Pleasant Plum # 8
As he pulled the needle and thread through the ripped sail, he tried not to look down. The sense of vertigo would result in fatal drop. He continued to do his job, triple checking the sails, ties and ropes for signs of fatigue. It was a calm day, and the winds had allowed him to do this repair work. He thought back to when he first saw the ad…
He was walking home late, his boss’s last rant still pounding his eardrums. He could see the lamp lighter’s pole bobbing down the street, illuminating a crumpled newspaper. Jack had caught the old “Daily Express” as it shuffled down the brick street and into the gutter. If nothing else, it would be good toilet paper and save a schilling or two. He would have an evenings entertainment before putting it to another use in water closet.
His apprenticeship at the tannery was not going well. The smell of tanning fluids and sight of the carcasses made him vomit. This disturbing skill had got him the job of moving the animal waste around. At least then he couldn’t ruin anything. He desperately scanned down to the “Help Wanted” section. The pale ink had almost no contrast against the cheap pulp, and he had to squint to decipher the words. He had seen it then. Wanted: Men 16-22 to be deck hands for the East India Company.
It was momentous, a chance to get out of England, to see the colonies and other worlds. Leaving the stink, slime and filth for a slightly dangerous sailing job had seemed an excellent trade. He had shown up at the office the next day, afraid that the age of the “Daily“ had condemned him to a life of sorting pig intestines for sausage.
Young and inexperienced, he had to be literally shown the ropes. What goes where, when, how to make the correct stitches to darn the sails. He had to help do the grunt work; taking inventory of the bland dry goods that were being sent. The Colonists seemed to survive mainly off of pickles and saltines.
He gingerly worked his way down the rigging, reminiscing about those dry-land days. He gave the solar sails one last tug. The East India Space Trading Company had recognized his brilliance with the pickle inventory, and rewarded him with this voyage. As he looked down at the shrinking globe below him, he saw the world for the first time.
Next stop: the colonies and into the stars.
He was walking home late, his boss’s last rant still pounding his eardrums. He could see the lamp lighter’s pole bobbing down the street, illuminating a crumpled newspaper. Jack had caught the old “Daily Express” as it shuffled down the brick street and into the gutter. If nothing else, it would be good toilet paper and save a schilling or two. He would have an evenings entertainment before putting it to another use in water closet.
His apprenticeship at the tannery was not going well. The smell of tanning fluids and sight of the carcasses made him vomit. This disturbing skill had got him the job of moving the animal waste around. At least then he couldn’t ruin anything. He desperately scanned down to the “Help Wanted” section. The pale ink had almost no contrast against the cheap pulp, and he had to squint to decipher the words. He had seen it then. Wanted: Men 16-22 to be deck hands for the East India Company.
It was momentous, a chance to get out of England, to see the colonies and other worlds. Leaving the stink, slime and filth for a slightly dangerous sailing job had seemed an excellent trade. He had shown up at the office the next day, afraid that the age of the “Daily“ had condemned him to a life of sorting pig intestines for sausage.
Young and inexperienced, he had to be literally shown the ropes. What goes where, when, how to make the correct stitches to darn the sails. He had to help do the grunt work; taking inventory of the bland dry goods that were being sent. The Colonists seemed to survive mainly off of pickles and saltines.
He gingerly worked his way down the rigging, reminiscing about those dry-land days. He gave the solar sails one last tug. The East India Space Trading Company had recognized his brilliance with the pickle inventory, and rewarded him with this voyage. As he looked down at the shrinking globe below him, he saw the world for the first time.
Next stop: the colonies and into the stars.
posted by Anonymous at 11:55 AM
1 Comments:
Good stuff,
I'd like to see more of this story, more adventures on the sea/ocean, maybe throw in some pirates?
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