Slave Of Destiny (7 page)

It was almost
midnight when Michael extinguished the candle in his room. It had been a long
day and his eye lids felt like they were weighted with lead. He started work
before 6am this morning and he only had two rest breaks, but he still worried
Pricilla would find him slacking off. The faint sounds of voices, laughter and
then moans filtered through the open window, so he rolled over on his side and
tried to block out the sounds. After a while the sounds died down and Michael
closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Michael opened the
door when he heard a soft knock, early in the morning, and then stepped aside
to let Constance in.

“Hello Michael” she
said, sitting down on the bed. “How have you been?”

“Good….How about
you?” he enquired politely.

“Come here and hug
me!” she said.

“I really am glad
to see a friend” Michael whispered, shedding a few tears as he hugged her. “How
is the convent?”

“I left that
cesspit!” she replied. “I’m staying with
Vijendra now. I just asked George, his assistant, to stop by while I say
hello to you. I have to go and buy some food and clothes now with George as my
bodyguard, but I’ll drop by sometimes.”

“Thank you for stopping by” he said as he walked out the
front door with her.

Michael waved good-bye as she left in a large horse-drawn
wagon. It was his day off and Michael been paid a paltry sum for his week of
work, so he closed the door and made his way down the street with a few coins
in his pocket. Ten minutes later he walked up a set of steps on his way to the
candy shop.

“Are you lookin’ for some action, honey?” a woman asked as
she stood in an open doorway.

“No” Michael replied, as he stopped and looked more closely
at her.

“I give discounts for first timers” she mentioned, trying to
entice him into her room.

“No thanks” he mumbled shyly.

Michael realized the woman was actually quite young and she
could have been in her late teens or early twenties. She was pretty, with large
breasts and a surprisingly husky voice.

“Why not? I’m a woman in need of some lovin’” she purred sexily,
as she moved closer to him.

Michael began to shift uncomfortably, but he couldn’t help
but notice her long black hair and fragrant perfume.

“You’re too much of a woman for me” he admitted as he quickly
pushed past her and walked away.

“You jus’ come back when yor ready, hon” she laughed, blowing
him a kiss.

Michael passed by the docks on his way back to his room and
stopped by a dingy tavern. All of a sudden a dirty looking bearded man pushed
him into the corner of the room, making him uneasy and alarmed. Michael had
hidden most of his meagre pay under a loose floorboard in the cottage, so he
only had enough money for some food and drink in his pocket. The strange man
drew his cutlass from its sheath and Michael felt extremely nervous and he had
a lump in my throat.

“Leave the lad alone” boomed a voice, well to his left.

“What’s it to you?” he sneered.

“I’ll give you a few seconds to think about what I just said,
before I cut you to ribbons” the other person suggested as he walked over to
us.

“Vijendra!” Michael shouted with sheer joy.

“I didn’t know he was one of yours” he mumbled, returning his
cutlass to its sheath and slinking away.

“You shouldn’t have come down here, boy. This can be a very
dangerous place” Vijendra said sternly to him.

“I was just looking for something to eat. It’s my day off”
Michael mentioned, trying to explain why he was near the docks.

“Something to eat? Well you better come back with me and
Constance. She’s been out buying some clothes and food supplies with my
assistant” he suggested.

“Miss Constance is waiting outside, Sir” said another voice.

“Thank you George, I’ll be right out” he said firmly. “Let’s
go, lad.”

“Michael?” she said, surprised to see him with her lover.

“Yes. I’ve invited him back for lunch” he said as we climbed
into the four seat wagon.

Michael sat on the front seat with the reins man and Vijendra
sat behind him with Constance.

“I hope you like fish” she said as we set off.

“Fish will be fabulous” he replied, still shocked with what
had happened.

Pricilla watched from a window as the wagon passed by the
tavern, her face twisting with rage when she noticed her lover sitting beside a
beautiful woman.

“How dare he! First Vijendra fails to see me again and then I
see him with another whore and what’s that urchin doing with them?” she spat
out. “I’m going to make them pay for ignoring me.”

