Lynna's Rogue (47 page)

             
“
Then part of my name is Devereux, at least we know that much.
” She stood, roaming aimlessly around the cave
,
trying to make sense of what he was telling
her. Why couldn’t she remember?
“My husband Michael is the brother of this evil pirate. We were on our way to Tortuga when the ship was attac
k
ed and sank.” She stopped suddenly and said, “Then, I suppose my husband is dead?”

             
“I
don’t
know
bout dat
, Buttercup. He
mite
be alive, but I
gots
my doubts.
De las
time I turn around an look
dat
whole ship was in flames.” Lynna could only stare, disbelief evident on her face as his words sunk in. “
Whut
I done
tol
’
you is
de
truth.
De
ship was on fire, we jumped over
de
side, and
dat’
s
all
s
I member til I come to down
on
de
beach.”

             
“I wonder if the rest of my life was this adventurous?”

             
“I
cain
tell you
nothin’
‘
bout
yo
life
befo
’
you come to on
dat
beach.
‘
Cept dat
you lived on a fine sugar plantation
wit
’
Mist’
Michael.”

             
Lynna sat down on the clean canvas spread
as sheer exhaustion seemed to seep from every pore in her body
. ‘Rob, what happened to me? Why
can’t
I remembe
r my life before the shipwreck
?” Her eyes filled with tears and glistened in the waning light. “Will I ever remember my past?”

             
“I
cain
say. Sometimes it’s
bes’
to
forgit de pas’
.
” Rob looked down into his cup
,
seeing images he had hoped to forget. “Like
mines
.
I was
jus
another slave on a fine cotton
planation
in
Jawg
a
. But,
dis
ain’t no
awdnary plan
’
ation
. You see
,
de Mastuh
,
Mastuh
Hawkin
s
, got his fun from seeing us slaves in pain.
Cuttin’
off
yo
hand
ifn
you got so
hongry
dat
you steal food
fo yo chillens
. I believe he spent most his time
thankin
’
up new ways to torture us. He even burned out one man
’
s eyes
fo lookin’
too long at his ugly girl.
Dat’s
when I left. I
cain
take
no mo
.
Even life on
dat
pi’ate
ship, bad as it was, was better
dan
livin
’
on
dat
planation wit dat
crazy man.”

             
Rob glanced up after spilling
his guts to find Lynna in peaceful repose
. Pulling the spread over
her, he went back to the table,
thankful
she had
fallen asleep before he finished his story. She would fear him if she knew he was a murderer.
For in the dead of night, he had
killed old man Hawkin
s
for burning out both of his brother’s eyes and making his mama watch. His mama had clutched her heart and died shortly after
,
and Ro
b no longer had a reason to remain
on the plantation. He slipped away that night and made it to the harbor, and the notorious pirate ship.

             
With Lynna asleep
,
Rob left the cave to bury the skeleton he had found in the forest that morning. It was, presumably, the occupant of the cave. He had no way of knowing what had killed the man. Sickness, snakebite, or attack from beast or man. He would probably never know.

             
The following days were carefree
and happy
ones. Lynna tore apart her tattered dress
and petticoats to fashion two
knee length sarongs, which she tied at the shoulder. With her skin tanned to a rich golden brown, bare feet, and loose shining man
e,
Rob fancied her to be a golden goddess
,
and he had no doubt that she was the most beautiful woman he would see in his lifetime, but he felt no desire other than to protect her. Rob
joined Lynna in the happiness to be found on their island sanctuary. He had
worked hard at backbreaking labor for the past twenty years
, pouring gallons of his sweat into the land, for naught
. Picking cotton
had
required him to use only his hands, not his mind. But here, life was very different.

             
He was jubilant to
discover that Lynna valued his opinions, listening intently as he explained everything from shooting a bow to opening a coconut. Having someone to trust in him and come to him for advice had made Rob a changed man and the happiest
he had
ever been. He also had something that had been absent in his life until now. P
ride. And Lynna had been the catalyst
to bring about the change.
             

