The Mystery of Jade

I stared at Jade. It had only been a few days since we had met, but except his name, I knew nothing else about him. He told me tales of the sea when he came to sweep my cabin, because, I wanted to hear them. But today, he came for a completely different reason. I knew it from seeing his lean body in a tattered, discolored and crumpled cloth curled up to a ball, his black skin shaded with red marks of insensate savagery. Teardrops oozed from the corners of his eyes as he nibbled at the bun I gave him to eat. I ruffled his dark hair, feeling it surprisingly comfortable under my palm, not filthy, as it should have been agreeing his living conditions.

‘Please don’t be sad, you know that my uncle is an ill-tempered person,’ I said, softly, in order to calm him down. Uncle, well, he was an uncle of far relation to me. A pang pierced my heart, feeling Jade’s sorrow as my own. I moved it aside by asking, ‘However, how old are you?’

He swallowed. ‘I don’t know,’ he retorted in an emotion choked voice, still weeping.

‘Oh, then, where are you from?’ I asked impetuously, failing to cogitate that it would probably make him nostalgic…but I was curious.

‘I…’ he commenced, when an abrupt gush of cold wind slammed my cabin’s window open, splintering its glass panels within the framework. I heard confused mumbles from outside, shot open the cabin’s door and dashed to the main deck, my heart pounding frantically. Hearing soft pats behind me, I figured out that Jade was following me.

A group of crew members crammed at the deck. Some of them pointed at the sky and exchanged glances and words with one another. It was very difficult to make out what they were saying from the overflowing roars and babbles. I hoisted my head to look up at the sky " it became murky with grayish clouds, where, a few minutes ago, it was lucid, with the sun peeping out from it.

‘A storm is approaching!’ seemed to have read my thought; I heard someone’s panicked yell, clear enough amidst the murmurs.

‘Why did you follow this route then, why didn’t you care about my argosy?’ Uncle thundered, his shaggy beards swaying with rage and an indelible crease on his forehead.

Silence fell, and no one dared to say a word. I gawked at him. It was his order to follow the route through the Mediterranean, though, being a sailor for all these years, he knew well that there was a great possibility of a storm in this part of the ocean. Would his employers act against his command? Silent fury swelled me up, but I was snapped out from it when the heavens growled. I stood immobile…disorientated. The environment grew perfectly drab and sulky. A chilling breeze brushed past me, fraying my nerves even though I was in the outfit of a sailor lad. I could hear my heart hammering in my eardrums. That was when I first noticed that Jade was standing beside me, gazing at me with despair in his expression. Darkness had fallen in the afternoon. I scurried my eyes from him to the ceaseless black and melancholy sea. It was placid, and the breeze was there no more. But my consideration was wrong - a surge of wind burst out again. Flashes of lightning peeped out from the devilish clouds. Gigantic waves rose from the raged sea and crashed on our deck. The sea and the wind were as if, conspiring to doom us. Nothing…no help caught my sight. I sensed a snug grasp round my arm " Jade. He dragged me to a corner of the sun deck.

‘You will be safe here, Sir!’ he bawled, loud enough for only me to hear in the chaos of nature. I clung to it.

He then turned away toward the main mast.

‘Don’t go! Stay with me!’ I bawled back, but he paid no heed to me. He just peered over his shoulder, catching a glimpse…the last glimpse of my face. I felt a bizarre affection to him for the first time…an overwhelming attraction " like the opposite poles of magnets, only unable to unite together. I felt the urge to clasp his hands and yank him toward me, but somehow, I couldn’t.

Another inflamed wave crashed over the mast " right over him…then he was gone. Along with him, it swept away much of our supplies, merchandise and crew members, including the captain. The ship was shattered, and wooden boards flailed at the sea " but there was no sign of a life.

I was submerged in horror…paralyzed, but I clutched at the corner desperately. The wind seemed to seize me away and the mountainous waves tossed me and the portion of the deck that I stuck to. The waves whipped my back, shredding my attire. Was I the only survivor?

Abruptly, I saw the seawater gleam fluorescent. What a magic! How? Why? It grew so intense that it dazzled me within a few moments. The combers were still lashing at me, churning my insides. I was consumed by the blinding blackness of the sea. I discerned a clasp around my torso, being tugged by something, or someone….

I shot straight up to a sitting position and gasped to discover myself on a powdery surface - a sandy sea shore. The sea water splashed over my feet, making them comfortably warm. A tormenting convulsion ran through my spine. I felt dizzy and queasy. I glanced back and squinted at the landscape stretching out to meet with the night sky, adorned with a single, queer star, emitting rays lusty enough to illuminate the surroundings with a faint light. It smiled back at me, and the picture of Jade’s countenance thumped against my brain. Where was Jade? Was it he who rescued me, sacrificed himself for me? But how……

An agony weighed upon my soul. Involuntarily, tears cascaded down my cheeks. Familiar clamors wafted to my ears, and I peeked back to perceive the figure of a ship advancing toward me.