Genre: Fiction

Subject: The Power of Love

Nation-X

History Holds Surprises

by Bridget May

CHAPTER 1: A Change of Plans

Mark Porter’s phone was ringing as he left work one evening. It was his Aunt Judy, and Mark happily took the call.

“Hi Aunt Judy!” He exclaimed, “what a pleasant surprise!”

Judy was his mom’s younger sister and used to babysit for Mark and Mika when they were little; Mark had always loved it when she came over. She was only nine years older than him and would teach them games she had made up, tell them stories, and make hot chocolate.

Judy laughed, “Hi Mark! And how’s my favorite nephew today?”

It was Mark’s turn to laugh, “I know for a fact you say that to Mika as well.” He tried to sound offended, but he knew it was not working.

In the last couple of years, it was his turn to babysit Judy and her husband Jason’s little girl, Becky. She and Mark got on very well, and he would tell her stories, make hot chocolate, and play games the way her mom had done for Mark when he was Becky’s age.

“Well, Mark, I’m stuck.” Judy sounded tired. “I need your help if you can.”

“Sure, what’s up?” Mark was concerned, “Is everything OK?”

“Oh yes,” Judy reassured him, “Jason is working late tonight on an emergency job at the hospital, and I am going out to a retirement dinner in honor of Agnes Walton, our 65-year-old capybara receptionist who is retiring next week. She’s worked with the company for twenty-five years; I confirmed weeks ago. I have to go.” Judy stopped for a breath. “Can you come and hang out with Becky until he gets home?” She paused, “it should only be for a few hours at the most. I can give you some money, and I’ll buy dinner for you and Becky….” Judy stopped again. It sounded like she was holding her breath.

“Of course, I can do it! You don’t have to pay me. Dinner is fine.” he replied graciously. Judy let out an audible sigh of relief.

“I’m just leaving work now; I can be there in about twenty minutes, OK, Aunt Judy?”

“Yes!” she answered, sounding suddenly elated. “That’s great! Thank you, Mark! You’re a lifesaver!”

Mark continued to his car and headed over to Judy and Jason’s house. He arrived precisely twenty minutes later. “Perfect,” he muttered to himself.

He walked up to the front door, but before he could knock, the door swung wide open, and there was a flurry of color as Becky came rushing out and grabbed Mark in a hug around the middle. “Hi Mark!” she said excitedly, “let’s get pizza for dinner!”

He saw Judy in the entranceway, “good grief Becky, let him get inside!” She looked at Mark, “thank you, Mark, come in, make yourself at home.” Mark laughed. She hugged him as he came into the house, dragged down the hall by Becky. She had his hand and was excitedly chattering about a new TV show she had started watching.

“You don’t have to have pizza, you know. I told Becky that it was your choice and not hers.” She laughed. She knew better than anyone that Becky usually got what she wanted when her mind was set on something.

“It’s OK,” Mark replied, “I love pizza!”

Becky guided Mark into the living room. “You have to finish telling me about the pirates!” Becky was excited. Mark had been telling her about the history of pirates in Nation-X. Becky could not wait to see Mark again so he could tell her more about them! She never knew if the stories were true or not; each story was so fantastic, she loved them all.

Last time, he told her the story of a sailor that ran away at 12 years old to join the Merchant Navy.

His name was Phineas Packwood. He left to become a rum-runner and then a pirate. He was 30 years old, parrot. Apparently, he had been one of the fastest rum-runners in his day, which eventually branched out into stealing from all various traders who sailed the waters around the south and east of Nation-X.

Becky had also loved the story about the locals in the port towns who protected the pirates when they came to town. After all, you can’t spend all that booty at sea! Because of the pirate ships stopping in port cities, the communities stayed profitable for everyone.

There were rumors of some pirates marrying and leaving the pirate life behind, merging into decent society with their money and plundered finery, and financing new towns. It turned out not every pirate wanted to grow old and die at sea, and some of them used piracy as a short-term profession to become rich and join society on their terms.

Once they had ordered the pizza, Becky could hardly wait, “What’s the story tonight, Mark?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment, “tonight, we are up to the love story part.”

Becky squirmed, “Oh yuck. I don’t want to hear about some cringy love story.” She gave him an indignant look.

Mark laughed, “it’s OK, and there’s no kissing or anything.” He patted her on the hand reassuringly. “Promise.”

“OK,” Becky replied, “let’s hear it….”

They got comfortable at the dining room table. Becky leaned in, resting her face on her hands.

“Well, it all started one night when Phineas and the crew were becalmed off the coast of Skull Island,”

“Wait. What’s becalmed?” Becky interrupted.

