Pirate By Blood

Chapter 2: Life Story

CHAPTER 2

Life Story

Maleen remembered so clearly what had happened. She had remembered that moment because it was so special to her. She had treasured it, like she had done with her locket and wooden box.

            She had woken one summer morning to her father leaning over her bed and stroking her hair away from her face. Maleen had smiled at him when he said good morning and held the hand that had been brushing back her hair. She remembered playing with his fingers – and the green jewelled ring that she had given him.

            Maleen had found the ring at the market and it hadn’t been very expensive so had given the man at the stall a shilling. The shilling had been a gift off her mother because she had been good earlier that week and Maleen had decided to buy the pretty ring when she was out for a walk on her own. She knew her father would love it – he was very interested in things like this.

            Maleen had then climbed out of the covers and given her father a big hug. It was then that he told her the news.

            “Maleen,” he had began, coming out of the hug to look her directly into her eyes. Maleen loved looking at her father’s eyes – they were a lovely dark brown colour and sparkled just like hers, “I’m going to go on a trip for a little while.”

            “Why?” Maleen had asked, “Can I come with you? With mother?”

            “No, sorry sweetheart, but I’m going alone on this trip; like the others.”

            “Won’t you be lonely?”

            “No, my friends will be with me. I’m going on a ship, and they’re going to help me look after it.”

            “But...I want to come...why do you have to go?”

            “You can’t come. Sorry, Maleen, but I have to go on my own.”

            Maleen had frowned at this point. She stuck out her bottom lip and pulled down her eyebrows into her best sulky-face.

            “I won’t be long, I promise,” Her father said, touching Maleen’s nose lightly with his index finger, making her smile slightly, “It will be like when I sail around on my ship for my job – sending the cargo to different countries. You don’t mind when I do that.”

            “But what are you going away for this time?” Maleen asked, “If it isn’t your job?”

            “Well...I just have a job that I think needs to be done; that’s all that you need to know. It will change my life, and yours. It’s going to be a good thing.”

            “Do you promise?”

            “Of course,” her father smiled, linking his little finger with hers like they always did when they made a promise, “I promise.”

            “And I promise to be good and look after mother, like you always tell me to when you go away,” Maleen said.

            Her father had smiled.

            “I know you will,” he said.

            Maleen had smiled, then her father had said goodbye to her, kissed her on the forehead and went downstairs to say goodbye to mother properly. Then, in the afternoon they had all gone down to the dock and waved goodbye to him. He had looked sad as he waved – like he was smiling just to make everybody else happy. Maleen could tell that something was wrong, but he didn’t answer her when she asked him. His smile had faded and Maleen had noticed his eyes begin to shine – just a little – then he had turned his back on them, concentrating on the sea before him. And that had been the last Maleen had seen of her father...