‘Oh yes he would, and that’s how he’ll do it.’ Teresa pointed at the rows of lifeboats tied to the deck.
The boys weren’t laughing any more.
‘Let’s go.’ The tall one tugged on the cardigans of the others and they hurried away.
Teresa smiled as she watched them leave. ‘I don’t think they’ll tease you again.’
Anna said nothing, as if this had happened many times before. Or maybe a few mean boys meant nothing compared to losing her family. She pulled the blanket further up to her chin and stared out to the blue waters of the ocean.
Teresa moved away and couldn’t help but think that even though Anna was curled up safely on a ship sailing to the other side of the world, she seemed lost at sea.
Dear George,
We’ve been sailing for over a week and so far the weather has been calm and sunny. The women and children sleep in the upper decks, which are cramped and noisy with crying babies at night, but poor Papa has to sleep below with the heat of the engines and a cabin full of snoring men. The toilets are smelly and I have to hold my nose whenever I use them. There’s lots of food, mostly pasta and potatoes, but it doesn’t taste very good, not compared to Nanna’s cooking.
Yesterday we arrived in Egypt. Our ship was surrounded by men in rowboats selling fruit, sweets and small carvings, which were all pulled up to the ship in baskets like water from a well. Local boys dived for coins that passengers threw into the water and they held their breath for whole minutes until they found them!
Everything was so much busier than in Malta. The streets were filled with people, honking cars and even camels. Papa bought grapes, which were like bursts of flavour in my mouth and he hired a horse and carriage to take us to the pyramids, the tombs of the Pharaohs. They were as big as mountains and we felt like ants standing next to them. But the main problem is, you’re not with me. It’s hard seeing all these new things and not sharing them with you. Mama says we’ll see each other again one day, which makes me feel better. I just wish I knew when.
I need to finish now so I can get this letter into the mailbag in time for the next port.
I learnt a new word, au revoir. It’s French and means ‘until we see each other again’.
I like that better than goodbye, so au revoir from your best friend,
Teresa xox
As Teresa folded the letter and licked the envelope, someone behind her spoke.
‘Thank you for saving me from those boys.’ It was Anna. Her voice was scratchy, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time. ‘You were right. They haven’t teased me again.’
‘I can be very persuasive,’ Teresa said proudly and made space on her deckchair. ‘Would you like to sit?’
Anna looked away, as if she suddenly thought it was a bad idea, but turned back and sat stiffly on the end of the chair. Teresa noticed Anna’s fingernails were bitten down so they were red and swollen and the skin on her hands was dry and cracked. Up close, she looked even thinner, and her hair fell in dull strands around her pale face.
‘Is it true?’ Anna asked. ‘About your papa being the captain?’
‘No, but he used to help build ships in Malta.’
Anna looked worried. ‘Can bad children really be left at sea?’
‘I doubt it,’ Teresa said. ‘Why, have you done something bad?’
Anna slumped forward as if she was weighed down by a terrible secret. ‘During the war I lived in the country with an old couple called the Blackmans. They said I was lazy and stupid and that I didn’t work hard enough.’
‘They made you work?’
‘I did all the housework and shovelled cow manure on to the vegetable garden. They made me cook mutton for them every night but I was only allowed to eat cabbage. Sometimes I’d gobble a small piece of their meat before I served them.’ She smiled at the memory. ‘They were the most delicious mouthfuls I’ve ever eaten.’ Anna shivered and her smile disappeared. ‘But one day Mr Blackman caught me. He threw me against the wall and whipped me with his belt. He called me a miserable thief and locked me in the barn for a week.’
‘That’s not fair. You were hungry because he didn’t give you enough to eat. He was the one who should have been locked in the barn, not you.’
Anna whispered as if she daren’t say it aloud. ‘He said I was going to hell for what I’d done.’
‘Well, that means we both are,’ Teresa said.
Anna frowned. ‘You too?’
‘I once stole a melon from a farmer who grew fat while everyone else was hungry.’