“It’s when there is no wind, and the sea is flat and still,”

“Wouldn’t they just use the engine?” Becky asked.

“There were no engines. These were sailboats, remember,” Mark replied,

“Huh,” said Becky. She had not thought of sailing at night before. But then she remembered the story of how they navigated by the stars and realized that was at night. Becky giggled to herself.

“Anyway,” Mark continued, “it was a very still and quiet night on the sea, the ocean was flat and still, the moon was brilliantly full, and the stars were very bright, the sea was almost like a mirror. All the crew were asleep below deck; there was not even a whisper of a breeze. Phineas liked night watch on nights like this. It felt like they were floating in the sky, the ship suspended in the middle of the still sea, and the quiet sky.”

“I already want to stay and hear this one!” Judy interrupted from the doorway with a laugh. Mark always told great stories. “I’m heading out,” Becky jumped up and ran to hug her mother, “goodbye, Becky, Dad should be home in a couple of hours, so be good for Mark.” Judy addressed Mark, “thank you again, Mark, I appreciate it.”

“Don’t worry about it, Aunt Judy. I enjoy hanging out with Becky, and she loves hearing about the pirates as much as I love learning about them!” Mark has been a Nation-X pirate history fan since he was a boy. He smiled at his Aunt. “Have a good night. You look great!”

Judy blew them both kisses and stopped to grab her coat on the way out. “Call me if you need anything!”

The pizza delivery vehicle pulled in as Aunt Judy pulled out of the driveway. “Perfect timing!” Mark exclaimed as he took the pizza and paid the driver. They sat down to eat; Becky encouraged Mark to continue.

“Oh yes, where were we?”

“The becalmed night and the ship is floating in the middle of the sky and sea. ” Becky reminded him.

“Of course,” Mark winked at her as he put down his slice of pizza.

CHAPTER 2: Henry’s Plan

“That night, Phineas was on duty with Henry Catterson, 28-year-old Maine Coon cat. They were old friends and had known each other from Phineas’s rum-running days.

As they sat on top of the wheelhouse looking out to sea, they talked about navigating the river mouth before heading up to the deepest part of the tributary to the port at Green City. Henry hoped they wouldn’t be stuck drifting with the tides for too long, he had a young lady waiting for him, and he was anxious to see her again. Phineas recalled that Henry was always eager to get to Green City to see someone. Phineas didn’t think it was a good idea to become attached to anyone, considering they were only ever in port for a few days at a time. He didn’t say that to Henry, though.

‘I’m going to get off the boat and stay on land this time,’ Henry admitted to Phineas, ‘my heart’s not really in it anymore, and I’ve made myself a small fortune. I’m going to retire from the sea and become a landlubber.’ Henry looked thoughtful, then quickly added, ‘don’t tell anyone, though.’

Phineas was surprised. Henry had never expressed interest in staying on land before. ‘Wow, really? Give this all up for what, one of your girls?’ Phineas asked incredulously.

Henry sighed. ‘No, there’s only ever been just one girl.’ He took a deep breath in. Phineas was staring at him, his mouth open. ‘What? Only one?’

‘I’m getting too old for all this pirate stuff,’ Henry admitted. ‘How many old pirates do we know? They all get killed at sea or get caught and killed, and the bodies hung as a warning to others, or jailed for the rest of their lives -if they’re lucky-, or drink themselves to death, or go down with the ship.’ Phineas murmured in agreement; he had a point.

Henry continued, ‘but there is another option; I’ve heard that some quietly leave their ships, blend into decent society with their riches, and have families.’ Phineas remained silent. Henry went on, ‘not many, though. But think about it, you can’t spend your money on the ocean.’

Phineas nodded, ‘so what do you mean just one girl? Why didn’t you ever tell me? I thought we were friends?’

Henry sighed again. ‘Matilda is her name 27-years-old Maine coon cat, and she’s, going to be my wife.’ Henry was still looking out at the mirror effect on the sea. Phineas could see Henry watching him out of the corner of his almond-shaped eye.

‘Wife?’ Phineas squeaked.

‘Yup,’ Henry replied.

‘Wow, I don’t know what to say,’ Phineas said quietly, ‘Huh, good for you.’

Neither of them spoke for a long time, lost in their thoughts. Content to listen to the creaking of the boat and the quiet rumble of snoring from below the deck. Occasionally they would hear the splash of a fish jumping.

Eventually, Phineas turned to Henry. He had so many questions. ‘How did you do it? How long have you been with her? Is she the girl you were always excited to see every time we came to Green City? You’re so sly! This is crazy!’ he laughed.

