David, Wallis and the Mercenary Chapter Ninety

Previously: Mercenary Leon meets MI6 spies David, the Prince of Wales and socialite Wallis Spencer. David becomes king then abdicates to marry Wallis. He becomes Bahamas governor. Leon dies and his son Sidney becomes a mercenary. Sidney saves David in a riot. David hires him as his valet. Wallis kills Kiki, the girl with the silver syringe.
Several weeks passed before Sidney was able to make himself walk across the hills to the encampment where Jimbo lived. Guilt which had never been part of his personality made him ashamed of hurting his friend.
Did Jimbo know I was the one who kicked him? And if he did, would he hate me? Jimbo was a big foolish boy, and my father taught me to look down on foolish people.
Foolish or not, Jimbo had become a member of his family and Sidney had to fill the bellies of his family, even big, foolish bellies.
By the time Sidney walked over the hills, the sun shone down directly over his head. It was time for lunch so Sidney headed to the spot on the road where the old woman sold her soup. She was not there.
“She died,” a familiar voice behind Sidney mumbled. “Out of grief for the young men who died in the riot. Many of them ate her soup every day.”
It was Jimbo. Sidney tried not to smile too much when he turned to see his friend.
“That’s sad,” Sidney replied.
“I cried,” Jimbo confided, “and not just for the soup. She was a good old woman, and old people die sooner or later.” Tears welled in his eyes. “I cried for you.” He hugged Sidney. “You knew. You told me not to go but I ran ahead anyway. Stupid me. I’m so slow that one of the others practically ran over me, kicking me in the legs. Some old man got me home, but I didn’t see you, I thought they had killed you too.”
Relief washed over Sidney. Jimbo didn’t know the truth, and Sidney wasn’t going to tell him. Sometimes being honest can be foolish too. Sidney patted him on the back. “Let’s get out of here. It’s too dangerous for good boys like us.”
They walked back to Nassau and found good food on the docks. Sidney looked out on the water and saw Old Jinglepockets waiting for him on his fishing boat, just as he had promised he would in the morning. The boys walked to his boat.
“Jimbo, this is Jinglepockets. He taught me to fish.“ Sidney smiled at the old man. “Jinglepockets, this is my friend Jimbo. Do you think you can teach him to fish?”
Jinglepockets flashed a toothless grin. “I can teach anyone who wants to learn.”
“And I want to.” Jimbo smiled, showing he still had all his teeth.
On the boat ride to Eleuthera, Jinglepockets rambled on like an old storyteller.
“Old Joe taught me to fish, just as he taught Sidney’s father to fish. Someday, young man, you will teach a boy to fish. You’ll learn to love the sea. It’s a beautiful place. Beautiful for your soul. Don’t be afraid. Most fishermen grow old and die in their sleep.” He pointed to Sidney. “His grandfather got eaten by a shark but that’s mostly stuff of folk tales. What you really should be afraid of are men who are too quick to flash their money around. They’re much more likely to kill you than a shark.” He paused to test the wind and make adjustments in his sails. “Now what is your name?”
“Jimbo.”
The old man nodded. “Jinglepockets. Jimbo. They go together. That’s a good omen, ain’t it? Jimbo, you work hard and when I retire, you can buy my boat.”
Jimbo frowned. “Buy your boat?” He shook his head. ”I don’t think I’d ever have that much money.”
“Don’t worry.” Jinglepockets squinted as he saw Eleuthera appear on the horizon. “You’ll earn it.”
After tying up the boat, Sidney and Jimbo walked down the sandy lane. People along the way paused to wave.
“Your neighbors are awful friendly,” Jimbo observed.
“Yes, they are.” Sidney stopped at his wooden front gate to unlock it. “But they are not your friends. Don trust them.”
They entered the courtyard, and when Jimbo saw the two-story hacienda-style house his mouth fell open.
“This is where you live?”
“This is where we live.” He unlocked the front door. “I own it.”
Jimbo was speechless.
They entered the courtyard, and when Jimbo saw the two-story hacienda-style house his mouth fell open.
“This is where you live?”
“This is where we live.” He unlocked the front door. “I own it.”
Jimbo was speechless.
“I now work at the Governor’s Palace as the Duke’s valet, so I need you to take care of my house. I’ll keep up with my bank account and pay the bills and you will do repairs on the house as needed and make sure you keep the house the way it looks today. You are now a fisherman and a house manager. You’re a very successful young man, Jimbo.”
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Jimbo mumbled as he shuffled his feet. “After the riot and I didn’t see you and thought you was dead, I cried a lot. Gertie—she’s this girl that I grew up with—said she thought if somebody didn’t take care of me I was goin’ to drop dead. So we jumped the broom.”
Sidney frowned. “Jumped the broom? That’s what our grandparents did. You got to have a preacher marry you.”
“Um, the only religion we know anything about is Obeah and the high priestess died not long ago.”
“Yes, Pooka. She was an idiot. And Obeah is foolishness.” Sidney’s voice was stern. “There’s an Anglican church for native Bahamians down the road. I’m a member of the church so you and Gertie can get married there.” He smiled. “I’ll give you away. I mean, I’ll give Gertie away. Hell, I’ll give both of you away.”
“Then you don’t mind?”
“It’s the best thing for you.” Sidney paused. “Do you love her?”
“I always thought of her as a good friend until she wiped the tears from my eyes, and then I knew what love was. And it was Gertie.”
“Good. Now I have a housekeeper.” He stared at Jimbo. “She does know how to clean house and cook, doesn’t she?”
“Look at me. You’ve never seen me in clean clothes before, have you? She won’t let me out of our tent until it’s all straight. And she was about to take over the old woman’s spot on the road selling her own soup.”
“Good. We’ll go back today to bring her to Eleuthera,” Sidney said like a boss making a business deal. “But first I want to take you upstairs.”
They walked up, and Sidney opened the first door. “This is where my parents slept. Now you and Gertie will sleep here. It will be your private domain. Never let me enter unless I knock first.”
“Yes sir.” The respect in Jimbo’s voice came naturally.
Sidney guided him down the hall to his door which he didn’t open.
“This is my bedroom. It is where I have slept since I was a baby.” He paused to let the importance of his statement sink in. “Never enter this room. Never knock at the door. Never call for me to come out. If you hear my door open in the middle of the night do not check to see who it is. If you happen to see someone leave in the morning, forget what you saw immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Go downstairs and wait in the courtyard,” Sidney continued. “I have things I have to remove from my father’s closet and take to my room. Do not ask what these things are.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If I discover you or Gertie have entered my room, our friendship will end, and you will no longer be a member of my family. You will be my enemy. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Explain this to Gertie. My room is the only room she is not to clean. I will clean it myself. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. And Gertie is much better at following rules than me.”
Sidney smiled. “Good. Then we will be all members of the same family, and our bellies will always be full.”

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