by BJ Mayo
She smiled as she recalled her biscuit, and how she gave her daily portion to the chickens. She could feel her heart picking up speed. Her eyes started to well up with tears. After a few moments, she wiped away her tears and turned away.
She planned to be over the wall and to the small boat at the guard change. She quickly pulled the pillowcase off of her pillow and packed two dresses and the extra pair of sandals she had been given. She packed nearly everything she had and tied the end in a knot.
She went to the door of her room, pausing, and turned around one last time. How far she had come up in the world, from sleeping in a thatch hut to a warm room on a nice bed. The warm baths and the mirror in her room where she could look at herself dressed in her pretty dress. Even though she had no idea of what lay ahead on her journey, she was not afraid. “Jesus Man gave me a place to sleep and eat, and he gave me Margaret while I was here. He will give me what I need,” she said to herself. If it was frogs, she hoped they were good ones.
The dusk of the evening was casting shadows in the compound. It was always Jackaleena’s favorite time of the day. But this day was like no other. The only way she knew she might get to Amerika was on the big white boat offshore. The only way to get to the big white boat was in the smaller boat that carried the doctors. She hoped there was a place to hide in the small boat.
She crept in the shadows of the trees, careful not to be seen. She could see the doctors and nurses getting all of their bags in one group and shaking hands with all of the adults in the compound. Time was short.
As soon as the guards came off of the wall, she knew she had a very short time to get up the ladder and over the wall. She thought she could throw her bag down first and jump down carefully. The large tree on the southwest corner of the compound hid her well in its shadow. She could see the man coming down the ladder and his replacement talking with the doctors. He made his way down and headed toward the group. She was lucky his replacement was not waiting at the end of the stairs.
She looked at the other guard posts, and they were empty as well. Quickly she climbed up the ladder and to the guard perch. She peered over the edge to the ground. It looked much higher looking down than it did looking up.
She dropped her bag over the edge. It landed with a soft thump. She crawled over the edge and hung by her hands for a short time before dropping to the ground, bending her knees on impact. She did not feel anything break and gathered the bag over her shoulder and made her way to the boat anchored at the beach. She could hear the front gates opening and fear overtook her. They are coming now.
She ran to the boat as fast as she could. It was out in the water. She splashed through the water until she reached the side of the boat. She threw her bag over the side and began to pull herself up and into the boat. It was bigger than she thought. Even though she was strong, it was hard to pull her body up and over the sides of the vessel. Her legs kept going under the boat. With all of her strength, she finally pulled herself up and rested on her elbows to catch her breath. With one final effort, she threw one knee up and pulled herself in.
She was breathing heavily, lying on the deck of the boat. She could hear the group coming from the compound, talking among themselves as they headed towards the boat.
She surveyed the inside of the boat. Each side had a latched compartment eight feet long. She pushed the button on the latch and pulled the door upward. Inside were lifejackets. She shut the door quietly and then opened the one on the other side. It had a small inflatable raft folded neatly in one end. There was room for her.
She stuffed her bag into the front of the compartment and crawled in, closing the door as quietly as possible. She could hear the group as they neared the shore, and could hear the captain talking to them.
“Okay, folks, I will load your bags and instruments first, and then we will board the nurses. When we get them on board, all of the doctors will go last. Please hold onto the stepladder handrail when I get it into the water. Also, please do not dally. There are sharks in the area. No splashing if possible.”
Jackaleena barely breathed as she lay inside the compartment. She hoped they would not use the compartment. If they opened it, they would surely see her. She got as close to the wall of the boat as she could and away from the compartment door. They would have to lift it up if they opened it and might not see her.
She listened as the captain lowered a ladder. He picked it up off of the floor, pivoted it over the side of the boat, and lowered it gently into the water. He climbed down and proceeded to retrieve the bags. She heard him place six bags in the boat before calling for the nurses to come aboard.
Jackaleena heard him sit the bags three on each side. It sounded like he placed them in front of each of the storage compartments, or close to them. She breathed a sigh of relief, that he might not open the compartment in which she was hiding. Maybe the bags would hide the unlatched latch.
The captain helped each of the four nurses as they ascended the ladder. “That’s good, ladies. Very well done. Please take a seat, two on each side. We have to make sure our weight is evenly distributed. Okay, doctors, please proceed to the ladder. I know you do not want me holding your hands, but you do not get the opportunity to say no,” he laughed. “Now, give me your sweet little delicate paws and I will help you aboard.”
When everyone was seated, the captain pulled the ladder back into the boat and proceeded to pull up the small anchor. She could hear him as he began to back-row the paddles a short distance.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, remember what I say each time we do this, the lifejackets are in that compartment there. If I tell you to put them on, you will grab them quickly and don them, and you will do it quickly, understand? I don’t mean a few minutes, I mean now. If I tell you we need to activate the life raft, you will pull it out from that compartment and place it over the side, and then we will activate the cartridge that inflates it. Everyone understand? I know it is a short distance to the ship, but safety is first, ladies and gentlemen. If I don’t keep you safe, you may not be able to return home, for which I would be to blame.”
