Chapter 15
Whilst Andrew told his old friend and Adam about his son’s change since meeting Annie in hopes of convincing him to allow the marriage, Junior took the siblings to the mess to get some lunch.
“Hello,” Joanne said politely entering the mess hall, where many of the men were sat having lunch.
“Hello,” They replied and she and the guys sat down at one a the large tables.
Without asking one man handed her a large bowl of broth.
The men had all taken her under their wing and quickly decided to try and build her up. They all still thought her a boy, except Maalik.
Though some had commented between themselves how feminine he looked, no one made a big deal. She was surprised how nice everyone was. After all, in her time old fashioned sailors are known to be drunkards.
“Luke, finish that,” She pushed him the bowl after eating barely half.
He unquestioningly took the bowl and started munching it happily.
“How are you ever going to be big and strong if you keep feeding your brother your food?” Derek, the cook, asked already knowing the answer already.
“Jo eats more than normally, that is good at least,” Luke tried to justify.
“I saw two new men, where did they come from?” A man asked randomly as he entered the mess.
“An older and a younger man?” He nodded taking a bowl.
“You know who they are?” He asked again.
“Yep, that’s me dad and brother.” Most men looked at her.
“Where’d they come from?”
She shrugged, “Magic.”
“But seriously, how?” A man asked looking at Junior.
“Did you not hear Jo?” He said in a his normal ‘everyone else is annoying’ voice.
No one else asked any questions, most being scared of him. Both because he was the bosses son and his intimidating build.
“We are not having that woman on board after this trip,” The captain grumbled entering the mess with Mattie and Adam.
A couple of men groaned, but most didn’t seem to bothered.
“But you’ll get another, right?” One of the groaner’s inquired.
“I’ll think about it.” He replied nonchalantly and sat down grabbing a bowl food. Then without asking handed one to each of the other two men who came in with him.
“Men, this is Mattie and Adam,” He introduced and began eating.
Joanne smiled at her dad and brother, loving having them there.
“Do I know you?” Derek asked thinking hard, “You look very familiar.”
Matthew and Andrew exchanged a look.
“That is right, except you were courting my sister last time I saw you.”
“I have only courted one…” The cook stopped realizing.
Derek lunged at Matthew but missed.
Joanne jumped from her seat and threw herself at the man, punching him directly in the face before anyone had a chance to stop her.
“No!” Junior and Mike both pulled her back at the same time.
“EVEN THINK OF TOUCHING MY DAD AND I’LL SLIT YOU FUCKING THROAT!” She yelled at the stunned man.
“Annie,” Matthew picked her up from her seat and hugging her.
“It is alright, honey, he didn’t mean it he was just shocked to see me again, right?” He asked Derek, unaware that everyone was now staring at Joanne.
Derek silently nodded his head.
“Sorry, she has always been protective. She kicked the milkman between the legs once when she was little because she didn’t like how he looked at me,” He chuckled at the memory.
“Dad,” She punched his arm, he only laughed.
“What happened to not hurting him?” Andrew asked amused.
“I’m allowed. Just no one else,” She defended.
“Jo’s a girl?” Derek asked getting Matthew’s attention.
“Yes?” He answered not realising.
“Dad, they thought she was a boy,” Mike told him.
“Why? She’s pretty, she doesn’t look like a boy.” He had grown used to her dressing style. It was normal to him to see girls dressed like her. As though working it out, his mouth formed a ‘o’. “Yeah, I forgot.” Meaning that women only wore dresses in this time.
The men in the room all looked confused.
“Yes, Joanne is a girl. No, you will not touch her,” He told the room and Junior looked a bit worried.
“She is engaged to be married, so don’t get any ideas.”
Junior looked at him hopefully and Matthew looked at him, giving him a smile which said ‘yes.’
“Thank you, sir. You’ll not regret it,” Junior said excited.
“Hang on. Isn’t she only thirteen?” Derek asked unsurely.
“No,” Matthew chuckled.
“Forget me,” Joanne sat down beside Junior, who took her hand under the table. “Are you married to my aunt?” She guessed and brothers just clicked.
“Haha,” He chuckled, no longer bother that she hit him. “Yes, I guess that makes me your uncle.”
“I still want you to explain later what happened. Your family was inconsolable.” Most of the men had no idea what had happened in the past.
“I will explain later, I promise,” Matthew answered his brother-in-law.
The mess seemed to quieten and slowly the men trailed out until only Derek, the Andrews, Matthew and his children were left behind.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. I have this…” Matthew pulled out his mobile phone. Derek watched in wonder as Matthew tapped on the strange black thing he held.
He jumped seconds later when a strange hollow sounding child’s laugh fills the room.
“Dad, why do you have to show everyone that?” Joanne hid her face in her hands. Which made both Andrews curious, but Derek was still stunned.
“Yes, it is funny,” Her dad said laying the phone flat on the table for the men to see.
Junior looked at the screen to see a girl not much older than three, with her hair in little bunches on the top of her head. She was running around in a grassy field with a man chasing after her.
‘Annie, what have I told you about running out the house?’ The man on the screen said as he caught the girl, just before she could pull a cat’s tail.
‘Umm, wear shoes?’ The girl said innocently as the man and the person behind the camera laughed.
