A Ship & A Sword

The day came upon for my father to sail his ship toward a new place. He never told his family where he would go, I imagine that he didn't know where it was, yet he always knew how to get there. And he never said farewell. Many times before now he would leave & when we woke up he was gone & when he would return we would find him waiting for us. Though yesterday I'd decided to stay up all night & follow him to his ship & wish him farewell.

I couldn't tell you what time it was, but the pub's lights were still on, in which you could hear the usual ruckus & laughter of the patrons. Unbeknownst to my father I had been following him since he walked out the front door. I crept behind the trees & barrels of our town.

It wasn't too long before my father caught on to me, he walked hastily, turned around a corner where I had lost sight of him & he crept up to me drawing a sword to my neck and said, "Are you a thief or a fiend?" For the first time, I almost didn't recognize his voice, I've never been so scared in my life, so I plead to him, "Father it's me, your son! Don't hurt me!" He recognized my voice, yet he kept his sword drawn on my neck, he turned to stand before me & looked me dead in the eyes, "Why the hell are you here boy!? Haven't I told you to beware of the night's because there are thief's & fiends searching for a victim!? And I would have killed you if it weren't for the shred of doubt that I knew who you were, damn it!" He was genuinely worried as is any good hearted father, I replied, "Heaven's father! I came to wish you farewell. Since when did you have a sword?"

He looked at me dead in the eyes authoritatively & then walked away. Silently, I walked behind him trying my best to understand who my father was & found the perfect opportunity to let him know of my one wish. Before I could tell him, he said, "I hope you know that when you return home your Mother will find a fair punishment for this foolish act." I almost wanted to die then, "Son give me your hand! We shall walk together to the port's hill where you will be safe & you may see my ship on the horizon, you'll be my good luck before setting sail." Though I felt anxious, it was now or never.

He had a strong grip, yet as we held hands I knew he was trying to loosen his grip so he didn't squeeze my hand. It happens to men who spend time gripping things. That's how I knew my father was kind. Though he felt my piercing eyes looking up at him, and with all my courage I began to ask, "Why don't you want us to say farewell?"

He began explaining to me that he is the captain of his ship & that if his family were to ever wish him farewell, that would be an omen of bad luck for his sailor's & he can't run a ship with scared sailor's worried about bad luck when one is at sea. There's enough to worry about as a captain leading a crew through the sea. Also, the tempest & pirates. Though he let me know that there was no need to worry about him on his ship because it's a fair & modest ship, so he was ready for whatever mother earth or man would surprise him with.

And again he felt my piercing eyes, but this time I was more awe stricken by how he expressed himself of his preparation, so instinctively he waited for my follow up question, so asked, "I know that you will be gone for some time at the high sea, I wish you to farewell, so you may return with life, tale's & fortune for our livelihood, yet I want to ask for one thing, I want to be enrolled in The Royal School of Swordsmanship, please?"

I wasn't sure what the look on my father's face was, confused or surprised, because he looked at me seriously as if to say, 'where did you get that idea from!?' Yet I continued to look him in the eyes respectfully, unwavering & with an eager smile. So he said, "I don't know where you got this ludicrous idea from, but I know you're my son, so I suppose it's in you to want to know how to be a swordsman. But I ask that you ponder about this question, which kind of adventure will you go on?"

At that moment we had arrived at the port's hill, we faced towards my father's ship & then he began to open up to me. He shows me his sheathed sword & asks me, 'How light is it?' I was surprised because it was like a feather. He could see that on my face, so he told me that on his first adventure he went on a ship that had set sail toward an island with a volcano to meet a great blacksmith who had made a well crafted sword by weighing his soul & feeling his heart. I never would have imagined that adventure would be so fantastic! Although I wasn't old enough to sail, I wondered when I would want to be on my first adventure & where I'd go.

My father began to tell me that when a man's ship is on the horizon, his destiny has already called for his presence and he has decided to answer that call as well as accept the trials & tribulations along the way because he must arrive, "My son, if you are wanting to become a swordsman, then you must learn & understand the importance of living an honorable life, it will be the evidence of yourself, otherwise you will burden your soul with anxiety. For now you shall have to survive your youth by being a good boy, so when you are in the Royal School of Swordsmanship in your adolescence you may be able to discern what is worth fighting for…" My eyes gleamed with tears of joy, though I let my tears build so I may listen to my father's wisdom, "and to hold a sword is accepting your mortality, as well as knowing that when you unsheath your sword, you will have the choice of life or death in your hands. Some men are belligerent & other's are calm to the hilt, be the latter my son. It is the reason for why I have lived until now, it's the same reason why I didn't kill you. Our family name is blessed by definition to have a sword in our lives, yet there is much to know before my esteemed son can handle one. Your journey must firstly be to become a good man. While I'm at sea you must obey & help your mother, as well as be a gentleman & protector for your sister, never disregard the importance of knowledge & you must practice well as much as possible! Practice your letters, read all the books which you can possibly read about the world & the sword. This knowledge shall benefit you to know how to be a gentleman & a swordsman, okay?" And I agreed, "Okay."

The time for his departure was approaching, so he kneeled before me to touch my cheek & with piercing eyes he looked into mine, it was then that for the first time he had seen the fire of determination in me & it was the first time that I saw him surprised, my father then uses his hand to place it on my neck to pull me for a hug. When we hugged it was like the first time I had felt his warmth & strength. Afterwards he places one hand on my chest & one hand on my back, he closes his eyes & he feels a pure heart pounding & he notices the streams of greatness which courses through me. Then he says: "you're equipped with all that is necessary to handle a sword, although you aren't ready for one now, sooner than later you shall wield your sword."

As my father rises to stand before me he rest his hand on my shoulder & reminds me that if ever I sought the guidance of my father's wisdom on any day, then I ought to listen to the winds which whisper wisdom because the winds of change shall change my mind toward seeing a brighter day. Also, to look at the starry night sky which aligns and lights the way toward where the heart wants to be.

Afterwards he tells me to stay on the top of the hill because it is the best place to be on while he sees his father's ship on the horizon sailing toward the sun. Then my father let go of me, he walked away and toward his ship so he may be on his ship. He left me there with his words to sink into my heart & a sense of hope.

It was the first time I was going to see my father go to his ship. He seemed to have arrived quickly, and his crew was expecting his arrival. As I saw him board, the ship seemed to have moved as quickly as my father had walked. The anchor was raised, the ship drifted for a bit off of the port & the ores came out and rowed. The ship moved quickly, then the sun's rays began to shine over the horizon and the winds began to blow. Within a few minutes the boat had seemed to have reached a halfway point between land and the horizon, so the ores were withdrawn & the sails were dropped. Then the ship seemed to have been moving faster than before as if on a race against time & it was headed toward the sun. By the time the sun was halfway out, I couldn't see my father's ship anymore. I had thought that I had seen a wonder before my eyes, that he had sailed into the sun, but I think he hadn't and I knew he would return home as well as I have to return home.