The Story of Wayward George

By DAF 

< Excerpt from my novel FATE > 

 

It Was How He Saw Himself...
After the tragic loss of his parents, young George's grandfather took it upon himself to fund his grandson's future education in supporting his aspiration to become a doctor. The young George's wish to enter the medical field stemmed not from a sense of loyalty to his deceased father but rather from a deep-seated obligation to rectify the harm his father inflicted on his mother, who was fully aware of the destructive effects of laudanum on the mind at the time. Having observed the profound and tragic impact of laudanum on his mother's mental health, George felt a responsibility to take action against the scourge of addiction. He understood that the opiate, which had begun as a source of solace for his mother, only to be trapped in a relentless struggle for control, had ultimately led to her suffering and tragic drowning in the village pond. 

       George's commitment to becoming a doctor was thus rooted in a desire to heal and protect others from the same fate that had befallen his mother Lizzie. Despite his own reservations, the magistrate tried to steer George towards a career in law, arguing that a good lawyer has the power to prevent death, while a good doctor must confront the inevitability of death as a product of life. The magistrate would emphasize how every action has its consequences, advising his grandson as often as he could while out walking the whippet Rentap...

''Besides, a profession in law is less messy than getting actual blood on your hands. However, I know it is essential to pursue what truly resonates with your passions and aspirations, regardless of the potential repercussions that fate may impose on you. Nonetheless, I will still uphold my word and help fulfill your commitment to becoming a doctor. It's the least I could do for my dear Lizzie, besides, it is what your grandmother would wish.''

Over time, and away from any watchful caring eyes of his grandparents, young George proved to be a rebel in the making in his studies, in more ways than one. He was immersing himself in the practices of indulging in alcohol, opium, and loose relationships with women of all classes of nationality. He was fond of holding the mammary, any mammary, but with a special affection for Irish women, just like his grandfather .. or maybe it was because his grandmother had Irish blood running in her veins. As a medical student, he was convinced that if he was to cure and call himself a 'skilled doctor', he had to familiarize himself with the physical and mental symptoms to effectively treat and diagnose his patients .. but he was to learn that one cure can cure all. He found himself abandoning his noble aspirations of using his medical expertise to combat addictions in people, as the allure of his newfound freedom began to overshadow the very principles that had initially inspired him to embark on a medical career .. his mother's addiction to laudanum. The ideals that once fueled his passion for healing and prevention seemed to fade into the background, eclipsed by the intoxicating sense of his newfound liberation he now experienced. He came to realize he had inherited that certain 'reckless gene' from his father that ignited a passion within him that was difficult to suppress, a trait that compelled him to embrace risk and challenge convention, come-what-may. He wrestled with the tension between the responsibilities of a doctor and the intoxicating pull of his 'reckless gene'. It will shape his identity in profound ways.  

He liked to remind his peers in evening gin sessions in his rooms that a genius had to be protected, even from himself, and an opinionated genius at that, was to be protected all the more. Young George was fond of citing examples of brilliant minds throughout history who had been misunderstood or mistreated .. but he was only repeating his grandmother's indoctrinated words in now knowing them to be somewhat true...

''I have come to the conclusion that life is a delusion that conceals an illusion.''

He came to acknowledge, the more he thought about his grandmother's words, that geniuses were a rare breed, special individuals who possessed an extraordinary level of intellect and creativity from the mixing of bloodlines. It was how he saw himself.

Wayward George...

                     Though he often exhibited a rebellious spirit, his colleagues in the medical field affectionately referred to him as 'Wayward George'. This nickname reflected not only his unconventional approach to medicine but also his engaging and friendly nature .. the same internal battles that had plagued his father, but he did genuinely care about helping others. Wayward George had inherited that personality conflict from his father's  own struggles and unresolved issues that manifested in various ways for father and son. This inherited conflict not only influenced his individuality but also affected his ability to forge meaningful relationships with individuals of both genders, which was outweighed by the dread of defenselessness and rejection, which led to a  lonely bitter isolation for him, even when in company. Wayward George felt he was a humorist in the eyes of his peers, but beneath this shiny exterior, he judged himself to be like a clown on the inside, portraying a sense of absurdity and susceptibility to his own intelligence that was nothing but insulting to him.

Wayward George graduated as a general doctor with first honors in his class. A time his loving grandparents had always talked about and dreamed of witnessing in their twilight years. A time they had looked forward to with much excitement in knowing that Lizzie would be pleased with her only begotten son in doing good .. if she were alive. A time that was now tinged with great sadness for George, because the intended fate he had wished for and expected had taken a different turn. The Sexstains were no longer present in the land of the living but in the Promised Land for the righteous .. presumed. Regal Victoria lost her head to Rentap, that sleek black whippet in gnawing it off. They died in a suicide pact premundane by fate on their estate by jumping from the folly tower before they could drink in the triumph of referring to young George as Doctor George.

       From the outset of his medical career, Doctor George exhibited a distinct inclination and a fondness for 'specializing' in 'women's troubles', where there was a greater financial incentive to be earned. This choice stood in stark contrast to the life of a rural physician, where he would have to contend with the challenges of collecting fees that were often unpaid or resorting to barter, much like his father had done in the small village of Uppersin. His decision reflected a pragmatic but thwarted approach to his practice in medicine in prioritizing his financial interests first. However, it was his professional achievements that set him apart in specializing in 'women's troubles', leading to a significant demand for his expertise in resolving various issues that women encountered in being women.

The wayward Doctor George possessed a unique ability to connect with people from all spectrums of society, a characteristic inherited from his grandmother Victoria. She possessed a keen sense of perception that transcended mere observation of human nature that often extended to her feminine intuition in observations, particularly in her assessments of men in general, that would be debased in sarcasm with the magistrate keeping a tight-lip in knowing what was good for him when Victoria had something to say but was not open to discussion...

