| Jack: | An old, grizzled pirate. |
| Finn: | A young deckhand on his first trip. |
I-1-1
| SETTING: | The deck of a ship. |
| AT RISE: | FINN is center stage swabbing (mopping) the floor slowly. JACK enters with two cheap glass bottles of rum. |
Captain's retired to quarters. You be the new deckhand I reckon?
Yessir. Finn.
I be Jack. Been on this wreck of a ship for many a moon.
Fine to meet you sir. Thank you (quickly corrects) ye for the rum.
No need for land-lubbing niceness around me, boy. I be Jack. You be Finn. Only niceness on this here ship be you don't go falling overboard and you never, ever tell the cook what ye think of his slop. So now, we be keeping night watch and having a sip of God's sweet rum to keep our bellies warm.
I-1-2
How many a moon?
What's that?
You been here for many a moon.
Ah, yes. Me hearing ain't been the same since I worked the cannons. How many moons? (Thinks) I can't quite place it.
The moon there. Full as can be. I remember the first time I saw it from this here deck when I were a scrawny little fool no older than ye there.
I be old enough. Fourteen. More than old enough.
Ahh... so ye be ten. Practically a man.
But I...
I-1-3
(interrupting) I were meself. Probably right there with a swab in hand. Li came over. Chinese. Old as the sea himself, but a strong pirate. He could wrestle a kraken. Wouldn't be a bit surprised if he done did.
He shared his rum with you?
No. Hell no. He were dead opposed to sharing his spirits. He drank and drank and spoke of what he called poems from his (Switching voice to show Li's great pride) Great Homeland.
Do you remember any?
Not the words. No. But, the meaning. Yes. Like the moon there. He would toast the moon and tell it that he be lost here in the black sea with no loved ones near. He worried that the moon didn't recognize him, being so far from home.
Drink with me moon. You. Me. (motioning behind him) The shadow ye give me. We be three. Three companions on the sea. Moon. Shadow. Me.
I-1-4
That be Li. I have to say that I tend to agree.
It does make you think.
Think? Thinking ain't for us. I be just being.
Out here. (Motions to his left) The sea. (Motions to his right) The sea. (Makes a sweeping motion towards the audience) The sea. What be we, here, adrift in this wide empty sea.
I often feel a bit that way. We be drifting. No rudder. No map. Just aimlessly afloat on life's big sea...(changes his mind) Nay. On life's big puddle.
A puddle to you. A sea to me. Shouldn't we know where we're going? That's why I'm here. I have many moons ahead and I need the sea to be my lighthouse and show the way.
The lighthouse be there to keep ye away from dangers.
Then, show me away from the dangers. I need the sea to step up and be a guide.
I-1-5
(Looks up to the Moon) You hear this? He thinks the sea knows where it be going? (To FINN) One thing I know, it just keeps sloshing around to avoid wondering about it. No plans. Just being.
I worry there be no answers for me.
Answers? This be the sea. There ain't an answer to anything under these stars.
Have you ever wondered what be beyond them stars?
Beyond? Heaven? Hell? Some big treasure chest just waiting for us? Likely be more stars if I reckon.
I think the stars are just there to let us know that the empty space ain't so empty.
Ye been drinking more than just rum, ain't ye?
I-1-6
Can I ask? Ye ever regret it?
Regret all this?
You could've been a farmer, been married to a beautiful woman who made ye so happy with just a smile. Kids. You could've had kids, ones ye actually know about, ones who hop on yer knee and listen to yer stories.
(Interrupting) Enough. I ain't got no regret. No real ones anyways.
Unreal regrets?
I dream. I dream there be a door. I can see light coming from behind it. Light and warmth. It be right there, shut in front of me. Then, I wake. I always wake. I never open it.
Don't you want to know what be beyond the door?
I talked to the Moon about it. We are in agreement. The door be just a door. Nothing more.
I-1-7
But... what if it's not about going forward? What if the door keeps things locked away? So you don't have to remember. (Quieter) Maybe you didn't sell the cat at the market. Maybe you didn't see the hurt in your mother's eyes. Maybe you didn't run to the docks that same night and hide on the first ship you found.
(Changes the subject) Ye be a strange pirate, Finn, but I do like the way ye think.
That means a lot to me, Jack. I do respect how you relate to being here. You. The sea. (Motions up) The moon. Drifting along, waiting to finally meet mister death.
Mister death? Ah, we've met.
You be serious?
Serious as a monkey on a poop deck in a hurricane. But that be a tale for another moon.
Another moon?
I-1-8
Aye. Tonight be for swabbing. And drinking. And ye asking me fool questions.
I do like how yer brain works, Finn. Ye be a fine addition to our crew.
Back to it. I have the rounds to walk and refills to make. I be back to check on ye in the hour.
I see you moon, looking at me. You willing to help? Even my shadow moves along, helping what it can. The three of us work together and we be done before the sun comes to chase you off.
No? Ah. Fine then. You watch. We swab. All be good. I have many a moon find me own way.