Slave Of Destiny

by Derek Easterbrook

  Michael woke up the next morning and peered out from his hiding spot. The sun had just risen on the horizon and all he could see was water. The boat was out to sea!

  “I’m so glad you’ve decided to join us again, m’lad.”

  It was the same voice Michael heard last night and he thought his killer had found him.

  “Don’t forget that a cabin boy still needs to earn his keep” the owner of the voice suggested.

  “Leave him alone, Thomas. Can’t you see you have frightened him to near death? Come over here Michael and I’ll get you something to eat” said the woman softly.

  “You’re spoiling the kid, Martha” laughed Thomas, walking away.

  It didn’t seem like Michael had any choice, so he crawled out and walked over to the, slightly plump, woman.

  “Come to the galley and I’ll get you some food” she suggested, leading the way.

  “This is totally crazy” he thought. “Where am I?”

  Bewildered Michael sat down at a long table with several other noisy bearded men.

  “Captain Thomas isn’t happy that you ran away, lad” mentioned a man to his right. “He spent several hours looking for you last night, so you better do as he asks from now on.”

  “Leave him alone, Joseph. Can’t you see he’s frightened” scolded Martha before she walked away. “Sally, give him some more water.”

  A young girl with light brown skin rushed over to fill his mug with water.

  “Just make sure you do your chores today” she suggested; giving him a wink.

  The girl appeared familiar to him, but Michael just couldn’t just quite place her, but he had no time to dwell on his thoughts.

  “I’ll make sure he’ll do ‘em, missy” said another voice behind him.

  “You take it easy on him, Jack Colburn, otherwise Martha might take offense” suggested Sally.

  “And you need to keep your trap shut, or it might get you in trouble one day, missy” he chastised, but taking heed of her words. “The lad needs some forceful guidance, so come with me and I’ll show you where to start.”

  Jack dragged Michael off the bench and over to a locker.

  “Start swabbing the top decks and make sure you apply plenty of water this time, otherwise I’ll make you do it again tonight” he advised him sternly, before walking away.

  Jack was restless and bored from spending too much time overseeing the repairs to The Teresa, an emotion he very rarely showed. He was the Second Mate and he had been sailing with Captain Thomas for ten years, ever since he had been a twelve years old cabin boy. He had run away from orphanage, sick of the abuse he received from the church nuns. It all began when he stowed away on The Teresa all those years ago. Thirty years old, Constance Kane, held his interest now, so he returned to the galley to pass a few minutes with his love. Her brown hair and pale blue eyes never failed to excite him and somehow she had tamed the wild man inside him.

  * * *

  Michael spent an hour swabbing the decks, before a heavily bearded tall man came over to him and said “That’s not how you do it lad, so I’ll show you how it’s done.”

  The man proceeded to show Michael how to use the equipment to make the job easier for him, before he placed the mop handle back in his hands.

  “Thanks…eh…”

  “I’m Albert, but everyone calls me Alby” he mentioned before turning around and walking away.

  “Thanks Alby” Michael said, returning to his chore.

  Michael completed the task in four hours, but he noticed the watchful eye of Jack Colburn approving his work.

  After lunch Jack came over to him and whispered, “That was a job well done this morning, but I want you to report to Miss Constance in the galley, to help her prepare for tonight’s dinner.”

  As the afternoon progressed Michael occasionally had glimpses of Sally, who popped in and out, for a cool drink. By mid-afternoon and half way through peeling the second bucket of potatoes, he suddenly realized who she was.

  “Is that really you, Sally, the beautiful girl from the river?” Michael asked curiously when he saw her again.

  “You know it is, but we’ll talk later. We’ll have some time after dinner to talk” she whispered before she walked away.

  “How is she mixed up in this madness?” he thought.

  “Give me a kiss, Sally my girl” asked a towering bear of a man; grabbing her arm to pull her close.

  “No, Please don’t…ah” she cried.

  “Leave her alone!” Michael shouted from his little corner.