''Men were fallible by nature and weak by gender when it came to the fairer sex. And while I'm at it .. money that passes from a poor hand to a rich hand is still the same, it does not alter the essential qualities of the currency itself, but the leverage it could bring could make a flawed life easier to bear .. is it not so.''

George would soon become aware of his grandmother's words that wealth is not naturally connected to the money itself, but rather, to the circumstances and choices of those who hold it. And George wanted money .. irrelevant of how it was acquired. 

Wayward George spent the early years of his working profession in Lowerself in Sussex. He had an established practice from his small cottage for several years, but when the situation became malicious rumors based on facts, he moved to Essex, where his 'specializing' in 'women's troubles' erupted in wealth and his greater greed .. which amounted to one and the same for Doctor George. He chose to remain single throughout his life, reminding his married colleagues that his lifestyle afforded him greater freedom in allowing him the flexibility to come and go as he pleased without the limitations that often accompany family obligations and a jealous wife trying to hold onto her man when self-worth and mammeries start to sag. When Wayward George highlighted his sense of freedom and choice of women, his colleagues responded with increased envy in asserting their own circumstances in private in kicking themselves where it hurts. But wayward George knew only two in-depth marriages from personal observation of people he cared for, and both were a hit-and-miss affair at the best of times, ending in three suicidal deaths, and his frustrated father, while burying his 'wild girl' who was struck down by lightning by the very hand of God Himself. 

       His professional career came to an abrupt ending when he found himself in the wrong place with the wrong woman under the influence of the 'magic dragon' performing an operation for 'women's troubles' in Gin Lane, a seedy place where he kept a room for that very purpose and where nobody would ask any questions when money passing hands could obliterate any curiosity. The young woman, just out of her teens, was the sole daughter of a prominent member of Parliament. She died on a blood-stained wooden table that had seen better days. Her death would reverberate through the corridors of power, igniting a flurry of gossip laden with scandal and speculation that tarnished her father's hard-earned reputation. While out strolling on London Bridge with his fair lady on a temperate evening, he suddenly experienced a severe heart attack while falling down on the cobblestone roadway. His fall coincided with the rapid approach of a King's carriage, which was careening across the bridge at speed. His death was passed off as the devastating convergence of fate and misfortune.

      Wayward George's mind became a battleground, plagued by relentless thoughts of the 'what-ifs' and 'worst-case scenarios' that taunted him day and night. It was time to physically move on .. whatever about his mind.

Africa Bound...

To escape the authorities, an embarrassing trial, imprisonment, and no doubt, the grim fate of execution by hanging, wayward George boarded the two-masted sailing ship Viking, destined for the distant shores of Africa, a land that promised both adventure and anonymity, and a new start for Doctor George. The ship's captain was unaware of the turmoil that had driven George to seek passage on his ship to Africa. Normally, he did not take on passengers, but George proposed a generous offer for him to make an exception in his case, leading the captain to agree to transport George, albeit with a sense of cautious curiosity about the doctor. He sensed that the doctor was evading something, a feeling in knowing men that suggested a certain urgency in the doctor's behavior to leave quickly. Yet, this impression of the captain's also opened the door to the possibility of companionship during the evenings, a welcome diversion that could alleviate the tedium of predictable routines on a long voyage. The idea of sharing his journey to Africa with an educated man like George who could offer a lively conversation was tempting, a break from the responsibilities that often accompanied his role as captain. He had no conceivable reason to deny the doctor passage when he felt

he was paid well for turning a blind eye to asking no questions.

Every waking moment for George was spent with a sense of dread of the unknown in leaving King and Country, his mother Lizzie in Highlow Cemetery, and his deceased- by-suicide pact grandparents, the Sexstains. George felt little concern for his deceased father, a man he held partially on a good day and entirely on a bad day responsible for the difficulties he faced in life. George often said, to one or two close friends in their gin sessions, about how his father's actions and decisions had contributed to his struggles in dealing with life. The relationship between father and son was fraught with tension and conflict from a young age, a controlling dynamic that would be epitomized in George's life as an adult. His father's harsh behavior and the high expectations he had for his son created an environment where George often felt inadequate, leading him to kowtow  for  his approval, which supported the formation of his character.  

       As George matured, unresolved issues from his childhood manifested in various aspects of his adult life, affecting his relationships that needed to be kept in check with his professional ethics browbeating him, which was not always successful when money played its part for a better way of life than his father's. An acquired complex mix of emotions that outweighed any sense of grief he would have had for his father now.

Standing on the deck of the Viking, wayward George saw the future as a terrifying black void in drawing him toward the heart of Black Africa in thinking that he could no longer predict fate, aware that he might never return to the same bed he got out of that morning. The stark contrast between his current existence and the unknown Africa to him weighed heavily on his mind. He felt powerless to stop himself from being dragged into his self-imposed fears. However, he kept his suspicions to himself in being careful in what he said to the captain when they sat together with his mulatto female companion in the evenings for drinks and a dinner of salted pork. His anxiety was becoming his cruel jailer, chewing at his insides like a rat chewing through the bars of its cage. Doctor George was alone. Nobody would be able to take his anxieties away now. Even the flies had deserted him to his fate.

