Frederick and Geraldine
Chapter 4- The Stories of The Passengers

(Geraldinewas walking on the deck while waiting nervously for Fredrick. Suddenly, heappeared while speaking quickly and gesturing.)

''I'vewaited for you all day long to come up with some fuel.''

''I went tobuy charcoal, water, and outdoor lamp oil.

At acrossroad, I've seen a stage driver who has been so cruel

To whip hishorses to run faster; the oil spilled on the soil.

He drove astagecoach; my horse was frightened by the sound

And mytrolley overturned. I had to come back to buy

Again threebarrels of oil.'' ''That oil spilled on the ground, ''

SaidGeraldine, ''the money has gone, and this is not a lie!

I don't askyou to tell me where you've really spent the money.

It makes nosense to ask you for the truth. Is she beautiful?

Did you havea good time? To wash laundry in public, honey,

You maybring her here. This way, you can be dutiful.''

''I loveyou, '' screamed Frederick, '' so, you think you're funny.''

''Well, Imay be funny although I'm never stupid.''

He held her,''I sold some jewels. Take the money.

I could lieto you, but you're the one. I'm down with Cupid.''

''Do youremember that man having a ring with a skull? ''

''You've methim in Constantinople, '' ''I've met him here, too.

He was inthat stagecoach liking this way his horses to cull.

He laughedsaying, ''I'm a captain in search for my crew.''

''Frederick,I want to return home at Khadjibey.

Do youremember when we've met in the port and you

Gave me anemerald cut on a gold ring shining at the ray? ''

''I've askedyou to marry me, '' ''I love you; you know it's true.''

''Then whydo you want to turn back home? '' ''You know I'm scared.''

'' This isour chance. If we turn back in that unknown trading port

For slavemarkets, I will not survive; I'm not prepared

To ask thesanjak bey some protection and a lot of support.

I am anItalian and I've seen so many things.

I saw theterrible fate of those becoming galley-slaves,

The womenenslaved being sexually abused, in sufferings,

But someoneliving in Khadjibey is a plow and a scythe. ''

'' Is thisartwork painted by Paolo de Matteis or not? ''

AskedFrancesca while coming to them. ''What are you doing here? ''

''We reallylike to admire that splendid island a lot.''

''Shall weoffer them a string instruments' concert, Chiara dear? ''

Khadjibeywas controlled by the Ottoman Empire

As a part ofYedisan in the Silistra Province.

To build afortress named New World was the Turks’ desire.

Carla said,'' This meeting has been chosen by The Providence.''

Carlaconcluded that Geraldine was an American,

ButGeraldine did not understand the confusion.

She learnedSpanish from the Jews, who were Spain citizens

Coming tothe Empire to avoid the conversion.

''My fatherlost a lot because of the plague and the disaster, ''

Said Miguel,''a half of my wealth has been gone in the warfare.

We thoughtto immigrate to a new world which was moving faster

Than thisone in which we were living as those lost in the nightmare.''

Cruz askedhim, ''Why didn't you try your chance for a new life? ''

''I wasn'tstrong enough, and my son died in this war made

For theSpanish succession after the King Charles’ death; my wife

Stillgrieves for her unique child; our life cannot be repaid.''

'' InGibraltar, the property that had been taken

By forcebecame a British one; we moved to Barcelona.

The powerbalance mirrored those widows standing forsaken.

Let's cheerthis Grand Alliance! It’s as the sun's light corona.''

'' The Angloand the Dutch kings used the navy to open

The Straitof Gibraltar needing the naval power

In theMediterranean zone.'' '' Guess what was broken? ''

Asked Bella,''I think it's about our transatlantic economy shower.''

''By theTreaty of Constantinople, our Russian

Forces hadbeen withdrawn and Zaporozhia lost all

The armyprotection, '' said Ivan, ''then, our discussion

Was to sellour goods and to leave a life that apart could fall.''

''In theHoly League, Russia joined Austria and Venice

To drive theTurks and to sign a treaty with Poland, ''said Cruz.

''Thosehorses have never met the steppe, '' said Ivan, '' became a menace,

''LeopoldThe First was helped by the Turks that Partition could refuse.''