Henry chuckled in return, ‘almost two years. I met her at the Milliner’s when I had my hat made after we stole the cargo of gold and silver coins.’

Phineas chuckled at the memory too. They had been fortunate on that heist. Each crew member had made in just a few hours more than an honest seaman would have made in five years. Many of the crew had gone on spending sprees, buying themselves fine clothes and hats and squandering it on women and alcohol. Some of them had been wise and hidden their share somewhere on land. That was what Phineas had done. He never told anybody that he’d done that, though.”

Mark got up from the table and closed the pizza box, and he started clearing their mess from the table. “Hey!” protested Becky, “Keep going with the story! What happened next?” She demanded indignantly.

Mark laughed, “Help me clean up this mess, and we can sit in the living room where it’s more comfortable.”

She reluctantly agreed and got up from the table, too, “pirates kept a lot of secrets, didn’t they? I mean, Henry not even telling Phineas he had met a girl, and Phineas not telling anyone about his hidden treasure.”

“Yes,” Mark agreed, “but if you were a pirate, would you tell anyone about either of those things? I know I wouldn’t.”

Becky looked thoughtful, “I suppose I wouldn’t either. Especially where my treasure was, someone might steal it.”

Mark nodded. They disposed of the trash and settled on the oversized blue comfortable couch.

“OK, Mark,” Becky got comfy, “Henry is leaving the pirate life for Matilda. What does Phineas say?”

“Well, after he got over the shock of Henry announcing that he was getting married and leaving the ship, Phineas didn’t know how to feel. He had also accumulated a lot of treasure and occasionally wondered if he would stay at sea for the rest of his life.

Henry broke into his thoughts, ‘I’m going to buy a tavern and some land on the other side of Green City in the country. Matilda and I will live upstairs and run the tavern ourselves.’ Henry paused, ‘I could do with a partner,’ he added hopefully.

Phineas looked at him, ‘I don’t know, Henry, I need to think about this for a while. I always just presumed I would die at sea.’

Just then, there was a commotion from below deck. It sounded like someone falling heavily. They could hear yelling and the sounds of general mayhem. Scooter, a 15-year-old raccoon, the young deckhand who had joined the ship a few months ago, came running up as they were heading towards the sounds. He was wide-eyed and breathless. ‘Come quickly. It’s Hugo! He got up and said he couldn’t breathe, then he clutched his chest and fell on the deck, and he’s not waking up!’

Phineas and Henry followed Scooter below deck to the crew’s quarters. They made their way through the hammocks to where they could see Hugo’s lifeless form on the floor. There was enough light from the moon seeping through the cracks and portholes to see quite clearly. Henry and Phineas approached; they could see he was dead. Hugo, close to 50 years old, coon hound dog, had been a pirate forever; nobody knew how old he was. He had an affection for drinking, and even Phineas remembered him from when he was rum-running several years ago. Hugo had been a definite pirate fixture for a long time. He knew every tavern keeper in every port town they went to.

Phineas told Scooter to run up and wake up Captain Jimmy, 33 years old, giant otter, which he did. They were back in no time.

Captain Jimmy kneeled next to Hugo; he put his head to Hugo’s chest to check for a heartbeat.  He stood up, looking very grim.

‘It’s too late. He’s gone.’ Captain Jimmy sighed, ‘May your soul find peace, old friend.’ A murmur of blessings and lament rippled through the remaining crew. Hugo could often be lazy, but he was a good swordsman and always had a song or a joke to share. He had been in the Navy when he was young before leaving to join a pirate’s more profitable way of life. And besides, a pirate’s life meant he could drink whenever he wanted, which was a lot.

Captain Jimmy turned to the crew, ‘sew him into his hammock with two cannonballs at his feet, and we’ll give him a pirates burial at first light.’

It was customary to include the cannonballs so the body would sink.

Hugo and Captain Jimmy had sailed together for years. Hugo did not have family that anyone knew of, and he had been the oldest sailor on the ship.

The crew got busy, and at first light, they assembled on the deck; Captain Jimmy said a few words in honor of Hugo’s life and memory. They all bowed their heads, and Hugo’s body was dropped over the side.

The morning passed silently. The crew, lost in thought, kept to themselves. Still, the ship was becalmed, and they were drifting with the tides.

CHAPTER 3: Fresh Wind

A breeze had started to stir by evening, and the crew hopefully watched the sails fill. In a short amount of time, they were approaching the river mouth. It was vast and deep and easily navigable.

They had a day’s sailing still ahead of them to cover the distance upriver to get to the port of Green City.

