Elizabeth Swann's Sister

21. Father's Old Friend and Tales Of My Mother

We both exited the shop, with Thomas closing the door behind us, both of us looking around the town, our eyes sat in a squinted position from being inside a blackened out room all night, to then coming into contact with the light. I looked on the ground first to see if I could spot Will, there was no sign of him maybe he got up and went to find my father and Norrington, to tell them about Elizabeth and I or maybe he was killed and taken away to be disposed of, I thought to myself.

I looked back at Thomas, who had the same horrified look upon his face, both our mouths open like cod fish from witnessing the most distressing scenes, that were in front of us. The whole town was a mess, everyone around us was busy doing something whether that be, picking up broken horse carts, sweeping up broken glass from their shop window pains, attending to the dead or injured or even setting up their market stalls, to try and at least get back to normal and earn themselves a living. The silence within the town was noticeable too, the only sound that could be heard was the sniffling and whinging coming from some of the towns folk, from either being in pain or blatantly upset and some of the children, the shrieks that were coming from one newborn infant, was just enough to pull at your heart strings.

The occasional neigh from the horses, cluck from the chickens and barking from muts, running around the town sniffing out food could also be heard. Everyone looked so glum, as though all the hope that was filled within their eyes, had now disappeared completely, and that it was snatched away by the devil himself. The smoke throughout the town, from what the fires, grenades and canons made was noticeable too, it was really strong so that if you were to breathe in too deep, it would sure take your breath away and not in a good way.

I looked over to see an elderly gentleman known to the town as Mr Kippers, as he was a man who loved to eat kippers and he sells them right here on what used to be his market stall, before the pirate's invaded and blew it too pieces. I'm not particularly sure if that is his real name, however he doesn't seem to mind if people call him it. He is also a very good friend of my fathers, as my father too, is partial to a kipper for breakfast. I myself can't bare to eat them, it is the smell of them and the way they look with their eyes staring up directly at you, on your plate I don't like.

I could see that Mr Kippers was tidying up, what was left from his market stall and he was also gutting and chopping up fish ready to sell. I decided to go over and lend a hand. Thomas must have felt the same way about Mrs Andrew's, as he went to help assist her with cleaning up her shop. "Hello Mr Kippers". I said to him whilst walking over to stand beside him, he had his back to me and when he heard my voice, he turned around in surprise. "My goodness, you aren't the same little redhead who belongs to my good friend Weatherby are you?". he asked me, whilst coming close to my face and pushing his spectacles further up his nose. "Indeed I am, Mr Kippers". I told him, whilst placing my hands in front of me, one on top of the other and giving him an angelic smile.

"My goodness, I haven't seen you since you where a newborn in your fathers arms and may I say, what a fine young women you have turned out to be and a pretty one at that, how old must you be now, since it has been a long time since we met last?". "Why Mr Kippers, you are but a charmer, although I wouldn't accept myself as too being beautiful, but just pretty, and I am now 16". I told him, "Oh My 16, where has those 16 years gone too". He chuckled.

"And, don't you think for a moment Anne, that you are not beautiful, you know, you remind me a lot of your mother in more ways than one, not just in your looks but in your manners too, your mother used to put herself down a lot about her appearance, but your father would put an end to it right away and tell her that she was the most beautiful pearl he ever picked, out of all the oysters within the sea".

"Wow you knew my mother!, how come, when she has never been to Port Royal before, she died when I was born?". I asked him. "Oh my dear!, me and your father go way back, back to when we were about your age in fact, or maybe a little older, I met your father back in London, when he used to come to my stall to buy kippers for your mother, as apprently she couldn't get enough of them, it must have been when she was pregnant with you, as I always remember he had your sister with him, carrying her on his shoulders, she must have been about 2 years old". "Maybe that's why I have such a dis-taste for them now, if that is all my mother used to eat whilst she was expecting me".I told him and we both laughed.

"He loved your mother very dearly you know Anne, when she died he was so distraught, he came to me and told me of her passing". He paused and looked down at the ground and wiped a tear from underneath his glasses, I felt as though I was to tear up too, not from sadness but from guilt, as I was the one who killed my mother from coming into this world too early. "But his face always used to light up again when he began to talk about his new precious little bundle of joy, a beautiful baby girl the spitting image of her mother, down from her eyes, to her beautiful fiery red hair and my new little pearl, my little Anne, he used to always say, you were named after your mother you know, you and Elizabeth both bare her name, you posses her name as your first name and Elizabeth bares it as her middle name."

I felt better after Mr Kippers told me that and how my father seemed to be pleasantly happy with me being born. Rather than resenting me, every moment he looked at me, from what I had done to his wife, leaving him a widow and his oldest child motherless. Those where my own thoughts not anyone else's I had hoped anyway, however, I pushed those thoughts aside when Mr Kippers started to speak again. "Anyways what can I do for you my dear, have you come to collect your fathers order of freshly caught kippers, straight off one of the ships from dear old London?". He asked me whilst continuing to gut the fish on his stall.

"Actually, I was wondering if you needed any assistance in anyway, as I saw you struggling a little, with rebuilding your stall?". I asked him. "Oh my dear that is very kind of you, but it is quite alright, as I have some of the towns folk coming to assist me in a little while, once they all get set up themselves". "Now is there anything else I can do for you dear Anne?". He asked again. "Actually yes there is one other thing, I was wondering if you had seen my father, or perhaps a young Will Turner anywhere?". I asked him.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen your father as of yet, but young William was lying on the ground, when I left to go down to the docks this morning to retrieve my stock, then when I got back he awoke and got up and walked over in that direction". He pointed his gutting knife towards the fort. "Thank you very much Mr Kippers, I will be sure to tell my father that you are awaiting his order for your kippers, and I very much enjoyed the story you have told me, about my mother, as my father doesn't really like to tell me much about her, goodbye". I said to him before I walked off towards the fort.

"Goodbye my dear, I hope to see you again sometime, and remember if you ever want to here some stories of your dear mother, then you can always come to me and if I'm not around I will be sure to tell your father next time I see him, that he must tell you a few stories as I instruct that he do so". He said to me before he returned back to gut the fish on his stall. I turned back around. "Thank you, Mr Kippers, that is most kind of you". I said to him whilst waving goodbye at him and walked further towards the fort.