A Fine Bright Morning

“Squa..squa..squaeoooeooo what a beautiful morning, squa… what a beautiful day, squive got a wonderful feeling, everything’s going my wa….squawkkkkk!

“Sorree Mac, I plain did not see you comin’. I been up since the crack of dawn, peelin’ and choppin’, makin’ sure the Capn’s beraykfast is jus’ perfeck, cleanin’ her laundry an’ shinin’ her belt an’ boots, swabbing the decks..I is tellin’ you Mac that woman is one all roun’ throw back from a slave trader or my name’s not Denzel!”

“Wow! Who’s a busy, bitter boy? That was one heck of an angst ridden speech, it would seem that morale is pretty rock bottom in this establishment. What about all these people, have they spent the night with their feet up and left Cinders to do all the work?”

“Mac are those eyes in your head stuck there for an ornament! Look at them! Do they look like they’re doing nothin’? We is all dead beat, tired to our bones, walkin’ zombies exhausted an’ no there is not one of us ever gets so much as a second to take a pi…  well all I’s sayin’ is ’she always down here with her, ’ ahah y’ scurvy idle galley bugs, don’ let me see yous slackin or you all be a tastin’ the cat, ahah’,  droppin’ by to keep us on our dead beat toes!”

“Squiddley dee feller, you are one fed up below decks lad who doesn’t like his Cap’n!”

“He doesn’t… “, “We doesn’t…”, “I can’t stan’ her boy, she one nasty…”, “And as for that ‘orrible crow, Matilda…”, ” Oh, yessir, MATILDA!!”

“Yoh, sqiddley do, cool it with the uproar. My my you are ALL unhappy people this fine morning, every morning from the sound of it but hey… who is Matilda?”

“You ain’t met Matilda! Malicious Mat, tell all ‘Tilda, Mat the Rat! Oh don’  worry, you’ll meet her, she leaves one big wave of misery everywhere she go and she spies on the entire crew. That mean the entire crew…!”

“Squewf,  if all this is true, those two gals are not a nice twosome, no siree, not a nice double act at all.”

“You suggestin’ we’s all makin’ up these things? What you sayin’ hippy bird, if what we sayin’ is true? Sure an’ I is tellin’ you with all these fine people here my momma ain’t never ‘ad no truck with no lyin’; I would a gotten a whuppin’ if I’s even so much tried it on with that laydee, God rest her fine soul.”

“I was not suggesting any such thing, it was a turn of phrase! Gosh you lot are a paranoid bunch, I’m on your side Denzel, I want to help.”

“Help! Hey, yous all hearin’ this feather mop bird? He’s sayin’ he wants to help! You some kind of magic man bird boy, you gonna flap them pretty rainbow feathers an’ turn your sweet self into some kind of super hero? I’s just don’t see that big bird! Mac, yo’ is well out of your league.”

“I beg to differ Denzel, you are making snap judgements on someone you don’t know. As it happens I have a highly tuned instinct for sniffing out information and general detective work. At the very least I can tell you when to be ready for a visit… for a, ah hm, a small remuneration.”

“For what?”

“Payment, a small gift, a pill to sweeten my endeavours on your behalf.”

“Mac - you’s talk in riddles, what exackly is you askin’ for - in simple words we can all unerstand.”

“Scraps, nuts, juicy pieces of fat, the crumbs from her breakfast tray. In a word - food!”

“You is wantin’ food? Why can’t you jus’ out an’ say so Mac? You can have all the food you need and welcome; you’s give us warnin’s bout the Cap’n an’ we’s all make you a banquet  that is fo’ sure.”

“Well Denzel, I do believe we have a deal. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open and as soon as I know anything believe me, you’ll know it 20 seconds later. Do you have any advice, any informaion you think I should know - in addition to the general witch like nature of the Cap’n?”

“Okay everybody, Mac here is askin’ me is there anythin’ he needs to watch out for in particular, any little nasty surprises maybes hidin’ roun’ the corner! Hahahaha, any surrrprises! Only the one Mr Technicolour Dreamcoat but you make shoh you listen up good.” “Oh yeah bright bird..”, “I don’ think we should scare him, let him find out…”

“Okay Mr Paintbox, there is jus’ the one, an’ you make shoh you heed us well because you drop your guard an’ y’all see fo’ yo’self what we mean  -people, who this peckin’ piece gotta watch out for… MATILDA!!!

Jan