Meeting uncle Ruben and Maartje was one of the weirdest moments of my life. Johannes and I remained silent for almost two minutes. I glared at my father. What else could he be hiding from me? Usually, when people lie, they tend to do it more than once, right? It wasn't impossible at all that dad had been keeping more information from me. Besides, my uncle and him didn't appear to be friends. Dad bit his lower lip as if he feared uncle Ruben. I wondered what happened between the two to create such tension. Maartje also appeared to not know a thing about the two men's possible feud. She didn't look at dad the same way her father did. Since both dressed like Navy men, perhaps they had a rivalry... or an affair? Anything could be possible! Besides, my own mother hated me, so nothing would be crazier than that... at least that's what I thought. Since I was tired of that horrible silence, I decided to break it.

"I'm Eva. This is my brother Johannes. We should have dinner tonight as a family!" I grinned and raised my brows. "What do you think?"

I looked at my uncle Ruben and then at my father. My brother stared at our uncle as if he wanted to say something impolite. Frowning, I gazed at Johannes and he stopped. Dad was breathing slower, apparently less nervous than before. I sighed in relief.

"What a perfect idea! I'd love to get to know my nephews and catch up with my brother-in-law," my uncle smiled broadly while turning to dad. "What do you say, Govert?"

My father nodded, "Sounds good. You and Maartje can follow us to our house."

Maartje smiled, "I can't wait to get to know you, Eva."

I have a good feeling about this girl!

I smiled back at her. That night, I was sure my cousin and I would only see each other a couple of times a week. However, that wasn't what happened... but I'm getting ahead of myself here.

I smiled back, "I feel the exact same, Maartje."

"Let's go," my father made a signal for us to follow him. "Our home isn't far."

No one said a word on the way to my house... weird, right? Dad kept pressing his lips together, seemingly worried. Johannes kept his head downturned. Uncle Ruben glanced at my father sometimes and Maartje wouldn't stop biting her lower lip. While we walked, all I did was observe the houses: pink, purple, blue, green... all the colors I could possibly imagine were on the streets of Willemstad. I loved colorful things so much that I wanted to buy a dress with all the colors that existed.

Dad, Johannes, Maartje, uncle Ruben, and I arrived home ten minutes later. Mom opened the door for us and frowned when she laid eyes on my uncle. My mother also seemed annoyed by his presence.

"Hello, Hendrika. I missed you so much!" he hugged mom and gave her two pats on the back. "I came to dinner since Govert and Eva invited me."

She forced a smile and returned the embrace. I raised a brow, analyzing the two. Although I wasn't a mind reader, I could feel my parents weren't telling me something. Maartje frowned slightly as if she thought the same.

There's definitely something strange happening...

"I missed you too, brother," mom took a step backwards. "Come in!"

After everybody was inside the residence, she went to the kitchen.

"Laurens, bring the food in ten minutes, or you'll be punished severely!" my mother shouted.

"Yes, Mrs. Zeevalk!" Laurens answered, stammering.

I sighed, wishing I could help my friend in some way. Even though my mother told Laurens she would only beat him if he didn't follow her orders, guess what? That was a lie... and a huge one! As always, she would flog him no matter what. She had no mercy on the poor man.

Mom took us to the dining room. Everyone sat and an awkward silence took place. Dad looked from side to side. I chewed on my lip, still wondering the reason for that strange situation. Johannes scowled, seeming to be uncomfortable with the tension as well.

My father broke the silence, "So, tell us, Ruben: what brings you and Maartje to Willemstad? Were you transferred by the government because of your job as a privateer?"

Uncle Ruben cleared his throat, "You got that right. The Dutch government transferred me here three weeks ago so I can be... well, their privateer on the Caribbean. I have some friends in the RNN and they told me you were all here, so I decided to look for you. It was an amazing coincidence to see you with the kids on the street tonight!"

My eyes widened after I heard the word privateer. I had a feeling dad had mentioned it to me before. It sounded so familiar and yet I had no idea what it meant.

I cocked my head, "What's a privateer, uncle Ruben?"

Mom glared at me, "Quiet, girl! No one has talked to you!"

