Project:Current events/Chapter 2 - Accounting of the Cost

Chapter 2 – Accounting for the Cost

Vincenzo held his breath while Carmello stated off the list of numbers….

The old cook took his pointer finger and pushed up his glasses. They were continually sliding down his nose. He really hated this hot, arid country! It was a good thing that all the oaken buckets had been returned. They floated well and had no doubt been a life saver for some of the crew that had been swept overboard. No wait, there was one oaken bucket not accounted for yet.

Carmello sighed. There was going to be some sweaty, smelly sailors waiting impatiently in line since they were now short one of the oaken wash tubs. Most of the lye soap had been turned back in. They had been short on that before they arrived at Egypt. Valuable commodities on a ship.

Continuing on, already partway down the list he said, “…Detailed Mediterranean Maps, both turned in…”. He tapped the milk chocolate brown, water-stained pieces of paper and shook his head.

‘Mostly valueless but as long as other naïve traders thought they were accurate they’re worth a decent bit of coin,’ he absently mulled over.

“…Gold Bracelets, all ten turned in!” the old man said in surprise.

Vincenzo and the captain both turned toward the chef and smiled. The First Mate looked his friend, Allesandri, in the eye, “Which means that these people are honest. Refreshing I would say! We should be able to turn a handsome profit out of this place.” The two went back to their separate paperworks but kept an ear open for Carmello’s tally.

“Handmade Bead, over half of the 40 were handed back that we lost.” He swiveled in the chair and leaned back. “Hey, Cap, why on this earth do you care about those beads? Seems a bit steep payment for them!”

The swelling of Captain Belzoni’s chest as he inhaled and the glowering look on his face cowed the old man. “Never me mind…never me mind… should stick to business as you always say…,” the last part barely audible. “Hourglass, both of those back and they should like the handsome payment for that one, Iron Handcuffs, got 6 of the 8, but really gonna have to scrub ‘em to keep off the rust, definitely worth the finely crafted fishing poles we procured from our Grecian porting, Ivory Chess Set, nice to have that back, gives the smarter boys sumpin’ to do other than fightin’, Jeweled Dagger, both back…”

Allesandri’s eyes closed as he went deep in thought. He could never afford to show weakness, so he would not let tears come.

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Twenty Seven years ago in the Belzoni home ---------------------------------

“Oooooh, Papa! Pretty knives!” five year old Allesan crooned after Giovanni handed his son the two ivory handled, bejeweled daggers as a special present for the Yule festival.

His father was happy his son was smiling. It was very difficult to constantly leave him and his mother on the long voyages. Whenever Giovanni walked in the door, his growing son propelled himself into his father’s long legs to hang on with a deadlocking grip. The boy cried too easily, though. Allesandri should be more of a man by a whole five years old, almost six. His mother was soft on him. She seemed not to be fertile anymore. Plus the woman seemed to be of weak countenance being ill more and more often. Which reminded him.

Walking over to his wife, he brushed her blonde hair aside and kissed her long and passionately. “For you, my love, a heart to keep,” Giovanni said as he turned her around and gently hung a gold chained necklace with a silver heart dangling on the center. A pouch full of new herbs was pushed into her pocket. She was always trying out new teas for their healing properties. He continued to kiss her neck. For the hundredth time the urge to quit his seafaring ways pushed forward. He missed his wife so terribly much.

Andrilina tenderly held the silver heart up enough to look closely at it. ‘He always knows just what I love,’ she thought to herself. She whirled around to hold him but staggered ever so slightly as it made her light-headed. Her tight grip on her tall husband covered her feeling of weakness.

Glancing at her one and only child, her lips widened in a beautific smile. “My heart is yours tonight, anything you wish for is yours,” Andrilina whispered close to her husband’s ear then looked deeply in his dark brown eyes.

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Back to the Present on the Bella Dama-----------------------------------

Allesandri clenched his jaw. The muscles along his back tightened as he leaned forward on his outstretched arms. He pushed away from his desk as he stood and walked over to the window. No, not even his best friend should be able to see the look in his pained eyes. He clasped his hands behind his back and pretended he had been listening to Carmello’s droning.

“…and to finish,“ the cook’s belly jiggled as he chuckled, “the crew’s collection of White Pantaloons, a little over half of them were returned, not without some crass remarks. All in all much better than I expected! I like these Egyptians!”

“As do I, old man, as do I,” Captain Allesandri agreed but continued to look out the window, not seeing what was in front of his eyes.

Vincenzo knew it was another remembrance. He let his friend pretend that no one noticed. One did not dare bring up the captain’s father. “Carmello, so you have much shouting and swaggering to do now to get the supplies back in order,” the first mate said to the cook.

Eager to lighten the darkness in the room that was more than just the sun setting, Carmello stood and thumped a fist on his desk, “You betcha, Vin! Nothin’ better to see them boys jumpin’ to and fro to my commands!” He took the opportunity to stand and head out the door. His tenor bellows could be heard while he gave out orders.

Allesandri felt a hand lay on his shoulder. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. Maybe he was too transparent.

“The girl, Miss Melanie, some of the crew was asking if we should do a body search along the shores?” the first mate asked.

Thoughts of a dainty French face floated across his mind’s eye and pleasantly replaced the earlier specter of childhood memory.

“Our own crew first!” he said decidedly. “We can ask these Egyptians to help again. They know their own country and can search hill and dale for signs of them.”

Vincenzo let his hand drop from his captain’s shoulder after giving it a squeeze. Just as the door creaked open he heard Allesandri add, “Let Petroni start searching the shores. He can’t pester the wits out of me if he isn’t on the ship. Too bad the sea did not swallow him.”

Captain Allesandri finally turned away from the window and followed his friend out. “Carmello! Come with me! You need to give these country people an accounting. They need reassurance that we are not pirates!”

“Comin’ Capn! Hey you, get off yer fat…” the many talented Carmello started swearing at the lazy sailor as he followed behind the Master.