*continued from Part 4!*

Circus Pirates - Part 5

“Landon!” Henry said.

The chimpanzee holding Angie’s hand let go and ran across the deck on all fours while screeching loudly.

I took a few steps back from the charging money. Noticing it was wearing an eye patch, I didn’t think its path would be so direct.

The monkey climbed up Henry and threw his arms around Henry’s neck. Henry hugged the chimp.

“Landon! Where have you been?” Henry said rhetorically to the monkey.

“He was trapped under an empty apple barrel,” Angie said. “I heard him whining while I was lookin’ at the maps. Bran and Bard must’ve hid him there all morning. There were six apples left in there when I last looked.”

“Did you eat those apples Landon?” Henry asked the monkey in a baby voice. The chimp nodded. Then Henry noticed me staring at them in bewilderment. “Ah, Iza, this is Landon! Landon, see Iza?” The monkey grinned at me, showing me all his yellow teeth and pink gums. He held out a furry arm to me, as if to shake hands.

I reached out and hesitantly took his hand. Landon pulled me forward and planted his monkey lips on my hand in a kissing fashion.

“Awww! Such manners Landon!” Angie said petting his head. Landon grinned again, and lolled his head back in Henry’s arms.

_____

Later that evening, Angie came into the bunkroom where I had been thinking over the afternoon. She was carrying with her a small loaf of bread.

“Hello, dear.” She walked over to the crate and lifted up the bottom edge, exposing a stash of food. “Care for an apple?” she asked nonchalantly, but with a small sly grin.

“Um, sure!” I smiled and she tossed me an apple, placed the loaf of bread underneath the crate and then sat on top of it.

“So, in case you haven’t gotten the idea yet, you’ll be sleeping in here. My bed is the bottom bunk. I can’t climb that high. I’m no’ as agile as I once was. I hope you don’t mind having bottom bunk,” Angie said.

“Are you sure I’m not intruding?” I asked.

“Oh, of course not! I didn’t have a roommate before because there aren’t any more women on board, but I don’t mind sharing with you at all. In fact, I’m glad to have a roommate. And besides, the only other alternative is in the prow of the ship in one of those pathetic hammocks and all those snoring men,” she pointed out. “You are perfectly welcome to share my bunk, as well as my snacks!”

“Thanks!”

“Of course dear. Now, tonight we are having a special dinner in the Captain’s quarters to welcome you. Everyone is so excited to meet you!”

“You mean I haven’t met everyone already?” I asked.

“Oh, no, no, no!” Angie said, as if it was supposed to be obvious. “You’ll meet all of the officers tonight. Did you think it only took a dozen people to run a tight ship?” Angie laughed.

I looked down at my feet sheepishly, stretched out across my bottom bunk. Apparently, there was a lot I had to learn about a semi-pirate ship.

“There are exactly thirty-five men on board, running this ship, that’s including Landon. And now thirty-seven members total with you and me!”

“Oh,” I said wiggling my toes in their red socks.

“You’re really new to the sea life, ain’t you girl,” Angie stated.

“Yes. Yes I am,” I sighed.

“It’s alright, hun,” she said walking over and giving me a squeeze around the shoulders with one of her huge arms. One of her arms nearly equaled the size and thickness of one of my legs.

Angie left me alone to think in peace for sometime. I felt like we were slowly becoming friends even is she was a forty-eight year-old woman. She was very motherly to me. It felt good to be protected by a woman for once. It made me miss my mother.

When the light from the porthole reached the top of the cabin door, Angie came into the cabin, grabbed my arm, and brought me out to the deck, making me cover my eyes as I passed Cookie’s kitchen. She wanted to keep the dinner a surprise.

When we came up on deck and I was allowed to look again, the sky had begun to turn navy blue and a few bright stars poked through the sky. The moon was hanging out over Europe I supposed, though no land was in sight.

“Where exactly are we?” I asked Angie.

“We’re to discuss that tonight,” she said walking towards the Captain’s door. The glass was lit orange by the lights inside.

*Part 6 is nearly finished already and should be coming soon! *