Deckhand Sisters

“This… wasn’t really what I was expecting.”

Frankie sighed, propping herself up on her broom while her sister continued to sweep.

“No, me neither. But at least it’s easy.” Katie was busy daydreaming about the parks she’d visit once she was overseas.

“Yeah.” Frankie counted her blessings, looking down on the shining water below. “Least we don’t gotta interact with the guests.”

“They all looked so wealthy…”

“The way Hannigan put it, it sounds like this is a luxury cruise… you ever heard of this place before?”

“No, never.” She swept slowly and rhythmically, almost as if automatically. “Must not be from around the states.”

The sound of a door slamming open behind them made both the girls go into overdrive, sweeping like crazy. “Hey! Listen up, ye maggots!” Captain Hannigan appeared from a nearby cabin, yelling at them. “We’re short-staffed on lunch duty, some guy’s called in seasick! Ugh, pitiful.” She groaned. “Get in here, willya? And put on these uniforms!”

The girls hurried as they were pushed into a new occupation almost instantly. They’d been given waitress uniforms, as expensive and professional as they were boring and dehumanizing. Once they put them on, Frankie snapped a pic of the two of them wearing the things anyway, trying not to forget to text mom from now on.

“Here, hand these to table 5!” Hannigan jumped out at them again as soon as they’d left the washroom, handing each of them a tray of ludicrously expensive-looking food. “And from now on, you take orders from that guy!” She pointed at a kitchen staff member to their right, who was busy with a customer. “Step on it, double time!” She pushed them towards their destination, almost causing the food to topple over in the process. Regretting the change of scenery once again, Frankie dreaded every step she took towards the roundtable full of rich people.

“No, this is my second time. I went on the Jolly Red Lotus last month and was decently impressed… but I wanted to see what else the Wolf could do, y’know? So I went and tried another one… well, I don’t regret it.” The younger customer sipped his wine.

“I’m in the same boat- er, oh my.” The well-dressed lady giggled. “I’ve seen many of his parks and always been impressed, I can’t wait to see what the man does next. I wish my own husband was so tenacious.”

“You’re only here to begin with thanks to me. Put some more food in that mouth of yours and shut it up.” An older man beside her quite awfully droned like it was nothing.

“Who ordered the shrimp?” Katie interrupted the elite’s chatter, drawing their gazes. A second of silence was given.

Then laughter.

“They let children on this boat?” She cackled. “I knew he was aggressive, I didn’t know he used child labor!” Everyone else at the table found this statement very humorous.

“Hey, if you don’t even know the names of the dishes, don’t bother. Can we get a grown-up over here?” The younger man stood up. “Excuse me, are these girl’s parents nearby?”

The older man was still laughing. “Joey, you gotta sit down. You’ll make us look like a buncha fools.” A second wave of laughter was created. Frankie rolled her eyes and just started putting plates down wherever.

“That’s not what I ordered.” Said a second lady sitting beside the younger man. Frankie looked at her with an expression of uncaring annoyance.

“You didn’t tell me what you ordered. I don’t know what you want.”

“Is it the shrimp?” Katie continued to ask.

“Hey, maybe we oughta get a man to serve us?” Joey continued to joke, some of the other tables giving him an audience. “I’m just making suggestions here, I mean obviously something’s not working.” The crowd gave their amused reactions as the situation continued to blossom out of control. Eventually Frankie was too fed up to care and set down all her plates in the middle of the oversized table.

“Whaddya think you’re doing, blue hair?” The older man asked, flecking spittle on the girls. Katie grit her teeth seeing her sister be treated this way. Frankie just sighed.

“Dude, just eat your meal. Then you’ll shut up, right?”

She was surprised when the man’s partner gasped at her words. The tourist had never gotten such a good reaction before. It felt a little empowering.

“Why I oughta…”

She regretted it instantly when for the hundredth time in her life she’d managed to make an adult man angry enough to the point where he thought it had to come to blows. Pushing aside his chair and the wife trying to hold him down, he rolled up his sleeves…

“You thick old man. Just what do you think you’re doing?”

He was forced back in his seat, almost by gravity, when Captain Hannigan showed up to their rescue once again.

“S-Sorry Captain. It won’t happen again.” He still sneered at the sisters before sipping from his wine glass.

“Come with me.” She pulled the sisters out of the conflict, meeting them in the washroom.

“Thanks, Captain…” Frankie stood against the tile walls near the sink, next to her sister. “Ugh, those creeps… What was their problem…? We owe you one.”

“Excuse me? That was your fault, not theirs. I won’t have you insult one of our guests, that’s my job.”

“My fault?” Frankie shook. “Did you hear those assholes?”

“They were being awful!” Katie stood firmly on the side of her little sister. “We should’ve thrown that food right in their faces…”

“Damn right it was your fault! Tch. You pogues don’t understand. If ye’d done your job the right way, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Now that’s one more bad story floating around about my boss’ parks.”

“I don’t care about your boss, miss.” Frankie was fed up enough as is without the presence of another authority figure.

“If you care about getting off this ship alive, ye will. Now go back to your supervisor. We’ve got people coming in who’s orders need taking.”

Both waitresses watched dejectedly as their captain left the room.