Unlikely Pirates
I was sleeping, a bit fitfully due
to the excitement of what was to come. Imagining the adventures
that were in store for Mary Anne and I in
England were making sleep
difficult.
It was all quiet on the ship. I was in my usual bunk and Mary Anne in her room. It would have been suspicious if I were to bunk with her. The crew still thought of us as men and we could not jeopardize that.
All of a sudden a loud noise above startled me and I flew out of my bunk.
I quietly made my way for the stairs that would take me to the deck of the ship, feeling braver than I ever have.
When I emerged from below I was shocked by what I saw!
There was a large ship right next to ours. It was dark and I could not make out what was happening. I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to see who was there.
I didn’t get a chance to focus. A blow to my head knocked me out.
When I awoke I found myself in the corner of the deck, but a different deck. My head hurt and I was having a hard time keeping my balance, but I pulled myself up and looked around.
It was day light and the ship I was on was fairly large. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the ships flag blowing in the wind. I focused on it and....PIRATES!! Fear immediately filled my gut.
Just then I heard a gruff voice behind me. Considering what had happened to me last time I heard something behind me, I flinched a bit, ready for another blow.
I turned around and found myself staring into the face of a dirty, yet handsome man wearing brightly colored patchwork pants.
“Aye, young lad! Sorry about the blow, but the ship you were on had some fancy booty we couldn’t leave without. We are a little short of crew this trip so the job had to be discreet. I could not take the chance that you would alert the crew to our presence,’” the seasoned looking pirate said to me.
“I am Calico Jack and you are aboard my pride and joy. Get used to it, you are now a member of this crew and I will not have any lip out of you. Earn your keep and you will have no trouble out of me,” Jack said.
I could not believe I was on a pirate ship and a member of the crew! I was a bit fearful of the situation, but the captain actually seemed to be somewhat nice. Yeah, he knocked me out, but that probably saved a lot of violence. I was very relieved that he had not discovered my gender and thought I should just do as I was instructed.
I met the rest of the colorful crew and took in all there is to see on a pirate ship. I was told that we would be meeting with two more of the crew in the morning and to be ready. This worried me, for the tone they took when they said this seemed to be fearful.
I had a restless sleep and was very happy when morning broke.
The ship was nearing a little cove close to a small fisherman’s town somewhere in England. This is where we were to meet the two crew members.
We docked near some large rocks and out from behind them came two beautiful, yet very tough looking, women dressed in full pirate attire. I could not believe my eyes! These were the members that the rest of the crew seemed to fear? Two women?
“Aye, what took you scoundrels so long?” barked the red headed one. “And who is that boy over there?”
She was talking about me! I could feel chills run down my spine.
“Oh, him? He was a nosey member on board the battle ship we robbed two nights ago. It was capture him, kill him or let him wake the others and risk a fight,” explained Calico Jack.
“Since when are pirates afraid of a good fight?” the other woman asked as they boarded the ship.
“We were short two members Mary, and I was not about to threaten the goods we were able to acquire,” Jack replied rather angrily.
“No matter. Another crew member will only benefit us,” said the red head.
I was still a bit shocked to see two women so respected, even feared. It excited me!
The women finished boarding and we were off.
I kept to myself the rest of the day, my attention on these two amazing women. Mary and the red head appeared to by very close and this seemed to anger Calico Jack. His mood turned and I and the rest of the crew steered clear.
That evening, as I was sitting on deck, the red head came near. She didn’t say anything for quite some time and I did not dare utter a word.
Just as I was becoming comfortable with the silence she said to me, “My name is Anne Bonny, what is yours?”
I was startled by this sudden break of silence and did not think before I blurted out, “Calliope...I mean um...Nate...Nate Smith.” The look on her face told me she knew my secret.
“Oh, so tell me, Nate or Calliope, what is your story?”
For reasons I am not sure of, I began to tear up. I choked out my story, beginning with my unhappy childhood and my desire to end my miserable life. I told her of Sirenetta and Mary Anne and how they both encouraged me to keep going. She listened, silently, to the end.
Just as I was finishing, Mary made her way to us.
Anne filled her in quickly and Mary said, “Calliope, let me tell you a bit about my life. My mother dressed me as a boy in order to receive an inheritance from my grandmother. She called me Mark, the name of my dead brother. I learned to enjoy this masculine role so much that after the inheritance was given I did not want to be “Mary” anymore. My mother disowned me and I have been on my own ever since.”
Then Anne began, “My father was a wealthy man and expected me to be prim and proper. I could not stand this. I was always dirty and rough. I chopped off my hair at a young age and felt comfortable this way. I found a buccaneer to marry, to the dismay of my father. He angered me so much I burnt down his plantation and haven’t returned. This life has treated us well. We have respect from all who know us and are ready for an adventure at any given moment.”
“Calliope,” Mary said, “you stay with us for awhile and let’s see if we can boost your morale.”
“I do know that we will be able to help satisfy your itch for adventure,” said Anne with a sly smile on her beautiful face.
So I did and the adventures were plenty.
It was all quiet on the ship. I was in my usual bunk and Mary Anne in her room. It would have been suspicious if I were to bunk with her. The crew still thought of us as men and we could not jeopardize that.
All of a sudden a loud noise above startled me and I flew out of my bunk.
I quietly made my way for the stairs that would take me to the deck of the ship, feeling braver than I ever have.