             
After many days of practicing under Rob’s patient tutelage
,
Lynna was soon able to spear fish and sometimes, if the animal would cooperate and remain still, small game. They dined on roasted clams, oysters, cacoon stew and their staple diet of fish and shrimp. This
,
combined with an abundance of fruits, nuts and berries
,
proved to be most satisfying to their appetites. They often made a game of who could capture their meal first, Rob frequently allowing her to win.

             
“Ho
w long have we been here, Rob?”
Lynna asked one morning as she was clearing the tabl
e, putting the plates in a hand
woven basket to take to the stream to wash. She was content with her life on the island, not dwelling on the uncertainties of the past.

             
Rob held up all ten fingers, closed them and opened them four more times, then closed them and held up nine more. In exchange for sharing his experience with Lynna
,
she had been teaching him to count and write. She had found him to be a most apt pupil.

             
“Fifty nine days. A
lmost two months,” she sighed wistfully. “It doesn’t seem like we
’
ve been on the island that long, does it?”

             
“No, ma’am.” H
e turned suddenly somber. “I been
tryin
’
to figure a way to
git
you off
dis
heah
island.”

             
“You will do no such thing
! I refuse to leave! I’m happy here
with you!”

             
“
I’se
happy here
wit
’
you
,
too, Buttercup.
De
happiest I done been my whole life. You
don’t
know
whut
it’s
like to work till you drop
everday
an den
have a man
wit
a whip
standin
’
over you
jus waitin’ fo
a chance to use it. I was
thinkin
’
‘
bout yo
family. I reckon
dey
done worried
deyselves
sick
wonderin’ ifn
you is dead or
a
live.”

             
“I
don’t
even know if I have a family, Rob. I may not have anyone to return to.” However
,
his words had struck a soft spot in her heart. She had caught herself questioning that part of her past with more frequency lately.

             
“
Dat
s
whut I’se sayin’
,
Buttercup
. Ain’t you
wantin’
to find out?”

             
“What I do or do not want is a moot point, Rob. I
do not
see a fine sailing vessel floating in the harbor just waiting to carry us home.
There is
no way off this island. So that settles it.”

             
Rob was thoughtful for a minute before speaking. “We only
seed dis
one side of
de
island. We
ain’t
knowin’
whuts
on
de
other side. The man
whut
carve all
dis
fine furniture and fix
up
dis heah
cave
musta
got on
dis
island by ship.
Dat
ship
mite
be on
de
other side of
dis
island
fo
all we knows.
I’s gwine
strike out in
de mawnin
’
and see
whut
I can find.”

             
“
I will
pack us a basket. Food may not be as plentiful on the other side of the island.” Lynna turned to reach for the basket, but his huge calloused hand covered hers.

             
“
Naw
, Buttercup. I
kin
make better time by myself and I know you be safe
heah
in
dis
cave or I ain’t leave you
heah
alone.”

             
“Alone!” she echoed. “
Why, I could not possibly stay here alone! These woods abound with wild beasts!”

             
Rob chuckled. “How many
wile
beasts you done
seed
‘boundin’, Buttercup?”

             
“Well… none, but… that’s not to say they aren’t there.
How long will you be gone, Rob?” She had visions of the lonely, empty days ahead without his company.
Suddenly, her paradise felt more like a prison.

             
“I ain’t
ritely sho
. I ain’t got no way
knowin
’
how big
dis
heah
island is.” Rob wished she
would not
look so forlorn. He would take her with him, but he knew how demanding scaling the mountain
would be, and she would be safe
in the cave.

             
The
following morning
,
Lynna waved to Rob until his receding shape was no longer visible. Hot tears streamed unchecked down her sun
-
bronzed cheeks. How could he leave her alone? He was her only companion in the world
,
and now even he was forsaking her. She
had
never felt mo
re
lone
ly
than she did at that moment. God forbid Rob should meet with an unforeseen accident and never return, leaving her to spend
the remainder of her life
on this island
without companionship
. She would surely go mad.