Cutlass Cody Is Listening – Sunday Photo Fiction

Photo by: Alastair Forbes

Cutlass Cody Is Listening

When Gerry and Angie journeyed to visit the Pirate Museum at Pier 43, they never expected to encounter their next door neighbors. Bert and Peggy were nice enough people, but they were so different in fundamental ways, they’d never been drawn to them. An amusing day at the museum seemed a good way to get to know them better.

One display portrayed the final moment of the dread pirate, “Cutlass Cody.” Inside a window, they could see a skeleton dressed in a pirate’s hat with plume, and wearing the double-breasted peacoat of a ship’s captain. The plaque beneath the window read the following:

These are the actual bones of William “Cutlass Cody” Tilly. He was known for boarding a ship and asking “Who’s the Captain here?” When the ship’s captain answered that he was, Tilly would cut off his head with his famed cutlass. More heads would roll until Tilly was given the right answer, and informed that Tilly was now Captain…

“Argh!” said Gerry, affecting a pirate’s drawl. “A pirate’s life for me.” He looked a little wistful. “Wouldn’t it be grand with the salt spray in your face? Getting rich from all the gold, and finding adventure in every port!”

“Not if you serviced all the wenches.” mock-scowled Angie. “What about me?”

“Nay, wee lass. Ye’d be a pirate’s wife and the only girl for me!”

She grinned and swatted his shoulder. “Better be!”

“I don’t think so,” said Bert. “Lookit ‘im. He’s a fop. A bloody fairy if you ask me. He was probably porkin’ the cabin boy the whole cruise long. It’s a good thing the miscreant died.”

Later, as they stopped at Bert and Peggy’s car, Bert opened the door and a foul stench blew over him. Seawater loaded with decaying fish poured out. The stench was appalling. Bert stomped off to scream at the management.

Gerry and Angie had issues with their car as well. It took until the following day before they returned home. Angie unloaded the grocery bags filled with bottles of champagne, goose foie gras, brie, and ribeye steaks for the grill. “Think we should tell Bert and Peggy?” said Angie.

Gerry shrugged. “I’ll tell them our car’s shocks were ruined.”

“And…?”

“But. I don’t have the heart to say our car was filled with gold doubloons!”
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Look for more stories based upon the photo prompt right here: https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/sunday-photo-fiction-february-1st-2015/