‘What happened?’
‘He had a gun and shot most of it out of my hands, but what was left tasted delicious. So I suppose we’re both thieves.’
‘So will we go to hell?’
‘Not a chance. My nanna said God turned a blind eye to what some people did to survive during the war, which means you and I are not going anywhere, except Australia.’
Anna’s shoulders seemed to relax for the first time. Teresa held out her hand. ‘My name’s Teresa.’
‘I’m Anna.’
‘It’s nice to meet you, Anna.’
Dear Nanna,
I miss you! I wanted to say that first so you’d know it’s the most important part of this letter.
George has promised to read my letters to you, which is very sweet, like you always said. I’m sure he has told you all about Egypt by now. When we left, we entered a long canal called the Suez with desert all around. That wasn’t very exciting and seemed to go on forever, but our next stop was Aden, a city surrounded by high mountains and even a volcano. We were ferried ashore in small boats. When I stood on the dock, it felt as if the ground was moving and Papa said that’s called sea legs. There were people and cars everywhere, but you also had to watch out for goats. They snatched food right out of people’s hands! Papa bought fruit called a banana. It was creamy and sweet and I was so excited when we were told there are plenty more in Australia.
I’ve made a new friend. Her name is Anna. Her parents died in the war in England. At first she wouldn’t talk to anyone, but each day she is getting better. She also wouldn’t leave the ship, but when she finally decided to come with us at the port of Colombo, she got lost in the crowded market. When we found her, she was shaking and crying because she thought she’d never see us again, just like her parents. Mama says it will take a long time for her to feel safe again.
Even during the worst bombings in Malta, I always felt safe when I was with you.
We’re at sea now and haven’t seen land for a week. They say this is the longest part of the voyage. It feels as if every day is the same and we’re never going to reach Australia. We had a Neptune Party when we crossed the Equator, which is an invisible line dividing the north of the world from the south. The crew have been trying to entertain us by organising fancy dress competitions and games where you have to run with an egg on a spoon. They also play music over the speakers and people dance on the deck until very late.
Nothing will ever make up for how much I miss you. (And you too, George.)
Your loving granddaughter,
Teresa xox
The captain warned everyone a monsoon was coming and ordered all the passengers to stay inside their cabins. He said he’d do his best to sail out of the storm, but that this one was going to be rough.
When it first hit, rain hammered against the ship and water flooded in through the portholes before people quickly bolted them shut. Books, toys and metal cups bounced across the floor. Passengers scrambled to secure everything that wasn’t tied down.
Then it got worse.
Furious squalls of wind and rain lashed the ship, tossing it on the waves like a toy boat. Thunder crashed and spears of lightning lit up the hot and steamy cabin. Flickering light-bulbs sent out a meagre, sickly light.
Anna latched on to Teresa’s arm. ‘Are we going to be okay?’
‘Of course! Papa says ships are built for storms like this.’ Teresa took a deep breath, trying to fight
the urge to be sick.
The ship rose again, but this time it felt different. The slow rise to the tip of the wave felt longer, as if it was climbing a mountain of water. Then it seemed to teeter for a brief moment before plunging forward in a sharp dive.
Women were thrown from their beds and several children thudded to the floor followed by wails of crying. Mothers stumbled to reach them and pull them onto their laps, checking for injuries or wiping bleeding knees.
‘My baby!’ The cry was panicked. ‘Where’s my Mary?’
The falling motion of the ship had snatched a baby from her mother’s arms, the small bundle flying through the air just as the lights flickered out.
‘Please help me find her!’
The older children and women scrambled on the floor in the darkness, holding onto the legs of beds to keep steady. The ship swayed and lurched and torches flared like a sea of lighthouses.
‘Why isn’t she crying?’ the mother sobbed. ‘Why is she so quiet?’
Passengers were shining lights under bunks and behind cabinets when a voice cried, ‘She’s here!’
Torch beams settled on Anna, who was crouching over a laundry bag filled with washing. Inside was a smiling baby waving her arms at all the fuss.