  “Shut your mouth you stinkin’ little brat. Come here sweetheart” he sneered, roughly pulling her towards him.

  He got no further, because Michael rushed over to where Sally was struggling; his arm stabbing at the big man with the tiny paring knife he had been using.

  “You little shit. There wasn’t any call for you to try and stab me. I’m gonna kill ya now!” he shouted, pushing the frightened girl away.

  “Leave him alone Wayne, because you’ve had that coming to you. I warned you before to leave the girl alone on several other occasions. If you hurt either one of them I’ll force you walk the plank. Now get up on deck and return to your job” suggested Jack forcefully.

  “We haven’t finished this” he said glaring at Michael.

  “You better watch your back. He’s as mean as they come. Are you alright missy?” he asked as Wayne left the galley.

  “Yes, thanks Jack” she responded.

  “Get back to your work now” he mentioned, before he walked away.

  “Yes, you better watch your back because he is a nasty piece of work. Thank you for coming to my aid” she whispered, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  Michael returned to his chore, still shocked with what had transpired. He’d never done that before, but he had the overwhelming desire to protect Sally. The rest of the afternoon and evening was uneventful, but Michael was looking forwards to chatting with her.

  * * *

  “Where are we Sally?” Michael asked when they were alone.

  She had brought him to a spot on the rear starboard side’s second deck of The Teresa, well away from the crew who were drinking rum and smoking on the top deck.

  “We’re here on The Teresa, dummy” she laughed.

  Her Laugh made him feel warm inside, but Michael had to ask her again. “What I mean to say is what year is this and what part of the world are we in?”

  “Well the year is 1871 and we’re in the Arafura Sea, just off the coast of Indonesia. You know all this, Michael” she whispered, kissing him full on the lips.

  “It can’t be 1871, because it’s 1971” he whispered, pushing her away.

  “You must be still suffering from the fall you had two days ago. Believe me; it is 1871. Come over here and give me a kiss so that I can help you get your memory back” she purred, holding his head in her hands.

  They kissed and then cuddled for a while; Sally realizing that Michael was still confused, but knowing he would soon remember everything. The stars sparkled like diamonds in the cloudless night sky and the rushing of the water past the ship helped to ease his concerns.

  “What can I do if it’s 1871. I’ll have to make the most of it if I’ve been transported back in time” he thought miserably.

  “How old are we?” Michael asked curiously.

  “We’re both seventeen, silly” she whispered as she kissed him again.

  This time Michael responded to her kiss and he felt her soften to his caresses.

  “Wow, that was better than the Michael I remember” she said happily when they temporarily parted.

  Eventually it was time to bunk down; Sally sleeping in the women’s quarters and Michael with the crew.

  “The toilet’s on the bow, in case you’ve forgotten, but I’d advise you to pee over the leeward side now. Remember to keep away from Wayne. And, by the way, your hammock is over against the hull, near Alby” she said, before they parted
.

  Michael decided to pee over the side as she had suggested before he went to the bunk. Most of the crew was still drinking rum, but Michael found Alby asleep in his hammock.

  “What a crazy mixed-up twenty-four hours this has been. I’m sure everything will be back to normal tomorrow, because this is becoming really weird” he thought as he found his hammock and piled in. “It will be back to normal tomorrow!”

  Chapter 4

  The morning started at the first light of dawn, but as Michael fell out of the hammock Alby passed him something.

  “I heard about your tussle with Wayne. He’s a bad one and I think you might need this” he said quietly, passing Michael something wrapped in an oily rag.

  As he opened the gift he found a small knife in a sheath.

  “It’s a dagger” he said. “You’ll need it to protect yourself and your sweetheart.”

  Michael drew the blade and looked over at the elaborately decorated handle.

  “It looks like a small sword and it’s beautiful” he said.

  “It’s very sharp and the blade is made of the finest steel, so you need to be extremely careful. This is a lethal weapon” Alby mentioned.