‘Among other things, yes.’ He pulled off shirt, not bothered about being topless and put it on the naked child.
‘Dad, I want play,’ She cried pointing to a small Park.
‘Not without clothes!’
‘But Tom does,’ She defended still sobbing as her dad carried her home.
‘Tom is a cat, you are a girl. Although sometimes I wonder,’ He sounded as though he was holding back a laugh.
‘I’ll tell you what, honey, you wear clothes and I’ll take you fishing tomorrow?’
The little girl stopped crying and grinned. ‘Oh, you are such a little faker. I bet you were only pretending to cry?’ They walk into a house and the video ends.
“Dad, isn’t it like, frowned on or something to show naked images?” Luke asked.
“Yes. But she is only three and I am only showing family.”
“This magic thing is from the future?”
“Yes, but it’s not magic…”
Whilst Matthew explained what the object was the others talked among themselves.
“That was you as a child?” Junior asked with a smile.
“Yes. Up until she was six she refused to keep clothes on,” Adam told him. “Dad would put them on and the minute his back was turned they were off.”
“She also escape the house naked a few times,” Mike remembered, “Once we lost her and it turned out she was in the neighbours garden chasing their cat.”
Both Andrews laughed. “If she had grew up here she wouldn’t have been able to. Girl’s clothes are difficult to remove alone.”
“That wouldn’t have been a problem,” Mike looked to his twin accusingly.
“What? She would cry if she couldn’t,” He defended.
“You just liked watching dad and Lottie try to catch her before she escaped,” Adam said knowingly.
“She was a beautiful little girl, but when she did wear clothes, neither her or her brothers could wear anything nice. They would always be covered in mud,” Matthew joined in the conversation.
“She had so many pretty dresses but they all ended up black.”
“I hope our children look like you,” Junior whispered for only her to hear.
After talking for a while they soon discovered that Derek had always known Junior wouldn’t marry Millie. He had even tried to convince her to find someone else. But his wife and daughter were stubborn and his wife oblivious. to his daughter’s stuck up ways.
“It is my own fault. I let her treat her like a princess, now she has grown up bratty and self-centred,” Derek explained them.
“But now you are here, hopefully, she will see,” He said to Matthew.
“Jo maybe a bit boyish in the way she acts, but she has been nothing but nice. Do you know she has even offered to teach Maalik to read? He is the coloured boy.”
“You will be a perfect mother one day,” Junior whispered again, causing her to blush. But thankfully nobody noticed.
“Don’t worry. I have brought up four children almost single handed. I will help you. I can’t wait to see Ettie and the others. My children are all great in their own ways, but I’m biased.”
“What are you doing about the house and everything?” Mike asked his dad.
“Well, Adam and I talked about ideas for if we decided to stay…”
“And?”
“Basically, we’ll go back temporary. Sam’s uncle will let us on the boat without any problems. We will bring a few bits here, such as photos and such like and any clothing or jewellery you wish to keep. The rest we will sell off. As well as the house. We will put all our money together and buy gold jewellery or silk or something we can sell on the past. That way we will not be completely broke.”
“I think it is the best plan,” Andrew said and Derek agreed.
“But as I have said before I have more than enough rooms and money to help you out. I own several boats now, earning us a great income. I can even give you and the boys jobs. The twins have already proven themselves good workers.”
“I would like that but I still will only live with you until I can find us another residence.”
“Mattie, you are my brother and such like Andy’s. You are all welcome at our homes for stay or however long,” Derek said this time.
“Thank you.”
“Did you work out how are why we time traveled?” Joanne asked randomly.
“It’s something to do with the lever. If you pull it, you have to have a strong will to go somewhere… I honestly am not entirely sure the facts. But I know you have been pulling it since being here and nothing happened. I think you have to really want to go or think about going. We will test it a few times later and see. I have my phone, so when we get to the other side, we can call Sam so the police don’t think we’re breaking in.”
“Makes sense. As long as you can come back?”
“Let’s test it, maybe?”
**
A short while later….
Joanne wished for something to happen.
A flash and she and Junior appeared in a different, but the same stern. Grabbing the handle again, she wished to return.
She breathed a sigh of relief when it worked.
Another dozen tests later and they were ready for the real thing.
They talked about it and decided Matthew and all his children would return to their time until tomorrow. Giving them time to sort out what they wanted to keep and sell. Matthew, Adam would quit their jobs and Jo, her part time job, which her father had called in sick for her.
Tomorrow they would all return with the stuff they would keep. Then only Matthew and Jo would go back to sell everything whilst the boys helped on the ship.
“I am going with Annie,” Junior said, he couldn’t stand the thought of being without her that long.
No one seemed surprised.
“Is that OK with you, Andy?” Matthew asked his friend.
“I will manage. I knew he would go with her anyway. It is impossible for him to stay away from her for five minutes.”
“I think when they are married, she will be a regular on your trips,” Matthew laughed as she spoke.
“I already thought she would. That is why I am training her. She will be the only woman I let work as a man does on my ship.”
Andrew laughed thinking, “I can see my wife going hairless thinking of the poor woman on board with us.”
They all laughed about it.
“Now, if you want to come back you need to get changed.”
