"Come on, Lizza," Nat said one afternoon after he got back from school, "I'm going to show you a new ship. She's The Freedom."
Lizza went with Nat to Salem's harbor to see a large ship. Large men were loading the ship with boxes and materials.
"Is she a privateer?" Lizza asked, "She's carrying cargo." Then she saw the guns being loaded on deck.
"She's a letter of marque ship," Nat explained, "she carries cargo, but can fight if she has to. Hab's signed up to be on the crew."
Lizza's eyes widened. "Does Mother know? And Father?"
"Sure, they all know, they understand it. Our family comes from a long line of ship captains. Plus, Hab's big for his age."
Lizza frowned. "Isn't Granny going to be worried? Anyways, she doesn't like the ocean. She says it's too big and cold for her."
Nat smiled a sad smile. "Hab can handle himself."
What was that supposed to mean? Nat can't possibly think of leaving her always worrying about Hab, if Hab could get back home safely. Nevertheless, Lizza kept quiet.
"Will you choose the same path as Hab, Nat?" Lizza asked.
"I don't know, Lizza. I think I'd mighty rather go to Harvard and get a good schooling."
Lizza decided to change the subject.
"Nat," she said, "you're growing as well."
Nat puffed up his chest proudly. "Yup! Soon I'll be bigger than my winter coat."
Then he frowned. "Did Hab get cold when he grew out of his coat?"
"Plenty cold, I suppose." Lizza said lightheartedly.
"Then why when all the other boys ask Hab if he were cold, he said, 'I'm not cold. Only sissies need winter coats.'"
"Well, Nat, Hab always said that boys don't blubber. If something hurts, you say it doesn't. I never understood you boys." Lizza replied, shrugging.
Nat said nothing and looked up at The Freedom's tall mast, silently taking in her magnificence.
"Beautiful, isn't she." Nat finally spoke up.
"Yes, beautiful, indeed." Lizza replied.
A few mornings after that day when she awakened, Hab had left. He had left a note for Lizza, however:
Dear Nat and Lizza,
It's foggy tonight, so we're going to sail. Lizza, once I come back to Salem, I promise to have something for you. Nat, you're the oldest boy now. Remember, boys don't blubber.
Yours Sincerely,
Hab
Life after that was typical for people living in Salem. Lizza continued to help around the house, learning how to crochet. Mother gave birth to two baby girls, each two months apart, and named them Hope and Laura. After that, things began to change.
A few years after the babies' birth, Father got very sick and died, leaving Nat the oldest boy house. After Father's death, Mother became very quiet and rarely came out to eat.
Nat eventually was sent to be indentured to help the family's income.
A few years after Hab went to sea, Hab was reported to be shot and killed by French ships. Granny became depressed and kept saying over and over, "This is why I don't like the ocean. It's too big and too cold."
Baby Sammy sadly died of Pneumonia the year later. Nat came back unharmed and went to finish his schooling at Harvard, graduated, left the family, married, and disappeared to have his own life. Granny passed the year after that.
All that was left of the once big family, consisting of Father, Mother, Granny, Lizza, Hab, Nat, Baby Sammy, Baby Hope, and Baby Laura, has reduced down to just Mother, Lizza, Baby Hope, and Baby Laura.
"What shall we do now?" Lizza said at supper one night, picking at her food. "We have no money, and our food is growing scarce."
Mother sighed at looked at her plate. It was barely some bread and some soup, but more then they had had all winter. "Let me think, Lizza."
Lizza decided to think as well. After a while of thinking, Mother finally spoke up. "How about this, Lizza. Many of the families are heading westward. Maybe we shall head westward towards the prairies and sail by ash breeze."
Sail by ash breeze? Lizza had never heard of such a saying. She asked Mother, "How do you sail by ash breeze?"
Mother smiled and looked up at her. "When a ship is becalmed, with the wind died down, the and she cannot move, the sailors will sometimes pick up their oars and row. So when you get ahead by your own get-up-and-get, that's called sailing by ash breeze."
Lizza wondered how it would feel to sail by ash breeze. Maybe, someday, she would find out. Before then, she could only wonder about the adventure she was about to take part in.
Lizza went to bed that night excited. Excited to have something to be a part of. Excited to get up and get. Excited to go on an adventure. And most of all, excited to sail by ash breeze.
Comments (0)
See all