Nonetheless, the black rum with its smoky flavor danced with his recollections that would come alive when he was alone in remembering the dead woman he had left behind on the wooden table in Gin Lane. He was unaware of her name, just as he had been with the other women he had treated in the past. He wanted no attachment that might cause him to have any condition of guilt, but that was too late now, the deed was done, but he now recalled he was not paid for it. The black rum helped to distract him from his overwhelming fear of the future too, but it consumed him in his agitation and became the only reliable thing he could depend on to console him, as long as he had the money. However, that was the guilty-by-deed George panicking. It was either King, Country, and hanging .. or Black Africa with its tangled mess of despair, poverty, corruption, political instability, and wars, looked on by foreign governments as internal skirmishes between black savages. All of this human chaos was pointed out by the captain of the two-masted Viking in the evenings over dinner, who was no humanitarian by any means of the word or action. His involvement in operating a slave ship, a venture that he pursued alongside his activities in smuggling and whaling, casts a harsh light on his moral character, revealing a relentless pursuit of ill-gotten gains derived from the suffering of others. He was a man willing to prioritize financial gain over human life, dignity, and compassion, always driven by the relentless pursuit of profit, regardless of the ethical implications. It was what he was doing now, he boasted to George.

The voyage itself instilled in George a deep sense of suspicion. He feared he might share the same tragic fate as his mother, who had met her end in the village pond in Uppersin under the heartbreaking circumstances of a laudanum stupor. But this was no village pond. The vastness of the ocean now loomed menacingly as a possible disaster waiting for him. Each wave that crashed against the Viking was like Satan knocking at the door, each pounding wave seemed to echo his haunting fears. Wayward George had little affinity for water.

Sir George...

Nobody had ever seen the doctor board or disembark from the Viking at any time while it was anchored in the bay, but it was known he was a paid passenger on his way to Africa. But locals would swear they saw the doctor in The One-Legged Whaler bar day and night, buying black rum for whoever was in the bar at the time, and for those who were never seen in the bar at that time of day. In a small whaling village, news travels quickly by word of mouth when a wealthy English doctor offers black rum for  free. Emmet Meagher, the owner of The One-Legged Whaler bar forged a close friendship with wayward George, whom he affectionately referred to as 'Sir George.' This moniker was not merely a reflection of George's gentlemanly behavior but also a nod to his endless financial resources. With a generous spirit and a tendency for indulgence, Sir George had no qualms about spending lavishly, which endeared him to Emmet when money was scarce in the village when the majority of men were carrying i.o.u's to Emmet, however, the friendship was unpretentious between the two men. 

       One evening, Sir George received an invitation to eat with the one-legged whaler his wife Fiadh, and their two sons in the family rooms above the bar when the situation took an awkward turn when Fiadh, with her calloused hand held out was looking for payment, tarnishing the goodwill of Emmet's invitation and leaving him feeling embarrassed in apologizing to George for his wife's behavior. George, on the other hand, remained the least affected by the awkward situation. He was well aware of the fickle mind of women .. especially when it came to money. Sir George earned a reputation for his generosity and his affection for young Marcus, Emmet's eldest son who kept himself busy paging through his medical books, and George, often amusing him in talks about becoming a doctor, encouraging Marcus's interest. Sir George's warm- hearted nature was often accompanied by a proneness for his off-the-cuff storytelling, which was notably enhanced by the black rum. At one time, Emmet, drinking with Sir George when the bar was quiet in the afternoon, took another swig of his black rum and said in slightly slurred words...

''Well now, Sir George, I have been meaning to say, and don't get me wrong here, there is no offense intended on my part to you in my words, but I have noticed your hands are quite small compared to us whalers, too small to pitch a harpoon.''

Wayward George, who was used to the teasing his hands could obtain, laughed and shook his head from side to side with his now flushed face from the black rum and his keen blueish eyes like beacons in showing no offense, said...

''My dear new-found-friend Emmet, I may have small hands, but they are quick and nimble at the card table, and quick and nimble with the ladies.''

Emmet nodded, not knowing if he should laugh or if he should agree with Sir George, and so, he smiled in lifting his glass to toast Sir George's quick and nimble hands. They downed the rum only for the glasses to be refilled again. The two continued their banter until the one-legged whaler's wife Fiadh appeared from upstairs, seeing another opportunity for extra money in asking Sir George...

''You be staying for some grub, it wouldn't be a lot but a simple meal .. it's Brewis in the pot. I know you like my Brewis Pork .. so, you will be staying then George?''

The aroma of the slow-cooked pork filled the pipe-smoke air of the dimly lit bar, enticing the hunger pangs of the few whalers sitting around nursing their glasses with their mouths hanging open in anticipation of an invitation to a traditional recipe passed down through generations in the village. The reasonable wife, aware of her worth and the needs of the whalers, understood the importance of compassion in times of lack. She would prepare a pot of Brewis and distribute small bowls to those present in the bar, free of charge. Such acts of kindness in a whaling community, where resources are often limited when men could not go to sea. Gestures like this leave a lasting impression on the hearts of men who live day by day and are always remembered.

Sir George never returned to The One-Legged Whaler after five days of buying black rum for everybody and anybody who was there for the gratis rum. Some whalers returned home late at night, only to wake up late the next morning with hangovers that they thought their heads would burst. Nonetheless, instead of nursing their hangovers, which would be regarded as a rare luxury, and escaping from a nagging wife ranting on about the evils of the black rum and the late hour her husband came home at, and inquisitive youngsters wondering why their father was in bed with his boots still on will always be talked about when reminders were needed to put men in their place. With little thought, it would be decided to conquer the one pain they knew they had by returning to The One-Legged Whaler in the hope of indulging in more free rum from everybody's new friend, Sir George, as he was now called affectionately by the locals. But wayward George vanished just as mysteriously as he had appeared in the whaling village in a ghostly apparition one afternoon when a storm was petering out at sea.

