One week later, I continued my sailing classes with dad. Although he taught me interesting things, Govert Van Acker was far from being the best father. In fact, dad was ridiculous. His brilliant solution to mother's violence against me was drinking rum... what a genius! I know people say alcohol helps to heal wounds; however, that doesn't work well if you drink everything! Damn it... Anyway, going to my father's lessons at the man-of-war was the only thing that made me truly happy. He offered to teach me how to fight and I had always wanted to know a couple of blows, so I couldn't say no. Besides, following dad was the best way I found to stay far from my mother and avoid more scars on my back. It would've been great if I could've taken Laurens with me... he was my best friend and almost-husband after all! I asked dad for permission, but he said slaves shouldn't learn new skills.

It was an early afternoon. I'd just had lunch. Luckily mom didn't flog me when my father said he would sail with me. What a stupid decision! He didn't need to tell her that... Well, at least she didn't stop me from going with dad. However, she had one condition: Johannes would have to go with us. Every time I tried to have some fun... guess what? My little brother was there to ruin it! Johannes was the reason why mom hated me, and I wanted to figure out why. Maybe I should've found a way to make him less adorable... reducing the size of his cheeks, perhaps? I had no idea. Anyway, I got distracted again. I was in my bedroom thinking of where to put the necklace I stole for my mom and... well, took it back since she wasn't worthy of it.

"Eva! Johannes! It's time to go!" my father shouted, apparently excited to teach us.

My eyes widened after hearing dad. I was distracted and he had startled me. After hiding the jewelry in a drawer, I ran downstairs and left home with my father and Johannes. I wore an outfit like the one I did nine days before, except that it was light green. That dress' petticoat was torn until half of my calves as well. I liked tearing petticoats because it gave me greater freedom to walk. Also, it delighted me since I enjoyed breaking the rules.

We soon arrived at the port. Dad looked from side to side, appearing to be making sure no one would notice our presence.

"Is this legal?" Johannes bit his lower lip. "I don't want to be arrested. I'm scared..."

I rolled my eyes and wanted to throw my brother in the ocean for a moment.

Why is Johannes such a bore? If he's this unpleasant as a child, I can't even imagine what he'll be like as an adult...

I frowned and laughed, "Who cares? Quit being such a chicken! Let's have some fun!"

Johannes was so by the book that sometimes I wanted to punch him. Aren't children supposed to be fun? If yes, then Johannes was an exception. Maybe his boringness was why mom preferred him.

Dad smiled, "Let's get into this boat, sailors!"

I grinned widely, "Aye, Captain Van Acker!"

The three of us boarded. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. We walked towards the main deck, located between the forecastle and the aftercastle. The forecastle was the forward part of the ship and the aftercastle its rear. I couldn't stop looking around. The beautiful wooden decks, the Dutch flag near the fore-topsail, the three glorious masts with two white sails each... everything was amazing! I won't lie, I believe that Dutch man-of-war was my first crush. I would have definitely stolen that man-of-war if I could.

Dad grabbed his sword, "Pay attention, children! Now I'll teach you cutlass fighting. I'm going to show how to use the sword, then you'll try to imitate my moves with it."

The cutlass was a unique kind of sword. Its hilt had a solid cupped shaped guard and the blade was curved and sharpened on the cutting edge. RNN officers and men from other navies used that weapon often.

My father continued, "Johannes will do it first and then it'll be your turn, Eva."

Of course, Johannes will go first! Why would it be any different? He's the favorite child, after all.

My eyes bulged and I pursed my lips, "Why can't I go first? I love fighting and sailing much more than my brother! This is not fair!"

Dad sighed, getting closer to me as if he was going to deal with an unsubordinated sailor. I breathed fast. There was no way I would be okay with that injustice.

"I want to join the RNN, so I'm learning this for a reason. You're just here to mess around!" Johannes narrowed his eyes at me. "Besides, you're a girl!"

I shot my brother an icy glare. Although I wanted to punch him at that moment, I decided to follow my own advice: some people don't deserve attention. Guess what my father did after hearing what my brother told me? Absolutely nothing! If he had a rum bottle nearby, he would've definitely drunk from it.

Dad got closer and raised his brows, "Your brother should've been more polite, but I agree with him. He's a boy. Therefore, his need to learn the skills I'll teach is greater than yours."

I took a deep breath, trying to stop myself from screaming and smashing everything around me. All I wanted was to climb the mast, stay as away from dad and Johannes as I could, and cry while sitting on the crow's nest... but I had to be strong. I needed to prove I was better than my brother and that wouldn't be possible if I sobbed.

I shot a defiant gaze at my father, "Where did you take this idea from? You never bothered to understand what my needs are."

Dad scowled. He always said I would have serious problems someday due to my rebelliousness, but I disagreed. I believed that made me a survivor. Besides, being a troublemaker made me feel alive. Breaking the rules was one of the few things that gave me joy.

As if trying to scare me, dad kept looking at me without even blinking. He shook his head in denial and sighed. I kept staring at him.

My father took a step forward, "I'll start the lesson now. Both of you need to pay attention to what I say."

Johannes glanced at the forecastle deck while knitting his brows. I got closer to him, frowning. He chewed on his lip. My brother appeared to be incapable of relaxing... He seemed to always find a way to get nervous.

