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 |  Re-dedicated - April 1, 2021, Brother Nature's views from the Winnipeg River SE Manitoba |
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My Writing.com experience continues...30 Day Blog Challenger, Andre the blog Monkey's Banana Bar Founder, Aging Baby Boomer. Here you'll find a warm welcome, maybe I'll make you laugh out loud - That's my goal. Thanks for visiting. |
Prompt: Tuesday, April 6 Ghost Ship: The Mary Celeste On December 4, 1872, a British-American ship called “the Mary Celeste” was found empty and adrift in the Atlantic. It was found to be seaworthy and with its cargo fully intact, except for a lifeboat, which it appeared had been boarded in an orderly fashion. But why? We may never know because no one on board was ever heard from again. In November 1872, the Mary Celeste set sail from New York bound for Genoa, Italy. She was manned by Captain Benjamin Briggs and seven crew members, including Briggs’ wife and their 2-year-old daughter. Supplies on board were ample enough for six months, and luxurious—including a sewing machine and an upright piano. Commentators generally agree that to precipitate the abandonment of a seaworthy ship, some extraordinary and alarming circumstance must have arisen. However, the last entry on the ship’s daily log reveals nothing unusual, and inside the ship, all appeared to be in order. Theories over the years have included mutiny, pirate attack, and an assault by a giant octopus or sea monster. In recent years, scientists have posed the theory that fumes from alcohol onboard caused an explosion that, as a result of a scientific anomaly, did not leave behind signs of burning—but was terrifying enough that Briggs ordered everyone into the lifeboat. Give us your opinion of what happened. Maybe you were even there?! The ship was built in 1861 at Spencer's Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, and named the Amazon. I know, I was there. She was built of pure evil, and the breath of Satan himself powered her sails. No captain could ever control such a vessel, such a vessel controls its own destiny and charts its own course. Dead is the first captain who tried to sail her and buried at the bottom of the ocean are the ships that met her bow. She came aground on Cape Breton Island in 1867 and was severely damaged, only to be rebuilt and renamed, The Mary Celest. My monkey friend, Andre bragged about building the ship himself, even though he really only painted the name on the bow. (and he misspelled it twice! It was supposed to be called 'The Amazing' and then 'The Celine Dion') "The Celine Dion! You painted The Mary Celest that's not even close Andre!" "I know, but I'm saving that name for something else," Andre explained as he gulped vodka from a leaking keg. It was Andre who talked me into joining the crew for the voyage from New York City to Genoa, Italy. That slick-talking monkey convinced me that the "built of pure evil, and the breath of Satan himself powered her sails" was just drunk monkey talk. Andre promised me the opportunity to someday join his dream of owning a cyber bar on the internet, as soon as the world wide web gets invented. I had no idea what he was talking about most of the time, but you can't beat fun, so off we went. Captain Benjamin Briggs welcomed us to the crew and made Andre first mate. Andre gave out the jobs to the crew members and assigned the sleeping quarters. Captain Briggs had his wife and 2-year-old daughter on board for the sailing. It's scientific fact that women are bad luck on a ship. Andre made sure to separate the women at night by sharing his cabin with Mrs. Briggs. I was cabin mate with Smitty, who Andre stationed below deck for the entire voyage. Andre assigned himself the job of ship's pianist even though he didn't even know how to play. I leered at him as he bashed randomly on the keys. When he looked up he shouted to me, "grab that mop matey, the deck isn't going to swab itself." The other two crew members were brothers Jack and Joe Jet. Besides Captain Briggs, Jack and Joe were the only crew members that could actually sail a ship, and nobody ever heard from Smitty again, once he went below deck. Things were going pretty well, we were a few days out to sea, and everyone was getting along fine. I enjoyed a good game of patty whack with the young Briggs girl, she was a sweet little girl who loved to play, laugh, and sing. Yep, things were going good, smooth sailing... that is until Andre learned what our cargo was... Booze! Tons and tons of alcohol. I don't want to sound like I'm blaming Andre for everything that happened, but everything that happened was completely Andres's fault and doing. Andre starting drinking first thing in the morning, Mrs. Briggs mentioned it was kind of early to be drinking, don't you think? Andre's response, "You can't say you drank all day if you don't get an early start." That night we were all tired, but Andre was playing piano and singing at the top of his lungs. Luckily the little girl was able to sleep through the whole thing. At one point Andre pointed at Captain Ben, as Andre started to refer to him as, and brothers Jack and Joe Jet. I got it Andre slurred, "lissen to dis." He started bashing the piano keys and sang loudly, Benny...Benny...Benny, Benny, and the Jets. Benny...Benny...Benny, Benny, and the Jets. It was unbearable, he just kept going, it was driving us all mad. Benny...Benny...Benny, Benny, and the Jets. Benny...Benny...Benny, Benny, and the Jets. I helped Captain Briggs, his family, Jack, and Joe into the lifeboat then went to look for Smitty but couldn't find him. A few hours later the piano fell silent and so did Andre. I went to sleep as well. I thought that I only slept a short time, but when I awoke Andre and I were riding dolphins at a mall in Dubai. Weird or what? |
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your comment. I've done some time curled up. The thumb-sucking never gets old, but the games get boring, and once you've seen all the videos the real world becomes a welcome lifestyle change.
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