‘You must be Mary.’ Anna squatted beside the bag and scooped the child into her arms. ‘We’ve been looking for you.’ At that very moment, Mary reached out and wrapped her tiny fingers around Anna’s thumb and giggled.
The baby’s mother staggered towards them, clinging onto beds to steady herself. ‘Oh, my darling girl.’
Anna carefully handed the baby over and Mary gurgled as if nothing had happened while her mother held her close. ‘My beautiful baby.’
Women gathered around and Teresa’s mama checked baby Mary wasn’t injured while Anna made her way back to a grinning Teresa. ‘You’re a hero!’
But there was something wrong. Anna’s lip quivered and she began to cry. Teresa held her tight as the ship surged and fell.
‘What’s wrong? Are you hurt?’
Anna shook her head and sniffed. ‘Do you know why I’m travelling to Australia alone?’
Teresa nodded. ‘Rebecca told me you lost your parents in the Blitz.’
‘I also had a baby brother. His name was Edward. He was too young to be sent to the country during the war, so my mother kept him at home.’ Her voice was strained and weak. ‘He died too. When the Blackmans told me, they said I shouldn’t be sad. That Britain had too many mouths to feed and this way there’d be a few less to worry about. Every night I have the same dream. I’m holding Edward and running from the German planes. I hold him as tight as I can but he slips out of my arms. I try to find him but the bombs keep falling and I can’t save him.’
‘It’s not your fault,’ Teresa whispered.
‘It was my job to look after him when Ma was busy, and then I was sent away. Maybe if I’d been with him, he’d still be alive.’
Teresa held her friend closer. ‘If you’d been there, we would have lost you too.’
Anna nestled into Teresa’s arms. Her muffled crying could only just be heard under the raging storm.
The monsoon pounded against the ship all night, sending waves crashing onto the decks and hurling sheets of grey rain against the portholes. The damp crept into the cabin and sent a chill through the restless dreams of anyone who was able to sleep.
By morning, the worst was over. The ocean swell still sent the ship into dizzying climbs and falls, but the fury had passed. Some passengers braved the winds and drizzling rain to go on deck, but Anna woke with a fever.
‘I don’t feel so well.’ She curled into a ball on her bunk.
Teresa felt her forehead, as she’d seen her mama do so many times. ‘You feel hot. Stay in bed and I’ll bring you some breakfast.’
Anna shook her head and yawned. ‘I might just rest.’ She pulled the blanket to her chin and instantly fell asleep.
The dorm slowly emptied as the women and children left for breakfast. Teresa settled on her bunk, keeping watch over Anna, clutching Nanna’s crucifix and silently praying.
‘Mama, you have to come quick. Anna’s not well.’
Teresa’s mama had been sitting on deck with the other women.
‘She’s burning up and her sheets are soaking wet.’
They hurried to Anna’s bedside. Her face glistened with sweat and her teeth chattered. Mama felt her brow. ‘She has a fever. Maybe an infection. We need to get her out of these wet things.’
She lifted Anna out of bed while Teresa quickly changed the sheets. The two of them helped her into dry clothes and laid her carefully back on her bunk. Mama grabbed a towel and filled a mug and bowl with water.
‘Anna, you must drink so you don’t become dehydrated.’ She lifted Anna’s head while the girl took the smallest of sips. She opened the porthole above and handed Teresa the damp towel. ‘Wipe her face and skin with this. We need to keep her cool. I’ll fetch the doctor.’
Anna’s whole body shivered. Teresa dabbed her face and arms. She leant in and whispered. ‘I’m not going anywhere until you’re better. I promise.’
Dear Nanna,
Anna is really sick. She’s had a fever for days and hasn’t been able to eat. Mama and the ship’s doctor say there’s not much we can do but let her sleep and hope for it to break.
Sometimes she talks, but it’s hard to understand what she’s saying. One time she called out for Edward, her baby brother who died in the war. Mama hugged me for a very long time after that.