Phineas lay in his hammock that night, slowly rocked by the ship’s motion and gentle creaking. He couldn’t stop thinking about Hugo and his untimely demise. They had just had a conversation the night before about their plans when they got to Green City. Green City citizens were friendly toward pirates and appreciated the money they spent in the town. They would be able to get off the ship and do as they wished on land before restocking the boat and setting off again.

Neither one of them even had an inkling that Hugo would not see land again. One thing was for sure. Death comes when you least expect it. The things Henry said about not being a pirate forever kept going around in his head too. Phineas often thought it would be nice to have a family because he had never had one. And he hated some parts about ship life, no hot food for one. There was no way you could have a fire on a pirate ship, all the wood and dry canvas sails and pitched tar rigging made a ship vulnerable to fire. 

Everyone of the crew had experienced firsthand how destructive a wooden sailing ship fire could be at some time or another.

The cold weather was miserable, they sailed mainly in the warmer waters to the south and east of Nation X, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be horrible when the north winds blew. The ship’s decks were not completely watertight either. When it rained, everyone got wet.

Storms were also dreadful. The more Phineas thought about it, the more attractive a different life sounded. But he still wasn’t sure. He loved the sea.

He loved the open horizon, the adventure. Maybe he could consider it for a few days, see what Henry was talking about. Phineas did not know what he wanted.

Eventually, Phineas fell into a fitful sleep. He’d tell Henry in the morning.

Henry was excited that Phineas wanted to join him, and they agreed to keep it quiet from the rest of the crew. Phineas did not tell him he was only giving it a few days to decide if that’s what he wanted to do. If he changed his mind, he would come back to the ship, and no one would know the difference.

It was a cloudy dull day, windy with the threat of rain. The mood on the ship was still subdued as they sailed upriver; it was the first time Captain Jimmy had a crew member drop dead, which made the crew think about their mortality. They arrived at the port earlier than expected.

Before they got off the ship, Captain Jimmy announced, ‘alright, men, we sail at dawn in 3 days; anyone who isn’t here will be left behind. Are we clear?’  Captain Jimmy knew as well as they all did that often, a pirate did not make it back to the ship for whatever reason. He also knew there were always others ready to get on board and sail in their place.

Henry was excited to be reunited with Matilda. Phineas knew he first had to detour to dig up some of his treasure. They agreed to meet later that day.  As the crew left the boat, they went their separate ways.

Phineas was careful to ensure nobody was following him and headed to the side road that led to the graveyard where he had buried his treasure not too far away.

He was surprised to see that the land around the graveyard was dug up, and several of the large trees had been cut down. The ground had been tilled. He had a moment of panic, wondering if his secret burial spot had been discovered. He silently berated himself for becoming so lazy with his treasure. He would move his booty every time he returned to Green City when he was younger. This mistake could cost him everything if he weren’t careful. Phineas was relieved to see the old stand of magnolia trees had not been disturbed, and his treasure was safe!

He dug it up, stashed it in his knapsack, and headed into town. As he got to the main square, he saw two teenagers burst out of an alleyway. Colliding with a flower seller, they crashed into the cart, sending the flower cart onto its side, and the flowers all tumbled to the street. The two jumped up and kept running. The flower seller had her back to Phineas. She started yelling after them, ‘Hey, you bilge rats!! Come back here and pick these up!!’ She shook her fist in the direction they ran, but they were gone.

Phineas laughed to himself; he had not expected a lady to yell like that at them. He was at her cart and grabbed the handles to set it upright.

She turned to look at him, and their eyes locked. Phineas was struck by how beautiful she was. They stood staring at each other for a moment. She looked down and smiled shyly, ‘why…thank you….stupid kids.’ She certainly had not expected a pirate to help her. He was tall and good-looking. ‘My name is Pearl. What’s yours?’ Pearl Pinkney, 28 years old, parrot.

‘It’s Phineas,’ they stood awkwardly for another moment, ‘I can help you pick these up,’ he motioned to the flowers on the ground. He didn’t wait for her to answer and started picking them up, ‘thank you, Phineas; lucky for me, the rain hasn’t started yet. That would have been a mess.’

For one of the first times in his life, Phineas was at a loss for words.

He helped her pick up all the flowers, and they stood awkwardly staring at each other again.

‘Well, thank you again.’ She gave a brighter smile, ‘it was nice to meet you, Phineas.’

‘It was no trouble,’ Phineas replied, ‘and it was nice to meet you as well, Pearl. The pleasure was all mine,’ he removed his hat with a flourish and bowed.

They stood for a moment longer, expectantly. Phineas could not stop looking at her. She was so beautiful. Her eyes were dark and bright, and he felt like he could stare into them forever. He did not want to walk away.

