Key West. Clues and Cues

A mid-level low is currently spinning over the Florida Peninsula and interacting with a surface front to bring locally heavy rain to the Florida Keys. A mid-level high in this Captain and The Kid has us spinning in anticipation for our arrival in Key West and interacting with the locally heavy gathering of travelers, escapists, and local Conchs.
Mile Marker zero. In 1982 Key West seceded from the U.S.A. War was declared, no shots were fired, but the long siege did include shots. Immediate surrender followed, and the request to the U.S for 1 billion dollars in foreign aid and war relief to rebuild the newly establish Conch Republic was made. So far the aid has not come, but this Republic is thriving these many years later. Passports are not required, but are encouraged.
Key West is all about escapism. Its encouraged, sung about, written about, lived day by day in this southernmost point. This will be a good stopover. Who knows maybe Charlie and Spike will show up.
The Kid thinks this may be the clue to where our pirate friend has disappeared to, either willingly, or by being shanghaied. My only hope is that there will not be too many wooden pirates around town to make our search more difficult. Our friend doesn't say much, so we will have to find him by some effort on our part.
With great concern for being thorough in our search we went into Captain Tony's to get out of the heat and cool our core temperature by liquid infusion. We had been here before.
Some years back during a touristy run by some 'Northerners' I headed over to Bo’s Fish Wagon for a fish po boy while The Kid stayed at Captain Tony's. When I get back The Kid is hustling pool. The Kid knows better than to hustle locals, so it has to be tourists. I'm thinking money is tight and it looks like The Kid just handed $5 to the guy in the Hog's Breath t-shirt. The balls are racked, words are exchanged and Hog's Breath breaks, but nothing falls. The Kid chalks up and with some pretty sloppy shooting edges out the tourist. Hog's Breath hands The Kid a 20 and more words are exchanged. Balls are racked, The Kid breaks and runs the table this time. Hog's Breath crosses his arms, which are steelworker big arms, holds another 20 between his big steelworker thumb and finger, and stares a dare stare at The Kid.
This is about the time most of us would trade escapism for escape route. With great concern for what may develop this Captain ordered a rum with just a spritz of coke and sat back to see how The Kid would do facing a Great Lakes steel working tourist who had just realized he had been hustled and his hard earned money for his late night fun was about to walk out the door.
The Kid slipped the 20 from between the thick, muscular fingers and said, "Tell ya what, drinks are on me and you keep the change." We sat through two drinks each, swapped stories about days at sea, urban legends from Key West to the Caribbean and then let him escape into great feats about his life in Buffalo; then Hog's Breath the steelworker left happy with $5 and stories to tell back home.
Today we didn't shoot pool. Today we watched the rain lighten up and then pour down again. Some tourists stopped in, but mostly locals hanged out and we talked about food, and historical legends who had once made this town their home. No one brought up if so and so sold out and ruined being part of the escape that we all had come to enjoy.
Later we would ask about our friend. He may be in town. I head someone say something about a midnight sail, or sailor, or something like that.

The Captain and The Kid