by R.H. Proenza
Chapter 6
Rik knew his mind was playing tricks on him. Although the girl’s face was held downward, he knew it was the long hair that made him think of Lissa. He was having difficulty breathing from the painful memory. The captain stopped to stare at him.
“What the bloody blazes is th’ matter, lad. Is all this racket getting’ to ya? Ye look like y’ seen a ghost!”
Rik stood speechless, staring ahead, mouth gaping, body swaying, with the color drained from his face. "Oliver. Take... take me... away from here. Please."
Oliver followed his line of sight and came upon the long haired slave girl. “Well walk th’ plank an’ push me in. That does look like th’ girl ye spoke about… the one what got killed, er, you lost at the hands of those buggerin’ savages.”
Rik regained his senses and felt his mouth open ready to yell out without his meaning to. He had to call out her name despite the futility of it. “Li…Lissa?” he croaked, the name almost choking in his throat.
The seconds passed and, as expected, the poor slave girl gave no response. What a fool he was! He felt a crushing weight on his chest. He wondered why fate was being so cruel to him. Why was it toying with his terrible loss… tormenting him. How much more cruel could this be! He dropped his eyes to the ground in crushing frustration, the knot in his throat choking him. He wanted to run away from all this noise and confusion, and from the anguish, he was experiencing, but Oliver was not moving.
“RIK?… RIK?… RI-I-I-K... IS... THAT YOU?”
In an instant, he looked up and his eyes met Lissa’s across the distance and locked together. Both their hearts seemed to stop. At once there was no more noise or chaos, no more vendors or marketplace, the din became silent. It was just the two of them, alone in the world, their eyes held together in a bond that neither time nor space nor savages could break!
She began squalling and sobbing in disbelief at seeing Rik alive. How could this be? she thought. It’s impossible… my darling had drowned!
Oliver had watched the entire drama unfold before his eyes, incredible as it all was. He thought for a moment and knew what to do next. “Stay put, lad. I be comin’ back ‘afore y’ can down a pint o’ ale.”
Oliver was gone several minutes. Rik’s legs seemed frozen to the ground. He saw the captain talking to the slave trader, gesticulating and pointing first to Lissa then to his own mouth. The man shook his head several times and made some awkward faces. After some debating, the captain came back with Lissa in hand.
For an instant, as they neared each other they feared to touch lest it was all a callous dream that would soon end. Then all at once they were into each others’ arms clutching and twirling and hugging and kissing, not knowing whether to laugh or cry and doing both. Oliver watched all this patiently and with a huge grin before speaking up. “Well now, children. Do ye think y’ ‘ave had enough o’ this foolin’ around? I mean, did ya get it out o’ your system?”
“NO!” came their answer in perfect unison. They all laughed. “Oliver,” blurted Rik, “What… how…”
“Rik, I told th’ man…” he said between guffaws, “tha’ I knew the lass and felt sorry for her, and for him as well for having been bamboozled. I told him she had scurvy and beriberi an’ would lose all her teeth and, blimey, all her hair, and soon at that. Then she’d die a rather uncomely death in a month o' two and, well… got her pretty cheap, lad!” The captain bellowed his laughter. Rik just looked at him, tears running down his cheeks, with speechless gratitude.
Walking hand in hand with Rik she recounted the story of how the savages butchered and devoured the injured native. It was the one Rik had stabbed. They had been interested more in the knife than in the bleeding man! She stood tied up to a tree in horror and tried to block out the grotesque sounds. They had taken her to their island and later put her in a cage. Assuming Rik had already drowned she was in utter despair and by now had not cared what they did to her. Much arguing ensued between their chief who saw her monetary value and several tribesmen whose only desire was to ravage her. Thankfully the chief won out. The economics of the tribe had been more important than her being raped. She was saved that horror and traded off for iron weapons and supplies from a passing merchant. It was this same slave trader from the marketplace. Except for the terror she experienced, she miraculously came out of it with only scratches and a few bruises.
Rik also narrated his tale, and once again they fell into each others’ arms. No sweeter reunion could there have been. “Lissa…” he said breathlessly. “I will not let you out of my sight for one minute until I ask you this right here and right now. WILL YOU BE MY BRIDE?”
“Oh YES, oh YES YES YES, a thousand times YES!” came the joyous reply between kisses.
“Great Neptune’s ghost!” barked the captain. “They be at it again. I’ll be needin’ a bucket o’ cold water ta douse them ‘afore long.”
“Oliver, my friend,” Rik was still nearly breathless,” you have a marriage ceremony to perform. When can you do it?”
“HA! Well, laddy, yes I can do tha’. Give me an hour or so an’ meet me in me cabin on board the ship. And little lady…" He grinned at her. "I would be honored if ye would take me room at th’ Inn to freshen up. It be the best one o’ the house, y’ know. I’ll arrange a tub o’ hot water for y’. There be some clean ladies clothes and such in the closet – never you mind who they belong to – help yourself to them. Here’s the room key. My man will see that you get there in one piece.”
