The Silent Siren

Chapter 4

Six years had passed since Amanda had run away from home, and she was now fourteen. The kind sailors had taken her in as one of their own, and had given her work on the ship. She loved everything about the ship. She loved the way the wood was covered in so much dirt at the end of the day that you could draw in it, and she loved how in the mornings it was so clean you could see your reflection. She loved how clearly you could see the sunset on cloudless nights out at sea. Most of all, though, she loved the crew like her family.

           

‘Of course, they might not be so kind if they found out what my mother was,’ she often thought to herself.

           

As the captain shouted out to her on that cold autumn morning, he broke her concentration. “Mop the deck, Amanda. Now! Stop daydreaming like a silly little GIRL!”

           

“Hey, in case you haven’t noticed, I AM a girl.” she retorted before walking over to the deck. Amanda was really a character. One day she would be all quiet and polite, and the next she would be quite outgoing, cracking jokes all day when she was supposed to be working, and distracting the other crewmembers from their work, although they loved her anyway, as if she was one of the “family.”

           

“Please, Amanda,” the captain sighed, “Just clean it already. I don’t want you to be out after sunset again.” Lately, Amanda had been out after sunset each night with her work. Each crewmember was given a set of tasks at the beginning of the day, and the rules were that you would have to stay out until everything was finished. Often, her best friend Jeremy would come out to help her if he was already finished with his own work. Little did the captain know that Amanda’s work was always done earlier than it seemed. With Jeremy’s help, she would always get her work done about fifteen minutes before sunset. Each night when Amanda’s work was complete, Amanda and Jeremy would watch the sunset together until long after dusk, sharing secrets and memories from their distant pasts. Amanda and Jeremy would trust each other with their lives.
           

“Yes, sir, Captain Joyce,” Amanda saluted before bursting out laughing.

           

“Now I know why most girls aren’t sailors.” the captain joked back as he walked over to the wheel.

When she was done cracking up, Amanda ran over to the supply closet, grabbed the mop, and started cleaning the deck until it was sparkling.

            “Pretty soon we’ll be rounding the Jersey Shore,” Captain Joyce shouted to the crew over the roar of bellowing men, “We have three weeks down in Jersey before we have to be back on the ship and off again, so use your time wisely.”

           

An hour or so later, the ship was being docked, and one by one, the men were getting off and splashing in the water like little children.

           

“What are you guys DOING??” Amanda giggled. After all these years as one of the crew, her shipmates were like her brothers. She could trust most of them with anything. Except for one thing.

           

“Cleaning off!” Jeremy, who was not more than a couple years older than her, and, of course, her best friend in the entire world, shouted back from one of the deeper parts of the water, “We haven’t washed in months!”

           

“Good point,” responded Amanda, pondering his words before cannonball in, clothing and all.