The Pirate's Revenge

3-Phillip's Wishes

          I stood at the bow of the Galleon. The wind was high, primal sailing weather. They would leave the port easily tomorrow. Behind me, through all of the sounds of cargo loading I could hear my half-sisters shrieks of excitement. As I turned I saw her blonde locks flowing in the wind as she stared in awe at the great canvas sails.

I was used to this. And these ships had lost the awe factor for me long ago. Father stood next to her, telling her of all the grand adventures sailors had. The same stories he told me long ago when things were different. The men surrounding him were sweating buckets. The temperature reached 90 degrees long ago.

"Oh Callista!" Arista called. My father stared far away, disapprovingly. Behind him, I could see the head of Phillip Smith rise and board the ship. So close to making it through without having to face him. I started towards them from my position on the high deck, steering clear of the men at work.

My heart sank as I approached Phillip. He was three years my senior, and probably one of the most handsome men on the island. Tall, long brown hair and masculine features. With his good looks, though, came an aura of confidence that he developed only in the past few years. Ladies fawned over him. But he had known nothing but happiness and high life, and even though I used to consider him a friend, we were wrong for each other.

He smiled wide, and took off his hat as I approached. "Good morning, Miss Adley!" he said.

In my usual fashion of minimal effort, I curtseyed, and smiled back. "A hot day it is, Mr. Smith. Looking forward to the journey in a few days?"

"Aye, mam. And call me Phillip, please." I glanced at my father, who was always beaming in the presence of what he considered to be his future son in law.

"Callista, the ship is so magnificent," she said excitedly. "I wish-I wish I could sail with you Mr. Smith!"

This drew a laugh from him. His laugh was wholesome and true. I had known Phillip my entire life, as we both grew up here. As children we would often spend the hot days together, and at night he would sneak out of the fort where he grew up to come see me. He taught me how to swim whenever the moon was full and I could get out. But in young teens-his demeanor changed, and after he got caught trying to sneak out of the fort, his father cracked down hard on him. He sent him on journeys with my father's trading ships, and in those long months at sea, Phillip decided that he wanted to take over someday in place of his father. When he came back from a voyage on my 16th birthday, he decided that he wanted me to marry. Our relationship changed ever since.

"Maybe someday, Arista." He said. Phillip made eye contact with me, and as if it was planned, my father took his cue and asked my sister to accompany him to the cargo hold. This was completely set up by my dad for Phillip, no doubt.

I stared down at my shoes before looking back up. "How are you Phillip?"

He smiled, and offered me his arm, to stroll the decks. "I have been doing just perfect, Callista." I took his arm, and he led us across the deck to starboard, overlooking the ocean. The men that worked on the ships made sure to clear the way, even if it meant dropping what they were doing. Phillip wouldn't notice it, of course. He had never been trained to.

"Tell me how it's been at the manor?" It almost made me sad to think that the only person who I had ever been close friends with now knew nothing of what I was going through. That every day in the manor was hell, and that I had not planned on being nearly this close to my father today. That he made me sick. That the prospect of marrying made me sick.