea claims the ship, it be its only take. A testament of every soul, now takes the time to account and tally their ills and woes, and if there be any truce of ‘em, then their burdens be lifted, and furthered if goods and deeds hast been bestowed upon others, then wealth of heaven be theirs. If neither, acts of contrition must be forthwith, lest their souls be condemned forever.
“Hasten thee, O’ harbinger of the sluggards! Thou hast forsaken thee, leaveth thee to wander amidst thy whimsical ploys. My joyeth teeth flickers defiantly ‘neath the realm of light that cast away thine afflictions. ‘Till the dark ills of despair findeth me, a beleaguered minstrel, ministering to mend thy beholders’ miseries in want of their due, amid a festering pool of thy spilt former names that once hailed thee with reverence. There is no glory in thine hollowed echo—that longs for space yond its own confines whilst favoring a lasting freedom—one that endures. Let ‘em immerse ‘emselves in their fragile existence whilst tethering thy voices to submissive claims of victory that find solace ‘neath their breastplate blanketed abyss. Be as it may, for in this surrender, it will overwhelm the battle’s ebb, gamut a gauntlet where a field of golden wheat once thrived. Let it be known that these former farmers, be matey’s all, Yo, Ho!”
The galley hosts a few crewmen who hast findeth thy way back down the hole of the ship, whether they be safe or naught, matter‘s to ‘em none that wouldst put it to care, for the tossin’ about, make ‘em belly ache, and belch aplenty sordid filth, with the ship’s doctors’ cup runneth over, he seeks out the Captain for dire need. “Captain, sir!” “Doctor, how many of the crewmen have thee?” “Twelve souls have thee, Captain, sir.” “Call ‘em naught souls, until thy passage from thy hands, and unto the Lord’s hands, and till that time be, thine are mines till otherwise. What have of thee?” “Request of thee, sparest thee two crewmen to aid thy services art much too great for any one soul to attend to, Captain, sir.” “Go topside and pull two crewmen to assist thee, and no more, for we’re be short as ‘tis need be.” “Aye aye, Captain, sir, for thee be in thy service. The ship’s chaplain provided services to aid thine assistance, Captain, sir.”
“Where’s my first mate?” “Here, at thy service, my Captain, sir.” “How does my ship stand, speaketh now, and be fair about it?” “Well, two crewmen went down the galley to aid the ship’s doctor, per thine orders, my Captain, sir.” “Aye, ‘twas given. Then fifteen crewmen, along with the ship’s doctor, are down below, and the rest of the crewmen affront topside?” “Aye aye, my Captain, sir, half of the crewmen art crewing the ship, and the other half of the crewmen art bailing the water faster now then earlier as the seas and winds has pushed the ship further south where its calmer.” “Calmer, thee sayeth, for that be enemy territory!” “Aye aye, my Captain, sir, but with the look of the long iron eyes, thou sees’ the French coast, and sees’ no enemy ship afloat!” “Aye, for thine art laxed knoweth that only fools wouldst weathered thy ship poorly, so hoist thine anchors and head home for Spanish shores, French fishing vessels afloat. Waste naught the hour, for Spanish spies afoot on the French coast, so lay anchor, and repair what needs repairing.”
“It’ll take two days ‘ere the Spanish warship sails be seen, so be quick with the repairs, tend to the sick and wounded, get fresh supplies from those French fishing vessels, here is me purse, and gather from thy spoils of what needs ‘tis ship be and dally none to trifles, for necessities art neither to be bargained for, or as a ploy of cards or dice, but true to thy spirit, true to thy word, best importantly, true to thy Captain be, ‘tis thine eyes cast, lest wouldst be, the last thine eyes will e’er see, or the yardarm thy will swing from high, or cast off the plank as a morsel for the sea. Now go marketh haste a tale to keep. Yo ho, to the crow’s nest!”, beckons the Captain. A hollering’ heard, “Aye aye, my Captain, sir!” “Feast thine eyes southwards for sails of Spanish warships, and then about!” “Aye aye, Captain, sir. The storm is breaking up, my Captain, sir. “Aye, we’ll stay anchored till all of our crewmen return.” “Aye aye, Captain, sir!”
Daylight fleeting as the sun seeks to rest its worn-out yellow ball in exchange for its orangey redness now mocking the horizon’s depth. The French coast grows large with curious onlookers, too much for the Captain’s eyes to stomach, along with a loss of light, he orders Wallace to light up a few lanterns and to keep watch as more smaller vessels surround the ship as schools of hordes abound the ship’s underbelly, put on by the ship’s crewmen and the waste that they relieve ‘emselves to the sea, as well as the kitchen’s galley put it off its buckets of slop and other discarded scraps. Crewmen of the ship have joined the French seamen to go fishing ‘emselves. Still, all are aware, be they Englishmen or Frenchmen, or any other countrymen, cast about, that all fish be caught, that thorough cleaning be had of its exteriors, as well as its interior, and well gutted before setting it to blaze, assuring that its consumption wouldst naught be caused from any ailments.
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