As the wagon left the town and followed the road out to his
property, they passed by a shipyard in a cove. Several ships were in various
stages of construction and piles of straight-cut timber lay close by.

“That’s the steam house” Vijendra pointed out a large
building with smoke coming from a chimney. “Stop here George.”

When he noticed Michael had a blank look on his face he
elaborated on what he just said. “The workers steam the timbers so that they
can bend them for the ribs. When the timber becomes soft and supple it is then
tied in position over some logs. When the timber dries it sets in that position
and then they remove them and use them for the ribs of the ship.”

Michael could hear axes cutting timber and hammers hammering
in nails.

“Indonesia’s indigenous people are inter-mixed with all of
Asia and it’s reflected by the type of sailing vessels we make. The ship you
were on, before I sank it, was a western styled schooner. They are slow and
cumbersome. My ship has much taller masts than the traditional ones and the
rigging is different and, with a lighter hull, it gives me plenty of speed. The
long bowsprit is capable of carrying three foresails, while the three masts
carry three staysails and three top sails. Even two mizzens on standing gaffs
can be added for further speed. The fishermen and traders had adopted smaller
rigs for inter-island trade. It’s called Pinisiq rigging” he explained to me.
“Let’s go George.”

As they travelled further along the road Michael could see a
jetty with a schooner anchored well off the end of it and other smaller
vessels, bobbing majestically in the bay.

* * *

“Keep away from the docks, my boy. Black Bart and his band of
pirates frequent the area. You’ll be fairly safe at the shipyard, so if you
need somewhere to go then go there” he advised him after lunch, when they were
alone. “You might even learn a trade.”

“I’ve heard Pricilla asking about you” Michael mentioned,
changing the subject.

“What’s she saying about me?” he asked loudly, becoming
alarmed.

“She’s just been asking if anybody’s seen you around.
That’s…That’s all I’ve heard” he replied.

“Keep away from that one, boy. She’s dangerous” he advised
him.

“A few people have told me the same story, so I’m trying not
to go anywhere near her” he said.

“You look upon me as a pirate or a scoundrel, but in all
reality I’m just trying to earn a living. The steam-ships, which are built now,
can easily outrun us so I may have to turn to trading spices, timber and goods.
The alternating east and west monsoon winds, makes this area a layover point
for traders all over the world. The White Raj has made life difficult for me as
well, recently catching and sinking several pirate ships” he admitted.

“I wouldn’t mind going with you, if you’re going to trade
legally. How would the White Raj know if you’ve changed from being a pirate to
a trader?” Michael asked.

“I’ll fly the British flag” he admitted. “I’ll probably have
to repaint the hull, so his men won’t recognize us.”

“There’s something I want to ask you, but I don’t know if I
should. There was another girl on the
Teresa
, but she was kidnapped by
her ex-husband, Marcus. Her name is
Sauli Bhanj; the Maharaja’s daughter and I want
to know if she’s safe. If you hear anything about her or even hear her name,
could you let me know?” he enquired.

“I can tell you’re
in love with her. I’ll do what I can for you, young warrior and I’ll consider
you as a cabin boy on my maiden trading voyage. I have work to do now, but
George will take you back to your room as soon as you’re ready” he said,
leaving me alone.

Michael returned
back to work the next morning, unaware of Pricilla’s hostility, and soon became
engrossed in what he was doing. The cook was a plump woman and she was
preparing the food when she heard the violent curse from the dining room.
Michael had been cleaning the floor, before he had toset, the tables when
Pricilla swore at him, throwing two chairs against the wall.

“You lazy piece of
shit, this room is disgusting” she shouted as she scattered a bucketful of pipe
ash over floor. “Do it again!”

“Yes Miss” he
replied solemnly, when he noticed the cook poke her head through the doorway.
“I’ll get right to it.”

“You better, or
your life won’t be worth living” she spat at him before she left the room.

Michael was shaking
with rage with what she had just done, but he was sure she was baiting him and
waiting for him to react with violence. Pricilla was a beautiful girl with
hostile black eyes and silky black curls, but her mouth seemed to be always
twisted into a smirk. Michael gestured at her back with the forks, “
Up you,
you piece crap
.” he thought.

