Son Of The Seas

1. Port Royal

It was the 7th of October 1723 in the town of Port Royal and the weather was wet and miserable. There were hardly any people walking in the paved streets and hardly any street lamps lit as the gusting wind prevented the candles from staying lit. The unwanted cold would prevent those charged with lighting them to keep returning to relight them.

There were a few horses attached to buggies shuffling and restless as the weather was deteriorating. Here and there a few windows were glowing with a bright orange light from lit fireplaces.

Inside one of these 18th century homes, an old grandfather clock just chimed its ninth chime. Two young boys, aged twelve and nine, were sitting and playing on a bear skin rug right in front of the fire-place while their mother was sitting on a rocking chair behind them.

She had a basket of wool with two strands leading up to her hands, connecting to two quilting needles.

"Mother, do we have anymore sweetcake?" asked Nathan, the nine-year old boy as he was looking around in the fire lit room.

His mother looked up from her quilting and smiled. "Yes Nathan, but you know your father..."

"Please mother?" pleaded Peter, the twelve-year old. "We promise not to tell father." Peter smiled.

Marie, their mother, looked at both her sons, then sighed. "Oh very well"

She placed the quilt with the needles in the basket, stood up from the rocking chair and moved towards a table infront of the window. She took a knife, lifted the cover and cut two thin slices of sweetcake.

"This will be our little secret" Marie said while giving the boys each a slice as she sat back down. "After this I want both of you to wash up and retire for the night."

"Yes mother, and thank you," said Peter right before he took a bite.

The boys ate the sweetcake and one after the other stood up and walked towards their mother. Peter walked over to the table next to the window and picked up a candle. Each of them gave Marie a kiss on the cheek and walked towards a door next to the grandfather clock.

"Goodnight my darlings. Remember to say your prayers." Marie said, looking at Nathan and Peter.

"Yes Mother, goodnight," the boys said simultaneously.

In another room, Peter was pouring water into a large bowl and Nathan was starting to undress.

Later that night the boys were both laying in bed, still awake. The room was dark. They heard their mother humming a familiar tune. "Why does father spend so much time at the tavern?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know. Father did say he is working," replied Peter.

"Peter, do you think that is true? Sue-Ann from church said only gamblers and sinners go to a tavern." Said Nathan as he straightened his blanket.

Peter sat up in bed and looked in the general direction of his brother. "Don't listen to her, Sue-Ann thinks she knows everything but knows nothing. Father is a good man," replied Peter a bit more stern. He rested his head back on his pillow.

"True, I guess" Said Nathan with a sigh.

About half an hour later, the two boys started to fall asleep when both of their sleep suddenly got disturbed by distant cannon fire. "Peter, are you awake?" Asked a frightened Nathan.

"Yes, yes I am" Replied Peter in a quick tone.

Outside, bells started ringing followed by more cannon fire. Marie quickly walked through the door, with a lit candle in her hand. "Both of you awake?"