The summer of 61

Chapter 1

Jimmy felt the cool sea breeze float across his face in an effortless swirl of cold. He lay there still,half awake, curled up in the spinnaker sheets awaiting captain Derihale's call of duty to wake him in the east cost morning light. Jimmy decided he had stirred too much now to go back to sleep so he pulled him self up with every ounce of energy he had left and looked west towards the coast. It had been 2 months since they left Portland Maine
And most men were getting snappy having not even smelt the sweet, faint smell of a woman's perfume on the wind since they left the safety of the east coast. All each man needed to free themselves was the smell of a woman's perfume and maybe his soft lips on hers but of course that wouldn't be the case. They were men, and bad men at that who would take far more of a woman than they needed. They would take her dignity and throw it on the floor for all they cared for they were only after one thing from that woman. Jimmy swore he'd never be like any of those men, those filthy sailors who only ever treated women like worn out toys. They were nothing, after his duty was done, after this war had finished jimmy would be everything and keep the reminder of these men in his mind so as to never treat a woman like any of these men did. The wind suddenly picked up, snapping jimmy out of his promises and realization. Captain Derihale's bellowing voice could be heard skimming across the giant tall ship awaking everything in it's path. "Up and At em", the bellow came again, just as the crew scuttled to their positions and assumed defense as the now gale force winds perpetuated through the once idle sails. Across the foredeck the crews could be seen tirelessly attending to their jobs as the winds roared through the boat creating the loudest sound it could crack glass as it whirled at swirled ripping sails and men's shirts in it's way. Denny was vigorously pulling down the frail hauids while Anthony and Henry bundled them into neat piles ready to be thrown down below to avoid the likely possibility of them being blown away in the high velocity winds. Suddenly as fast as it had erupted the volcano of wind settled down to a gentle flow.