‘Well…’ Pearl started, ‘I better get going; these flowers won’t sell themselves.’

‘Yes,’ Phineas agreed. He didn’t want to leave. What if he never saw her again? ‘I have somewhere to be as well.’

They kept staring at each other as Phineas put his hat back on, ‘I would like to see you again.’

Pearl smiled at him. She had the most beautiful smile, ‘yes, I’d like that. I’m finished when I sell all the flowers, and usually just before dark.’

‘OK,’ Phineas replied, ‘where can I meet you?’

Pearl explained where she kept the cart, and they arranged to meet at dusk.

Phineas kept turning around to catch another glimpse of her as he walked away. He was smitten. He had never met a girl so sweet and beautiful, and he had met lots of girls.

He went to the address where he agreed to meet Henry. It was further into the town, where the tall brick townhomes stood in rows. Phineas saw the green door that Henry had told him about and knocked.

A tall, slender woman with long glossy hair and big green eyes opened the door, ‘Hello!’ She welcomed him with a big smile, ‘you must be Phineas. I’m Matilda. Come in!’

She ushered him into the parlor, ‘Henry is just finishing his bath. He likes to bathe as soon as he gets home.’

Phineas took a seat in a big overstuffed comfortable chair. He looked around the room, wondering how long Henry had called this home. It was a lovely townhome; it wasn’t one of the bigger flashier ones like the next street over, but it was comfortable and luxurious. The aroma of fresh baking filled the air.

‘Are you hungry? Would you like something to drink? I just baked an upside-down cake, we also have coffee and scotch,’ Matilda called from the next room, ‘Sure,’ Phineas replied.

Just then, Henry appeared. Phineas was struck by how Henry looked different, relaxed and happy, fresh, and clean. He wore gentlemanly clothes and did not look like a pirate anymore.

He strode over to where Phineas was sitting and shook his hand. ‘Glad you made it. I wasn’t sure if you would.’

‘How could I not?’ Phineas replied, ‘Is this your house?’

“Well,’ Henry started, ‘yes, I bought it last year after we got married. It has two bedrooms; you are more than welcome to stay.’

‘What? Married? I thought you said you were engaged?’ Phineas was shocked.  ‘ But thank you, I think I will take you up on that offer.’ Phineas replied, then he could not resist the obvious.

‘Wow, Henry. How did you pull this off? How long have you been with Matilda? This is impressive.’

Henry took a deep breath, ‘it’s a long story.’

‘Fill me in; I’ve got time.’ Phineas leaned back in the chair.

CHAPTER 4: The Next Adventure

Henry told Phineas about meeting Matilda a few years before and how easy it had been to keep their relationship secret. Henry had always liked to spend time with the ladies on land, but he never went to the usual taverns and brothels with the rest of the crew. He would disappear when they got to Green City, and nobody thought twice about it.

It all made sense to Phineas now. He was fascinated.

Henry had set up an entire life with his lady and kept it all secret. Now they had money and a plan for the rest of his life.

Up until today, Phineas had never considered a woman could be worth giving up the excitement of the sea and piracy. But with Hugo’s death and Henry’s story, Phineas had a new perspective, and his thoughts kept returning to Pearl. He could not get her out of his mind.  

‘I’m impressed and a little jealous,’ Phineas said, ‘You’ve done well. I’m almost embarrassed to admit I’ve never thought of anything else but a life on the high seas until we talked about it the other night.’ Henry nodded but did not speak. Phineas continued. ‘At first, I thought you were a fool, wanting to leave the freedom of the ocean, but then with Hugo dying and seeing your home and how happy you are, I want that for myself.’

Henry beamed at him, ‘so you’ll join us?’ he asked hopefully.

‘I think I might.’ Phineas agreed thoughtfully, ‘I met someone on my way here, and I can’t stop thinking about her. We are meeting later on, and I will have a definite answer after that.’

Henry raised his eyebrows. He had never heard Phineas speak that way about anyone before.

Matilda entered the room with a serving tray filled with scotch and small crystal glasses, a shiny coffee pot, and delicate China cups and saucers. There were generous pieces of upside-down cake, cut fruit, and dried meats.

She poured them all coffee and took a seat next to Henry. He reached over and put his hand on hers.

‘Will you be here for supper?’ Matilda enquired.

‘No, thank you, though. I plan to meet someone at dusk.’ Phineas admitted.

‘Really?’ Matilda asked, ‘sounds mysterious! Do tell…!’

‘Yes,’ Henry agreed, ‘who is the lucky lady?’

