The man in the corner started with his low growly voice, “Now of course ye want to hear about pirates. Those were the days…” He looked off into the distance. “When pirates were real men. Not like today. Pirating used to be amount something more than money. We used to plunder because we liked it. Our pirate name struck fear into people’s hearts. You know what I mean, Boy?” He looked at me.
“Yes, the classics like Blackbeard…”
“Blackbeard! Oh, me heart aches with pity for ye Boy. Blackbeard was not the pirate people think he was, no. He sure he may have struck fear into the hearts of those from the West Indies. But he was not a true pirate. He was all flash. A real pirate does not need to put wax in his hair to strike fear into a man’s heart. And who needs six pistols and a dagger, anyways? Ye only have two hands!” The ancient fist collided with the table with great force. I could sense this was a sore subject.
“So Blackbeard was a fake pirate?”
“Darn right. He gave us real pirates a bad reputation. We were supposed to be scary and rotten to the core. But Blackbeard was the flashing one so he got all the spotlight. He was an attention hog, is what he was. He would take things like rum and molasses. What a loser. I bet his treasure chest was not full. Wait a minute, it was. But you know why?”
“Yes.”
“Because he never brought big enough a chest! I mean, if you need a chest at least make a bit of a plan. He always had the jewels and gold spilling out and over the top. Why? Because the moron had no depth perception!” He paused and took a drink. “Do you want to know the worst of it? He buried his treasure, right? Pirates are selfish. That’s why you do not show your wealth by having the gold spill out of the chest! But Blackbeard buried his treasure as ye do. And the half-brain forgot where he buried it! The lunatic was probably drunk off birch beer and rum candies when he buried it, the dumb-head. How hard is it to make a map? Now land-lovers are running around thinking that pirates have bad memories! The booger-face ruined us! True pirating is not a dog and pony show. It is taking stuff that doesn't belong to you and looking cool when you do it. But he be always worried about his “image.” Pirates do not care what land-lovers think of us.”
“Wow, I always thought Blackbeard was a good pirate.”
“Not at all, Boy. He was just a want-ta-be with a ship and a lot of cannons. No but if ye want to know about great pirates, look no further. I know all the stories of the greatest pirates to ever sail the seven seas. In fact, I have rubbed elbows with a few of the greats and even worked for more.”
“Wow really?”
“Yes Boy-o. Do you see this scar?” He pointed at the one along his left cheek. “I got this baby on a cold January night. The night was filled with a dense fog. A type of fog that would make a man think he be blind. That did not stop the fearless crew of the Pirate Devin Lockhart.”
“Devin Lockhart?” I was surprised to hear that name. He was a ruthless ruler of the seas. Lockhart was one of the first pirates to ever burn the St. George’s cross. He was a pirate that no one would mess with and for that he was placed in Hall Island.
“That’s right Boy, Devin Lockhart! What, ye got sand in your ears? The Devin Lockhart, the one and only.” While he takes a sip I figured that I should explain a few things. Devin Lockhart was a unanimous decision to go to Hall Island. Which is very rare. To understand this one must know about Hall Island. It is an island that is somewhere. It might be a myth but certain pirates claimed to have seen it. But every so often when a pirate retires of the waves he might ended up at Hall Island. According to rumor it is a rocky place and even if one finds it. It is impossible to walk on top of it. So it is also known as Can’t on Island. Because you cannot walk on it. But only the worst of the worst pirate get there. One has to be a great pirate to get there, but Devin is at Can’t on.