Why don’t you leave
here, boy?” sneered the fat cook. “I won’t miss you or anyone else for that
matter”

“I don’t have
another job” he mumbled as she walked away, ignoring her comments.

Surely this would
be better than living on the street and, if he had a bit more courage, he would
have laughed at her. Modena had been the cook here for a long time and she had
an arrogant manner. Michael knew she was siphoning off the funds from the food
that was sold and lining her own pockets; something he could use against her
one day.

* * *

The man with the
black beard kept taunting the skinny, beanpole of a man with the fiery red
hair. Black Bart and his bunch of beer guzzling friends were drunk and they
were ready to encourage and guffaw at anything he said. Michael noticed the
redhead shifting uncomfortably, but he had to admire the way the man stayed
where he was and refused to be hassled out of the place. Michael heard that his
name was Jonny Jack and he was part of
Benito Patel’s crew. The rum and the beer were flowing freely this
afternoon and the place was packed.

“Don’t take it, Red” someone muttered as Black Bart cracked
another joke about using him to push through his musket to clean the barrel.

“Another drink Red?” asked the barkeep.

“Yea, go on and
have another one. Give him some carrot juice, Ed” he smirked.

The barkeep poured
him another beer, but before Red had a chance to drink it, Black Bart suddenly
grabbed him by the hair and started forcing the beer down his neck. Red slapped
away his hand, smashing the glass to the floor and whirled quickly. Despite his
skinny appearance he was a noted bare-knuckles champion and he had won all of
his previous fights. He balanced himself before he whipped a right hand through
the air on a straight line from his shoulder. His fist exploded in Black Bart’s
face, blood and teeth flying everywhere. In one punch Black Bart was beaten and
room became deadly silent. Red chopped with a left fist and ripped in an
upper-cut with his right, before he watched his nemesis fall backwards to the
floor.

“Get rid of him or
you’ll be next” Red threatened to Bart’s mates.

Red knew he could
have killed Black Bart if he kept hitting the older man, but he was content,
for now, to get back to some serious drinking.

“
I wish I could
fight like that!
” Michael thought with envy.

“Well done Red”
shouted a couple of people, with a chorus of agreements following.

* * *

Michael left the
tavern after a long brutal day and a night which went well past his normal
finishing time. He felt too keyed up to go straight to sleep, so Michael decided
to head over to the small cove which was only about a mile away. When he topped
the small rise, he surveyed the majestic scene of the moonlit small bay and the
small boats bobbing on the shimmering water. The upturned, half-built hulls of
the schooners gave them a ghostly appearance and they looked like the skeletons
of dead whales.

“I’m bloody working
too hard; too many hard days and late nights. I would rather be out sailing and
swabbing the decks” he mumbled as he started to relax and unwind.

All of a sudden
every inch of his skin felt itchy and then he felt the hairs on the back of his
neck starting to rise. Something felt wrong, so he turned around and saw a
young girl walking towards him; her body highlighted by the moonlight. She
looked just like an angel, so Michael began to relax.

“Where did you come
from?” he asked her.

“My Papa has a
cottage, just over there” she mentioned, pointing towards the trees. “I know
people are afraid of me, and I understand why, so I don’t take it personally.”

In the bright
moonlight he could see that she had electric blue eyes, which seemed to glow
slightly. She had shiny copper hair and her face was covered with freckles.

“What’s everyone
afraid of?” he asked curiously, wondering who would afraid of this slim girl.

“My Papa is Jonny
Jack and he doesn’t like me to have any friends” she admitted sadly.

“What about your
mother, why doesn’t she intervene and allow your friends around?” he asked.

“Mama died of
typhoid fever, so I just have my Papa” she replied.

“I’m sorry for you”
Michael said sadly.

“I have to go back
home, so I might see you around sometimes” she said, turning around and walking
away slowly.

“Wait, what’s your
name?” he asked.

“Audrey! What
yours?” she asked.

