An Interview with Mad Mary!

My Dearest Lucy,

I have decided to introduce you to the “regulars” in the village, by conducting a series of interviews so that you might become better acquainted with those you might encounter when you visit Dry Bluffs this summer! I hope to interview as many of the resident pirates and villagers as I can manage to track down!

The first interview I had was with Mad Mary, whose artwork you have previously received. I must say that this was a most challenging interview, as Mary does not seem to think as most do. Nevertheless, I hope that my account of the interaction will tell you all you need to know! I trust you will forgive me for some slight editing of our encounter, which was circular and full of topic changes, punctuated by no fewer than 3 episodes where I had to physically chase after Mary in order to continue!

Anthea:  Mary, can you tell me a little about yourself, how you came to this village?

Mary: I am Mad Mary Teach! Blackbeard is my Daddy! My Mommy is a princess, and my sisters are stupid! I am the best at steering!

Anthea: Mary, is it true that you steered Captain Dampier’s ship into the rocks?

Mary:  Hee Hee!  (There was an extended giggle, followed by a skip around the village until I caught up with her and could continue with the interview)

Anthea: Mary, why did you choose to be a pirate?

Mary: I'm a really good pirate! I've got a hat and boots and I'm the best at steering and I'm not allowed to have a sword because of what happened last time but look there's little skullies on my bodice and they're cute and I love them and their names are Francis, Ronald and Peter and they're shiny and they have sparkly eyes and My Daddy is a pirate!

(At this, Mary spent three minutes trying to look at the skulls on her back, fell down twice, and then decided she needed to go and find her Father, Blackbeard, and I was forced to chase her for some time before she got tired enough for me to ask a few more questions!)

Photo by Sharon McGuire

                                               

Anthea: Mary, some people in the village call you Mad Mary – do you have any other nick names?

Mary:  My name's not Nick, it's Mary! I'm Mary. How are you?

Anthea: I’m very well, Mary, Thank you for asking. What is the nicest thing someone has said about you?

Mary: My Daddy said it’s a good thing I’m pretty!

Anthea: That was very diplomatic of him! Mary, what is the strangest thing that has ever happened to you?

Mary: One time I swallowed a fly, and I thought I would die, so I swallowed a spider..

Anthea: Oh dear! Mary, what was your favourite thing that happened to you on a festival day?

Mary: I made a friend! He was a bug!

(Mary decided at this point that she needed to make another friend, and went searching for more bugs. I tried to explain that it was winter, and that bugs were hard to find, but Mary got very close to a tantrum, and so I was forced to help her look for a bug. Thankfully, we found a pretty rock instead, which Mary decided to adopt. )

Anthea: Mary, thank you for talking to me today! Is there anything else you would like to add?

Mary: I love you! (This may have been to her rock, but I chose to think it applied also to me!)

Anthea: Thank you Mary, I love you too! Take good care of your rock!

As you can see, Dearest Lucy, Mary is quite an individual. She is generally harmless, so long as you agree with her. Her Father’s reputation keeps most mischief makers at bay, for Blackbeard will suffer no harm to come to his Daughters, and in fact many of the pirates see Mary as some sort of mascot.

I am looking forward to introducing you to her in August!  

Affectionately, Anthea