The Chronicles of a Pirate

Chapter 1: Getting My Sea Legs.

          He looks up and says, "Atta boy," and smiles.

          He took me to church every Sunday. I have to admit, I never really got into it. I kind of believe in God, but I don't know enough to make a decision. I just sat through the services. I learned a lot though. About the wars, and about Jesus. I also learned a lot about right and wrong, good and evil. I don't curse, or disrespect women. And I know my way around the good book. When I turned twelve was when he finally decided to teach me to shoot.

          "Alright Edward, keep both eyes open, don't hold your breath, breath out as you squeeze, not pull, the trigger, and don't close your eyes!"

          "Wait, what?"

          "Keep your eyes open, and pull the trigger."

          "But I thought you said don't pull the trigger?"

          "No, wait, yes, no, squeeze the trigger, don't pull it, when you pull it you mess up your aim."

          "So wait, how do you squeeze it then?" 

          "Just do it."

          "OK, I think I've got it!" POW.

          Uncle Nathan looks at me, angrily, and says, "You closed your eye!"

          "No I didn't!"

          "Don't argue with me boy, you closed you eye! You cant close your eye while you shoot! What if a man is holding your child, and you close your eye and miss the man? What then?"

          "Uncle Nate, why are you so worried about people capturing my family?"

          "Just don't close your eyes, Edward."

          "Yes sir."

           After a little while, I finally hit the target.

          "I got it!"

          "Ay, that ya did! Good shot! Now try it again!" I steady my weapon, keep both my eyes open, and look down the long barrel of my musket. POW. The small can on the fence several yards down range flys from its spot.

          "I got it again!"

          "Ay boyo, youll be shooting better then me before to long! Let me take a shot at it." I run down range, and replace the can on the fence, and stand there. "Get back up here Edward! Your no fool! You know better then to stand down range wile a man's shootin'!" I job back up and stand beside him. He shoots, and misses by a mile. "I did that on purpose."

          "Sure ya did Uncle Nate."

          "Don't ya be arguing with me," he laughs.

          My Fathers name was Mathew. Mathew Malure Goldsteel. I still remember the day I asked Nathan about him. I was eighteen.

          "Uncle Nate, what was my father like?" 

          His face clouds over as he looks down and says, "He was a good man."

          "Tell me more about him, please! I want to know!"

          "Leave me alone about it, he was a good man!"

          After several weeks of my periodically asking, he finally tells me.

          "Your Father was a Privateer for the Navy for a  time. He settled down and had a family. You were his only child, and he loved you vary much. You happy now? Leave me alone about it!"

          A few weeks later we sit down by a fire on one of the beach's of Port Royal, which is where we lived, and he volunteers more.

          "Edward, I know a man needs to know more about his father, but your father and I were vary close, and I'm just not ready to tell it."

          "Well, what about my mother?"

          "She was beautiful, more beautiful then the most gorgous sunset."

          "What else?"

          "I'm not quite ready to talk about her yet either, I'm sorry Edward." After a small silence, he looks up at me says, "I brought ya out here to show ya something." He points out to sea, "Do you see that?"

          "See what?"

          "Just look."

          "The ship?"

          "Aye."

          There's a small sloop on the horizon. Uncle Nate says, "Tomorrow we are going out to sea, we will be sailing around Jamaica. I'm going to teach ya how to sail."

          I jump up in excitement and say, "Really?"

          "Aye, give your beauty word tomorrow, tell her she may come to if she like. I'll gather a vary small crew, some friends, and we'el teach ya how to sail."

          He was referring to my fiance, Haley Marie. She is the most beautiful woman in the entire world. I went to her home that morning, and asked her father if she could travel with us. Her father, Charles, worried for her safety, wouldn't allow it, and so we spent a couple of hours together before I left off. That was the last time I've saw her.