Where all the dreams drown

Martin used to wake up when the roosters started to crow, early at the dawn, he needed to help his sick mother that was laying in the bed. His daily tasks consisted of watching the livestock, chopping firewood and taking water at the bottom, after completing them, the boy borrowed books with the priest that taught him how to read.

Martin got a taste for reading, out of a desire to learn more about the world, from his grandfather, one of the first western sailors that arrived at the eastern shores and one of the few that made back home. Simon, the elder, only told the stories of his journeys to his grandson, because, for most people, a country bumpkin like Simon couldn’t even cross the local river, imagine the great ocean. Even though he actually did it, where is all the wealth?

The grandfather only stayed with the boy during his childhood, he was already too old and frail. When Martin’s mother, Lucy, finally passed away due to her illness, he was already a teenager with a heart full of passions and dreams. Martin was infatuated with the tales of heroes of the past, he imagined the sumptuous palaces of foreign rulers, their mighty armies with shining armors, their gardens, their treasures and their mistresses. However all he saw were cows, chicken, wheat fields, people with poor clothes, victims of plagues and famines. How a boy that grew up hearing such magnificent stories could ever get used to his surroundings? Most boys of his age regarded him as an eccentric loner that only existed to nurse his mother after his father left her.

Lucy’s death was more shocking than the grandparent’s, because she was his only object of affection, the only thing that attached his ethereal soul to the immediate life. After she was gone, Martin didn’t know what to do, the one he loved the most, that always encouraged his fantasies, even though most people despised them, just departed. One night Martin had a dream about stunning ships breaking the waves and decided for the first time to move to the costal city. He still need money to pay the transportation on a donkey’s back, so the boy decided to work at a tavern nearby.

When serving the drinks, Martin heard from drunken sailors about a new fleet that would depart next month to Japan. He was particularly curious about this land, because his grandfather didn’t possess lots of info, all Martin could remember were the leather armors, the swords, the temples and the fact some lords were stockpiling gunpowder for a huge war. When Martin finally got the money he moved to a large costal city and was shocked by the crowds, the church towers that seemed to pierce the clouds, the large walls and noble estates, but what caught his attention the most were the ship’s sails shading most of the harbor.

He quickly approached a sailor that watched the flag ship, asked to join the crew, but was turned down, they only needed experienced men. However, the boy wouldn’t give in, the night after the departure moment, Martin sneaked at the ship’s hold like a mice. The ship finally sailed and when Martin woke up he was already a few miles away from the shore. At the hold he couldn’t see the endless sea, only hear the sailor’s singing followed by waves, eating the supplies like a rodent, the boy never felt so disappointed. Sometimes he left the hold to look around, but all he saw was wood engulfed by darkness, the journey was longer than expected and extremely unexciting.

One day he heard the captain discussing with his officers that they maybe following the wrong route, the trip seemed longer than expected, the stars were different and the wind pattern was unusual. The leader urged the crew to change the course of the ships as soon as possible, but most experienced sailors knew it was too late. A few weeks later, that Martin thought were like months, Martin overheard sailors praying, crying and sharing stories about monsters and demons awaiting them right ahead. The story that stroke most fear and was more discussed was about the Nu’s Abyss at the end of the world, after crossing it they would no longer be human. Martin regarded this as another stupid superstition that arises from despair.

One day, the boy woke up with thunders, he thought was just another storm, but the ship was easily dragged by powerful winds and gargantuan waves right to the so feared abyss. All sailors screaming and praying like never before, Martin finally surrendered to despair. Soon the ship felt, was heavily damaged, many sailor felt in to the sea, water trespassed the hull and the deck was flooded. Martin, now underwater, was holding his breath, clinging to wreckage, trying to swim, but soon he was out of stamina and everything was painted black. The boy thought only about wonders, but was pathetically drowning, together with all the others, that probably had a family and a place to return, together with all his dreams.