“My name’s Michael”
he replied.

“See you later,
Michael” she whispered, before she turned and ran swiftly away; her white dress
flowing behind her.

“Bye, Audrey” he
whispered.

Michael guessed the
time to be around midnight or a little bit later, so he turned around and went
back to his room.

* * *

Jonny Jack was a
regular drinker at the tavern and he was generally still there when Michael
finished work about 9pm. The next evening Michael finished work early, so he
decided to take his chances and talk to the lone man.

“Hi Red!” Michael
said as he walked up to him, thinking about what to say.

“Hi Sonny, I’ve
seen you around and you’re the new roustabout” he said.

“Yep, that’s me”
Michael replied. “You’re a good fighter.”

“I try not to
fight, but Bart pushed me too far and I had to do something” he mentioned. “Do
you want a beer, Lad?”

“Yes, ok” he said,
not being too sure because he had never drank a beer.

“How did you get to
this little shithole called Avilla?” he asked curiously. “I’ve never seen you
around here before.”

“I came here with
Vijendra and that’s a long story” Michael
said sadly.

“Well, I’ve got plenty of time, so why don’t you sit down and
tell me your tale?” he asked.

He told Red his entire journey and he thought Red would have
been horrified, but he just smiled and said, “Vijendra is a good judge of
character and you will do well to listen to him.”

“He told me to keep away from the docks and Black Bart, but
he suggested I could go over to the shipyard cove with safety” Michael said.

“It’s pretty safe over there and my cottage is nearby” he
mentioned.

“I went over there last night when I finished work to unwind
and relax; I think it was around midnight. Just as I was looking over serene
bay, a girl approached me and we began to talk. She explained to me that her
name was Audrey and you were her father” he said.

He stood up, spun me around and grabbed Michael by his shirt,
ready to punch him. “Are you trying to harass me, boy?”

“N…No!” was all Michael could manage.

He looked deeply into his eyes and he could tell Michael was
frightened, but he must have also seen that he was sincere, so he released him.

“My daughter, Audrey, is dead” he admitted, before he sat
down again on the bar stool and gulped down his beer.

“She can’t be dead, because I saw her last night” Michael
said as he sat down beside him, entirely mystified.

“Audrey and her mother both died from typhoid fever five
years ago” he admitted. “That’s why I come in here and drown my sorrows,
because it’s too painful to spend a lot of time at home.”

“B…But I saw her last night” Michael stressed, unsure of himself
now.

“You’re not the first person to see her image, so don’t get
too worried. She loved the cove and the shipyard and used to go there in her
spare time. I also see her image sometimes at night, but there’s nothing I can
do to ease her pain of leaving this Earth before her time” he admitted. “You
must be a good person for her to talk to you.”

“Th…Th…Thank you” Michael stuttered. “I better go and get
some sleep.”

Michael gulped the beer down, wincing slightly at its bitter
taste. He walked away leaving Red to drown his sorrows.

Michael was exhausted from the days’ hard work, but he was
more stressed from the turn of events and it wasn’t long before he drifted off
to sleep. Something woke him up suddenly and he slowly opened his eyes,
adjusting to the darkness. The moonlight streaming through the open window partly
illuminated the room and Michael could just make out a dark silhouette of
someone standing there in the darkest corner.

“Who’s there?” he whispered.

He tried to concentrate on the dark shape in front of him and
he could just make out the shape of a person with long flowing hair. The dark
shape moved towards him, leaned down and kissed him, before moving slightly
away. Michael felt paralyzed with fear as the shape started taking form. He
could see more than just an outline now as the image became clearer.

“Audrey, is that you?” he whispered, really scared now.

He felt another cold sensation on his lips as the image moved
in close and kissed him again, before it disappeared.

“
I actually felt that kiss
” he thought, as he felt a
panic attack rush through his body. “
Am I going crazy
?” he whispered.

Michael guessed the time to be about midnight and felt himself
relax again, safe with the knowledge she didn’t hurt him. He drifted off to
sleep again as he thought about her and the type of life she had on this
tropical island.