“Have you seen Hall Island?” He looked at me and leaned forward, close enough for me to taste his breath and whispered, “Do you like to ask stupid questions?” I nod no, but many think that it is a myth. “Well good. And aye, I’ve seen it with me own two eyes. It be a rock from hell sticking out of the water, jagged and mountainous. A thick fog surrounds the island. It be impossible to get a boat to it. With all the sharp rock and fog. Only a fool would take his ship through it. The rock comes to a point like mountain but nowhere near as thick as the rock comes up sharp and thin. Looking more like columns of an ancient building. The rock is as black as coal. No man can stand on the hot rock. Yes, ye heard me right. According to legend those foolish enough to swim to it and climb it, get burned. Because the hell rock burns with the eternal fire. So does answer your question?” I nod yes. “Good.” He leaned back into the fainted light. “Now do you want to hear the story about my scar?” I nod yes, his presence terrified me and now I lost my voice. “On the night I got me scar. I was a simple cabin boy. A young lad scared out of me mind. Working for the most notorious criminals of the sea. But on a fog filled night similar to tonight. A ship got to close for comfort. As it seemed they were going to ram us. Lockhart’s ship was named Heart of Stone and it was the most feared vessel on the sea. But on this infamous night we boarded. The fog was so thick that it could cut with knife. But once those board hit to edge of our ship. We knew it was going to be a great battle. Because anyone willing to board Devin Lockhart is either really stupid or good pirate. In this case it was a little bit of both. As the fog grew thicker with the addition of cannon fire. The grey smoke strangled the white fog. As a cabin boy I ran and hid. But the thing I remember was the sound of the fight. Men screaming, guns firing and the clings and clicks of the swords. But I was curios and stood up from hiding to look at the battle. One of the other pirates saw me small head and said, ‘You cabin-boy!’” His voice changed voice. He yelled loudly, and his eye started to tear up. “You cabin-boy! I’ll teach you a lesson, boy!’ He walked up to me and hit me with his sword. The impacted gave me a ticket to fall on the floor, bleeding.”
“That’s how you got your scar?”
“That’s how I got me first scar.”
“Wow, so is being a pirate fun?”
“Of course not! You doodoo-head, I just old you how I got me first scar. Does that sound fun to you?”
“Not really.”
“Being a pirate is hard work. But ye do get to have fun. Like once when I was just a simple sailor of on a pirate vessel, in the Crew of Harold Gregg. We had a crewmate who had too much lip, if you knew what I mean. He talked more than he should have. So to quiet him up when we were at sea, in the middle of the night we carefully took him as he slept. Carried him making sure not to wake him and placed him in one of the lifeboats. Then we untied it.” He chuckled a bit after that.
“So?”
“What ye mean?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“We sent him off to sea.”
“Wait, you set your own mate adrift?”
“Haha. Yes it was hilarious. He was screaming at the top of his lungs when woke up.”
“Then you pulled him aboard, right?”
“Nope, we did think of that. He may still be adrift to this very day.”
“That’s horrible,” I thought in my mind and did not dare say it out loud. Because now I was very afraid of what this guy might do to me if I anger him. “Did you ever captain a ship?”
“Aye, I did.”
“Wow really?”
“Aye, it be the finest achievement of me life.”
“When were you a Captain?”
“Ages ago, me bucko. I have not set foot upon a boat since me ship sank many years ago. But I was indeed a pirate. When I was active on the seas there were others to fear. No one as good as Devin Lockhart.”
“Who were the other pirates?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I just would like to get a gauge of the different pirates on the seas at the time you were. Everyone likes a good pirate name.”
“A pirate name?”
“Yeah, a name like Blackbeard or Devin Lockhart; a pirate name.”
“Aye, I see. The pirate name to the major scoundrels were be as follows, Bill Jenson, Fred the fire demon, Simon the pie-men, Captain Redbeard, Howie the horrible the dancer, Gail, Dino Dan and his diggers, Kyle “Krazy Straw” Murphy, Edward Teach, Sid “duck face” Humphrey, Omar No Pants, Lieutenant Lollipop, Dave, The Gentlemen Pirate, and of course me. Now those are not the only pirates around my time but they are the ones I remember.”
“Interesting, why do you remember those ones?”
“Because I fought with them. Would you like to know why?” I nod yes.
To Be Continued...
