Over the weeks he piled us with un-believable hard and stupid chorus. He made us scrap barnacles from under the boat while sitting around and yelling to us. “Put some elbow into it!” he would order. We would scrub all of the dishes till Silver could see his own face in them. We pealed hundreds potatoes without a single word to each other and mopped the deck thousands of times with a new mess to clean every day. One day Silver had me doing the days dishes and was teaching Jim about knots. Silver and Jim sat up on a tall mast as Silver took the rope in hand and started to explain how to tie a knot.
“See you take one end and bring it around here like this,” he said making a loop and wrapping the rope around it. “and pull it through, and, there you go.” he said pulling it through. “huh?” he said looking up at the missing Jim. He saw a rope draped over the edge with a perfect knot. He looked over and saw Jim walking on the edge of the boat. Just then I walked up from the galley and saw him walking. I ran up next to him and walked on the deck with him above me.
“Jim?” he looked down at me.
“Hey Christy. Did you get all done with the dishes then?” he looked back up to the sky.
“Yeah, just now.” I said stretching out.
“This late?” Jim asked surprised. “Well I’m not to excited to do the dishes tomorrow.” he joked. I smiled and dropped my hands to my side.
“So what have you and Silver been up to?” I asked changing the subject. We reached the tip of the boat and Jim sat down on the edge facing me.
“Well, he was teaching me how to tie knots.” I walked up next to him and leaned on the side.
“Sounds like fun.” I smiled. Jim looked at me and laughed.
“Yeah sure, if you think so.” I smiled back knowing he meant it was really boring. We both sat there in silence staring off when Morph floated up to us and chirped happily.
“Hi-ya Morph.” I said putting out my hand letting him land on it. “So, Jim, where is Silver then?” he let out a long big breath,
“Probably up on the mast where we were still.” Surprised I looked up at him.
“You mean you just left?” I asked in un-belief. Without any hesitation he ran his hand through his hair and answered,
“Yeah, I learned the skill he was teaching me and used it to leave.” He seemed like it didn’t even bother him.
“Jim,” I said disapproving. “that’s not very nice.” he smirked annoyed. “Why do you care?” he said frustrated. “it doesn’t seem like it bothered him that much.” he quietly said looked back where he walked. I buried my hands in my face and sighed.
“Have you ever thought that he’s just trying to help you? To help both of us?” I said, half trying to convince myself.
“Help us? By doing what?” Jim said now angry. I knew I said the wrong thing that set him off. “Ordering us to do hard chores for no reason at all? Its not like he really trusts us or any--”
“Shut up Jim!” I yelled. Now I was angry with Jim saying Silver wasn’t teaching us anything. Jim looked at me in shock. I sighed and thought for a moment. “Look,” I said quietly. “I know this may be hard for you to have a man like Silver around. But trust me, he cares and trusts us.” Jim looked away unconvinced. I placed my hand on his arm. “And he’s not going to leave us.” I said knowing that’s what he feared the most. Jim’s eyes widened and he stayed still for a moment before he cleared his throat replied.
“Funny way of showing it.” He said trying not to be seen defeated in a way.
“Just try not to make this more difficult then it is. Trust me, you’ll see that he does.” I said and turned back around walking away.
“Yeah right.” Jim whispered under his breath. I sighed and walked into the crew quarters.
The next day was worse then any others. Jim was stubborn, but still did his work. Silver got more and more annoyed with his attitude. Eventually Silver had it. He was giving Jim jobs more then me. I was standing around most of the day not knowing what to do because Silver was so focused on Jim. Jim was on the top deck scrubbing when Silver would walk up to him and stand over him. Jim knew what he was doing. Showing he was the bigger man, but Jim was stubborn and still tried to beat him. Silver shoved a bucket of soapy water into his chest and pointed to a spot on the deck he wanted scrubbed down. Jim with no words threw it onto the deck and dropped to his knees and continued to scrub. I cut Silver off at the entrance of the Galley.