When I emerged from below I was shocked by what I saw!
There was a large ship right next to ours. It was dark and I could not make out what was happening. I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to see who was there.
I didn’t get a chance to focus. A blow to my head knocked me out.
When I awoke I found myself in the corner of the deck, but a different deck. My head hurt and I was having a hard time keeping my balance, but I pulled myself up and looked around.
It was day light and the ship I was on was fairly large. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the ships flag blowing in the wind. I focused on it and....PIRATES!! Fear immediately filled my gut.
Just then I heard a gruff voice behind me. Considering what had happened to me last time I heard something behind me, I flinched a bit, ready for another blow.
I turned around and found myself staring into the face of a dirty, yet handsome man wearing brightly colored patchwork pants.
“Aye, young lad! Sorry about the blow, but the ship you were on had some fancy booty we couldn’t leave without. We are a little short of crew this trip so the job had to be discreet. I could not take the chance that you would alert the crew to our presence,’” the seasoned looking pirate said to me.
“I am Calico Jack and you are aboard my pride and joy. Get used to it, you are now a member of this crew and I will not have any lip out of you. Earn your keep and you will have no trouble out of me,” Jack said.
I could not believe I was on a pirate ship and a member of the crew! I was a bit fearful of the situation, but the captain actually seemed to be somewhat nice. Yeah, he knocked me out, but that probably saved a lot of violence. I was very relieved that he had not discovered my gender and thought I should just do as I was instructed.
I met the rest of the colorful crew and took in all there is to see on a pirate ship. I was told that we would be meeting with two more of the crew in the morning and to be ready. This worried me, for the tone they took when they said this seemed to be fearful.
I had a restless sleep and was very happy when morning broke.
The ship was nearing a little cove close to a small fisherman’s town somewhere in England. This is where we were to meet the two crew members.
We docked near some large rocks and out from behind them came two beautiful, yet very tough looking, women dressed in full pirate attire. I could not believe my eyes! These were the members that the rest of the crew seemed to fear? Two women?
“Aye, what took you scoundrels so long?” barked the red headed one. “And who is that boy over there?”
She was talking about me! I could feel chills run down my spine.
“Oh, him? He was a nosey member on board the battle ship we robbed two nights ago. It was capture him, kill him or let him wake the others and risk a fight,” explained Calico Jack.
“Since when are pirates afraid of a good fight?” the other woman asked as they boarded the ship.
“We were short two members Mary, and I was not about to threaten the goods we were able to acquire,” Jack replied rather angrily.
“No matter. Another crew member will only benefit us,” said the red head.
I was still a bit shocked to see two women so respected, even feared. It excited me!
The women finished boarding and we were off.
I kept to myself the rest of the day, my attention on these two amazing women. Mary and the red head appeared to by very close and this seemed to anger Calico Jack. His mood turned and I and the rest of the crew steered clear.
That evening, as I was sitting on deck, the red head came near. She didn’t say anything for quite some time and I did not dare utter a word.
Just as I was becoming comfortable with the silence she said to me, “My name is Anne Bonny, what is yours?”
I was startled by this sudden break of silence and did not think before I blurted out, “Calliope...I mean um...Nate...Nate Smith.” The look on her face told me she knew my secret.
“Oh, so tell me, Nate or Calliope, what is your story?”
For reasons I am not sure of, I began to tear up. I choked out my story, beginning with my unhappy childhood and my desire to end my miserable life. I told her of Sirenetta and Mary Anne and how they both encouraged me to keep going. She listened, silently, to the end.
Just as I was finishing, Mary made her way to us.
Anne filled her in quickly and Mary said, “Calliope, let me tell you a bit about my life. My mother dressed me as a boy in order to receive an inheritance from my grandmother. She called me Mark, the name of my dead brother. I learned to enjoy this masculine role so much that after the inheritance was given I did not want to be “Mary” anymore. My mother disowned me and I have been on my own ever since.”
Then Anne began, “My father was a wealthy man and expected me to be prim and proper. I could not stand this. I was always dirty and rough. I chopped off my hair at a young age and felt comfortable this way. I found a buccaneer to marry, to the dismay of my father. He angered me so much I burnt down his plantation and haven’t returned. This life has treated us well. We have respect from all who know us and are ready for an adventure at any given moment.”
“Calliope,” Mary said, “you stay with us for awhile and let’s see if we can boost your morale.”
“I do know that we will be able to help satisfy your itch for adventure,” said Anne with a sly smile on her beautiful face.
So I did and the adventures were plenty.
Bibliography:
Lesbian Pirates: Anne Bonny and Mary Read
Website: Gay History & Literature , Essays by Rictor Norton
Weblink: Shredded Wheat
Author's Note:
In this story we meet Calico Jack, an historical pirate, and the amazing Anne Bonny and Mary Read. In this story I have made up Calliope's capture. The bits that follow actual history are the life stories of Anne and Mary. Also, it is assumed by many that the two women may have had more than a friendship relationship which made Calico Jack jealous. These two women caused quite a bit of uproar in their time. They were never afraid of a fight and did so ruthlessly. They were eventually captured and convicted of piracy on November 28, 1720 and were sentenced to hang. They both pleaded pregnancy and were pardoned. Neither ended up bearing a child. Mary died in prison after contracting a fever and Anne disappeared.
Image info: Anne Bonny and Mary Read