Black Sam - Prince of Pirates

Five - THE CEMETERY

 Five-THE CEMETERY

 July 1716

 Sam considered the cemetery to be his sanctuary. He felt calm and peaceful and found it to be a perfect escape from the mundane trappings of a complex world.

 The Wellfleet Cemetery was no exception, and the warm spring sun lured him while making his way to talk with Paulgrave Williams. Paulgrave had revealed a few days earlier that he was bored with the jeweler trade and desired to live a life of adventure. Of course, he'd said these words in a certain state of inebriation, but it had sent Sam’s mind into a whirlwind of thought. He’d not been able to think about much else since. Therefore, he had to see his friend at once.

 Aproaching the cemetery, Sam's thoughts gave way to the memories of his childhood visits to his hometown cemetery. His favorite spot had been among the taller sepulchers and stones that shielded him from view. Lying in the cool grass, he would look up into the sky and construct ships out of the clouds. Of course, he was the captain of the finest one, and he would imagine a mighty battle in which he always came away victorious.

 Sam leaned against the wall of stone surrounding the cemetery and looked up into the sky. There was not a cloud with a distinguishable shape of any sort. He wondered if he had lost the imagination of his youth but decided the problem was weather related.

 Sam could not help noticing that this cemetery was relatively new. There were large pieces of land without headstones or any kind of marker. Several varieties of trees dotted the grass; one in particular bore small white blooms in such abundance, that the ones that had fallen nearly covered the ground just beneath it. He noticed something move under the blanket of white. He kept moving alongside the wall to get a better angle. Someone sat leaning against the tree. A girl wearing a white dress almost completely blended into the white flowers.

 She sat, book in hand, paying attention to nothing else; lost in a different world. Sam appreciated her effort to achieve such solitude but not enough to prevent him from taking a closer look. He approached as fast as he dared without sacrificing too much caution. The intention was to make his presence known by swinging around into her view while still a respectful distance away, as not to give her a start.

 Sam thought he saw the young woman’s eyes move quickly to his then back to the book. He wasn’t sure of it, and now he wondered whether she hadn’t seen him or was ignoring him.

 “A thousand apologies for my rude intrusion.” Sam shifted his weight from one leg to another. “I wouldn’t so easily trespass on one’s location of solace. Particularly one as well picked out and as beautiful as this. But alas, I was compelled by fear and not by selfish design.”

 To Sam’s discouragement, the young woman did not look up, only continued to read. He wasn’t sure what to do; she seemed dead set on ignoring him, and he was not one to stick around where he was not welcome. He turned to leave when the young women sighed heavily. Sam stopped and turned, looking at her brown eyes peering just above the book.

 “And what would a man fear more than a woman interrupted?” she asked.

 A spark of excitement ran up his spine while moving closer. “It’s just that I had never seen anything as white and as pure as when I first laid eyes upon you a moment ago. That was when the fear struck me like a bolt of lightning, for I realized that an angel must have fallen from heaven.”

 The young women lowered the book just enough to get a proper look at him. Sam’s nervousness caused him to divert his eyes. He bent down and picked up one of the numerous flowers that covered the ground. The thought of what he just said made him smile at his own audacity. At last, he looked up at the young woman with a broad smile. “I apologize for my pathetic attempt at flattery.”

 She giggled and lowered her book into her lap. “I’m terribly relieved that you said it, and I didn’t have to.”

 Sam froze beholding her large, brown eyes, full lips, and contagious smile. He looked down at the flowers on the ground and brushed them with his boot. He rolled the small stem of the flower he had picked up back and forth between his index finger and thumb. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face while moving even closer.

 “I’m glad to see that my awkwardness amuses you,” he crouched down and swirled the flowers with his fingers.

 “It was done with such ease that one could think it was rehearsed.”

 “Yes, indeed, and my one goal in life is to look like a fool in front of every beautiful woman I meet.” Sam tossed the flower at her. She flinched as it brushed her cheek, and then landed in her book. She closed it and looked up at Sam, her expression now more playful. She picked up a flower, and with a jerk, she hurled it toward him. He laughed as the projectile fell short and upon opening his eyes, a wall of white pedals slapped him right in the face. Many of the blossoms lodged in his mouth and some stuck in his hair. He spit them out and then looked back at the young woman.

 Her laughter took Sam by surprise. He marveled at how comfortable she seemed with her mouth wide open and her head tilted back. She was beautiful, even in the throes of a good, hard laugh.

 “Nice aim,” Sam said.

 “Yes, next time you should know better who you’re dealing with before you decide to attack.”

 “Next time I will.” Sam brushed himself off. “I’m afraid I have to be going now. But I would like to see you again.”

 The young woman twisted a flower between her fingers. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

 “And why not?”

 “It’s complicated, I just—”

 “I wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t. I’ll see you soon, Miss. Good day.” Sam bowed and walked away. He had no idea how he was going to see her again, having failed at acquiring her acceptance of their next meeting, but he wanted to leave before she could bring her argument to an unacceptable resolution. Having little chance was better than having none.