Chapter 5

This chapter isn't really good, I will probably change it when I find the time but since I haven't posted a new chapter for ages I thought it's better to post something (not so good) than nothing ;-) I hope you agree. I also want to thank everyone for those nice reviews

Victoria amazed everyone; she conjured up delicious meals with basic ingredients. Diego helped the pirates while Victoria was busy in the kitchen. This gave him the opportunity to use all his skills fully not having to worry that Victoria would notice any resemblances with her masked hero. Diego made sure the other pirates didn’t mention his work to Victoria.

Mack was watching the young don with admiration. Diego was fencing with the captain’s most skilled pirate. The clever skipper immediately saw that however Diego was winning with ease he wasn’t demonstrating all his tricks. No this talented lad was holding back. He could tell it although Diego seemed to have mastered the art of concealing his abilities. ‘What a strange man, most men would like to show their talents to others especially their wife,’ the pirated mused. And the explanation Diego had given that Victoria would be worried if she knew he was working, fencing with the crew, didn’t convince the captain. There was something fishy about this lad and he was going to find it out!

Mack had promised he would sail them to Costa Mesa, a coast town 200 miles from Los Angeles. Time flew by and soon they were enjoying their last meal together.

When their meal had ended it was already late, the sky was clear and the full moon lighted the sky.

“Mmm!,” one of the pirates exclaimed while he licked his plate clean, “this is the most delicious food I’ve ever eaten!”

“I agree, are you sure the two of you don’t want to stay with us, we’ve become such good friends,” Mack suggested with a shaky voice. Anyone could tell the though captain was having a hard time.

“I always hate saying goodbye,” Mack sniffed while blowing his nose loudly in a dirty handkerchief.

Tom looked surprised at the crying captain. He had never seen the though captain breakdown like a little baby.

Mack who saw the shocked expression on the young boys face blew his nose one more time, braced himself and explained: “Don’t ever let anyone tell you a man shouldn’t cry, a real man is one that’s man enough to show his feelings.”

“Ah I almost forgot, we have a goodbye present for you,” the emotional pirate announced while he fetched a small sachet. He handed it over to Diego: “Open it,” he insisted.

Diego opened the bag and let the content fall in the palm of his hand. Two golden wedding rings glinted in the moonlight.

“Thank you very much, you shouldn’t have,” Diego thanked the Captain.

Diego was about to slip the smallest ring on Victoria’s ring finger when Mack stopped him.

“Wait, let’s hold a small ceremony,” he suggested and stepped enthusiastically to the bow of the ship. Diego and Victoria followed him. Mack motioned them to take place in front of him and the rest of the pirates stood around the couple.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the pirate wedding of Victoria and Diego,” Mack proudly announced.

“Do you Victoria Escalante take Diego de la Vega to be your mate for life in calm sea and stormy weather ‘til the ocean buries your bones in her depths?” he asked.

“I do,” Victoria said. She glanced nervously at Diego before gluing her eyes back on her feet.

“And do you Diego de la Vega take Victoria Escalante as your wife? Will you be her anchor when life gets rough? Will you be her compass when she has lost her way?”

“I will,” Diego answered without hesitation.

He hoped that one day he would be able to say those words in church before his father and friends and be legally wed to Victoria.

“Look closely at each other and realise that the greatest treasure of the whole world is standing right in front of you,” Mack explained.

“With the power vested in me I declare you soulmates for life and even death won’t do you apart. Even a thousand miles won’t put a distance between you two, all you have to do is look at the moon. The moon has the power to turn the tide and bring you back together.

Ah I almost forgot; you can kiss your other half!” the captain finally announced.

The pirates cheered when Diego swiftly kissed Victoria.

They feasted ‘til sunrise.

“Land ahead!” the pirate in the crow nest announced.

A few minutes later the Elisabeth set anchor a short distance from shore.

“I’m going to miss you two,” Mack admitted.

“We’ll never forget our pirate friends,” Diego promised.

“Before you go I want to talk with you in private,” Mack said.

Diego and Victoria followed him downstairs.

“Would you take Tom with you?” the straightforward pirate immediately cut to the point.

