12
After their daring undertaking, they returned safely from the Heerengardt and were back to their normal routine, on the way to the Falcon with much lost time to make up.
Roberto reminded Rosa-Lee that if anything of that sort happened again she would face a severe flogging without hesitation. She had to confess that she was more afraid of Roberto now, after he had rescued her. His dark eyes had menacingly reinforced to her his stern warning. Even more than remembering those brutes she was among on the Heerengardt, her heart still stopped when thoughts of the previous day entered her mind. Thoughts that Roberto was serious when he had fastened her to the railing threw her heart into turmoil.
She had trembled so much from shock that she did not even feel ashamed of her exposure in front of the crew. Her brother’s shirt had covered her chest and only her back had been bared.
To be so close to a flogging would make her think twice before another attempt. Rosa-Lee realized that although abducted and prisoner of Roberto she had nothing to fear from him except if she crossed him.
This man might like her. She had seen the looks of interest on his face, but he was still a pirate, the son of the Falcon; a fierce and cruel man.
Respect and discipline were of the utmost importance.
She had a lot of time for herself and spent most of it on the upper deck reading or walking. The cabin was too confining and small for her to breathe properly. She liked to watch them all working on the deck, repairing and cleaning the sails and all the tackle, keeping the ship well-maintained.
Most times, she would study the man Roberto from underneath her lashes as she continued with her needlework or reading. She admired the way his men respected him, obeying his instructions to the smallest detail. Though maybe they did it out of fear most times, she sensed a genuine respect toward him. He was not afraid of doing the small, mundane stuff with them. She loved the way he laughed without any care, interacting with them on competition days, climbing like rats into the ropes to see who would be first. His strength and fitness attracted her so that she openly stared at him.
During their off times, the crew would ask her to tell another story and she gladly accommodated them.
On one occasion she saw Roberto’s strictness with a man who was lazy on the job, but he still managed to be kind to him. The story it reminded her of, had made a huge impression on her young mind.
“The captain that led us was a cruel man. He was always seeking for ways of making life difficult for the crew, especially my father, the big giant,” she smiled, missing the man who played such a big role in her growing-up years.
“When I first saw that giant man after we came aboard in India, I, at the tender age of four, ran to him and gave him a huge hug. First, he looked lonely and sad and that attracted me to him. Secondly, his whole posture was one that promised safety. At first he didn’t want to speak to me, shooing me away, but he couldn’t resist my childish charm.” She chuckled while the men grinned.
“I continued speaking to him because, in my young heart, I was desperate for a father’s touch. However, without me knowing it, I put him in danger. At first, the captain said it was okay because my mother was upset. When she overheard another sailor saying that he would be flogged, she pleaded on Cisco’s behalf, but as I already said, the captain was a cruel man.” Sadness shadowed her eyes.
“The next morning he was tied to the ropes and flogged. Ten lashes because he answered a few questions! My mother tried to hide it from me, but I did see it. My young heart was aching for the big man and I ran away and cried where she could not see me.” She dabbed away the moisture from her eyes and continued.
“After the storm and the shipwreck we landed on a strip of white sand. While on land, people became sick or were so tired of the long walk that they just lay down in defeat. The captain refused to take care of them and left them behind. Sometimes you could hear the screams of these people as wild animals attacked and killed them. He would laugh about it. It would anger Cisco but he kept quiet, his back still painful after another lashing because he had saved my mother; had saved all of us. Food was very scarce. The giant wanted to go out and hunt, but the captain refused to give them any ammunition. It was more precious than gold at that time and as he said, he was not going to waste good bullets on animals. Some literally starved to death. We had only the plants around us to eat. We ate leaves and bark, but some would become so sick from cramps with the unnatural diet, that they were left behind to die by the cruelty of the animals we could hear all around us.”
Roberto sat close by and listened, watching her as she relived those days, all the men’s attention on her.
“I remember one day we came across an empty village and they searched around to gather some food. Suddenly shots broke the silence and we saw the captain looking frantically around and shooting blindly into the thick bushes. When my mother and father went to investigate, they found a young pregnant woman killed. They were devastated at the cruelty of this man but they could do nothing to prevent this senseless killing. After that, he found stray dogs, grilled them and forced us to eat. My mother refused and father went back to the village later that night looking for food, which he found and brought to us.