Phineas filled them in on the teenagers who knocked over Pearl’s flower cart, and that she was the most beautiful woman he had seen. Matilda and Henry smiled at each other.

‘In that case,’ Matilda spoke up, ‘would you like to freshen up as well?’

Phineas thought that would be a great idea, Henry showed him to the spare bedroom, and Phineas put down his bag and changed his clothes.

As dusk drew closer, Phineas wondered if it was all in his head if he was making a big mistake. He felt nervous. What if she didn’t show up?  He gave himself a pep talk and set out to meet Pearl.

As he rounded the corner towards where they agreed to meet, he saw her standing there waiting for him. His breath was sucked out of his lungs, and he felt nervous again. She was wearing a colorful coat and a pretty cornflower blue bonnet. When she saw him, her whole face lit up. Pearl was taken by how handsome Phineas looked; he was not wearing the pirate clothes he had on earlier. She had been thinking about him all afternoon as well.

He smiled at her as he drew closer. ‘Hi Pearl, you look beautiful.’

She smiled back, ‘I like your coat. You look different when you’re not wearing your other clothes.’

‘What do you think?’ Phineas asked, holding out his arms to show off his coat.

‘That look suits you,’ Pearl replied.

‘You didn’t like the pirate attire?’ Phineas joked.

‘That looked good as well, but now, you look more gentlemanly,’ Pearl answered him, ‘less….dangerous.’ She smiled as she said the last word, and Phineas realized she was joking.

They smiled at each other for a few more moments, then Phineas said, ‘are you hungry? Shall we get something to eat?’

Pearl agreed that was a great idea, and they walked through the town square towards the street vendors selling food. After they ate, she linked her arm in his as they walked for hours around the town, talking about everything: their lives, history, hopes, and dreams.

Pearl told him about her dream to be a nurse, how she had completed the first year but dropped out of her studies at the Green City School for Nurses so she could provide for her sickly mother by selling flowers after her father and two brothers had died in a fire at the shipbuilders where they worked. Pearl’s mother died of a broken heart shortly after. Her parents had been childhood sweethearts, and despite her best efforts to be there for her mother, it was futile. She had lost all hope. Within six months, Pearl had lost everyone close to her. After losing her family, the old couple who owned the flower cart had taken her in. They were very kind to her. Pearl was grateful but had always wanted more for her life. She hoped to return to her studies and be a nurse one day.

Phineas commiserated and told her his story, about how he had run away from an orphanage in Hope City when he was 12 and joined the Merchant Navy, lying about his age to get aboard. After a few years, Phineas grew bored of a merchant’s life. There was a lot of work and not enough profit, so one night when he was in port, he joined a crew of rum-runners he had met at a tavern. It was a profitable change for the young Phineas, but over time he was aware that there was so much more money to be made by not limiting himself to just running rum up and down the coast. He told her how he met his good friend Henry and had always been on the same pirate crew. He also told her about Henry leaving to be with Matilda.

Pearl was very interested in that, ‘I thought there wasn’t anything strong enough to lure a pirate from the ocean?’ she asked, looking up at him with her big dark eyes.

Phineas returned the intensity of her gaze, ‘never say never,’ he replied mysteriously. ‘I didn’t think there would ever be anything that would make me want to leave the sea…until the last few days.’

Pearl was curious, ‘what happened?’  

‘Well,’ Phineas started, ‘one of our crewmates died. He woke in the middle of the night, got out of his hammock, said he couldn’t breathe, and just died. He was a lifelong pirate and sailor; he had no one. Just the crew, no family, nobody who loved him….’ Phineas paused, ‘I don’t want that to happen to me…’ he trailed off, looking away.

‘I don’t think that will happen to you,’ Pearl replied. ‘This might be forward of me, but I could love you.’

Phineas turned back to look at her, ‘I was thinking the same thing.’

He pulled her close to him and embraced her. They held each other for a long time. Then stepped apart, both silent and surprised that they had revealed their feelings so quickly. It was true, though; each had never met someone so easy to talk to or felt so comfortable with so quickly before. It was intoxicating.

Feeling awkward, they continued walking, laughing and joking together, barely aware of anything else but each other. The evening slipped into the night, and the hours disappeared. As they walked by the clock tower in the town square again, it chimed at 11 PM. They were shocked. Pearl said she had to go, as she was selling flowers in the morning, and the old couple would worry about her if she didn’t come home.

Phineas asked when he could see her again; she said she had free the remainder of the day once the flowers were sold. Phineas hatched a plan.

He walked her home, and, on the way, she showed him where she usually spent most of the morning in case he wanted to come and say hello.

Phineas saw her to her door and felt like he floated back to Henry’s house. He had never felt like this about anyone before!