  “I can’t take this, Alby, because it must have cost you a small fortune” Michael said, placing it back in the sheath and wrapping it back up.

  “I want you to have it, because I have another one and you’re going to need it. You’re the first person who’s man enough to stand up to mad Wayne” he advised.

  “Thanks Alby. I’ll take good care of it” Michael added as he placed the weapon deep in his pocket.

  Michael sipped a steaming hot coffee while he waited for the two women to bring out the food.

  “Where are we sailing to, Alby?” he asked curiously.

  “An island to the north of Australia; a place called Diamond Island. The captain spoke of an island surrounded by treacherous reefs with only a single entry into a small bay” Alby said softly.

  “What are we going to find there?” he asked.

  “The captain talked about untold wealth in gold and jewels. It’s time to eat, because it’s going to be a long day” he said as the steaming food arrived.

  * * *

  That afternoon Michael listened to some sailors swapping stories while smoking long clay pipes. He noticed other crew scrambling up masts to fix ropes, pulleys and sails. Jack shouted commands to some men amongst the laughter and screeching gulls. Captain Thomas shuffled over to him and said “I see that you’re beginning to enjoy yourself listening to their stories.”

  “I am enjoying myself now I’ve heard of strange lands, untold wealth and beautiful women. I also heard the men mentioning the beautiful mermaids which live on the rocks around some of the islands.” he said.

  The captain threw his head back and roared with laughter. “I think you need to keep away from the mermaids.”

  “Those mermaids will capture your heart as quick as a flash, especially a lad as young as you.” suggested a tattooed man named Slippery Sam.

  They both erupted into laughter again while a few other sailors walked over, curious to hear what they were laughing about.

  “We got us a brand new cabin boy?” one of them asked.

  “Oh yes, young and naive” he said. “We warned him not to fall in love with a mermaid, but we forgot to mention the sea monsters.”

  Michael glared at him furiously, because he had tried to appear mature.

  “Come with me m’lad and I’ll lay out you some of my charts and I’ll show you where all the perils are” he added before walking away and climbing up to the aft ships, Captain’s cabin, on the second rear deck.

  The men returned to work, but Michael followed Captain Thomas up the ladder.

  “I’ll tell you a little bit about The Teresa first. This sloop isn’t large by any means, but it’s still 87 feet long. As you probably have already discovered, the small officer’s quarters are on the forward second deck. The middle or lower top deck is called the poop deck, while on the bow there is the bow spirit and anchor. The galley is directly under us in the hull, the ladies quarters are aft near the storage hold and the men sleep forward of the galley. There are two other storage holds lower in the hull. My wife and I, of course, live up here. There are a total of fourteen people on this sloop, so that’s why we have to work together harmoniously” he mentioned. “Now I’ll show you my charts and Diamond Island.”

  Michael spent about forty minutes pouring over the detailed charts while listening to Captain Thomas comments, before he had to return to his chores.

  Michael noticed that he was beginning to smell from the lack of a bath, so when he had a half hour to spare, he crawled through the rear hatch with a bucket, rope and a rag. On the secluded second rear deck he washed himself with sea water as best as he could. Michael didn’t want Sally to become distant, just after they had become reacquainted. After he removed the dirt and some dried blood, he felt alive and back to normal, so Michael returned to the locker to store his swabbing bucket.

  “You look more presentable now” noticed Constance when he returned to the galley. “I need some more fresh water from the hold, so can you get me a bucketful, please Michael.”

  “I’ll get it straight away” he said, rushing off.

  Constance Kane was a kind and gentle person and Michael had grown to respect her in the short time he had been on The Teresa. Even though she didn’t have much time to spare she had nurtured him like a seedling, just waiting to grow up.

  “By the way we’re anchoring in Forlorn Bay tomorrow. Most of the crew can go ashore for some rest and recreation. There should be some fresh water there where we can replenish our supplies. You could have a swim with Sally and really have a good wash with the soap I gave her” she mentioned, before returning to her task.