Leaving behind his medical books in entrusting them to the care of Emmet for his son Marcus to peruse, but it was more like a hope to inspire a sense of curiosity and ambition in the young Marcus, and maybe a bridge to a future where Marcus could forge his own path in the world of medicine. Marcus would later reflect on Sir George's words during their discussions about doctoring...

 '' The line between heroism and folly can be remarkably thin my dear boy .. try to remember that when going through life.''

 

Lizzie's Ghost...

Doctor George's fate unfolded late afternoon in the captain's cabin aboard the Viking anchored in the bay when his brain was numbed by the effects of the sweet black rum. The cabin's atmosphere reeked of mustiness. The distinct  scent of body sweat, which can either attract or repel, mingles with the deep fragrance of aged teak and the fragrance of black rum, which would normally create an environment that men like the captain would be accustomed to, allowing the pressures of the outside world to disperse effortlessly .. but this was not that time. The cabin, illuminated by the soft flickering glow of an oil lantern that swayed gently back and forth like a pendulum. The yellow flame within the burnished glass unit danced gracefully in harmony with the gentle lapping of the seawater outside, but the scent of the cheap whale oil burning was suffocating any goodness out of the air. Shadows played across the paneled teak walls of the cabin. Elongated shapes, like dancing puppets of men that seemed to shift and sway menacingly in time with the rhythm of the swaying oil lantern, created an illusion of a larger gathering of lost souls than what was actually present in the captain's cabin. The whole macabre scene appeared to close in around George, intensifying the disorientation that accompanied his intoxication with the black rum in clouding his judgment of what was going on around him. 

       In that moment, his so-called loyalties as a doctor faded from his mind, replaced by a disconcerting sense of susceptibility giving way to an unsettling feeling of exposure that left him feeling as timid as a frightened stray mongrel that drifted into the wrong place. The captain towered over the seated George. His tall broad-shouldered frame cast a long shadow above George who slumped into his chair, creating an atmosphere thick with intimidation that was impossible to ignore. The captain's stern expression, etched across his face, added to the gravity of the moment. George, feeling the pressure of the captain's gaze burning into him, shifted uncomfortably in his chair and felt a surge of fear pass over him. His mind raced as he struggled to formulate even a single coherent response that could prove his innocence when the captain fired off a string of probing questions about the mulatto woman, each question more demanding than the last in wanting an answer. 

       The transformation in George's perception of what was happening was primal and evoked memories of his father and his demanding expectations of what he expected from the young George, which shaped his self-perception while simultaneously yearning for acceptance and understanding, long after his father's voice had faded from his life. Motivated by a deep-seated need to protect himself from what he perceives as unlawful threats from the captain. He became increasingly cautious in his actions causing him to heed his surroundings and the intentions of those men involved in defending the captain. George could see the mulatto woman lying in the captain's bed, wondering how she could sleep through the chaos surrounding her. He considered the nature of her dreams, if she had any, as she appeared completely unaware of the events unfolding just a few feet away from the bed. The contrast between her calm presence against the surrounding turmoil in the cabin intrigued him. He made a mental note to reflect more profoundly on the nature of stress and the various ways people manage it at a more fortunate time. His doctor's intentions and interest were connected despite his ongoing dilemma in the cabin.

       The raw emotions that surged within him as the brazen captain, jabbing his finger into George's chest in accusing him of the heinous act of raping the mulatto woman which had left her battered and bleeding, and subsequently strangling her to hide the brutality of his crime. As George sat there slumped over, he felt the inescapable pull of repressed memories flooding in. He was consumed by the same sense of worthlessness he faced with his father in now facing the same degradation of abuse with the captain's enraged interrogation beneath the flickering yellow glow of the oil lantern that seemed to be waning like himself. When he tried to respond to the captain, George's gaze was drawn to a shimmering figure in the far corner of the cabin. He thought it resembled his mother Lizzie, prompting a deep sense of unease within George in amplifying his feelings of defenselessness that left him fumbling in search of words to the captain's accusations. George came to the realization that he was teetering on the edge of his past .. which had finally caught up with him. There was no way to escape or hide from his own identity now, yet he felt that God Himself was too slow in steering him toward a path of better conduct in accepting his fate in the captain's cabin with the mulatto woman.  

       As the ghostly figure stood peacefully in the corner beckoning to George, the familiarity of her features, from the gentle angle of her face to the way her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief .. reassured him it was his mother. The sight of his mother's ghost shimmering before him evoked a complex blend of solace and dread within George, stirring a cascade of hurt related to his mother's drowning in the village pond in Uppersin. Feelings he had meticulously buried in the recesses of his mind to deal with the future in order to live in the present. George realized now that the past is not easily left behind, waiting for the right moment to resurface and reconcile the emotions he had thought he had safely tucked away in the back of his mind. As he gazed at the shimmering appearance of a ghost, a chaotic blend of longing, joy, and anticipation swept through his heart like a cold wind blowing from the Arctic threatening to encase him in a tomb of ice. He could faintly hear the captain's insinuating words echoing around him. Words that were tinged with a blend of anger and urgency. Words that were gradually fading as they retreated to the far corner of the room. Words consumed by the ghostly presence of his mother's once earthly form. Words whose intensity weakens with each passing breath. She gestured for George to come to her. 