He felt excited. It took a long time for him to go to sleep, and all he could think about was Pearl.

CHAPTER 5: What Feels Right

At breakfast with Henry and Matilda the following day, Phineas gushed about Pearl. Henry was surprised, and he had never heard Phineas so exuberant about anything besides profitable looting before. As he left, Phineas asked Matilda if she liked flowers, ‘of course,’ she replied, slightly puzzled. Henry didn’t even question; he knew Phineas often asked questions that seemed irrelevant until later.

Phineas set out to where Pearl said she would be selling flowers. He had a plan to spend the day with her. As she came into view, he again was struck by her beauty and presence. And when she saw him approaching and smiled, he was unaware of anyone else in the vicinity; there was only Pearl.

‘Good morning, my lady,’ Phineas took off his hat with a flourish and took a low bow; Pearl smiled sweetly at him and curtseyed in return.

 ‘Good morning to you, kind sir.’ It was his turn to smile at her.

‘How’s business this morning?’ Phineas asked.

Pearl shook her head, ‘Very slow, I’m afraid. I don’t know when I’ll be free.’

‘How much for all of the flowers?’ He winked at her.  She told him, and he pulled two silver coins from his waistcoat. ‘Do you think this would cover it? Could I have your company for the rest of the day?’

Pearl started laughing, ‘are you serious, Phineas? That’s more than enough!’

‘I only have one request,’

‘What is that?’

‘That we deliver them to a house not too far from here.’ He winked at her again.

‘OK,’ Pearl agreed, slightly puzzled, but she got to work, bunching the flowers into lavish bouquets. Once she had assembled them all, they set off for Henry and Matilda’s house.

‘After this, what did you want to do today?’ Phineas asked her.

‘Anything is good,’ she replied. ‘I’m happy to just be with you.’

‘I was thinking we could take a carriage ride to the other side of town where they are selling land around a country tavern and look at what they have.’ He offered.

‘Sure, that’s a great idea!’ Pearl agreed, but she would have been happy just walking around arm in arm as they had the night before. She was also aware of feeling very strongly that Phineas was the one for her.

 They delivered the flowers to Henry so he could surprise Matilda. Both giggled at the beautiful surprise Phineas had thought of for his friend to give to his lady. Matilda was at work, so Phineas, Pearl, and Henry filled the parlor with bright, fragrant flowers, a wonderful surprise for her when she got home. Henry was impressed by how easily Phineas and Pearl got on. If he didn’t know any better, he would never have believed they had just met the day before.

Phineas and Pearl spent the whole day together. They traveled out to the land at the edge of town and took a walk around, imagining what they could build and do with it. Phineas knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Pearl by the end of the day, and he would not be returning to the ship ever again. Phineas took Pearl’s hands and faced her as the day gave way to night.

‘I know this may seem hasty, but I can’t stop thinking about you, and I feel like we are supposed to be together.’ He stopped, watching her reaction. She looked like she might cry or burst out laughing; he wasn’t sure. ‘Go on…’ she prompted.

‘Would you be my wife and start a new life with me?’ Phineas asked hesitantly.

Pearl paused, ‘Of course!’ she shrieked with joy. ‘Oh, Phineas! That would be amazing! I would be honored to be your wife!’ She paused and started crying and laughing at the same time.

Phineas was puzzled, ‘are you OK?’

‘Yes!’ Pearl replied, ‘this is perfectly wonderful! But I don’t have any money!’

Phineas laughed, ‘I don’t care that you don’t have any money. I’ve never felt surer about anything. Ever. I’ve never felt like this before. I want to know everything about you, have children, and grow old with you. And I have enough money for both of us! Don’t worry about that!’

‘I feel the same way,’ she replied breathlessly, almost in a whisper.

They hugged, and he gently kissed the top of her head.

‘Let’s share the news!’ They walked back towards the house arm in arm once again, walking on air.

When they got back to Henry and Matilda’s, Matilda had just gotten home and was welcoming and friendly to Pearl. They recognized each other as Matilda had sometimes bought flowers from Pearl to decorate the Milliner’s shop. Matilda was very grateful for the flowers and shared that she had such a big surprise when she got home; she squealed so loudly that one of the neighbors knocked on the door to check if she was OK.

Once Phineas told them he had asked Pearl to be his bride and would not be returning to sea either, Henry jumped up, ‘This is a good reason for a celebration!’

Matilda bought out some cider, and Henry raised a toast.

‘To perfect partnerships and new beginnings!’

“Sounds like I missed the best parts of the story!” Mark and Becky jumped at Jason’s voice. Neither of them had heard him come in.