  “How far do we sail during a twenty-four hour period?” Michael asked Alby during dinner.

  “The trade winds have only been light over the last few days, but I suppose we sail about 80 nautical miles a day. The captain is watching the barometer and the pressure is falling, so we’ll be in for some rain, strong winds and rough seas soon. That’s why The Teresa will be anchoring in Forlorn Bay about mid-morning” he replied. “We’ll be there for a few days until the conditions improve.”

  Alby left Michael to go up on deck and smoke his pipe, so Michael decided to join the smokers on the deck until Sally finished her shift in the galley. The silvery moon cast its weak light across the sea as if trying to display a path to a land of enchantment. The wind and waves were already beginning to strengthen, but The Teresa sliced through the water, whipping a chilling spray across the deck. Michael descended the companionway and back into the galley to find Sally finishing her last chore. She greeted him with a smile and a knowing nod, as if she was anticipating their kisses. Hand in hand they crawled through the rear hatch and out to the rear second deck, but Michael failed to notice mad Wayne staring at them with murder in his eyes.

  * * *

  The sparkling sea of yesterday had been replaced with an angry sea of white. The Teresa had rolled and thrashed around all night and all the crew had to eat for breakfast was stale bread and mouldy blue cheese. Michael had never felt so seasick in all his life and he was looking forward to walking on dry land again.

  “You’ll feel better if you come up on deck and get some fresh air” mentioned Alby. “We’re not too far from our destination, Matukus Island.”

  He struggled up the companionway and stood up, feeling the salt spray and cool wind on his face. Sally had been his nursemaid; emptying the bucket during the night and making sure he didn’t dehydrate. The sails had already been reefed in case the winds became so strong they dismasted the ship.

  “Land-ho!” shouted the lookout from the crow’s nest, high up on the mast.

  Michael strained his eyes and he could make out a small strip of dark-purple on the horizon, so he assumed they were less than twenty miles away from a relatively calm harbour. Mic
hael vaguely remembered, from his history lessons, was that Matukus Island was controlled by the Dutch. Most of Indonesia was controlled by the Dutch after signing a treaty with Britain, hence the name, Dutch East Indies.

  * * *

  “This part of East Indies is sparsely populated, but there could be some natives around. I recommend going ashore in groups of two or more, but you need to be back aboard before dark. My wife and I will be staying aboard, but Jack and four oarsmen will row to the nearest village for supplies. Are there any questions?” he asked when all the crew had assembled on deck.

  It was about mid-day when the anchor was finally lowered into the crystal clear waters of the bay and Michael had been so thankful for small mercies.

  “Well it’s all settled then. Alby will be in charge of the landing party which will depart in forty minutes, so those other five people need to have lunch and get ready if they want to go ashore” the captain advised. “Martha and Constance will remain aboard to tidy up, so the other crew members are free to go.”

  * * *

  Wayne cautiously walked up to the unadorned dark wooden building where he had been instructed to meet his contact. He'd only received word of the possible rendezvous just before The Teresa sailed from Bengal, and he had to hurry just to arrive on time. He was in his early thirties, still a young man, big, strong and able, and skilled at his trade. He was considered by women to be a fine looking man, his head covered with unruly curly black locks of hair and dark eyes that seemed to pierce right into the heart when he looked at you. He was well muscled with narrow hips and thin waist leading upward to broad shoulders. Working on The Teresa resulted in a deeply tanned, wind-blown skin, but the only thing that marred his face was his eyes which were downright evil. He was anxious to bring down The East India Company and receive his reward. He looked forward to living a luxurious life in a big city. What he faced ahead this evening was uncertain, but he had no choice but to forge onward. Though the East India Company was becoming increasingly bold and ambitious in ignoring the government, it was getting clearer that the Company was incapable of resisting the British Empire and Queen Victoria. The gold and riches the captain of ships received for importing tea and cocaine, while exporting all the wheat supplies, appeared to be making India poorer and something had to give.