I wrote this small piece as an exercise to the writing prompt, “Travel expands the Mind” in our Script-Writing course.

I feel that the most precious part of a journey is some sudden realisation that we have which makes the effort and all the travel worthy. Do go till the very end.

Antigua

Our first stop would be Antigua. Promising me different colours other than the so-got-dull varied shades of blue.I was bored with the sea; I was bored of the sky. I was hoping for some adventure on land, the cabin boy Thomas had told me the last time they were here, the ship docked in the wrong place and the tribals had pretty much attacked the ship. It was but the marvellous shots of Captain Hitchkock, they receded back. Still the ship didn’t have the courage to remain docked there and had to move till the ship found some colonies of their own kind.

I, on this southern island, wanted to see the tribals, their black unclothed skin and I thought, if I could lash a few on them that would be fun. I didn’t know what devil they worshipped which gave them their black uniform but I was thankful to Christ, he took birth in our lands, giving us our fair, esteemed color. The Indians, I heard, had brown skins, that is why I feel we are conquering them as well.

As far as our voyage is concerned, the sun got hotter and longer as we headed more south. I developed a few patches around and was advised by my Captain to remain in the shades preferably under the linen sails. Days at certain points got so extreme, it was hard to keep any clothes on. The crew was quite adept, I had my difficult time. I was thoroughly helped by the cabin boy. He was quite eager to help. He was the youngest in the crew.

Ya, it was hot and humid at Antigua. They had pretty rich, tall trees lined in singles, no branches but with leaves long and drooping. Those trees had rougher and wheatier skin unlike the usual plain in layers type as we had with us back. The grasses grew typically long and the settlers had started calling it Savannah.

We had very different eating opportunities than we had either at home or in the ship, a lot of fruits, like quite a lot. Back home, we had mostly apples and grapes and their wonderful juices. Nothing of those here. Either it was a yellow peeled one, quite juicy and its interior similar in appearance to an apple but it had lines all over and tasted much more milkier and smoother. Or it was those huge balls of the size of a man’s face, with shades of green similar to the blue of the sky and the sea mixed. It still had some mystery, bloody red from inside with small tear shaped seeds. It was quite watery, chewy as well, just like an apple but more water. I thought that one of those and a man could go without any extra food or water for a day.

Seriously, I could never have imagined such different places could come up with such different produce.

We had to settle back at Antigua for a day more, the ship requiring some work. I got the opportunity to explore it even further. In the interiors of the settlement, I saw some tribals captured, in chains. They were being lashed and they were facing it silently, stupidly.On closer look their eyes seemed shallow, hands and legs thin, frail; a single layer of flesh over the chest weakened by work and diet but still living as if a duty to live. The settlers I felt had lost their fair color, grown a bit dark, only a bit, mostly due to the heavy sun. I could not understand how it was fun in this lashing even if we were told proudly about it back home.

I had this great curiosity to run across the island, to be able to see the tribals free and maybe their way of life. But this friend of mine, Thomas, the cabin boy was told to keep me in his strict company, not to run away anywhere the tribals were in abundance and their power lacking.

So, Antigua was gone. Wishes unfulfilled. But certainly different shades had I observed. Different plants with different fruits have their own regions to breed. Now, back to the dull vastness, I have this job to think whether just like all fruits same at heart, all plants, are we and are all these different colours white, black and brown essentially the same?