Lissa couldn’t find the words to respond. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “You are so kind. Rik is extremely fond of you, and now I see why.”
“Thank ye for the compliment, m’lady. Now get agoin’ the both o’ y’. We set sail again three days after the morrow. Time be short.”
Rik bathed and dressed in Oliver’s cabin while still in a state of excitement. Meanwhile, the captain sent his trusted crewman to escort Lissa the short walk from the Inn to the ship. Rik kept pacing back and forth in the cabin while Oliver was trying to make an entry into the ship’s log.
“Shiver me timbers, man. Y’ gonna make a nervous drunk out of me what with all that prancin’ back and to. By the by, I sent that fancy blouse ye had in that pouch to give to the lass. It was a sight fancier than what I had there in the room. I sent that perfumy soap too… thought she might appreciate it.”
“Oliver, what about the…”
“Ah, yes… that little trinket you had in that pouch. Well, tha' I didn’t send. Thought YOU might want ta spring tha' little bauble on her yerself… heh heh.”
“Oliver you are impossible. You are truly my best friend. No… You are the father I never had.” The captain was touched by the comment for he had always thought Rik as close as a son. Before the silence could get too uncomfortable for either, there was a knock on the door and Crenshaw entered.
“Cap’n, ‘ere she be, the beautiful lady, delivered safe as promised.” Lissa strolled through the door looking as radiant as never before. She took his breath away yet again. Besides the beautiful lacy blouse, she wore a circle of tiny white flowers and garnish around the crown of her head. This allowed the lustrous locks of hair to tumble onto her bare shoulders. Her eyes sparkled as they always did when excited.
The captain ran through the ceremony in fine style, adding a little extra here and there on their behalf. Before long the proper words were said and the two were finally united as man and wife. “Ye may kiss the bride now, lad… and make haste of it or I will have ta do the job me self!” A long quiet moment passed as they kissed. “Crenshaw, y’ better fetch me a bucket o’ cold water!”
“Beggin’ your pard’n, sir?” squeaked the sailor.
“Never mind, Crenshaw,” said Rik coming away from Lissa’s lips in time to answer.
At the Inn, Rik carried his new bride across the threshold of the captain’s room using her feet to close the door behind. He stood her up an
d put on a worried face. “Wait a minute... wait just a minute…”
“What is it, Rik?”
“Something is wrong here. Something is of a certain wrong here.” Lissa wrinkled her brow with concern. “Ah ha! I know what it is… there is something MISSING!” At first, she was perplexed. She had no idea what on earth he was talking about.
“But, Rik, nothing is missing, we have each other. What more is th…” Then her eyes widened with the familiarity of his words. He pulled from his pocket the exquisite gold and diamond necklace that had adorned her majestic neck on the island. The one she thought was gone forever.
Her hand over her mouth could not contain the squeal that came through. She put both arms around his neck jumping up and down. Tears streamed down as she squeezed herself to him. He could not speak for her mouth covering his.
“Darling,” she whispered, “y… you have to stop doing this… I don’t know how many more surprises my heart can take today! I lost that necklace on an island miles away!”
“Lissa, my Lissa, my beautiful goddess,” he sighed. “I will love you for all eternity.” Their lips burned together. They were still in a daze about having found each other alive! As their kisses intensified she realized, what she had noticed before, the effect she had on him and felt a slight shiver go through her. She pulled away and looked at him as if to ask a question but just melted into his eyes. “Sweetness,” he sighed, “I don’t wish you to be afraid of… you know, of me.”
“Very well, darling,” she said, “I will try.” Then, she added rather mechanically, “I want you now, Rik… with ardor and much passion!”
“You want… ardor? What...?” He knitted his brows, perplexed.
“Uh, well, you see, uh, that’s what I read in those love letters we found. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say? Did I say it wrong?”
“No, Lissa, you… you said that just fine,” he whispered, trying to contain his chuckles. He grinned at her innocence and naiveté and loved her the more. “But don’t worry about what you read in those love letters. Just be yourself; say what you feel in your heart.”
“Rik, then this is what I feel – I love you dearly; more than I could put into words. You have my heart and ALL of me! I love you more than life! I will love you for all eternity!” Their emotions soared as their passion pressed them together. Soon, ever so tenderly, they became ONE in marriage, creating a bond that no one or nothing could ever break.
Afterward they napped for a short while, arms and legs entwined around each other. Rik opened his eyes and found her awake too. Her face glowed with happiness. He pulled away and looked at her, bringing a little color to her cheeks. "Do you know just how beautiful you are?"
"I suppose I can pass for a girl," she whispered.
"Pass for a...? Lissa! You are a dream come true." he whispered. "Liss, you take my breath away… EVERY time I look at you!"
"If this is a dream then I don't want to wake up, darling." Her eyes sparkled as she pressed herself against him again.
