A small village, 1600s, Summer
The young boy ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding and sweat pouring down his face. Despite all that, he had a smile on his face.
The towns folk simply rolled their eyes as he raced by, knocking over food stands and bumping into people on his way.
The boy's name was Bill. He had bright blond hair, was short and had soft brown eyes. He was a smart kid, at least for the age of seven and nothing seemed to dampen his spirit. He had a brother named Lewis and his mother worked all the time. His father was always out at sea and Bill never knew why. In fact, this is where the story starts.
Bill ran out of town and made his way to the sea. There, a boat was docked and men were getting out, hauling cargo after them.
"Father!" Bill yelled, a little breathlessly. His natural smile was plastered across his face. A man in his early forties looked up. A weary smile came to his face. He stepped off the boat, taking a box with him. "Hey, Billy."
Bill raced up and grabbed his dad just below the waist. His father was a giant of a man. He had bright red hair and a just as vibrant beard to match. He picked up Bill from under the armpits and lifted his son in the air, earning a giggle from the seven year old. "How long was I gone this time?"
"Eight months, three days, six hours and eleven seconds," Bill said as his father put him down."
His father smirked. "I wonder where you got that big brain of yours."
Bill shrugged. "So are you here to stay this time?" He asked hopefully.
"Eh," his father said sadly. "Not this time, son. They're shipping me off again in two week."
That was the answer Bill was expecting. He tried not to let his disappointment show, however. "That's okay," he said, trying to stay optimistic. "At least we have two weeks."
"Ey, lad," his dad said. "So, you've been taking care of your mother like I asked?"
Bill's smile returned. "Yup. I make sure the house is clean, the animals are fed, and I'm even teaching Lewis how to read."
"That's my boy," his father said, ruffling the boy's almost unnaturally blond hair. And with that, they started on their journey home.
After a few minutes of silence, Bill gathered up the courage to ask his father the question he'd wanted to ask for years. "Father, when will I be allowed to sail with you?"
"Ha!" His father's booming laugh came that made him wince. "Sailing's for men that don't know how to do nothing else. You're too smart for that. We'll need you to be a professor, or a scholar. Any sailor would give up everything to have your brains, son."
"B-but what if I want to be a sailor?" Bill asked.
Bill's father stopped and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I guess I haven't been very clear of what a sailing life is like, have I?"
"Father?" Bill asked.
"Sailing is dangerous and heartbreaking," his father said. "You could get lost at sea or lose someone else. You never get to be home and you wouldn't know if one of your family members died."
Bill looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry father. I did not mean to upset you."
His father took a deep breath. He put a hand on his son's shoulder. "It's all right. I'm sorry. I just...don't want you to end up like me. You've got so much greatness in you." He wrapped Bill in a hug. "And I want you to know that I'm proud of you."
A smile found its way to Bill's lips. "R-really?"
His father smiled, holding the small boy at arm's length. "You're gonna do big things one day. And whatever you chose to do, I'll be happy for you. Just, remember how lucky you are and cherish the gifts that you are given."
Bill nodded. "I won't let you down, father."
"I know you won't," Bill's dad said. "You never have." He wrapped one arm around the boy. "Now, let's get home. I'm starving."
Bill was hardly thinking about food at the moment. I'm proud of you. Those four words, coming from his father at least, were worth more than...well, anything! He felt this warm feeling build up inside of him. From this moment on, I'm gonna keep making Father proud, no matter what!
~theshipper101~
Cheesy?
Short?
Yes, yes, but hopefully this will get better in future chapters
And I'm just giving this a try. I'm no good at writing in third person pov, so if it changes to first person, its just because I gave up
And if this isnt working, I am going to delete it, so yeah, I'll try to keep it going.
