A Siren's Song (On Hold)

I'll remember you

You are the daughter of a sailing merchant. You've been joining your father on his ship "Pandora" since the day you were born.

You were actually born on the ship, but your mother passed away after you turned 4. You always wished she would've been able to watch you grow up.

The voyages were always peaceful without any interference from pirates or any navel fights or any on board fights... Mutiny, that would be tragic. Yet you wished for events as such. Something thrilling and dangerous, an excuse to have your father tight by your side, not taking his protective gaze off of you. But alas! You were safe and he was at all times, busy. Unavailable for small chitchats. Or too tired to tuck you in with stories of old. Not even about your mother.

---

As the ship takes port in the West of Africa, you decide it was time you got down from the crow's nest. No point in staring out into the same old Harbor. As you got down you noticed your father pacing around. Unlike his usual routine of maintaining the ship or counting the cargo for the hundredth time before unloading. You carefully approached him, hoping you wouldn't be yelled at again for leaving your post without permission. He stopped his pacing as he saw you in the corner of his eyes and rushed to your side. You froze up, what had you done this time? Before you could hatch up an escape plan he traps you in a bear hug. "Happy birthday dear" he says as he gently put you down.

You looked at him with a bewildered look. It's my birthday? You hear your father chuckle at your reaction. "You silly girl. You forgot didn't you?" He laughed shaking his head. "And I thought this whole time you'd be sulking about not mentioning it earlier" he ruffles your hair earning a groan from you as you held his hand in place on top of your head. Smiling inwardly from the physical affections he displayed. "Now that you mention it, I shall now start sulking since you didn't mention it earlier" you looked up at him with a grin.

Your father softly smiles at you. His other hand reaches into his vest pocket and takes out a bracelet. He grabs onto your hand trapping his other hand and bringing it up to his height. "This-" he starts as he uses both hands to tie the bracelet around your wrist, "was your mother's". Your eyes perked up at the mention of your mother. His smile fades slightly but he keeps a strong front, "it was back when I was first-mate. After getting ransacked by pirates I had nothing. I cried that night thinking I wouldn't be able to feed her. That's all I worried about and she could see on my face as clearly as day. I told her, we'd be fine that I'd find something the other day but she insisted I sell this..." He pointed at the centerpiece.

You brought the bracelet to your face and examined it. Nothing special, a green smooth stone elegantly tied to leather with a thick string. You caressed the smooth stone as you listened on, "it's pure Jade. Very rare. I was tempted but it's hers and I could never, I promised to provide for her. To keep her content... So I brushed off the tears from her beautiful face and went to work. It was hard work for very little pay. But it fed us and soon luck was on our side and an old friend of mine returned a favor." As he finished his story you hugged him tightly thanking him for the gift and for the story.

Just then a crewmate rushed in and broke our moment. You glared at him clearly annoyed at his interruption. Your father excuses himself and goes back to manning his duties. He talks with the crewmate for a while until he points to the harbor. I followed his finger and looked towards the direction and noticed a tall elegantly suited man with a freaky face coming out of a carriage. Your father pats himself as if it would make his clothes any straighter and quickly walks towards the man with a huge smile.

You watched from the boat, leaning on the railings as the two men moved their mouths. Your father being the talkative one with a forced smile while the other man examined him like he was a blank canvas with a small speck in the middle. Your heart almost leaped out of your chest when both men turn their heads towards you in unison. You father raises a hand a beckons you to him.