I think of when we nearly lost George in the bombing and how lucky it was that we didn’t. I wonder why some people died and others survived. Why did Anna’s family have to die, leaving her all alone? I know you want me to be brave and I’m trying to be, but if I was Anna, I’m not sure I could be as brave as her.
They say we’ll be in Australia any day now. Our first stop is Fremantle in Western Australia. Everyone is looking forward to it so much, but I won’t go on deck until Anna is better. It would feel wrong to have the first sighting of our new home without her.
I wear the cross you gave me every day and it helps to know you’re thinking of me. I love you, Nanna, and always will.
Teresa xox
Teresa could hear shouts and cries from the deck – the excited squeal of children, and adults calling for them to stand still so they could tie shoelaces or straighten their clothes.
‘Are you sure you won’t come?’ Mama sat beside her wearing her best dress and hat.
‘I have to be here when Anna wakes up.’
Her mama kissed her brow. ‘Your papa and I won’t be long. We’ll bring you both a special treat.’ She smiled proudly. ‘You’re a good friend and a wonderful nurse.’
The ship was strangely silent after everyone had gone. A sliver of sun sneaked through the window and shone on Anna’s blanket. At least the fever had broken and she was out of danger. Now they had to focus on making her well again.
‘I’m hungry.’ Anna opened her eyes. ‘And thirsty.’
Teresa reached for the mug of water. Her face flooded with a relieved smile. ‘Welcome back.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ve been sick for days with a terrible fever.’
‘I have?’ She only now noticed the empty cabin. ‘Where is everyone?’
Teresa grinned. ‘In Australia.’
‘We’re here?’
‘We arrived an hour ago.’
Anna tried to sit up.
‘You shouldn’t get out of bed yet – you haven’t eaten for days.’
‘What does it look like?’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen it.’
‘You’ve been here the whole time?’
‘You needed a nurse and, as it happens, I’m quite good at it.’
Anna pushed aside her blankets. ‘Let’s go and see our new home.’
‘All right, but you have to take it slowly.’
Anna gave a cheeky grin. ‘Yes, nur
se.’
Teresa helped Anna up on deck. The sun warmed their faces and made Teresa’s toes tingle. The sky sparkled a brilliant blue and a gentle breeze nudged their hair. A ‘welcome’ sign was strung across the port, behind which the girls could see the trees, houses and veranda-laced buildings of Fremantle.
Anna took a deep breath. ‘We’re in Australia. We made it.’
‘We were always going to make it.’
‘I wouldn’t have without you. After I was sent away from my family, no one ever stood up for me or looked after me when I was sick. I thought I’d never know what it was like to have a real family again, but then I met you.’
She looked at the bustling dock below with boxes and crates being unloaded and supplies being restocked for the trip to Sydney. ‘And now I’m ready for my new life.’
‘Me too.’ Teresa slipped her arm through Anna’s. ‘And I think we’re going to be just fine.’
Dear George,
We’re almost in Sydney. We’ve made it across the Great Australian Bight, which was as rough as we were warned it would be and then into Bass Strait, which was even worse. You couldn’t walk anywhere without swaying, but at least it wasn’t as bad as the monsoon.
Last night, immigration men from Melbourne held a meeting on the ship. They said we’d have more medical checks to make sure we hadn’t picked up any diseases from the ports. They also told us how to get to the different migrant hostels, but Papa has been speaking to someone on board who says he knows a place we can rent. He’s excited about getting our own home and not relying on the Australian Government. For weeks it hasn’t seemed real, but we’re almost at our new home and all I want is to be with you and Nanna, surrounded by everyone and everything I know. I’m scared, George. What if it’s all a terrible mistake?
I’ll write again soon,
Your friend,
Teresa xox
The coastline stretched away in never-ending craggy cliffs fringed with long beaches of golden sand. There were forests and waterfalls and dolphins swimming in the wash of the ship and all beneath a pristine, cloudless sky.
Teresa: A New Australian Page 5