My chin trembled. I wanted to run to my bedroom and cry, but I couldn't start to crumble, so I just stared at her. Uncle frowned, apparently surprised with how mom talked to me. He seemed annoyed by his sister's attitude. Although I got upset that mom reprehended me in front of everybody, I was glad she showed her true colors... at least partially. Someone needed to see that wasn't the way a mother should treat a child.

"Let's calm down, shall we?" uncle Ruben raised his brows. "No need to get angry at Eva. She deserves an answer."

Thank you, uncle! At least someone realizes my mom is unnecessarily rude.

A few minutes later, Laurens showed up with the food and served us. Johannes widened his eyes while looking at uncle Ruben. My brother wasn't used to see people defending me, so my uncle's attitude probably surprised him.

"Privateer is the legal version of a pirate," Maartje explained. "They're hired by the government to plunder ships from other nations."

My father sighed and Johannes gawked. I frowned, confused at first, but soon realized what caused that reaction: pirate. Dad and my brother hated that word. While my father hunted pirates, Johannes was training to do the exact same. Me, on the other hand, was a huge fan of the legendary thieves of the ocean. Sailing all the time, stealing a bunch of cool things, having a life full of adventure, and being completely free? That sounded perfect for me! It appeared to be much more exciting than being an RNN officer.

I smiled widely, "That sounds very interesting! Maybe I'll become one someday."

Maartje's eyes gleamed and uncle Ruben chuckled. Dad's mouth was so open that I wondered if he wasn't feeling pain on his jaw. My mother was being charming and discreet, as always... who am I kidding? She shot me such an icy glare that I thought she would stab me.

Johannes raised a brow, "Do you mean a pirate or a privateer, Eva?"

I shrugged, "Honestly? Both would be great for me!"

I barely finished speaking and my mom stared at me again. Her eyes appeared that would burn. Father put both hands on his face, seemingly embarrassed. Although I just grimaced, my real desire was to sob. I wanted to cry enough for that entire house to flood. My mom's hatred towards me shattered my heart and so did dad's silence.

"Stop talking, or I'll embarrass you in front of our visitors!" mom shouted, less loud than she used to.

You already embarrassed me, mother. If the profession "destroyer of hearts" existed, you'd be the best at it.

I didn't even blink, trying to show I wasn't afraid. My father once said some people can smell fear and I firmly believed my mother could, so I always did my best to hide it. My uncle gaped and scowled. Maartje shook her head in denial, glaring at my mother. They didn't appear to like the way my mother had spoken to me. Uncle Ruben wanted to do something to help me, I could feel it. His expression was rigid while he gazed at dad. Guess what? My father remained quiet, as usual! Even in front of visitors, he showed that his love for me was nearly insignificant.

Uncle's eyes bulged, "Easy, Hendrika! There's no need to be so harsh! Eva's just an adventurer like me and that's not a problem. People should be free to do whatever they want the most."

Mom huffed while glancing away. Johannes frowned and gaped. God, how amazing it was to finally be defended by somebody! I held a laugh and my eyes gleamed. I couldn't believe someone had stood up for me. I thought I was stuck in a dream for a moment.

Who's the golden child now, brother?

He continued, "Also, I have a question for you, Eva."

"Go ahead, uncle," I grinned excitedly. "Ask me anything."

Uncle approached me, "What do you think about the ocean, sailing and freedom?"

Gazing upward, I thought of what he said. That was the first time an adult asked my opinion about something. Not even my father had done that. I closed my eyes for a second, imagining what my uncle described. Those simple three words meant a lot to me, which hadn't realized until I reflected on the subject.

"They're what I love the most," I let out a pronounced sigh. "The reason I'm still alive."

"Then I'm sure you'd be great at both jobs. Especially at the more rule-breaking one," uncle Ruben got slightly closer to me and smiled. "Trust me, I've had the experience."

I laughed softly. My uncle shot me a mischievous gaze. How could a privateer know how a pirate's life looked like? What experience was he talking about? I was intrigued and started wondering about that matter. If uncle Ruben was indeed a privateer, he wasn't supposed to know anything about how pirates lived.

"It would be pretty awesome if we could be pirates together," Maartje smiled at me while speaking in a low tone. "We'd be free forever..."

"I couldn't agree more," I approached my cousin. "Dad tells me a lot of bad things about pirates, but somehow that makes me like them even more."

