The town on the coast only survived because of one thing -- the fish exports. Meena had had enough of working by the ship. The Burgundy Sails was to sail out in about four weeks, and her father was going on it, though her mother had pleaded for him to stay home and mind the shop with her. But her father had always been born for the sea. Meena knew that. She'd seen him look over the raging waves at high tide, the weary lines on his face, the longing in his eyes. Meenakshi had been named after the sea, too, the girl with fish eyes. No, that did not mean she was a fish. She had almond shaped eyes. Papa had combed her hair the day before the ship began loading passengers. "You understand why I must go." His baritone voice still rung in her mind. "I do," she said. "But won't you take me along?" "I cannot," he said. "A girl on the ship...a bad omen. Be careful, little fish girl. Stay with your mother." He'd set down the comb, smiling widely for the first time in the years she had known him. "I will go, and I will return. Look for me, my little girl, on the horizon." But Meena wouldn't be fulfilled with the reassurances. She needed to be out. About. DOING something, not sitting in the fishmonger's shop, and waiting for Papa to come back while serving sour-faced and bitter-tounged customers who saw her as the fish daughter. Meena sighed, and pushed herself against the wall of the shop. Her mother was counting the money that they'd made that day, and she saw her father heading out, a large bag in his hand, the weary lines gone. Once again, she wished that she could go with him, and then it struck her. Meena rushed back into the house, ignoring her mother's raised eyebrows, her petticoat billowing behind her. She turned the corner into her room, and rummaged frantically through her chest of clothes. It was somewhere, right? Somewhere in here. Finally, Meena pulled out a pair of trousers and a white top. She quickly removed her petticoat and slipped on the clothes, and tied her long black hair into a tight bun. She slipped on a hat, and quickly picked up the satchel and stuffed some clothes into that. Then she walked out of the house, confident and calm. Mother was still counting money, and she didn't even look up when Meena walked briskly towards the port. She reached the Burgundy Sails, and a man standing guard next to the long wooden ramp looked at her apprehensively. "Who are you?" he said. His voice was gravelly, and harsh. "I'm M..Mithun. The new helper of the cook. I can cook, yes." "I see. Boy, get onto the ship. I hope you've been hired?" "I have." Meena smiled her most convincing smile, and the man sighed. "Fine. Get on the ship." And so she did. *** The ship was on rough waters, and Meena was struggling to balance while she stirred and chopped for the grumpy chef who only growled at her. Her head was already throbbing, and she hadn't seen her father much, only a couple times, and even then, though she had looked at him in the face, he hadn't recognised her. It had a bitter-sweet feeling, knowing that he loved the sea more than her, but it was fine. For now. She understood the pull of the rushing water and the salty spray, but wasn't family more important. She placed one last item on the cook's kitchen table, and ran out of the hot kitchens, to the wooden wall facing the ocean, where there was nobody was there. She nearly took off her cap, but she thought better of it last minute. Best done in her cabin, alone. "Oh, hello. I thought I'd met all of the members of the crew." Meena glanced up, tightening her fists. There was a boy in expensive clothing standing over her, with sandy hair and pale skin. He looked exotic, never seen before. "My name's Arwen. I'm the captain's son!" "I'm Mithun, the new helper," Meena said, smiling. "Nice to meet you," he said. "Will you be my friend?" *** Meena tore off her cap, letting her long flowing hair fall to her shoulders. It had been days since she'd let it out, and a lot of things had happened. For one, Arwen had become her friend. The boy seemed stuck up at first, but soon she realised that he was fun, just a little out of place. The captain himself barely spoke, and glared at everyone, mostly his son, and Meena had realised that Arwen was constantly fighting for his attention. All he wanted was some love. Suddenly the door creaked open, and Arwen walked in. "Hey, I brought you some food, you missed dinner and-" Arwen's eyes widened, seeing Meena's long hair. "Uh...you're a girl?" Meena turned pink. "If you tell anyone about it..." "I won't," he said. "But...that's so cool! I mean, you look even better in long hair then you do in short." "What?" "Oh, nothing," he said, looking at his feet. "I mean...would you want to be friends with me even though I'm a girl...and a stowaway?" "Yeah, no, it's not an issue. I don't mind protecting your identity, either! I mean, it's so fun to be let into a secret plot!" Meena smiled. "Thank you. Really." ~in the notes~
"No problem," Arwen said. And for the first time in her life, Meena felt wanted. END