(Geraldineand Erica were talking on the deck.)

''His fatherhad been a soldier that came home after many

Years ofserving the czar; he found that his wife had died and

Ivan hadlived with an aunt that spent money but didn’t have any.''

For a fewminutes, Geraldine was speechless and stunned.

''Erica, whydid his mother die? '' ''She was the wife of a serf.

She was asubjugated slave laboring for a lord.''

''Was shebeaten? '' asked Geraldine while dampening her scarf.

''She hadbeen raped before she took her own life with his sword.''

''Who's sword?'' ''The lord's sword! He was drunk when he beat and raped her.''

''It was amatter whether she overcame the pressure

Of thepeasant village where this mother lived not to err.

She died,but I'm sure she loved Ivan without measure.''

His fathertook Ivan home and worked a part of that lord's land

As a serf,barely leaving time to cultivate

The landallotted to him while taking care of his child.

Ivan didn'tgo to army but asked me to immigrate.''

(Erica,Ivan’s wife, ended the conversation while starting to cry.)

(Arturo,Lucca, Miguel, Frederick, Marco, Cruz, Pedro, and Ivan were playing cards andchess. Lucca, Cruz, and Miguel started to smoke clay pipes.)

''Niceangled bowl with a coat of arms, '' said Lucca. ''Yes, '' said Cruz

Whilesmoking and relaxing, ''where did you buy them, Lucca? ''

''This oneis made in Holland- a way to liberate your muse.''

''Give newlife to a broken heart, '' said Miguel, '' It's like Sambuca, ''

LaughedLucca, '' Ivan, how could you avoid the army as a serf? ''

''As ayeoman having my own land, I had an accident, ''

Cruz askedhim, ’’Did you receive some support from a dwarf? ''

''I broke myleft leg when I fell from my horse- a strange event.''

''Interesting!'' said Marco. ''You became a rich merchant

In theOttoman Empire.'' ''Yes, I sold my land, '' smiled Ivan.

''You couldgo to Moscow, '' ''I didn't want to be a servant.

I was amiddleman in the fur trade, '' ''Let's enliven

This gamewith some wine! '' '' These cards are unique, '' said Pedro.

''This rarepictorial pack is made in London, '' said Marco.

Lucca toldCruz, ''If you need new cards, I'll give you pronto.''

''Give methe most immoral hand, '' laughed Cruz, ''come in, Fargo! ''

(Fargoentered to bring the wine, which was served using glasses. Ibrahim broughtdried fruits, nuts, biscuits and small cakes. The women had spent over an hourdressing for this meeting because it was customary for the women to changetheir entire outfit for any event on that ship. Rosa, Geraldine, and Erica weredoing some needlework. Carla, Chiara, and Pedra were reading some expensivebooks. Chiara chose to read a book written by Elena Piscopia, Carla was readingsome philosophy by Mary Astell and Pedra liked the books written by Aphra Behn.Francesca started to paint and Bella was trying to play ‘’Capricciostravagante’’ by the Italian composer Carlo Farina using her violin.)

Francescasaid, '' The violin replaced the viol, ''

''The musicwritten for it established its identity, ''

Said Rosa,''I like the opera 'L'Orfeo' and its tale.''

''Throughpolyphony, Monteverdi has supremacy.''

Francescacontinued, ''Chiara, what are you reading? ''

''A bookabout Christ written by the monk Laspergio and late

Translatedby Elena Piscopia, a nun being

The firstwoman that graduated with a doctorate.''

Carla said,''Francesca, what are you painting in that blue? ''

'' I'm notCaravaggio, still I paint a medusa, ''

Carlareplied, ''You used amazing hues, and it's sweet in view! ''

Chiara said,''It's an image of the port of Siracusa! ''

(Francescaembraced Chiara.)

''It's solovely to see you together; you are good friends, ''

SaidGeraldine while finishing her work, ''do you have children? ''

''I'vemarried Arturo six years ago; now, our love ascends

After hislong widowhood; Francesca is his daughter.''

Chiara tookGeraldine's hand with a noble gesture.

