Jack: Book 3 in the Trilogy

War is Hell Part 37

Maurice, Andrew, Jack and I took turns standing watch that dark night - Jack and I took the first shift with Jack at the bow and me at the stern. We were two hours on, two off. Jack approached me at one point, saying, "Man I can't believe all this shit is happenin'. It's like everythin' feels out of control."

"That's because you had command of the ship and everyone on it for the past few months and now - it's Pendleton's game," I said.

"No moron! That's not why! It's just that there's  so many things we need to be a'worryin' about now and mostly it's those damn girlies that we should have left in Kingston if we had any sense!" Jack asserted.

"No Jack, we did the right thing," I said. "We just need to adjust to a new style of life, that's all."

"Well moron, that's the damn problem, isn't it? I don't want to adjust to no new damn life or any style that I don't like or agree with," said Jack.

"But you have been calling all the shots," I said. "You can't complain now!"

"I can do whatever the hell I want," Jack said. "After all, I ain't a'marrying no-one and I don't think I want to think 'bout it neither and I just know that's a'gonna be their next move - they won't leave us be 'til they get what they are after, and that is to get us hitched, hook, line and sinker! I ain't a'gonna do it no matter what."

"Oh come on Jack, married life might do you some good!" I teased.

"Now what possible good could come of me a'gettin' married, idiot?" he said, getting annoyed now.

"You'll be able to wake up in the morning smiling with your honey right next to you waiting to cook your breakfast and maybe read to you from a good book," I said, pushing my teasing a little more.

"Man, and then I'll be more a slave than any of the darkies we done freed, I tell you I'm not up to this hogwash - I don't need it and don't want it!" Jack said, his face reddening. 

"But what do you need to do so that you got to have all this freedom?" I said.

"Moron, you don't get it. What have we been a'talkin' 'bout for a hundred years now? A war is a'comin' and nothin'll stop me from a'bein' a part of it! Nothin'!" he said. "You think I'm a'gonna drag some girlie-girl into battle with me? Man you gotta get your priorities straight and tell them the way it has to  be!"

"And what way is that, Jack?" I said.

"Simple. We leave them here in Charleston and do two things: Start runnin' guns into Charleston now a'sneakin' in at night with Pendleton  just the way we did last night. And two, we join the army - it'll be a new southern army - when the war starts. Man it is a'comin' and we need to be prepared to do our duty for the south - remember how Whittemore said secession is a'comin' and Charleston will be first to break away from the country to make its own country? We'll have to defend that country as sure as we are a'standin' here right now. War is a'comin' and we don't need no wives or girlfriends or anythin' to hold us down. We've gotta be free, pal!"

"Man, why does life always have to be this great drama with you? You need to settle for a while. That's why Mauricia would be so good for you," I said.

"Good for me? I can't stand bein' chained up. I hate it! And I won't have it! You said we'd go off to war if it came. Well, it's almost here, sonny boy? So what are you going to do 'bout it?" Jack said.

"Well, if South Carolina is attacked, then I'll fight. But I ain't volunteering for the army unless that happens," I said.

"But I thought we would do blockade-runnin' before the war comes?" Jack said.

"Well, maybe I might go for that! But Pendleton is going to have to do some fast talking with his ship's owners before that is possible," I said.

"Then you'll come with me and the captain to run guns into the harbor if the company agrees?" Jack said.

"Look Jack, I'm not promising anything right now. We just got back from a major disruption in our lives and I need to rest and think about things and live a little bit," I said.

"Sonny boy, we have been a'livin' and way more than a little bit. We been livin' the dream and now you want to just lie down and go to sleep. Com'on! It was always me and you. Always together. We can't separate now just cuz we got distracted by a couple of pretty faces," Jack said.

"Pretty faces? They are so much more than that! Are you ready to just forget them once you've helped them get here. Don't you get it? They didn't come here for themselves. They came here for us and they could get into real trouble here because being free black Jamaican women doesn't mean anything to a slave catcher looking to make a pot of gold! Jack, they took a big risk coming here."

"That's their tough luck. War is hell man and hell is a'comin' and we gotta do the right thing and that is to fight for our country when that time comes!" Jack said. "Now shut-up and go back to your station before I really get mad!"

"I'm at my station friend! Why don't you get the back to yours!" I said, nearly ready to punch him in the face if he decided to start anything.