With his captain’s hat and his burly white beard and mustache, surely he had sailed the mighty seas and was still alive to tell about it. Maybe he could get them back to the boat, as he had done getting them to shore and back every leg of their trip.
As always, his bravado turned to a smile, and with his familiar reproach he said, “Aye, me lads and lasses, let us go to yonder ship and sleep under the stars without fear of pillage and plunder. Aye?”
And their usual response: “Aye-aye, Captain!”
Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Aye-aye,” he said.
After he oared them a ways, he turned around to address the engine. Choking the engine, he fired it up, gray gasoline-filled smoke filling the air. Slowly pushing the choke in, the engine leaned out nicely. Kicking in gear, they began to make their way to the mothership, on still but deep waters.
The spotlight on the Mercy Ship had been activated and was sweeping the shoreline until they picked up the boat.
“Folks, we have good water tonight. Pretty flat and maybe no one will get their stomachs upset. Here we go.”
The short trip to the boat took ten or fifteen minutes as the captain slowly moved the boat along with the powerful spotlight leading them in. When they came alongside the anchored vessel, the captain kicked the engine into neutral. The ship crane operator had already begun to lower the boat rigging in front of them. Careful on the descending speed, he timed it where it was nearly to its destination before the boat came alongside. “Okay, Captain, pull your boat up even with the rigging,” he said through his bullhorn.
“Heads up, everyone, please. Heads up.” The captain pulled under the four-point rigging with a clevis dangling off each end of each cable.
“Okay, Captain, latch the clevises to each corner of your boat when you are ready. Make sure everyone holds onto the edge of the boat and stays seated exactly wh
ere they are. Even load distribution is a must.”
The crane operator surveyed the position of each passenger and bag as the spotlight held steady on the craft. The captain proceeded to latch each clevis and secured them with their bolts. After he tightened each one of the bolts with a small wrench, he motioned the crane operator to put tension on the loading cable. As he took the slack out of the cable, the boat moved a little in the water.
“Easy, folks, this is a piece of cake,” said the captain. “Sit tight and they will lift us up and over. Everyone ready, here we go.”
He motioned the crane operator to bring the boat up. Slowly and steadily the boat cleared water and ever so slowly began to move upward.
In five minutes, it was over. The boom on top of the deck was pivoted ever so slowly until the boat was clearly inside the rails and lowered into its cradle. Once the clevises were removed by the crane operator and a deckhand, the passengers were allowed to step out of the boat. “Good job, boys and girls,” said the captain. “Aye? How about we head to America?”
The passengers gave a hearty “Hear, hear.” The night and day voyage would entail about twenty days to port in normal seas. They were all bone tired after thirty days of shore calls and countless shots and body checks. It was extremely rewarding, with mostly gladness but some sadness involved. Some they could not help or simply refused to be helped. They saw the hurt, the utter helplessness in the eyes of some children and certainly the adults that could not do for the children.
How bright the land of America is. Most of them said, “I will kiss the ground when we get there.”
Jackaleena lay quietly in the compartment.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jackaleena’s legs began to cramp after lying motionless on the trip from shore. She dared not move as she heard someone approaching the boat. She could not tell how dark it was outside, only that it was very dark in her hiding place. Her wet legs had dried somewhat, but her sandals were still wet from the ocean water.
Someone threw something over the boat. She could hear them pulling it on top of the boat, possibly positioning it in place.
She heard the sound of a cord or rope being lashed to the boat. She lay breathless as each sash was pulled tight and secured. Finally secure, the worker made his way away from the boat.
After his footsteps faded, Jackaleena began to breathe normally. Slowly and gently she pushed against the door of the compartment. Surprisingly, it opened without much noise. She could see nothing when she peeked outside the cracked door. Her water maker was starting to really hurt, as she had not relieved herself since the early part of the day. She certainly could do so in the boat, but chose to hold on for now. Slowly she made her way out of the compartment after propping her sack under the door. Once she was outside of the compartment, she left her bag in place, holding the door in the event she needed to get inside again quickly. She reached up and felt the canvas boat cover and its rough texture. She pushed up on it, quietly testing its strength. It would be easy to poke a hole in and tear if she could feel around for something in the bottom of the boat. However, if she tore the top of the cover, surely she would be noticed.
Lying there, looking up into the darkness, she remembered that the man tying the lashings had tied only four, two on each side. She slowly made her way up the side of the boat to the edge. Pushing the canvas upward, she moved her fingers up and the canvas separated from the boat. She could see lights on the wall of the big ship. They were dull, but still hurt her eyes.
Allowing her eyes to adjust, she could see white walls of steel and a doorway with a light on either side of it. The door was closed. All of the people must be inside the door. Jackaleena pushed on the border of the canvas, which felt thicker than the top. Pushing upward, she was able to move it enough to get her hand and arm outside and on top of the canvas. Slowly she made her way, feeling along the top to the lashing.
It began to get very tight, the closer she came to it. She could feel the rope lashing as it zigzagged back and forth to two prongs. The canvas cover was tight enough at the lash point, and it began to cut off her circulation in her hand. With her hand growing numb, she pulled her arm back inside. With circulation restored, her hand began to burn as the blood flowed normally to her fingers. Feeling along the bottom of the boat, she found only a clean boat.