“Silver? Is there anything I can do?” I asked wanting to be giving work. To not feel useless. Silver put his hand on my shoulder.
“Now Christy, why would I be givin’ you work when you’ve been workin’ hard this whole trip. You deserve a day or two off, don’t you think.” He said smiling then walking around me. I stared at the deck below me then back up to Jim who scrubbed away. I sighed and walked to the edge of the boat and sunk down to the floor. I twiddled with my fingers and thought about everything, and nothing. I thought about my father and what he was doing right now. I thought about my choice to come here. But mostly I thought about Jim and how he was being so stubborn with his work today.
‘He must already be exhausted. And he still has to do the day’s dishes today.’ I thought to my self.
Before I knew it, 3 hours had past and I looked up at the deck where Jim was, but I could see him anywhere. I walked down the steps into the galley and saw Silver piling the dishes around Jim who scrubbed away with a sour look on his face. I crept back up the stairs trying not to be seen. Time continued to pass and Jim didn’t come up. After 2 hours I decided to head to bed knowing he would be fine.
Down in the galley Jim finished the last bowl of the dishes and laid over it asleep. Silver walked into the galley to check on him and saw him asleep. He rubbed his neck feeling guilty for working him so hard. Morph on his side gave him a loving look adding onto the feeling. Silver quietly walked up next to Jim and set his oversized jacket on Jim to keep him warm. Jim noticed the extra weight and cracked his eyes open and saw a cyborg leg and human leg walking up the final steps of the galley. He knew exactly who it was. Silver. He sighed to him self and smiled. ’Maybe he really does care.’ Jim thought to himself. ’He just has a different way of showing it.’ He sat up and stretched, set the bowl down and stumbled into the crew’s quarters leaving the jacket on a nearby table.
The next morning Jim and I woke up bright and early ready to start the day. Silver walked up to us rubbing his neck almost embarrassed.
“Well lads.” Silver started dropping his hand. “I’m not quiet sure how to say this but, you don’t really have anything for you two to be doing.” We both looked at each other.
“What do you mean?” Jim asked.
“Well” Silver said shifting. “I worked you two with so many jobs yesterday, we don’t have anything to do, I guess the only thing I need you to do is swab the deck.” he looked both ways and leaned in close to us. “But don’t be telling the Captain about this, understood?” I smiled and nodded. Jim shrugged but cracked a small smile.
“Come on, Jim” I said hitting his arm and running into the Galley. He followed catching up to me.
“So, just need to mop huh?” Jim said from behind me.
“I guess so,” I shrugged. “Maybe him working you to the bone yesterday was a good thing.” I smiled peaking over my shoulder. He smiled and looked away. We grabbed two mops and a bucket out of the storage closet and walked back up talking. We went strait to work taking our time knowing we didn’t have work waiting for us. Although with going slower we tended to goof off more then we should.
When Jim finished a spot I would “accidentally” spill the bucket over that spot, and he looked up at me a smile across his face.
“Christy. Wrong choice.” He said dropping his mop. I put on a innocent face and kept mopping trying not to laugh.
“What ever are you talking about?” I said. I turned my back to him still mopping. He picked up the bucket and the water that was left over from it and walked behind me. When I didn’t hear a reply from him I turned around and saw him with bucket in hand. He lifted it above me and dumped it out on my head. I screamed covering my head. “Jim!” I yelled. “you jerk!” I sounded more happy then angry. With that I flipped the mop around and threw it into his face. He laughed and dropped the bucket.
“Oh you are so dead!” Jim yelled running toward his mop. He picked it up from the floor and hit me in the side with it soaking my shirt. I gasped and looked at him narrowing my eyes.
“This mean’s war!” He smiled and we ran around the deck soaking each other with water in a small water fight. We worked while trying to secretly get one another with water for until the sun went down. I looked up at the night sky and smiled walking to the edge of the boat and leaning over the railing. Jim looked over to me and walked up next to me. It was just like our first night working on the boat so long ago. “It really is beautiful don’t you think?” I said without ever looking at him.
