The Admiral’s Tale, Part 2
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A prequel to Pirate Ophelia
Chapter II: The Galleon
“Ship sighted off the starboard side!” Janneke shouted from the crow’s nest. It was not her favorite job on the ship, but she did like to get a bird’s-eye-view of the ocean.
It had been over a year since she left Saint Martin to sail with Captain Daniel, his wife Molly, and their crew on a galleon that transported rum. She had learned a lot about sailing from Captain Daniel himself, along with a sailor called Decker that befriended her early on. Decker had been sailing with Captain Daniel for at least eight years by his count. He was young, but experienced and knew his way around the ship with his eyes closed.
Janneke realized right away that there was a lot she could learn from Decker, so she attempted to observe him from a distance, trying not to seem as if she were stalking him. He noticed, and after an awkward conversation about personal space and spying, he agreed to show her everything he could.
There were two other women in the crew, something shocking to Janneke. She had never considered that women would be on a ship, especially as part of the crew. She supposed that it was a sign of the changing world, or perhaps was more common than she was led on to believe. It was almost as if there were two different worlds: the world her father told her about, where women did not do things like sail or become blacksmiths, and the world where women did as they pleased. She much preferred the freedom to do as she wanted rather than restricting herself to housework or childcare.
Though she did not know the one woman very well — a sort of recluse type of chef who avoided most of the crew — she quickly became friends with the other. Diana was a little older than Janneke and took on almost a motherly type of role for some of the crew. She immediately felt protective of Janneke, glad to have another strong woman who was willing to talk to others.
Diana had only been sailing with Captain Daniel for five months before Janneke joined. Before that, she was an assistant to a clothing merchant in the town of Barbados. She had grown tired of her job and the town in general, so she asked to join the crew. Captain Daniel was glad…