       George found himself surrounded in a cocoon that monopolized the Vikings cabin, creating a stark contrast to the captain's frantic shouts that repeated words of "murder," "mulatto," and "hanging". The intensity of the accusations reverberated in his mind, yet George felt strangely detached, creating surreal conditions for him to feel relaxed as he gazed at the shimmering figure in the corner. His bodily presence  faded into a monochrome of stillness, and then .. he sensed nothing anymore. The burdens of his identity and self-awareness in being human seemed to evaporate, leaving behind a profound sense of stillness in its wake. He had been granted access to a sanctuary for his soul. Here, the chaos in the cabin and the captain's angry insinuating words faded into oblivion. Here, he saw the human image of what was once doctor wayward George leaving its chair, appearing to glide effortlessly across the room of its own accord towards the ghostly figure of his mother that seemed to shimmer and waver  brighter in the dim light of the cabin. It now seemed that time itself had paused to witness this haunting reunion of a mother and son in creating a celestial distinction to the burdens of human existence that is bound up in fate.

    

The Mulatto...

The events leading up to George's death that afternoon were marked by rising tensions within the cabin, where hostility permeated the air, exacerbated by the captain's excessive drinking and his unrelenting barrage of accusations to rant that were directed at George for killing the mulatto woman. This volatile environment was further intensified by George's own consumption of the black rum mixed with low-grade gin, which also impaired his own judgment. As the captain's insinuating remarks echoed throughout the cramped space, the cabin transformed into a veritable battleground, where words became weapons and the air thickened with animosity, setting the stage for the tragic events that would ultimately unfold later in the afternoon. His erratic behavior and unfounded claims created conditions fraught with aggravating menace and a danger to all on board the Viking that were on the brink of boiling over. 

       A combination of inflated back-up stories and falsehoods surrounding the vicious rape and murder of the mulatto woman were provided by the four Chinese men as ordered by the captain to confuse George in believing he killed the mulatto. Despite his innocence and being wrongfully implicated in the heinous act, George could not defend himself against the unfounded claims when he was abiding to his fate in the uncertainty that was surrounding him and intensified by the second .. and all because God Himself was too slow in moving the captain towards a more acceptable behavior. This only deepened the chaos in the cabin. The act of murder seemed to be stalking George.

       The mulatto had been trying to establish her position with the captain that fatal morning in a brazen effort, knowing that she was the sole woman on board the Viking, which she assumed would work towards her advantage in retaining more respect from the captain. Her efforts were a blend of bold courage and a strategic approach in in trying to gain some kind of respect since leaving King and Country in setting sail for Africa. She was born to parents in a common-law relationship, a father serving as an English soldier stationed in South Africa, and her mother, a native of the country born into poverty. She lived in a British army barracks influenced by both military traditions and a South African heritage at odds with each other, which reflected the colonial politics of the time. It was the duality of her individuality that became a significant aspect of her life in giving her the reason to fight for her place within humanity. Her mother was to encourage this in a manner that was discreet and away from the ears of outsiders. But her attempts were always marked by the complexities of her mixed-blood, which placed her at the crossroads of two distinctive cultures that had a love-hate relationship throughout history. Her mother tried to shield her daughter from the challenges posed by her racial identity in a predominantly white society that imposed its own standards on her race, while also contending with a 'husband' whose oppressive views on race reflected his own struggles with ethnicity. The mulatto was acutely aware of her existence in a harsh environment that often rendered her invisible in a white society, pushing her to the fringes due to her light brown skin. She realized that upon her return to Africa, her racial identity and mixed heritage would not only be seen as non-black but would also lead to her being further marginalized in being regarded as colonial blood.   

         The captain stood resolute that morning. He dismissed her without any further regard for a boundary he was unwilling to cross, regardless of the circumstances of an intimacy of a sexual nature between two somewhat consenting adults in using each other for their own needful means. His stance was not merely a reflection of a personal conviction but a clear assertion of his commitment to the societal norms that dictated the boundaries of acceptable interactions between races. It was what made him a slaver without a guilt complex, without any burden of remorse, where the suffering of others was overshadowed by his own ambitions that were steeped in moral ambiguity. Negros were mere commodities to be exploited for profit. However, he accepted the concept that engaging in intimate relationships with people of mixed race was acceptable, but he categorically dismissed the idea of granting them societal equality or recognizing them as equals in his intimate interactions. Equality was not going to be entertained. 

        The atmosphere in the cabin grew increasingly charged that morning as the mulatto woman with her sharp tongue and defiant demeanor pushed the captain to his already fraying limits. Each jab for her terms seemed to peel away layers of the captain's restraint in revealing his now simmering anger that threatened to boil over if she kept pressing him to accept her as his equal. The delicate balance of self-power was shifting dangerously in that confined space of the cabin. The brainwashed mind of a racist captain who could kill would kill .. just to shut her up. At that moment, when the situation made the decision, her taunts and defiance pushed the captain to that breaking point of no return, leading him to a violent response that would change everything for everybody on the Viking. 

       He struck her with his considerable strength with one hand, causing her to lose her balance. She arched back. Her body twisted awkwardly. She collapsed. Her neck made contact with the edge of the cast iron bedhead. The impact was devastating,​leading to her tragic and immediate death. The captain, feeling vindicated in his action went up on deck as if the accident had never occurred. The atmosphere on board with the crew was full of childish excitement with the thought of sailing on high tide in the morning for the coast of Africa. Yet, the captain moved about on deck with an air of indifference.    

