Mias of the Caribbean: A Journey to Defy Prejudice

“Someone once told me, there’s a beast that lives in the ocean. It’s big and green and it has big teeth.”

“You’re drunk, Captain.”

I grin, “No I am not. But I was thinking how much fun it would be to find this monster. Then we could kill it and use its teeth for toothpicks!”

Spirits were high in the Crow’s Nest. The crew was celebrating our latest victory against the witch queen and her Lord of the North Star. We had been blessed with a bounty of riches from their treasure room and the men wanted to get drunk and forget about the horrors they had witnessed today. The pirates were dancing on tables, singing songs, and even holding contests to see who could drink the most grog. I watched them from my seat next to the window where I could look out at sea.

There was a time where I too lived for these celebrations. When winning an adventure meant glory and riches beyond imagination. But now all I could think about was how lonely these celebrations were. As long as I have been Captain, none of my crew has ever asked me why I want to do this anymore. They know now that this is my life and if they are smart enough to take part in it then they are smart enough not to ask me why anymore than that's all there is to it.

My thoughts drifted away from my crew as I looked out to sea, remembering a time when my mother used to sing me a lullaby before putting me to bed every night. She would sing in her native tongue, which sounded like birds singing among the trees in springtime, but she always sang those words: "Under water blue it flows, through valleys bright and new."

"What's she mumbling now?" One of my crewmen asked another as they passed by me on their way towards the kitchen with some more ale for us all. "It's nothing," another replied waving him off, "She's just thinking about herself again."

"And how many times has she told you that story?" The first continued on his way but he stopped when he saw that his friend wasn't following him anymore. "What? You don't believe that's what she's talking about? The legendary Beast of the Deep?" He laughed uneasily at his own joke but his friend shook his head with a serious expression on his face as he turned back towards me. "It's true," he said quietly so no one else could hear him, "Captain Mia Khalifa told everyone that story when we first started sailing together." He didn't say anything else but just stood there watching me until he got up the courage to continue speaking again, "I was one of those people who thought she was just pulling our legs until we went into battle against the pirates of Neptune."

I looked over at him curiously but couldn't see any hint of mockery or deception in his face or eyes so I simply shrugged my shoulders at him and went back to staring out at sea ignoring him completely while he watched me intently waiting for me to respond or say something, anything really because he had more to tell me but he didn't know how or if he should continue telling me what happened next so I just waited patiently after a while until he gathered up all his courage again as he walked over toward me and said softly again, "When we fought them... We fought them together... And it wasn't exactly a fair fight..." He hesitated again as though trying to figure out what else he needed to tell me before continuing, "They weren't like us... They had magic... Powerful magic... That we couldn't beat..." He trailed off again finally looking away ashamed by what he had just said so far already because he knew what was coming next would most likely make him feel worse than before but also because he knew it would make me angry too with everything that had happened earlier today so instead of saying any more than what he already had he stopped talking altogether and walked away from me back towards his crewmates who were still playing their games and drinking their grogs oblivious to what had just happened between us both in those last few moments alone right here in the crow's nest or perhaps they knew very well what had taken place between us both without having seen or heard us at all while we were standing here together simply because they knew better than most anyone else exactly what kind of woman their Captain really was deep down inside as they whispered among themselves while they danced on tables out of sheer joy over their victory this day against their enemy but then again maybe not either because sometimes each one of them seemed strangely detached from reality whenever they drank too much grog... Like someone living in a dream world where only good things happen where everything is perfect for everyone around them no matter how terrible those same things might be in reality... Wasn't that why we called this place our Crow's Nest anyway? Because it was supposed to represent a bird flying high above everything with its eyes wide open alerting others when danger is near? A bird wouldn't fly anywhere near this place because there is no danger here for anyone except perhaps for those who get too close perhaps who try too hard like someone once did once upon a time not too long ago whom everyone loved despite her faults because she kept her head held high no matter how terrible things seemed down below looking up at her even if she never quite noticed them looking admirably up at her wondering if somewhere along the way she might notice them admiring her above all others not knowing how much pain she might be feeling inside right now how lonely she might actually be right now... But then why would anyone expect otherwise given everything that has happened today especially since she always carries around her secrets wherever she goes including behind closed doors but right here right now right now as this moment passes by this moment alone will remain forever imprinted into my mind because after all isn't that why we call this place our crow's nest anyway? Because from here we can see everything that happens all around us yet somehow manage not quite see anything at all clearly ourselves where we cannot seem to think straight anymore despite our best efforts not wanting anything bad ever happen in our lives least of all today after everything we have won today after everything we have accomplished over the years always seeming victorious against all odds even if each victory seems empty somehow hollow like nothing means anything anymore except perhaps keeping going forward no matter how slowly sometimes regardless of whether or not anyone is watching anymore without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail without fail