said Mena sounded perfect. Of course, neither of us knew at the time that she was pregnant with Wash or that it would take me nineteen years to get them back.
Thompson
All I wanted was to be left alone and Mena looked like she knew how to do that. I had my boys carry us to this island the following week. Showed them the house I’d bought for nickels. They were horrified. Called it a rickety shack and stood around in my sandy yard fussing about my living out here by myself.
They took so strongly after my wife’s mother, there was not a trace of me in either of them. Both of them so blond and clean featured, they looked almost girlish. Campbell leaning tall and thin and hesitant towards his younger brother Eli who took the lead in everything whether he knew how to manage it or not.
I worked hard to give those boys and their sister a good life but I never expected they’d always want more. More money coming in so they could buy fancier things, trying to act like they’re not living in the middle of godforsaken nowhere. I wanted to tell them we’re not in England, for God’s sake. We’re in the New World. Why would you want to go back to all that old rigamarole?
But I guess it’s whatever you don’t know and haven’t had that pulls on you. I’d walked the halls of Parliament and known all those people. Same warts and gas underneath those fancy clothes, and even the powerful are weak to someone. To be fair, I’d spent my time chasing those same things but I was finished with it while my boys were just getting started.
As I walked them down to my crooked little dock, I remember wishing I could find a way to like them more. Never suspected I’d be so glad to see those two climb back in my boat and go. Said I didn’t want to see them or anyone else from my place except for every three months to drop off my staples and send my man Paymore when they couldn’t make it.
This house had just what I needed. Two rooms, each one backed up to the big central fireplace. Good broad windows with shutters that closed tight. A porch looking out over the sound in the distance, a kitchen attached to the side, and a loft upstairs for Mena. Plenty of room up there and it stayed warm next to the chimney. Row of small windows ran under the eaves and two at each end swung open for a cross breeze and some light.
The whole house was sheltered even as it had a long view. It sat in a dip at the top of a small hill. High enough to dodge rising water but squat enough to duck the wind. Wind coming off that water could tear the hair right from your head.
Thickets of wax myrtles growing close kept us pretty well hidden. A wide meadow full of rusty gold grass fell away towards the sound shimmering behind a row of pines. Huckleberries roped with vines made another dense thicket all the way to the road which was deep sand and slow going. Bad road, tangled woods, and two big dogs made sure no one snuck up on us.
Good people out here but kind of woolly. No real pirates left but it was a pretty rough crew. We came from all walks of life and we pretty much left each other be. My boys tried to turn up their noses, but to me it was a relief. I’ve always liked all kinds and my wife did too. A bit of an adventurer she was. Could talk to a post. She would have enjoyed this place. Should have come here sooner. Brought her with me. Might have saved her from the fever.
The land and the weather out here made good levelers. Didn’t matter what you came in with. All that mattered was what you could do with what you had. There was some filching going on, drawing the ships onto the rocks to gut them for whatever they carried. But I kept my back turned. Did not get involved.
They were roughnecks but they had some ethics. Watched me nod just as normal as anything when we rode past each other and pretty soon, their scrawny wives started bringing me pails of blueberries. I nodded to thank them and sent Mena over there every now and then with a bird slung over
Thompson
All I wanted was to be left alone and Mena looked like she knew how to do that. I had my boys carry us to this island the following week. Showed them the house I’d bought for nickels. They were horrified. Called it a rickety shack and stood around in my sandy yard fussing about my living out here by myself.
They took so strongly after my wife’s mother, there was not a trace of me in either of them. Both of them so blond and clean featured, they looked almost girlish. Campbell leaning tall and thin and hesitant towards his younger brother Eli who took the lead in everything whether he knew how to manage it or not.
I worked hard to give those boys and their sister a good life but I never expected they’d always want more. More money coming in so they could buy fancier things, trying to act like they’re not living in the middle of godforsaken nowhere. I wanted to tell them we’re not in England, for God’s sake. We’re in the New World. Why would you want to go back to all that old rigamarole?
But I guess it’s whatever you don’t know and haven’t had that pulls on you. I’d walked the halls of Parliament and known all those people. Same warts and gas underneath those fancy clothes, and even the powerful are weak to someone. To be fair, I’d spent my time chasing those same things but I was finished with it while my boys were just getting started.
As I walked them down to my crooked little dock, I remember wishing I could find a way to like them more. Never suspected I’d be so glad to see those two climb back in my boat and go. Said I didn’t want to see them or anyone else from my place except for every three months to drop off my staples and send my man Paymore when they couldn’t make it.
This house had just what I needed. Two rooms, each one backed up to the big central fireplace. Good broad windows with shutters that closed tight. A porch looking out over the sound in the distance, a kitchen attached to the side, and a loft upstairs for Mena. Plenty of room up there and it stayed warm next to the chimney. Row of small windows ran under the eaves and two at each end swung open for a cross breeze and some light.
The whole house was sheltered even as it had a long view. It sat in a dip at the top of a small hill. High enough to dodge rising water but squat enough to duck the wind. Wind coming off that water could tear the hair right from your head.
Thickets of wax myrtles growing close kept us pretty well hidden. A wide meadow full of rusty gold grass fell away towards the sound shimmering behind a row of pines. Huckleberries roped with vines made another dense thicket all the way to the road which was deep sand and slow going. Bad road, tangled woods, and two big dogs made sure no one snuck up on us.
Good people out here but kind of woolly. No real pirates left but it was a pretty rough crew. We came from all walks of life and we pretty much left each other be. My boys tried to turn up their noses, but to me it was a relief. I’ve always liked all kinds and my wife did too. A bit of an adventurer she was. Could talk to a post. She would have enjoyed this place. Should have come here sooner. Brought her with me. Might have saved her from the fever.
The land and the weather out here made good levelers. Didn’t matter what you came in with. All that mattered was what you could do with what you had. There was some filching going on, drawing the ships onto the rocks to gut them for whatever they carried. But I kept my back turned. Did not get involved.
They were roughnecks but they had some ethics. Watched me nod just as normal as anything when we rode past each other and pretty soon, their scrawny wives started bringing me pails of blueberries. I nodded to thank them and sent Mena over there every now and then with a bird slung over
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