It’s been 16 days since I landed in this hellhole of a time and the thing I miss most is my beard. Or perhaps it’s more that I miss not having to shave EVERY damn morning. The effort of having to get up early and make sure that I am freshly groomed so I don’t seem like some kind of vagabond is exhausting. Then, my feet touch the floor and as the ice cold shoots through to my joints I remember heating. Oh lord how I missed central heating as well.

I hear a loud thud at the door and the hoarse voice on the other side call out. “Breakfast is ready mister Beechem! No time fer dilly dallying the day away. Ye’ev got to get out there and find yerself a job t’day. That wife o’ mine has kept me from kickin ye our so far but my patience is wearin thin lad!”

“Yes sir mister Tullen, I’m coming!” I call back sleepily. I rush to throw some clothes on and join them at the small kitchen table where they eat their breakfast of a morning.

I slump down in the chair tiredly, not hiding my sullen demeanour very well. For the last 16 days I hoped against all odds that something would just happen, with no warning and no effort. Something that would take me back to where I belong, a time of creature comforts and beards and air conditioning.

“I’ve a proposition for you lad” Mrs Tullen says as she eyes me cautiously, obviously wondering whether this is really the right time to bring it up while I am in such a bleak mood.

“Mmph?” I muffle a questioned response back at her as my mouth starts to work on chewing the dense bread and butter portion of breakfast. Indicating that She should continue.

She does. “Well y’know Ye cannot stay here forever. And I was talking to mrs Dennings son from across the way, Ishmael. He’s a good sort and says he is a part of a whaling crew due to set sail tomorrow. Now it would be a room and food for a few months and when ye get back ye would have enough money fer proper boarding” she tells me.

I nod absently but inside the thought of whaling and being stuck on a ship for months makes me feel nauseous. But what else could I do? I had already tried the shopkeeper and labour jobs around the place but no one was hiring.

Begrudgingly I finish my breakfast. And pulling on my boots I head out the door. Time to get myself a job here in this time. Just for the time being until I figure out what to do next. I pull the piece of paper from my pocket with the ships name and captain written on it. Captain Ahab of the Pequod. The name sounds familiar but I can’t quite place it. Oh well, time to head to the port.