She told herthat Arturo lost a fortune three months ago,

And thistrip was offered by Lucca to change their life's texture.

''MaybeFrancesca painted to petrify the time's flow.''

''Francescais the sweetest child I've ever seen until now.

She'sadorable in this purity of her mind.

She'sshining like a star belonging to Ursa Major Plough,

And I loveArturo even in affairs he is so blind.''

(Arturo andMarco were the last passengers who left the room while talking. Arturo endedthe conversation.)

‘’ Russia isa force needing an expansion quite quickly

But,unfortunately, her friends are not really her friends.

PushingRussia, who is an honest power, clearly

Will turnthe destiny of the whole world into dead ends.’’

Carla was abeautiful woman liking to dress in green.

Sometimesstrong and other time weak, she needed to face the life.

Inside her,there was a child hoping to push the life scene

Into its owncondition and the things into their right strife.

Her husband,Pedro, was very wise and precise -a strong man

Needing togain stability while turning back from New Spain

To rebuildthe life and to go forth on a new plan.

Theirchildren and parents waited for them to come home again.

(Geraldineand Carla were talking on the deck. Carla started to confess.)

‘’Her nameis Beatrice and he loved her for a while needing

To leave thefamily for a new meaning in this world.

I loved himsecretly while her scent I was breathing.

I understoodthat I've lost him when our love became a sword.

I knew I wasa mother in this combination of three,

And,sometimes, I thought that Beatrice should never exist,

And, othertime, I wanted to leave everything to be free,

Or to end mylife because it was so hard to resist.

I've triedto talk with her and the situation to explain,

But shelaughed while telling me that Pedro is her lover.

I understoodher laugh and that my efforts were in vain.

I was illwhen we traveled to New Spain to recover.''

‘’ Carla,the things are not always as they seem to be.

You'lloverpass this moment because you're a strong mother.

You musttake care because nothing goes well as long as he

Doesn'tassume the responsibility of a father.’’

Bella andMiguel liked to live in their own world of two.

They had ahouse in Barcelona, and they traveled to see

The world;they stayed months in India to throw backward a new view.

Marco andRosa wanted their spirits to be free.

They wereturning home after living three years in New Spain.

Carla andPedra traveled with their husbands who were twins.

Rosaconvinced them that in that place their strength is spent in vain.

Life becamea music coming from the water violins.

Carla said,''the education helps the women make

Rightchoices in marriage.'' Bella replied, ''What's a marriage?

It's notonly a consecration in a church, an awake,

But it's acontract, an act no one can disparage.''

Miguel said,''it's a transition from a moral conscience

To a pureconcept of consciousness.'' ''You start to see it

As itself,'' replied Pedro, '' to eat the bitter consequence.''

''It's tiedto the moral identity when love is in a fit, ''

RepliedBella. ' It has a Cartesian nature, ''

Said Carlaexplaining why love comes after the wedding.

''Then, themoral sensibility shapes it to our feature, ''

RepliedBella.Miguel smiled, '' tenderly in our bedding.''

'' Thedisparity in intelligence leads to misery, ''

Said Carla,''the marriage must be based on a lasting friendship

Rather thanon an attraction experiencing agony.''

Pedro said,'' when love is distorted into a sword to rip.''

Miguel said,'' the marriage that is not consecrated

In a churchhas the same legal validity.''

'' Thelovers may marry secretly, but it's complicated, ''

Said Carla,''and it's hard for the women of the nobility

To make anindependent living.'' Pedro started to grin,

'' To securea husband is an attitude having a great importance.''

''She's anobject of thought, '' said Miguel while touching Carla's skin.

Pedro said,''it happens only when we seek love in abundance.''

Carla said,'' the women's career options beyond the mother

Are none;they cannot have the same opportunity as the men.''

Pedroreplied, '' your impracticable thoughts make the father

Leave thefamily.'' '' He's not allowed to come back again.''

Miguel said,''She's allowed to express her sexuality.''

Carla said,'' it depends on how the woman perceives this thought.''

Bellastarted to play music to inspire some human morality

While usingthe violin to imitate- the cats' sounds brought to naught.