       When George returned to the Viking slaver in the early afternoon, that was making ready for her voyage to Africa to fill her holds with black flesh, the captain made a suggestive remark to George that took him by surprise when they were drinking the black rum adulterated with cheap gin in his cabin. He suggested that the good doctor could invite the mulatto to his lonely bed for a more intimate encounter, that is, should he desire such an encounter because he noticed at times the way that the good doctor would give a long lustful look at the mulatto. However, it was evident to George, despite his intoxication, that the suggestion was laced with a certain degree of malice when the captain's tone and body language indicated ulterior motives. As George contemplated the implications of the captain's words in recognizing the complexities of the situation he might be getting himself into and the potential outcome of acting on such an invitation if the captain was to change his mind at any time, which he was likely to do in leaving George to navigate the murky waters of desire when constraints between the two men were already confusing. The implications of his suggestion revealed much about the captain's character. But George was too far gone in his stupor to truly absorb the captain's offer about the advantages of enjoying the warm company of the mulatto woman in his bed. George expressed this sentiment candidly to the captain when he appeared to be dozing off, that he was not in any state at the moment to appreciate the sincerity of the captain's generous offer. George had no lustful desire to invite the mulatto into his bed. He gave the captain the impression that he would consider the proposal once he was in a more sober state of mind. George's primary concern was to reach Africa without any complications arising with the captain.

        The mulatto woman lay motionless on the captain's bed, embodying the intricate realities of her identity as a woman of mixed heritage fighting for her place in a cruel world. Whether death was perceived as a state of dreamless sleep to the mulatto when she was alive or a spiritual relocation to someplace better .. or perhaps a chance for a reincarnation in a more acceptable color of skin tone where she could walk hand-in-hand with her dignity held high. She will only know in death the answers to her fate as to why she suffered. But to walk safely through the maze of human life, one must recognize that it is fate that guides our way.

A Gang Of Four...

                    The tragic death of George, who was brutally killed in a premeditated attack involving multiple lethal strikes to his head with a tonfa, was carried out by a gang of four Chinese seamen. The captain authorized this assault. The repeated blows delivered by the seamen resulted in severe trauma and pronounced swelling in George's skull, leading to critical impairment of essential brain functions. The severity of the blows to George's head ultimately led to his death within minutes. The injury rendered any chance of George's recovery virtually impossible. Doctor George died where he was sitting in the captain's cabin, on board the Viking slaver, late that afternoon. Along with the deceased mulatto woman, George vanished from the Viking 

under darkness in circumstances that were shrouded in pure evil in leaving no evidence of their presence of ever being on board the Viking at any time. The mulatto was the transient stand-in wife of the captain in lieu-of-cash. Earning her a free passage to Africa by occupying the captain's bed in keeping it and keeping him warm at night.

       After spending most of the morning at The One-Legged Whaler with Emmet Meagher, George returned to the Viking early afternoon, only to realize he had forgotten to retrieve his medical books. However, he felt assured that they were in good hands with Emmet and his son, Marcus. George was completely unaware of the events that had transpired that morning involving the mulatto woman and the captain, incidents that had significantly contributed to the noticeable tension on board the Viking when he returned. As the atmosphere grew increasingly charged, George could see that the four Chinese seamen were agitated, talking in hushed tones amongst themselves. Their shifty glances and hushed voices suggested a growing unease that was hard to ignore. The captain, exhibiting signs of agitation himself, was pacing back and forth on the deck, his brow furrowed in concentration. With a wave of his hand, he signaled for George to join him in his cabin.

       As the afternoon wore on the complexities of the morning situation were further exacerbated when George, half dozing, was hearing the captain's insinuating accusations that it was he who strangled and raped the mulatto woman in the captain's cabin when he was up on deck dealing with a crisis that was unfolding involving the first mate, who was known for his strict adherence to protocol, in confronting a Chinese crew member who had been openly defying his orders to get himself to the captain's cabin. The Chinese stood legs apart, unyielding to the first mate, crossed his arms defiantly, and  smirked, casting glances at his fellow shipmates, who watched the exchange between the two with interest. The Chinese's behavior indicated a hard-and-fast foolishness in standing his ground in front of his fellow slavers, even when he saw the captain fast approaching him, wielding his tonfa in the air and threatening the Chinese in Mandarin with throwing him overboard if he disobeyed orders. The captain's grip on the tonfa showed determination to use it and a very clear indication of his intention to dominate the situation before it got any further out of hand. 

       The captain's decision to forgo questioning his first mate correlated with the sudden, abrupt, and forceful strike given to the defiant Chinese head, which caused him to collapse onto the deck, causing him immediate disorientation and rendering him unconscious with blood streaming from the open wound. This decisive action underscored the captain's authority to the rest of the crew in demonstrating why he was the captain. The remaining crew members exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and unease as they processed the unexpected turn of events that had just unfolded before them. They stood on deck in not knowing what to do, their eyes fixed on the captain and the first mate as the three Chinese men carried their fellow seamen to the captain's cabin. The crew remained silent, bound by an unspoken understanding to observe rather than intervene if they wanted to keep their lucrative positions on the Viking slaver.

        The absence of credible evidence or a reliable witness to support George's claims about his whereabouts during the mulatto's brutal murder, not only weakened his account of where he was that morning but also worsened the already tense situation among the four members of the Chinese gang that were now standing around him. The chaotic situation in the cabin made George susceptible to the captain's scrutiny and damming accusations. In recognizing that the captain held crucial details about the fate of the mulatto woman, those in the cabin displayed a blend of arrogance and cunning, aiming to orchestrate a dramatic conspiracy in using George as the scape-goat. Their objective was to disorient the intoxicated George, like a cat toying with its prey, before killing him.

       The rest of the crew aboard the Viking slaver, while feigning indifference regarding the abrupt absence of the doctor and the mulatto woman when the captain inquired the following day about their whereabouts as a means of testing their loyalty. The situation revealed a profound tension between the captain and his crew, highlighting their hesitance to address the implications of the missing doctor and the mulatto, particularly if they valued their own safety and positions as crew members of the Viking. The relations between the crew and their captain, along with the first mate, reflected a discernible sense of indifference after the two murders committed by the captain, especially when the captain inquired about the absence of the doctor and the mulatto. 