We both laughed. Johannes and my parents would've probably freaked out if they had listened. I prayed that no one had heard me.

Maartje's eyes gleamed, "I have a feeling we're going to get along very well!"

One hour later, everyone finished eating. I wished that dinner had never come to an end. I had never imagined I would find people that understood me like Maartje and my uncle. A simple meal with relatives became something amazingly pleasant to me. All that I wanted was to see them again. I had no idea yet, but my cousin and uncle Ruben would become two of the most influential people in my life... but I'm getting ahead of myself here. As I was saying, my parents, Johannes and I were saying goodbye to our visitors.

My father forced a smile, "It was a pleasure having you and Maartje tonight. Thank you for coming."

Uncle Ruben took Maartje by the hand, "Believe me, the pleasure was all mine. I wish I'd met Eva earlier. She's amazing and you're lucky to have her as your child."

I couldn't help but grin. My uncle looked at me briefly and then back at dad. Johannes scowled, seemingly annoyed.

Maartje smiled, "I agree! I'm definitely coming back here so we can talk more, Eva."

"Thank you both!" I sighed and couldn't stop smiling. "I can't wait to see you again."

A few moments later, uncle and Maartje left. Mom pursed her lips. She appeared to be irritated that the visitors liked me. At that same instant, my mother went to the kitchen. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but... guess what? She went there to flog Laurens. There was a spot on the back of the house close to the kitchen where she did that. I cried as I heard his screams and her laughter. With both hands on my face, I tried to forget what was happening. God, I was sick of the way she treated him... When I stood up to go back to my room, I stopped for a second. I had to quit being a coward.

I can't sit and do nothing anymore. I must save Laurens.

Laurens came back with his head downturned. Mom went upstairs, ignoring me altogether. My friend walked towards the door with his shirt torn, his back with numerous open scars dripping blood, and his face full of sweat. Knitting my brows, I hugged him. He returned the embrace.

Laurens smiled sweetly, "Thank you very much, Eva. You're better than I deserve."

"You're welcome, but don't say that! What you truly deserve is to be free, Laurens," I put my hands on his shoulders while raising my brows. "I can't continue letting my mother treat you so horribly."

He frowned, "Forgive me, but I'm not following."

I smiled while approaching him, "I promise that tomorrow I'll set you free, my friend. You'll never have to put up with my mom's cruelness again."

Laurens gaped and started to breathe faster. He chuckled while pacing back and forth. I sighed, hoping my plan would work. For a moment, I was sure my friend would freak out. I couldn't tell if he was happy or desperate, perhaps even both.

"Thank you so much, but... How will this happen?!" Laurens' eyes bulged as he decreased his tone of voice. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"I'll find a way. I'm going to help you because you're my friend, Laurens. Unlike me, you have a chance to escape and I won't let you waste it."

He nodded while staring at the wall, seemingly not believing in what was happening. If I were Laurens, I would've been surprised as well. People didn't offer to help slaves escape every day.

I continued, "I'll take care of your wounds now, so follow me to the kitchen. We'll talk more about your escape tomorrow."

Laurens did what I asked. Although his eyes were wet, I didn't think he was sad. He seemed to still be in shock. I wanted to hug him again for a minute.

My friend sighed and smiled, "Thank you, my dear Eva. You're my guardian angel."

I chuckled and blushed. God, I hated when my cheeks got red... After that, I grabbed a cloth and put some of dad's rum on it. He'd taught me that alcohol prevented injuries from getting infected. Laurens winced as I started cleaning his wounds.

"You're my best friend, so there's nothing I wouldn't do for you," I finished cleaning the blood from Laurens' back and put a clean shirt on him. "See you tomorrow!"

"See you!" he waved and smiled. "You're my best friend too..."

I nodded and went to my bedroom to sleep before I started crying.

I won't make Laurens spend another day in this hell I call home, but I'm going to miss him so much...

I took several deep breaths, controlling myself not to burst into tears. When I laid on my bed, I felt a peace that I never did before. I slowly developed a perfect plan to help my friend get to freedom... who am I kidding? I had no idea what to do! Regardless, I was determined to help Laurens escape. He would become a free man the next day and I couldn't care less about the consequences.

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Author's note: