– 19 –

And just after a couple of hits, and good coordination, the old part of the ship has disappeared and it was glimpsing the new broadside take shape, while Joe with me checked the drawing on the big table, and together we indicated the new part that took life.

It was really a collaborative job. Someone would take the sails down and someone else would put the new tops on the trees.
Some of them had to be changed, and the new wooden beams were already on the beach.

Fortunately it was only one of the damaged broadsides, but to be sure I wanted to check the other one, and as Joe was about to give this important task to a newbie, it has arrived Gareth with Al, and Gareth ask Joe what he had to do, and without thinking much, Joe has ordered him to accompany me to see the other part of the ship, and looking at Gareth, Joe said: “Gareth better tell you what happened in that attack!”

Gareth looked at Joe and Al and nodded.
Gareth, at this point, was on the same level as the other pirates, and who seemed to be leading this group from the beginning was Al, who with his humility had left the role to the bigger one, but we knew that he was the real captain of this crew.

Gareth has taken my hand, and with gentleness has helped me to overcome some obstacles in the ship, while outside I could even hear the voice of Luke in the middle of that large group, which was led by another pirate to raise a couple of large wooden beams to place them on that boardside.
The hit of the enemy ship had torn that part in half, and if it had not hit the beach before sinking, «now we would not be here to fix it,» had told Gareth, who had stopped for a while to look at all these new pirates at work.

Crossing a damaged part of the ship, Gareth has looked at me, and only with a grimace he asked: “How long do we have?”
My heart was beating so hard. I looked at him for a while.

Al had told him everything, and I knew the question was about the hours of sleep.
For a while I looked up at the sky, and when the air was out of my lungs, I was able to reassure him that “we have enough time,” and if the recruited pirates had continued to work as they were, we would have the new ship we needed.

“We just got back a few hours ago. We have time, don’t worry!” He tried to smile at me, but that grimace came back to his big face, and in silence he took my hand again, told me to be careful where I put my feet, and then suddenly he asked: “A double bowsprit! Is that possible?”
A pirate of his level asking me such a question.

I looked at him a little perplexed, but I had to answer him very quickly.
“If not double, a bowsprit that can hold hard hits and it can’t collapse the ship like the last time. We know, they are the small things the most precious,” and I did not continue. Gareth knew exactly what I meant.

We finally made it to the other side of the ship.
It seemed not very damaged, but some it had some losses, but they seemed remediables.
I shared a quick look with Gareth, and Gareth has looked around, looking for a wooden beam where I could sit, and after checking that what he had found was stable, he said to me: “I’m going back to the other side to warn the others,” and without letting me say a word, he left.

When I’ve been alone, I’ve been able to focus on that ghostly environment that enveloped me.
Even if the ship was on the beach, when I have closed the eyes, and I have still been able to listen to the wave of the sea that were violated on those wooden beams, I have been able to imagine the fear that was running among the pirates, and even if it was only a dream, everything seemed so real, and only when I have realized that I was alone, that something happened to the whole ship and the whole crew were involved, I have opened the eyes and I have held back the breath.

And when I saw that part of the boardside in front of me was adjusting itself, I’ve smiled between me and me, and in short, Luke has reached me, and together we have seen that kind of magic that was accomplishing.”
X

Daria

Listen to it🔉⤵