 ''An individual's character is often best assessed by the company they choose to keep.''

It was what the captain said to the gang of four when they were tossing the bodies of the wayward doctor and the stigmatized-by-birth mulatto into the sea.

In The Shadow Of Death...

                               The harsh realities of the crew's hazardous lives on the Viking slaver had fostered a survival instinct that overshadowed any wish among the crew to search for the missing pair when it became known. Both the captain and the first mate displayed a notable reluctance to the crew to investigate the disappearance of the doctor and the mulatto and seemed content to overlook the matter. The very thought of risking their own lives in asking questions was unthinkable to any crew member when each day was a struggle against the dangers that lurked in every corner of their confined world on board the Viking slaver. Every day was a battle against the oppressive forces that aimed to strip away their dignity and humanity. The pervasive threat of violence and the constant shadow of despair weighed heavily on men who were shackled by the chains of servitude. Trapped in a relentless struggle for survival that  resorted to any means required to secure their livelihood and sometimes forcing them to confront their own internal conflict and the ethical implications challenging their very sense of self, and in the next breath, consoling themselves in declaring... 

 '' It is employment .. tell that to a hungry stomach.''

However, rumors circulated out of range of the captain and first mate in hushed tones. Rumors spoken in foreign voices, barely rising above a whisper that were fueled by a longing for gossip in the contest to see who had the most details about the incident. 

        Men who sought to outmaneuver their fellow men were ensnared in a web of bravado in a confined space on a slaver plying the slave route, where the fear of being perceived as weak or vulnerable caused them to prioritize their public image above all else in disregarding the moral implications of their actions. It was a dangerous competitive necessity among hardened men to gain some respect on a slaver when each man was driven by an insatiable need to uphold his reputation, regardless, and often at the expense of the objective truth. The determined pursuit of social standing among themselves was necessary, where the perception of strength and dominance overshadowed the importance of honesty and integrity. However, the precise account of the killing of the doctor and the mulatto will forever remain elusive to the crew of the Viking slaver .. except for the gang of four Chinese men and a white slaver of black flesh who buried the evidence of the two bodies deep in the depths of the bay of a whaling village in the darkness of the night and the stillness of the witching hour, where a blanket of clouds obscures the moon's silvery glow from evil deeds and actions take on an eerie tranquility. Men were allowing thoughts to wander freely, shutting away the remnants of their evil activities in a place where no light could penetrate, and where the saga of wayward doctor George and the sweet singing voice of a mulatto woman would  forever be silenced in a veil of mystery.

The doctor was an Englishman of some note on board the Viking, a paying passenger fleeing his own evil deed of a politician's daughter's tragic death due to a botched abortion. In a dimly lit room in Gin Lane, he engaged in the technique for cash that was fraught with his ethical thinking as a doctor. Attempting to deaden the weight of his conscience with sips of laudanum in numbing his mind to the gravity of his actions, which on the other hand, he rationalized as a necessary service to women seeking to rectify an unplanned mouth to feed in leaving them with limited options, particularly in situations where they were unmarried or their husbands were away at sea for long periods. 

       The young mulatto woman who was often heard singing songs that hinted at her South African roots, but nobody on the Viking knew for sure, leaving an air of mystery surrounding her heritage and her relationship with the captain of the slaver and the doctor with the cash. The haunting compositions of lyrics steeped in a history that painted vivid images of hardship and hope that spoke of the trials and triumphs faced by her forebears seemed to transcend time itself. Her voice filled the Viking slaver with a melodic sweetness in the evenings as she sang the hymns of enslavement for a captain who conducted his business in black flesh. It was her legacy, passed down to her by her South African mother, that was kept hidden from her English father, a staunch man of rigid adherence to duty as a military man and an unwavering pride in his inherent loyalty to King and Country.

       After the dumping of the two weighed-down bodies in the bay, the Chinese gang of four were consumed by guilt about their part in the violent killing of the doctor. The mulatto was killed by the captain early in the evening in a fit of jealousy. This guilt with the gang of four stemmed from the realization that their actions, however heinous, were executed under the direct orders of a captain consumed by power and jealousy. The captain's ideology was profoundly shaped by a belief system that had been ingrained in him from a young age when he went to sea at the age of fourteen, on the run from a vicious and abusive father. The Captain was deeply entangled with the prejudices of racism and his English identity while growing up in a maritime environment of merchant ships and slavers, where such views were part of his daily life. His ideology, rooted also in a historical context that often glorified notions of superiority based on race, influenced his perceptions and actions throughout his life, and what brought him to the time of killing wayward George and the mulatto. 

       He bullied and intimidated the gang of four Chinese into acts that would leave them with lasting shame while showing little regard for the repercussions of his own conduct. He functioned under the false belief that he could evade the scrutiny and judgment of his contemporaries back in the land of King and Country, convinced that his actions would remain unchallenged and that the moral implications of his leadership would be overlooked during his captaincy in acting as a self-imposed king of the Viking slaver. As he reveled in the authority of his position with his head filled with the black rum, he failed to recognize the inevitable consequences of his actions .. but his karma will eventually reveal itself in due course.

Any Price Will Be Paid...

