Chapter 12 – Have a Secret
(Geraldine was talking with Frederick.
Geraldine said,)
''I think you need a new community to live; our marriage
Is, somehow, atypical; '' '' you're a paradox; you're afraid
Of the unknown, but these extremes are all you cherish.''
''Life on this ship is an extreme, where we cry to God for aid.''
(Frederick said,)
''I know the suffering you had endured after losing your
Father hindered your life, but if you want to start overcoming
Your fears, it's helpful to understand that this love can cure
Your woe; '' ''I need a family and this happiness becoming
(Geraldine continued,)
A part of my life; I want everything to be well done,
And therefore, to avoid the complications. You know me
Well as a husband and you're more responsible than anyone
I've met in my life; '' ''You need harmony, which helps you be
(Frederick continued,)
Dynamic enough to maintain a cheerful atmosphere
Around me even in extreme situations; you have
An instinct, a sense of premonition and, my dear,
Our child will be dreamy and pensive as you; Yahveh
(Frederick continued,)
Blessed this marriage; sometimes, it's hard to live with your irony
When you argue and try to influence my final decisions
While exploiting my weaknesses and my love; it's funny
That I'm heedless and confused by my own new illusions.
(Frederick continued,)
You pay attention very closely to everything that
Happens around us; '' ''I think we were a little unlucky
Because we've started this business with a few money, but
We ensured the protection of life though our ship broke down quickly.
(Geraldine continued,)
I appreciate that you value the life and pay for
The healing of the employees instead of replacing them.
You are sensitive and good and this is why I love you more.
The child reacts when you're near him; he plays a transparent game.
(Geraldine continued,)
You succeed precisely due to your dignity; your friends
Do not betray you, but help you a lot; '' ''I like the teamwork
Made of experienced friends, because friendship never ends.
I didn't experience sailing, but this issue I could burke.’’
(Geraldine said,)
''I think we couldn't avoid this implacable destiny.’’
‘’You must cease to believe in predictions and premonitions
And start to accept the consequence and its brevity
That follows from your reasoning when you want high positions.''
(Frederick replied. Geraldine said,)
''I start to get angry when someone is lying to me,
But, generally, I'm very much like Maya; '' ''You're quite
Skeptical while needing compelling arguments; to be
Like she means to accept yourself as you are without a fight.
(Frederick continued,)
You're dramatic and seductive because of your jealousy,
Which is unbearable because of your prejudices
That hurt me; '' ''I let my regret embrace your melancholy.
I flee from danger and complications; '' ''I'm not a Judas.
(Replied Frederick.)
You don't have the courage to change your life and you want me to
Make an effort to change the destiny of our family.
When you have to cope with bad situations, you prefer to go
Back to the life you had lived though it had meant agony.
(Frederick continued,)
You could be a victim of an abuse or of a forced marriage.
As a wife, you should respect some unwritten laws that were
Primitive and barbaric when your man looked to discourage.
You need this match, but you don't know the vintage it can confer.''
(Frederick was talking with Geraldine.
Frederick said,)
''My love for you will last forever; '' ''Our love must be strong
In this crowded emptiness of the wars around us.
You're a dreamer; '' ''I want to secure your life from wrong
And to do everything possible to make you be happy; thus,
(Frederick continued,)
I'll be sure that our child will grow up to discover his skills
And talents; '' ''He will be a successful man like you.
You're a good trader, but you take risks because you like these thrills.''
''I want to make money to buy a galley for my crew.
(Frederick continued,)
Spending less money than we make is essential to our
Financial security; '' '' We have the responsibility
To provide what is necessary for our life to grow in power.''
''To buy too many gowns and shoes you have an ability.
(Frederick continued,)
You've made this carrack be a luxury one before
Looking like a wreck; '' '' I wanted rich passengers to embark
On our ship; this way we could earn money; '' ''My dear, it's war,
But there is absolutely nothing wrong with this spark
(Frederick continued,)
Of interest as long as you don’t go overboard.