“Hi, Dad!” Becky jumped up from the couch and ran over to hug him. “Mark’s telling the BEST story! Come and sit with us! You can hear the ending!” Jason laughed, “I can’t refuse that! Especially after hearing that last part, I have so many questions.” He turned to Becky, “but I’ll need you to fill me in later, Becky. Right now, I am going to go up and shower while Mark finishes the story. I’ve had a very long day.”

“OK, Dad, we saved you some pizza. It’s in the kitchen.”

“Thanks, that’ll be great,” Jason walked into the kitchen. He called back from the kitchen, “Mark, do you need to leave right away or anything?”

“Not really. I have a story to finish.” He winked at Becky. “I can wait till you’re situated.”

“Great,” affirmed Jason, “I appreciate it.”

CHAPTER 6: Happily Ever After

“Phineas and Pearl were married on a clear day by a local clergyman. It was a small wedding, just the bride and groom, Henry and Matilda, and the old couple, George, 62, and Ruby, 60, badgers, who had taken Pearl in after her mother had died.

Phineas bought the land and built their own home; Pearl went back to nursing school, and Phineas helped Henry and Matilda with the tavern.

Pearl and Phineas had several children. They became well known in the community, Pearl was the community nurse, and Phineas became a successful businessman in his own right. He also started the first community library in the area and purchased the land for the first maternity hospital in Green City.  Pearl kept journals her whole life, where I discovered this information.” Mark told Becky.

“But what else happened?” Becky demanded.

“Phineas and Pearl remained happily married for almost 50 years and enjoyed watching their children and then grandchildren grow up. They even got to meet their first great-grandchild. And do you know what the name of that great-grandchild was?”

Mark asked Becky, “No,” she was confused, “how would I know their name?”

“It was Judith,” Mark looked at Becky.

“Like my mom’s name?” she asked.

“Yes, Aunt Judy was named after her great grandmother.” He waited to see if Becky understood what he had just told her.

“Wait, what? Do you mean – is our family related to Phineas the pirate and Pearl??” she squeaked with excitement.

“Uh-huh…” Mark nodded, “on our mothers’ side, their dad was the grandson of Judith, who was the first great-grandchild of Phineas and Pearl Packwood. Her son Phineas II married Paulette Stewart, and they had two children, Harold and Annabelle, who both grew up and married. Harold married Susannah. Unfortunately, they never had any children. But Annabelle married Wayne Prescott, and they had two girls; Veronica and Judith – or Judy for short.”

Mark paused to let Becky take it all in.

“Wow, Mark! Really?” She was super impressed. “Our mom’s family history comes from a pirate?!”

“Yup, I just found out recently and discovered a written property tax record of the area of Green City where Phineas and Pearl built their home and started their family.” Mark grinned, happy that Becky found it just as fascinating as he did.

“Wow!” was all Becky could say. “I can’t wait to tell my friends at school!!”

Mark laughed as he stood up and stretched.

“Do you want to go to the new Pirates Museum they just opened down in the old port building sometime?”

“Oh yes!” Becky replied excitedly, “That would be great!”

“I want to come too!” Jason just caught the end of what they were saying.

“Of course, Dad!”

Mark checked his watch, “I better get home; I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Mark, we appreciate it. Did Judy pay you?”

“Don’t sweat it; she bought dinner,” Mark replied graciously, “I enjoy telling Becky the tales of all the pirate stories I uncover.”

“Does Mom know she’s related to a pirate?” Becky asked,

“I genuinely do not know,” Mark replied, “I just found excerpts from Pearl’s journals recently online when I was searching the database of the Pirate Museum.” He rubbed Becky’s head playfully, “you’re going to have to fill her in. My mom was pleasantly surprised; although it was never a secret, there had always been rumors that there was a pirate somewhere in the family tree.”

“That’s pretty cool, don’t you think, dad?” Becky asked Jason, “Yes, Becky, it sure is! Mom will be impressed.” He changed the subject, “how about a hot chocolate before you go and take a bath?”

Becky looked disappointed. “Oh Dad, does Mark have to go right now? Can’t he tell another story?”

“Next time.” Mark and Jason both said simultaneously, they knew Becky would keep Mark all night telling her stories if she could.

With that, Mark saw himself out. He stepped out into the night and took a deep breath. The stars were bright, and there was a breeze rustling the leaves. He enjoyed finding out about Phineas and Pearl. He didn’t think he would ever just want to marry someone that quickly, though. But it had worked out for them. The power of love had overcome everything. It just goes to show that even a couple of hundred years ago, you never knew what was around the corner, that’s for sure.