“This man, our captain, finally died after he himself became mad with the fever that killed most of the group. He wanted to kill Father in his delirious state. Out of self-defence, Father had to kill him.” She closed her eyes, the images still so clear in her mind.
“My father took over the role of captain and life became easier. The people had a great respect for him. Under his leadership no one was left behind. No one was hungry if he could help it.”
She had to brush a tear away, missing both of her parents extremely.
“Tell us another one. How were you saved?” one of the men asked. Silence ruled on the ship as men listened to her. A few could tell their own stories of that hard savage country, but it was nicer to listen to the young woman. Her voice was soothing to their hardened hearts.
“Father had to leave us at one stage. The group was very tired and weak from weeks without any nutrition. Food was very scarce, so he decided to go before us and explore the land closer to the coast. By his calculations, we had to be close to a fort. Mozambique was still far off. If he could get a ship at the fort, it could take us to Mozambique and bring everyone to safety quicker. He left another sailor, who was, and still is, a very good friend, in charge of the group. Before he left, he set some traps, in the hopes that small animals could be caught to prepare as meals.”
“He was gone for four weeks. We later found out that the search party, consisting of thirteen men, all came down with fever and ten died on the way. When they reached the fort, my father himself became very sick. After he regained his health, he arranged for a ship that was willing to wait for us and came back with enough food. By the time, my father finally returned with the necessary food supply, we were all literally at the doorstep of death. The fever plagued our group as well and one by one, people died. My mother and half-sister were the only two able to stand, but they were exhausted in caring for everyone. My mother became so thin that father did not recognize her at first, and when he did, he cried so much.”
She closed her eyes, seeing her mother’s skeletal figure with pale blue skin stretched thinly over it. The image imprinted in her mind.
“It was painful to see them in that state. At that point, they did not care that my biological father was still around. They just held each other, longing for the comfort that they could only find with each other. After he buried the dead and rested, Father took us back, carrying me on his back. Five days later, we were at the fort. The fort’s occupants helped us to get enough rest and decent food and water to sustain us so we could go onto the ship. Two days later, another storm hit us and once again, we had to abandon the ship. My biological father died during that storm. He threw himself from the ship into the whirlpool of angry waters, knowing he was losing his mind.”
She swallowed ag
ain at the memories of that man. She could not even remember what he looked like anymore.
“His way of life finally caught up with him. The captain of the fort helped us again and for a whole week, we could rest and have decent food. After losing the others, father decided that he needed to go to Mozambique to get help. He meant to travel alone on foot. The group decided they would go with him and not stay behind. My mother was the first to refuse to let him go alone. She did not want to be apart from him any longer. We all walked along the coast line until we reached Mozambique a week later, this time without any difficulties. The governor was good to us and helped us to get on our feet again. Regaining our strength with a great deal of rest and well-balanced meals made the world of difference. Another month passed by before a ship passed that was willing to take us back to Portugal.”
“How long did it take you to get back?” another sailor asked.
“Two years in total since we left India and reached Portugal,” She replied.
“Will you ever go back there?”
“Never. The memories still haunt me. My mother and father took great care in helping me forget, but I have learnt to take it day by day. Mostly the faces of those people that stayed behind in fear and trembling haunt me. I didn’t fear the savages so much as the cruelty of the captain to my father. It was very real. When the ship went down the first time and we reached the shore father built a hut for us because we did not know how long we would stay there. The captain hoped that another ship would pass but after a week it did not happen and the food was already scarce. The search teams stayed away for longer and longer times.
My biological father decided he was going to stay in our hut while we were on the beach. My mother refused but he tried to overpower her. Father stepped in when he heard her scream for help and saved her. He received a flogging because of that from the captain. Those are the things that I struggle with the most.”
“Why do you say that your biological father wanted to rape your mother? Weren’t they married?” the men asked in confusion.
“Yes, but my mother was forced into the marriage by her parents. On their wedding night he forced himself on her and nine months later I was born. My mother never forgave him for that and she never allowed him to touch her again. When he saw that there were feelings between the sailor and my mother he was jealous and wanted to try again; again with the same brutality.”
For the hardened pirates it was difficult to comprehend. They were used to taking what they wanted, even by force, but when injustice was done by the rich, they could not fathom it. Those were the people who dictated how they all should live, yet they still were capable of doing such cruelties to their own.
There is no honour in that.