What's the matter with this boy?

"What's in your mind?" I raised a brow. "Do you want to talk?"

I huffed, angry with myself for being concerned with that brat's wellbeing. Regardless of the fact that Johannes was a pain in the neck, he was still family. I didn't like to see him upset.

"I'm afraid, Eva. Dad's doing something completely illegal," my brother gulped while looking from side to side. "The RNN or other legal authorities could bust us at any second!"

I rolled my eyes, sick of my brother's lack of boldness. At that same instant, I had an idea. My father wouldn't like it if he found out, but I couldn't care less. Approaching my brother, I grinned mischievously.

"You know what? I think you're right!" I ground my teeth, pretending to be worried. "Actually, I believe I saw two officers nearby and they're carrying fire torches. They will burn this ship down and kill us if we don't leave..."

My brother got pale at that moment and I held myself not to burst into laughter. He appeared to have seen a ghost. Johannes feared not following the rules so much that he sometimes asked dad what the laws were in Curaçao so that he could memorize them... Crazy, right? An old man stuck in a child's body, that was my young brother.

Johannes put both hands on his head, "That's terrible! We must run!"

"The fire is just the beginning! Did you know that the RNN guys also love to scare criminal children at night for hours?" I widened my eyes while decreasing my tone of voice. "We must be careful, brother."

Johannes screamed hysterically. He seemed to no longer be listening to our dad. Baring his teeth, my father walked towards Johannes. I covered my mouth to hide my smile.

"Enough, Johannes! Stop this nonsense and pay attention!" dad glared at Johannes. "If you want to be a man, you have to start acting like one!"

The boy downturned his head, biting his lower lip. I felt terrible for having done that... or not... who am I kidding? The desperate look on Johannes' face when I mentioned the torches and officers scaring "criminal children" was priceless! I couldn't stop laughing. What kind of big sister I would've been if I didn't mess with my brother sometimes?

Johannes sighed, "I'm sorry, dad."

"I forgive you, but you must focus on the lesson from now on," my father raised his brows. "Can you do that?"

My brother nodded and dad resumed our class. While I listened to my father's instructions, Johannes wouldn't stop glaring at me. He probably realized I had tricked him. I smirked, enjoying the fighting class and happy with my prank's success.

Johannes approached me, "I like you, Eva, but you're worse than poison."

I shrugged. That was flattering compared to the things my mother called me. She never told me she liked me, so what Johannes had told me was basically a compliment.

"You're a true gentleman," I smiled sarcastically. "By the way, I had no idea you knew what poison tasted like."

He chuckled. My eyes widened in surprise since I'd expected my brother to be furious. We quickly came back to paying attention to the lesson. Both of us excitedly tried to imitate our father's moves with the cutlass. Although I still had to do it after Johannes, I made fewer mistakes than him. What a magical feeling... I had finally overcome my brother on something! Smiling broadly, I was determined to do whatever it took to become a master of cutlass fighting.

After almost four hours in that man-of-war, we left the ship and started walking back home. My eyes gleamed and I couldn't stop grinning. I had many exciting lessons that day: sword fighting, hand-to-hand combat, adjusting sails, making knots, and steering the helm. That was one of the best days of my life. After that day, I realized I wouldn't be satisfied until I learned everything a sailor did. In fact, I didn't know if I would be ever truly happy. Sometimes it appeared nothing could ever bring me true happiness.

My brother pointed at a stranger, "Why's that man waving at us?"

My father, Johannes and I were a block away from our house when the mysterious man appeared. He looked younger than my father, so I thought he was in his early forties. The guy had light skin, blue eyes, wavy light-brown hair tied on a ponytail, and a thin beard. He wore a white shirt covered by a black vest, dark brown belt, dark-blue coat, brown breeches, black cocked hat, and black boots. A girl that appeared to have my age was holding his hand. She had long wavy light-brown hair, light skin, and hazel eyes. Her dress was light blue and similar to mine.

I turned to my father, "Do you know who's that guy, dad?"

The two strangers approached us. My father swallowed hard and pressed his lips together. What was my dad thinking? That was the first time I'd seen him like that. I frowned. Dad was paralyzed. I couldn't tell if he was scared or surprised.

"Hello, Govert. It's been a long time since I last saw you!" the stranger said, with a lopsided grin on his lips.

"Hi, Ruben. How are you?" my father cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

I wondered who the hell was that guy. Dad had never mentioned a friend named Ruben. I tilted my head, trying to understand what was going on. My father's weird attitude made me even more curious to find out who Ruben was.

Ruben raised a brow, "Aren't you going to introduce my daughter and me to the kids?"

Narrowing my eyes slightly, I analyzed Ruben. He appeared to be defying dad in some way and I had no idea why. My father bit his lower lip. Johannes scowled, apparently ready to call law enforcement if necessary.

Dad turned to Johannes and me, "This is Ruben de Vries, your mom's half-brother. The girl with him is your cousin Maartje."

Johannes and I gaped. I didn't know uncle Ruben and Maartje existed until that moment. Breathing fast, I took a step back. My brother's eyes bulged as he walked from one side to another. What an awkward situation! At that instant, I was sure of one thing only: my father owed me some explanations.

****