                            The gang of four contemplated the seriousness of the crime they had committed on the given order by the captain. Perpetrated by a misguided understanding of loyalty to their captain that now loomed over them like the dark shadow of Death. Compelling them to confront the ethical ramifications of their collaboration in a society that fostered hatred and racism, which was also provoked by the captain on a daily basis. Each member of the gang of four confronted the unsettling truth that their staunch loyalty to the captain had not only undermined any semblance of integrity they might have had in a society that viewed their race as subordinate, but also compelled them to confront the consequences of their actions, which in turn, required them to acknowledge accountability of their beliefs in karma .. a concept that was deeply rooted in their cultural understanding of justice and moral responsibility. Their unwavering loyalty to the captain had come at a significant cost to them. Whereas for the rest of the crew, the allure of tainted money outweighed any  lingering doubts they might have had about the slayings of the missing doctor and the mulatto, that is, if they wanted to keep their hammocks on board the Viking slaver.  

            For some crew members, the mulatto's voice resonated deep within the depths of a lonely heart, one that had yet to encounter the transformative influence of genuine love from a woman. The most hardened of men can find themselves touched by the comforting embrace of affection, no matter how tough one's demeanor may appear. The inherent human desire for connection and warmth remains omnipresent, even on board the Viking slaver. The crew of the Viking is haunted by the bittersweet memories of the mulatto's captivating melodies, which serve as a reminder of the joy she once brought to their harsh lives. Her melodies briefly softened the brutal realities of their existence at sea, where they earned their tainted livelihood. Each note of her now-silenced voice evokes a sense of loss, stirring emotions that may have remained dormant throughout their lives. Although they may not fully grasp this susceptibility in the present, the weight of that realization will gradually settle upon them, bringing profound sorrow to each member of the crew when Death is nearby. 

        The crew's silent yearning to once again hear her voice has altered into a profound desire for a bond characterized by female intimacy, a link that remains elusive aboard the Viking slaver. The stark reality of their situation amplifies their feelings. Each day that passes deepens their sense of isolation, highlighting the emotional toll of their circumstances and the innate human need for intimacy and connection. This unquenched affection will ultimately find expression in acts of vengeance on black flesh when the ship's cargo hold is filled to the point of suffocation, driving some tormented souls forcibly removed from their homeland and families to take their own lives. It may also force mothers to commit the unthinkable act of killing their innocent infants, simply for the offense of being born Black, and before they reach a slave auction block. The mulatto's presence on board the Viking .. though she was never allowed up on deck on her own, and if she was, she was always accompanied by the captain or his first mate had brought on board a hint of an illusion of what an attachment means to a lonely seaman.

         The Viking slaver became the floating asylum of the captain's moral depravity. Spending days in his cabin ranting and raving after he killed the mulatto, with the first mate acting as a stand-in for the captain when she set sail for Black Africa the next morning to pick up its consignment of slaves after dumping the bodies of the doctor and the mulatto into the bay the previous night, leaving behind questions with no answers in a small whaling village. The crew and the deluded green hands engaged in the pitiless pursuit of promised profit by the captain to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the anguish and despair that will drift up in human moans and screams when the Viking's hold is full of the black flesh on their return voyage. But fate and karma had caught up with the fleeing slaver when she was engulfed by relentless waves, only to be sunk in a typhoon raging off the coast of South Africa one week later, with all hands on board lost.

The captain died a brutal death, some would say a well-earned death that was too good even for him. Died by having his throat shredded when he stumbled intoxicated with the black rum against the bed that he once shared with the mulatto, causing the teeth of a whalebone comb she owned to pierce his windpipe and bleed to death in sealing his fate. The once arrogant and racist captain was now nothing more than a victim of his own insatiable greed, unbridled lust, and unrelenting cruelty .. and if the gang of four were alive to convey .. Karma. The captain sank slowly, very slowly, into the dark red pool of his own blood, a stark reminder of the brutalities he had inflicted upon others throughout his life. Hands, pulling him deeper into their cold unforgiving grasp, pulling him into the abyss of persecuted souls, leaving the remnants of his crimes to linger behind in the memories of the living who knew him for who he was. In this tempestuous, unforgiving sea, he found himself stripped of his brutal power by the ghosts of seamen past. Manifestations of his past transgressions loomed large in front of him, acting as a haunting reminder of the lives he had irrevocably changed in confronting the unyielding wave of vengeance that had finally caught up with him in the Indian Ocean. As the tempestuous sea closed over him in erasing his presence from the world above where he would face an eternal cycle of everlasting drowning, observed by the tormented souls he was connected to by fate. The sweet voice of a mulatto that could calm evil men at one time to live peacefully in the time she sang her lamenting melodies had exacted her revenge from the depths of the sea off the coast of her ancestors.

The whalers of the village realized that the Viking had departed when the flow of free black rum ceased. However, no locals look for trouble with foreigners who came and went, regardless of how genuine they were or how far their money went with free black rum to poor whalers waiting for the next hunt out and the next coin in their hand. The story of free rum and Sir George remained a lively topic among the whalers at The One-Legged Whaler. Many of the whaler's wives expressed relief at Sir George's departure in appreciating the absence of his lavish spending and the free alcohol that had flowed to poor seamen who lived each day on the brink of mortality, forever aware that the embrace of the ocean could just as easily lead to salvation as it could to doom with Death serving as their Ferryman. The one-legged whaler Emmet missed Sir George more for his companionship than for his money, while his wife lamented the loss of the money and for the time he devoted to their son Marcus, scouring over medical books. Despite their differing motivations, both Emmet and his wife felt George's absence keenly, albeit for different reasons, and were drawn into the ongoing discussions in the bar about Sir George's generosity and the mystery surrounding his absence, which 

would be the topic of speculation for weeks to come. Unknown to Emmet and the villagers, George and the mulatto rested not far from The One-Legged Whaler, lying in eternal sleep beneath the waters of their bay.

And the wayward doctor Sir George's medical books .. well, they will play their part in the fate of the one-legged whaler's son Marcus, where every sacrifice will be made to ensure that fate is played out.

 

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