Keep this unnecessary spending to a minimum.
This employee holding multiple jobs is all we can afford.
I've spent all my money on this carrack, causing pandemonium.''
(Geraldine said,)
''For example, Maya is an excellent cooker and a healer
At the same time; '' my love for you is passionate and true.
I've married you without your parents' consent; I was a reeler
While not knowing if I could have a future together with you,
(Frederick continued,)
But I wanted this family; '' '' You were well aware
Of the ships' condition and progress, but you weren't conscious
Of the importance of a fire on this wooden ship; in despair,
You've spent the money for food and fuel without my consent.
(Geraldine continued,)
That money had been given by the passengers to embark.
Now, everything is gone; all remained is almost nothing.''
''I had to merchandise and resist the attacks; '' ''A strong remark!
I remember that you sold some jewelry to buy something.''
(Frederick replied,)
''I remember that I've tried to face your jealousy
Because I love you very much; I remember that I was
In danger and I had to go on and face our destiny
As nothing was happening; our hope is stuck underneath its claws
(Frederick continued,)
And I don’t remember if you took time out to support me
During any rather difficult day; you think like a slave
Lacking responsibility while you want to be
An Italian woman; '' '' I open my heart to crave
(Geraldine continued,)
That these slaves lack the ability to run their own lives
And are therefore happy with a system where their lives are run
By others; '' '' glad to know they're happy as husbands and wives.
There will be no slave to row on this ship under the sun.''
(Geraldine said,)
''Some of your sailors used much more freedom than I did, ''
''They were punished for what they did wrong; '' '' This latest mistake
Could lead us to death; '' ''I was caught in a trap, God forbid! ''
''You had no sailing experience; some dreamers must be awake.
(Geraldine continued,)
You trusted people too much and verified them too little.
''These pirates fight for a freedom that does not exist
While using all kinds of scams, while their life is a riddle,
While not being honest, and while hunting in the devil's mist.
(Frederick continued,)
The fight for an alleged brotherhood, equality,
And freedom promoted by these pirates is different
From any honest fight because they don't have dignity.
They destroy its ideal sense while being indifferent.’’
(Geraldine said,)
''Why do you say this? '' '' Some pirates accused me of supporting
A repressive policy against slavery while providing
Some groups with weapons and they still didn't stop annoying
Me because they wanted to know my secrets; my suffering
(Frederick continued,)
Fellows couldn't benefit from moral support; '' ''Tell me,
Some people like the aunt of Ivan could live better than
It was permissible; she had to pay bills; she wasn't free.''
''She didn't want to be enslaved, beaten and raped by her man.
(Frederick continued,)
It seemed that this situation had been abnormal for her
Until she turned the idea upside down; she couldn't deal
With all her problems besides running away from the star
Of the poor voices; '' '' so contrary to her ideal
(Geraldine continued,)
Was the reality of Ivan's mother that she was
Ashamed to continue her life, although she loved Ivan
Very much; her dignity was destroyed; I suffer because
I left my mother to marry you; no friendship is better than
(Geraldine continued,)
The relationship between a mother and her daughter.
This is why I appreciate the friendship between
Francesca and Chiara; '' '' these things don't seem to matter
When Chiara is not sincere; what happened could have been foreseen.''
(Geraldine said,)
'' I think that Chiara tries to compensate the absence
Of the missing mother; both Chiara and Carla are strong
Women and I've learned a lot from them, because, in silence,
They suffered for saving their husbands they wanted to belong
(Geraldine continued,)
While protecting their children. My family must be as strong
As my parents taught me to be; '' ‘‘the women always say
They suffer in a marriage while being humble all lifelong,
But they want to prove that, without them, their men may go astray.''
(Fargo knocked at the door and gave them a letter, which was sent by the governor to inform them that the missing gold had been found.)