The Pirates' Cooper

I am sorry to leave off in the middle of a story, and I know I already posted a story with this title so let me explain. This is the kick off for National Novel Writing Month, and I participate every year. So I have yet to finish a complete novel in the month as it is and I sure don't have the time to also write a page a day of short stories. So I will post a page a day of my first Nanowrimo story instead. I had more pages then there are days in a month so I thought I would start posting now. Thank you for your understanding.

I watched as the ship disappeared into the distance with more despair then I can even begin to describe. At this point it would be better to just jump off the ship and drown myself. I had been on that ship two hours before, three hours ago it had been sailing peacefully through the waves and I had been going about my day to day business. I had been on better ships in the past but at the moment I would be willing to give up all payment and work twenty four hours a day until it reached port just to be back on it.

After such a dramatic declaration I suppose that it would be best to explain what had happened. I am only a normal man and unused to telling stories so I pray that the reader will excuse the clumsy and uneducated way that I tell my tale and will indulge me.

My father was a cooper and he taught my brothers and I well. I had three brothers but one died when he was twelve due to sickness and suddenly I was the youngest of the family. My father had a fine business but it couldn’t support three men so as we got older it became more and more obvious one of us would have to leave. There wasn’t any discussion about it, no one ever mentioned that belts had to be tightened and there wasn’t enough work for us all but we kept watching one another and it soon became obvious to me that I would be the one who would have leave. It was only natural since I was the youngest and the less experienced.

It wasn’t easy finding work in the city. There were already plenty of coopers around and many of them were looking for work. The money that could be made reflected this and even had someone been willing to hire a journeyman cooper I couldn’t have lived on what I would have been paid. I couldn’t let this stop my resolution to leave my fathers house though, I couldn’t be a burden on my brother any longer and so I wandered down to the docks. This was truly a last resort. Ships coming in and out of the harbor were always looking for coopers but it was hard work surrounded by hard men. It was only the thought of my brothers that enabled me walk up to a ships captain I had heard was looking for help and offer my services. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or not when he accepted me in spite of my inexperience. My brothers didn’t come to see me off but they did each give me a quick hug as I left the house for the last time and my father gave me a nod, a reward for having done the right thing. I never returned to that house.

The next few years were spent accustoming myself to the new world that I lived in. At first I only went on short voyages, around England nearby countries. As I grew more accustomed to life aboard merchant ships I traveled farther and farther from home. During this time I learned all that was expected of me. During the constant movement of the ship damage occurred to the barrels in the hold. It was my duty to replace destroyed casks and repair the ones that were damaged. I also sometimes helped the ships carpenter with his work and when all hands were called I had to report with the rest. For the most part I was in an enviable position however. While the sailors were forced battle all weather I was rarely forced to come above deck if I didn’t wish to. I was also able to keep slightly more regular hours which was a relief.

To be continued...