“What?” he asked confused.
“Space.” I said looking to him and back to the sky. “Its so peaceful, and quiet. So…” I said trying to think of the right word to describe it.
“Mysterious?” Jim suggested looking at me.
“Yeah,” I said looking back at him. “mysterious.” We smiled at stared at each other.
“Well look at ya two.” We heard Silver behind us. We both spun around still dripping wet. “All done with your work then?” he asked smiling at us.
“um, yes, we were just talking.” I tried to explain. “I’m sorry.” I blurted out embarrassed. Silver put his hands up stopping us from talking.
“It’s okay lad. Your not in trouble.” He shook his head. Jim looked at me confused and back to Silver.
“We’re not?” He walked past us to the edge of the boat waiting for us to follow.
“No.” we both sighed with relief. “Now lets get you two out of those cloths and into some dry grabs.” he said patting Jim on his shoulder. Jim and I both looked down forgetting how wet we were. I laughed and linked arms with Jim.
“Well c’mon then. And after we change I can make us something warm to drink.” I smiled and pulled him into the quarters.
We walked to our beds still arm’s linked. I let him go and reached in my small bag and pulled out a clean shirt and old pants. I pulled off my shirt when I heard something hit the ground.
“Christy! What are you doing?” Jim yelled behind me. I turned my head to look at him seeing his face bright red.
“What Jim? Never seen a back before?” I turned back and put on my dry shirt. “Its no big deal. It’s not like your going to die.” I joked. He cleared his throat and bent over to get his bag. He pulled out shirt and pants and tried to keep his eyes down. I smiled and shook my head pulling my wet pants off and slipping on new dry ones. I looked back to Jim and smiled. He was struggling to get his wet shirt off. “Well I’m going to make us something to drink, okay?” he pulled his shirt off and looked at me dressed and ready to go.
“Okay.” Jim said with the red in his cheeks showing again. I smiled and walked up the steps. I walked into the galley and was met by Silver and two cups of hot chocolate.
“Where’s Jimbo?” he asked handing me a cup.
“Getting dressed still.” I took it with the heat running through my body. I took a small sip and my eyes widened. I lowered it. “Silver! This is the best cup of coco I’ve ever tasted!” Silver smiled and scratched his cheek.
“Well thank you lad.” he said smiling. Just then Jim walked in fully dressed and face back to its original color. “You know, you two came down at a good time.” Silver said handing Jim a cup. “Tonight we’re having a get together, some of the crew that is.” I smiled.
“Well sounds like fun.” I walked over to the near by steps and sat down. Jim followed and sat by me. The crew started talking and laughing with each other. I stood up and walked out of the galley back into quarters, and grabbed a blanket off of Jim’s hammock. When I walked back into the galley I saw Silver behind a table with a group sitting in front of him watching him. I sat back down next to Jim putting the blanket over both of us still watching Silver. “What’s going on?” I asked Jim. He turned and looked at Silver.
“He’s telling a story.” Jim cracked a small smile and took a small sip from his drink hiding his smile watching Silver tell a story of adventure with the tools he had in his arm. I laid my head back on the wall and listened to Silvers voice fill the air. I smiled and closed my eyes slowly drifting. Jim looked over to me, smiled and took the cup from my hands. He set it on the ground and looked back at Silver. Silver had finished the story and walked past Jim patting him on the shoulder, and bent over picking up the cup on the ground.
“Now, lad, unless you think Chris will be comfy there for the night, I suggest you move her else where.” He smiled and walked to a nearby counter and set the cup down walking out of the galley. Jim stared at him leaving then reached his hand out to shake me, but stopped. He smiled and stood up and set his cup on a table then reached down picking me up. I curled into his arms and laid my head on his chest. Carefully he walked up out of the galley with a blanket trailing behind us, down into the crew quarters. Slowly he laid me down on the hammock that belonged to me. He picked the blanket off of me and laid down on his hammock across from mine. He closed his eyes and turned to face the wall.
“Good night Christy.” He whispered to himself.