Ebb Tide: Book 1 of the South Wind Saga

Chapter 2

"You're a lady."

Real sharp one this kid, says Katie. What a smoothie.

"Yeah, and you're a boy. What's your story?"

"Story?"

"Why are you here? Where is your mummy? Your daddy?"

It was sniffles for ten minutes after I did the eye test. I untied him and put him in the corner so he couldn't get out the door. He cried for a bit with his head on his knees, not looking at me, not seeing anything. Skinny little Asian kid. I guess Filipino. Maybe ten years old, maybe eleven but so malnourished you can't tell. Hair a tangled bird's nest. Skin scraped and cut with long weeping infections on his forearms. Legs dappled with old ringworm scars. Dressed in a scrap of denim shorts black with filth.

Kids being kids he comes out of his funk slowly and then all at once. His eyes clearing as nameless terror is replaced by the overwhelming curiosity of a child. He looks up at me as if seeing me for the first time and makes his stunning observation. You're a lady. His English is good, the words tumbling over themselves with the urgency of a brook.

Then I ask the big question where are your parents and he tears up and shakes his head no no no no and its waa waa waa for a bit. Katie shrugs her shoulders, like, don't look at me for advice, you're the nice one.

I pull out some ships biscuit, hard tack we bake on the island, and offer it to him. "Here, kid. You look hungry."

He doesn't raise his eyes, doesn't stop the water works but a hand comes up and he takes the biscuit. He nibbles and, what do you know, suddenly he feels all better again.

"They're gone eh? You here by yourself?"

Nods.

"What have you been eating?"

"Tins."

Katie perks up. That's good news.

"You have many tins?"

"Plenty tins."

"Anyone else on this ship?"

"No one."

"What's your name?"

"Blong Blong."

"Okay. My name is Matai. My friends call me Matty. Do you want to call me Matty?"

He wrinkles his nose. Like he just stepped in something. "Matai? What sort of name is this?"

What sort of name is Blong Blong, retorts Katie.

"It means south wind. It comes from an island named Tahiti. I'm a sailor. I use the wind to go places. You know what I mean?"

He nods, like, no lady I have no idea what you're talking about but you're giving me biscuit so I'll keep you happy.

"Did you come on this ship?"

"Yes."

I want to ask him what happened here, where are the others, why is there only you, but figure we could do without the tears for a while so I let him eat his biscuit and get comfortable. He finishes it off, licking the crumbs from his fingers and then cocks his head to the side as if listening. Cries of sea birds and a tortured grinding filling the bowels of the ship as the tide spills through warped steel plates and stirs cargo and flotsam and jetsam in the deeper reaches of the hold.

"I sleep in crew deck. Pale King said no, not allowed up here Blong Blong but he gone okay I sleep there now. Dark down in big places. Plenty things but no light. Big holes, Blong Blong falls and no go back. We go, yes? You got flashlight, you take Blong Blong, get more things and good foods we eat lots yes?"