Episode #311

Part Six of Six

Epilogue

Marta entered Tessa's bedroom and picked up the blouse, skirt and faja (sash) lying in a pile and shook her head. "I wonder who will pick up after her when she is married?" she asked aloud as she looked at the angelic, peaceful face of her charge. She gently shook Tessa's foot.

"Tessa, Tessa wake up."

"Marta, what is it? Is it noon yet?" asked a sleepy Tessa.

"Jorge came by a little while ago. An English merchant ship is in the harbor."

"An English merchant ship here? Why?" asked Tessa.

"Apparently they took shelter during the storm last night." replied Marta. "Now, get dressed. We have to get there before all of the goods are picked over."

Reluctantly, Tessa got out of bed and got dressed.

As they got into the wagon, Tessa turned to Marta. "Marta, I had the strangest dream last night. I would swear it was real."

"What was it Tessa?"

Tessa finished her story as she and Marta arrived at the beach. As they got down, Tessa noticed a longboat leaving the ship.

Marta delved into the bazaar-like atmosphere and started gathering items. Spying a young boy wandering around, Marta commandeered him to act as a gopher and soon the boy was carrying bolts of cloth and various items to the wagon.

Tessa strolled through the aisles of crates that had been set up and examined the cloth and silver hair brushes. As her hand reached for a finely crafted sword that lay open, another hand reached the sword at the same time.

Tessa looked up to see the eyes of a woman looking back at her.

"Perdona me, Seņorita," said the woman.

"Tessa, mi llama es Tessa. Seņorita, you look familiar. Como se llama?" asked Tessa.

"My name is Maril," said the lovely dark haired woman in Spanish and pointed to a woman nearby. "My friend is Margie."

Tessa gasped and then saw three young women approach.

"Jo, Angelica, Raquel, come here and meet a new friend," said Maril. "This is Tessa. Tessa, these are my cousins Josephine and Angelica and their friend Raquel."

Marta came over and joined the group.

"Marta, these ladies are from the ship. They look amazingly like the women in my dream, "said Tessa.

"You dreamed about us?" asked Maril.

Tessa laughed. "I dreamed about a ship full of women pirates. They did look like you five."

"Have no fear, Seņorita; we are just five women traveling to Monterey and then Fort Ross before we go home. My husband is the Captain."

Maril indicated a man in a uniform who was motioning to them.

"Seņorita, I would love to discuss your dream, but I am afraid that my husband is calling us to return to the ship. We will be leaving shortly."

"Fair winds, Seņora. Have a safe trip," replied Tessa as she shook hands with the women.

Tessa watched the women leave and turned to Marta.

"There is more to those ladies than meets the eye," said Tessa.

"You mean because they each carried a long dagger under their shawls?" asked Marta.

Tessa looked suddenly at Marta.

"Marta, I did not see any weapons," replied Tessa.

Marta chuckled and turned towards the wagon.

"Marta, are you serious or are you joking?"

"Quien sabe?" asked Marta with a grin as she climbed onto the boot.

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?" asked Tessa.

Marta snapped the traces and put the horses in motion. "No," she laughed.

Note: While Anne Bonny and Mary Read were two of the few famous female pirates, there was never a known all-female pirate crew, nor were there any female pirates in the Pacific off the coast of Alta California.

Watch for the next exciting adventure, La Boda (The Wedding)- Episode #312, starting on February 9, 2003.