Chapter 2

Graciella spent the next two weeks making plans for her journey. Unfortunately, she was unable to book passage of her own to the Caribbean. Her misfortune continued for another month. She had to let go much of the estate’s servants, leaving only Amancio employed. Eventually, Graciella came to the conclusion that she was going to have to invest in her own ship and captain it to the islands. She remembered enough talk from local sailors to figure out the how factor of sailing a ship. 

It was the middle of July when Graciella was taking a leisurely stroll along the wharf, her eyes taking in everything yet nothing at all. Suddenly, a short, stumpy man with all of three scattered hairs on his head, shuffled out of a dark door, whistling a merry tune. He looked around at the passersby before his gaze fell upon Graciella. He rubbed his eyes a if an apparition had just appeared, as a face widening smile spread across his leather skin. 

“ Hola mi estimado! Usted está en el mercado para un barco?”

She paused, looking around bewildered. As far as she knew, she had been keeping secret what her plans were. Not a soul knew, not even Amancio, what her plans were. 

“Habla ingles señor?” 

“Yes! I speak little english señorita. You have yet to answer question. You are seeking ship, yes?”

Graciella frowned, suspicious of his knowledge. She hesitantly leaned forward, eyes narrowed.

“Si, I am looking for a ship. Do you have one available?” 

He nodded profusely before grabbing her hand and pulling her into his dark building. 

“I am Romero Gomez, you call me Romie si” he plopped heavily down onto a carved stool and gestured to a second one across from him. "Please sit. You do not know how long I have wanted to rid myself of this company. It was profitable until my sons were born and my wife passed on" he decides that seem to rake his whole body and inch backwards on his already rickety stool. 

"You're selling your company " why? What do I have to do with this? I am but a humble, commoner señor…”

Graciella hope he would buy her calling act; she desperately needed to get moving on her journey.

“Ah mi amor, I could tell you were in deep need of my assets.”

He flashed his toothy grin again " look at those crooked teeth! " hacked up a gruesome cough and shuffled through the unorganized paper stacks. Graciella felt that she was in an unknown world. She stared at the old man with curiosity. 

“I have found it! Now, you need to ship and I have five that I do not want anymore." 

"How do you know I need a ship!? Have we met before?”

The man bellowed with laughter, just about falling over again; he reminded Graciella of a child's toy.

“Papa!” Hollered a husky voice from the dark doorway. A slender teenager ran through the opening losing papers from his arms. "Why are you pestering this young woman?" His eyes shifted towards Graciella, gave her a once over, then shifted back to his still enthusiastic father.

“Please, my name is Graciella, and for some reason your father thinks that I am in need of a ship… May I speak with you in private?” The young man nodded, ignoring his father’s wandering eye at the latest stack of pesky papers being set on his desk. 

“I apologize señorita, ever since my madre"Bless her" left us somewhat suddenly, my father has been different.” The young man’s eyes shifted from the tips of Graciella’s boots to the soft flower in her hair. His breath caught in his throat and he began to cough. “Not in his right frame of mind…I mean to say.”

“Carlos, this young woman needs our help. We are put on this earth to be an assistant to those in need. Thus, why"you best sit down muchacho"why I am giving the lady our little company.”

Carlos, who had just settled himself down on the corner of his father’s desk, flew to his feet, a look of sheer panic mixed with fury upon his face. Graciella’s jaw dropped open while she tried to process this information. Carlos started to speak in unison with Graciella.

“But Papá! Marco and I are to inherit the company!”

“Señor, please, why to me?” 

Señor Gomez laughed, almost maniacally.

“Children! One at a time, I will address.” He smiled warmly at his son, reaching over to tug on the boy’s wrist.

“Carlos, mis buen hijo, dios bendiga, you deserve this place, in all of it’s potential, si; but it is not worth una peseta. It is worth more to heart than to wealth.” 

“Papá” Carlos said, his voice cracking, “I can change this! Our company will be the most prosperous  shipping company in España again, you’ll see!” 

Señor Gomez shook his head, turning to Graciella who had her piercing eyes held steady on the man. Was her fortune about to change? 

“Hijo, I have every faith in you. But I have seen that it will be by the young lady, not you.”

Graciella finally spoke up, her voice as soft as ermine. 

“Sir, I am honored that you feel I can build this company up. But I am puzzled about one thing. You say you have ‘seen’ that I would bring fortune to this shop…how"“

“Mi amor, I am old. My ways are old. It is an old practice that I have been blessed and cursed with. There is no need to explain.” The man dug around in his papers before his fingers grasped a blank scrap of parchment. He dipped a quill in some drying ink and before either his son or Graciella could protest, the crazed owner had drawn up a letter stating that he had “gifted one company consisting of three ships to la Señorita Graciella Cofresi.”

He slid the letter across to the astonished young woman. Carlos continued to sat, speechless, his eyes watching Graciella’s every move. 

“Dios, you have signed away our lives. We have nothing now.” Carlos sulked in the corner of the office, his eyes glazed over in acute despair. The man simply looked at his son with a peaceful smile, not even saying a single word. He nodded in satisfaction as he turned on his plump rear, huffed his was to his feet and waddled out the front door to the busy street beyond. Carlos glanced up at Graciella, his face clouding over with jealousy. He shook his head disappointedly then stalked off into the dark alleyways of the small building. 

Not knowing what to do exactly with her newfound ‘wealth’, Graciella gingerly reached out and took the letter. She tucked it into her inside breast pocket. The young women then took her leave of her company and strode confidently out the door, fully expecting to see the former owner; however, he was nowhere to be seen. The young woman shrugged, supposing she had better get back tot he estate and tell Amancio that their luck was beginning to change.