unbearable in her cabin, but she refused to go on
the upper deck in this state of filthy, unkempt hair and
alarming body odours.
These men, these savages, will not humiliate me!
The bath would be a welcome diversion. She felt
sticky from the sea air, her hair hanging listless on her
shoulders.
'Thanks, Señor,' she said, a bit friendlier. She felt
humiliated by the experience and she could see that he
loved her discomfort. Now she could not look at the smirk
on his face. 'I hate him!'
'It was a pleasure,' he said as she left. She could
hear his laugh following her all the way to her door.
'I really hate him.'
Two hours later, she felt refreshed and clean, her
skin soft and creamy. She decided to go to the upper deck
to dry her hair in the midday sun. For the first time since
she had come on board, she came up on the deck.
Walking to the bow, a man busy with ropes looked
at her with interest. She ignored him, touching the taffrail
to keep her balance. She could look far around her, the west
coast of Africa noticeable on the horizon. The ship clove
the clear waters. A light sea spray met her that was
welcoming in the heat. It was her first time taking a voyage
again.
Her mind wandered very far from her immediate
surroundings, thinking about a similar voyage twenty years
ago when she was only four years old. Memories flooded
back; of how they had met the giant they now knew as
Cisco Almaida. She remembered how she ran up to him,
telling him that she would be his daughter because he didn't
have one and looked sad. From that day forward there was
a bond between that sailor, now her father, and herself.
She remembered hugging his thick leg, feeling safe.
His hug in return was hesitant because the captain did not
allow any contact between the passengers and the crew. In
her young mind she did not know of the trouble she had
caused him, only that she had a longing for a father figure.
Her father was never interested in her, never around, or
when he was he was always drunk. She had always been
afraid of her biological father and had never had the liberty
to run up to him and hug him as she could with the giant.
Her young heart immediately reached out to him.
He talked to her in a soft, low voice, and even today, he
never raised his voice to her, even when she knew she
deserved it. He was a loving, gentle giant, and she loved
him fiercely.
In her eyes, he was everything a father, a husband,
and a man should be. She remembered how he was
whipped because he held her, the pain on his rugged face,
but not once did he cry out. His back ripped open from the
lashes.
Her mother thought that she did not witness it but
she did and when it was finished, she sat in a corner and
she cried about the unfairness of the grownups. Her
biological father stood close by and laughed when the giant
received the beating and she hated him. Never once did she
seek for his affection or love again throughout the voyage.
In the year and a half that they were in the bush
country of Africa and she got scared, she always ran to the
giant seeking safety and comfort in his arms.
Cisco was always there.
Ever since her mother and he met, they had loved
each other dearly. It did not matter how hard they tried to
ignore it. Their feelings became stronger over the period of
time. They never could openly express their love because
of the 'no contact' rule that the captain enforced harshly. No
one ever loved that man, not even her father, who was
always in a drunken stupor because of all the idle time at
sea. He had nothing to keep him busy except gambling with
the sailors.
This was the first time after their ordeal that she was
back on the open sea. Yes, there were many times that she
went on board ships because her father wanted to teach her
the science of chart reading and making knots, but she had
never gone on a voyage again.
She was happy on their estate, helping in the villa
and in the village.
the upper deck in this state of filthy, unkempt hair and
alarming body odours.
These men, these savages, will not humiliate me!
The bath would be a welcome diversion. She felt
sticky from the sea air, her hair hanging listless on her
shoulders.
'Thanks, Señor,' she said, a bit friendlier. She felt
humiliated by the experience and she could see that he
loved her discomfort. Now she could not look at the smirk
on his face. 'I hate him!'
'It was a pleasure,' he said as she left. She could
hear his laugh following her all the way to her door.
'I really hate him.'
Two hours later, she felt refreshed and clean, her
skin soft and creamy. She decided to go to the upper deck
to dry her hair in the midday sun. For the first time since
she had come on board, she came up on the deck.
Walking to the bow, a man busy with ropes looked
at her with interest. She ignored him, touching the taffrail
to keep her balance. She could look far around her, the west
coast of Africa noticeable on the horizon. The ship clove
the clear waters. A light sea spray met her that was
welcoming in the heat. It was her first time taking a voyage
again.
Her mind wandered very far from her immediate
surroundings, thinking about a similar voyage twenty years
ago when she was only four years old. Memories flooded
back; of how they had met the giant they now knew as
Cisco Almaida. She remembered how she ran up to him,
telling him that she would be his daughter because he didn't
have one and looked sad. From that day forward there was
a bond between that sailor, now her father, and herself.
She remembered hugging his thick leg, feeling safe.
His hug in return was hesitant because the captain did not
allow any contact between the passengers and the crew. In
her young mind she did not know of the trouble she had
caused him, only that she had a longing for a father figure.
Her father was never interested in her, never around, or
when he was he was always drunk. She had always been
afraid of her biological father and had never had the liberty
to run up to him and hug him as she could with the giant.
Her young heart immediately reached out to him.
He talked to her in a soft, low voice, and even today, he
never raised his voice to her, even when she knew she
deserved it. He was a loving, gentle giant, and she loved
him fiercely.
In her eyes, he was everything a father, a husband,
and a man should be. She remembered how he was
whipped because he held her, the pain on his rugged face,
but not once did he cry out. His back ripped open from the
lashes.
Her mother thought that she did not witness it but
she did and when it was finished, she sat in a corner and
she cried about the unfairness of the grownups. Her
biological father stood close by and laughed when the giant
received the beating and she hated him. Never once did she
seek for his affection or love again throughout the voyage.
In the year and a half that they were in the bush
country of Africa and she got scared, she always ran to the
giant seeking safety and comfort in his arms.
Cisco was always there.
Ever since her mother and he met, they had loved
each other dearly. It did not matter how hard they tried to
ignore it. Their feelings became stronger over the period of
time. They never could openly express their love because
of the 'no contact' rule that the captain enforced harshly. No
one ever loved that man, not even her father, who was
always in a drunken stupor because of all the idle time at
sea. He had nothing to keep him busy except gambling with
the sailors.
This was the first time after their ordeal that she was
back on the open sea. Yes, there were many times that she
went on board ships because her father wanted to teach her
the science of chart reading and making knots, but she had
never gone on a voyage again.
She was happy on their estate, helping in the villa
and in the village.
Similar Books