“Of course, we would, a pirate ship isn’t a place for a young boy,” Diego replied.

“Yes, I know that,” the captain admitted.

“I will take him to my home back in Los Angeles,” the kind hearted caballero assured the pirate.

Victoria loved this about her friend, he had a heart of gold. She was sure he was planning to give the boy a place at the De La Vega household as he had done with a young Felipe.

“No that’s not what I meant, I want you to bring him to Costa Mesa and reunite him with his father,” Mack explained.

“His father? I thought he was a pirate?” Victoria asked surprised.

“That’s what the boy thinks. No, his father is a fisherman,” the pirate revealed.

Seeing the questioning looks he started to explain: “A few years ago Tom lived with his mother and father in a small coast village in the surroundings of Los Angeles.

His father John was a poor fisherman. He worked very hard at sea, while his wife Sara took care of the household, Tom and sold the fresh caught fish at the market.

They managed to tie the ends, but then it happened; Sara got sick and without money for a doctor she tragically died.

John tried to manage without his wife, he didn’t have the money to hire a household help to look after Tom, so he took the boy with him on sea.

All went good for a while. However it was only a matter of time before the sometimes fierce ocean literally threw his plans in the water.

One stormy night Tom was knocked overboard and almost drowned. Seeing no other option John left Tom at the mission with the orphans. He couldn’t live with the fact he had to abandon his son, he purposely sailed to a dangerous spot. His tiny vessel didn’t stand a chance and wrecked against the sharp rocks. He almost drowned but luckily we had just ‘visited’ a neighbouring town to gather our supplies when we saved him.

We gave him a ‘ride’ back to his village and gave him a golden amulet. He gave it to the priests at the mission and said they should give it to his son, then he left with us on our ship and asked us to bring him to Costa Mesa. There he would start over as a fisherman and when he had earned enough money and had a nice house to raise his son he would go back and fetch Tom. Apparently he never made it back,” Mack concluded his story.

“Why haven’t you told Tom this?” Diego asked.

“The boy must have gotten the amulet and concluded his father was a pirate, when he asked if I knew his father and I replied affirmative he was ecstatic. I couldn’t bare to shatter his dream. How could I tell him his father wasn’t a brave legendary pirate but just a poor fisherman,” Mack explained his actions.

“I think you should tell him now,” Diego suggested.

“No, I can’t. It’s better you only tell him when you really found his father. We don’t know how his situation is, heck we don’t even know if he’s still alive,” the Captain countered.

“You do have a point,” the educated don admitted.

“How do we however persuade Tom to abandon his new pirate family and accompany us?” Diego asked.

“Leave that to me,” the mysterious pirate said while they returned to deck.

“I need a courageous, intelligent pirate to escort Victoria and Diego to Costa Mesa,” Mack announced.

Tom had become friends with the newcomers. Victoria reminded him of his lost mother. So when he heard the Captains announcement he saw the opportunity to spend some more time with his new friends.

“I’m strong and smart. I’ll safely bring them to town,” the young boy declared proudly.

Mack had to suppress a smile, he knew the boy would jump on this opportunity: “Very well, you are assigned with this important task.”

Smiling broadly Tom said goodbye to the pirates and stepped into the rowing boat that would bring them to shore. Extending Victoria his hand, as a real gentleman he helped her on the wobbling vessel.

Victoria had just stepped into the rowing boat when Mack handed her his periscope; “Take it you need it more than I do.”

“I can’t accept this, how are you going to find your treasures?” Victoria asked.

“Don’t worry my dear, the periscope always finds its way back to me, I’m merely lending it to you,” the mysterious pirate assured her.

Victoria looked at him disbelievingly but kindly accepted the gift. She knew Diego was very intrigued by the object. Now he would have a chance to examine it more closely. Maybe her intelligent friend would find some answers. He would surely produce some kind of scientific explanation. For Victoria not everything had to be explained by science. As a child she believed in magical creatures like fairies. Maybe this periscope was really a magical object. The child in her hoped that Diego for once wouldn’t find a solution. She liked some mystery in her life.