She made her way to the back of the boat, where the captain sat as they made the journey from shore to ship. Feeling along the cushioned box he sat on, she found that the cushioned board lifted. It was some type of container, with a cushioned lid on top. Slowly she moved the cushion aside and worked her fingers downward.
The sea rations she encountered were neatly stacked in rows. Not knowing what they were, she removed four of them, careful not to drop them on the floor of the boat. They were each as big as her hand. She could feel the pull tab on the top of each can, but did not know exactly what they were. Carefully stacking them on top of each other, they naturally stayed in alignment, due to the lip ridge around the top of each can.
Quietly she placed her hand under the canvas and peeked out to see the lighted area as quiet as it was before. Carefully pushing the canvas up, she was able to slide the stacked cans slowly on the edge of flat boat rail toward the tied lashing. The closer she got to the lashing, the tighter it became. When she was a short distance away, she could move the cans no further. This time, she could easily place her arm outside the canvas and feel the lashing slipknot. Exploring the slipknot, she could feel one piece of the cord sticking out by itself.
Grabbing the single piece, Jackaleena pulled gently on the cord. It did not move at first. Applying all of her strength, it began to move slowly and came free.
She pulled her hand back inside and listened intently for a while. Maybe once she unwrapped the lashing, she would be able to place her sack outside the boat and onto the floor of the ship. Once she got outside, then where was she going to go and not be seen? The first thing she would do was find a place to hide and relieve her water maker.
Feeling like she was hiding in the jungle and about to make her presence known, she moved slowly and cautiously. Slipping her arm outside the canvas, she made her way up to the stacked cans and the lashing. Grabbing the loose cord, she began to unwind the lashing from the prongs. After she had moved the cord back and forth three to four times, it came free. Immediately she grabbed the four cans and held them down so they did not fall. Then, carefully reaching up with her other hand, she lifted them off the rail and to the floor of the boat. Making her way back to the captain’s sitting box, she placed the cans back into the exact spot where they were removed from. Quietly, she placed the cushioned seat board back on top of the box and crawled to her sack.
Gently holding the door with one hand, she pulled her sack out and slowly lowered the door back into its closed position. Gently pulling the door latch closed, she gathered her thoughts one last time before exiting the boat. If she was caught, they might take her back. She could feel the mighty ship moving through the sea. Maybe if she was caught, they would not want to turn the ship around to take a girl back to Benguela by the Sea. Maybe she should relieve her water maker and then crawl back into the small boat. What if they made another stop and had to use the boat again? She would be trapped in the same compartment she had just come out of. That did not seem like a position she wanted to be caught in.
No, she must get out of the boat, find a place to hide, maybe something to eat and drink, and not be seen. Surely there was such a place on this mighty ship where one girl could hide. She was not so sure about the food and water to drink.
Before she lifted the canvas, she paused. “Jesus Man, this is Jackaleena. I am going to Amerika on this ship to see what my purpose is. I do not have any water to drink or food to eat. I do not know how long it will take to get to Amerika. I ask you to help me to get to my purpose.”
She thought about Margaret’s prayers she overheard, and feeding the chickens a portion of her food. She thought about the boy soldier
s and the roosters flying over the walls, and the snake that bit the man on the neck.
Smiling to herself, she grabbed her sack. Pushing the canvas up, she gently placed it on the floor of the ship. She prepared to slide one leg out first.
“What have we here?” a low voice asked.
Jackaleena pulled her leg back in and froze.
“Well, it must not be a bird, because I saw a leg with a sandal on the end of a foot.” His voice nearly sounded like music when he spoke. “Now, I wonder what type of person is on the other end of that shoe and leg? Is it a boy? Is it a girl?” He laughed. “Maybe it is my imagination?
“You must come out now. I will not hurt you. And if I was guessing, you may be a little hungry and possibly a little thirsty. Come, now, let me see who and what you are. There is no one else here but me.”
Jackaleena lifted the canvas cover. She could see his legs. Looking up, she saw a large man with some type of hat on his head. He was pushing a cart with rubber wheels. Even with her keen hearing, she did not hear him approach. Perhaps she did not notice him approach while she was preoccupied with placing the cans back in the captain’s seat box. All of that did not matter now, he knew she was here.
“Well now, if it isn’t a girl. Come out and let me look at you. Let us see what the night has brought us.”
Jackaleena slowly worked her way out of the boat and looked up at the mighty man. He was as big as a mountain. He held out his hands, bigger than leopard paws. He smiled gently and laughed as he looked her over. “I have been expecting you.”
Jackaleena looked with great surprise when he said that. “You see, the captain of the boat you just got out of told me that there was a little stowaway. He saw water on the floor of the boat when he reached in to get the ladder for the folks to climb in. He looked at the compartment you were hiding in and saw the latch unlatched. Not only that, he saw you run toward the boat. But do not worry, little one. He has only told me. I am Rufoldo Obediah. You can call me Rufus. May I ask what your name is?”