by BJ Mayo
He held her for the longest time. She put her arms around him as far as she could go and held him tightly. She could feel his great muscles in his arms and chest. Unlike some of the smaller men in her village, Rufus was the fierce picture of a strong and gentle man.
“There, now. Everything is going to be just fine, little girl.” He kissed her on the forehead and tapped her gently on the head. “You rest now, and I will see you when the moon is up in the sky. Be ready, you hear? Be ready. Rufus will come tap-tap-tapping.” He smiled as he walked out the door. Jackaleena smiled as she quietly latched it.
She lay on the bed, trying to sleep. Her mind would not shut down long enough for her to drift off, especially in the daytime. She knew it would be a long ride to Amerika, but here she was. She felt a calm easiness about her and felt somehow free of worry. It was just a little lonely, sitting in the room, waiting for the nighttime for Rufus to come around.
Rufus made his normal daytime rounds on the ship, picking up towels in his basket during early daylight hours. He would dump the used towels and linens out of mesh bags left hanging on folks’ door handles. Then he would hang the empty bags back on the door handles, repeating the exercise in the evening. The below-deck laundry crew was made up mostly of folks from Thailand. Working in the “hole,” or the gut of the ship, was excruciating work. The man heading up the whole operation was simply called Mr. Royal. Under his leadership, the entire ship and its occupants were fed three times a day, linens and laundry were washed, and the ship was kept spotlessly clean. They were in charge of the ship water makers, boilers, and propulsion system. There were never complaints. The only cabin they did not clean was the one Jackaleena occupied. It was simply never used because of its unique position in the ship.
Rufus continued to pick up Jackaleena nightly, just as the sun went down every day. He always had a few towels already in the basket for her to sit on, and one or two to cover her with. He always reminded her to be very still and quiet. If she needed to cough or maybe sneeze, she would plant her face in the towels as best she could to muffle the sound. He said, “I will cough like this if you have to sneeze. That way they will only hear me, okay?” Jackaleena could time the route nearly to the minute. Even the odor of the towels was ever-present, the smell of the ocean even more prevalent when they reached the top deck. As it was dark when they reached the top deck, she would lift her head with the towels on top. She could feel the ocean breeze against her skin when the basket was positioned just right, and smell the salty odor of the ocean. She would take deep breaths, gathering in the smell. Counting her fingers, and the evening sun going down, Jackaleena counted they had been at sea ten days. Rufus told her that all of her fingers and all of her toes made the number of days they would be at sea before the ship reached Amerika. She wondered what big purpose Jesus Man had for her there. Maybe she would be taking care of a large group of chickens that people would help feed. Or maybe helping other children like her.
Rufus was heading to the front of the ship to pray, as was his nightly ritual. Jackaleena took great pleasure and reassurance in hearing the mighty man pray to Jesus Man. He always thanked Jesus Man for saving someone like him, and always asked him to help him take care of his precious cargo, Jackaleena. She knew it was coming in the prayer and always waited for it. It was a wonderful thing to hear, that someone else cared for you and would take care of you, like Joao, then Margaret at Benguela by the Sea. Someone really cared whether you were fed and where you slept at night. Not that her parents did not care, because they did. Jackaleena just sensed the ferociousness with which Rufus would defend her if something happened. She had never seen a man like this.
Dr. Ronald Lynn was out on the upper deck most nights, to absorb the night air in the long and grueling ride back to the states. His yearly tour aboard the Mercy Ship started in Luanda. He arrived there by air, as did the other doctors who paid with their own funds. The team of physicians and nurses were a hearty mix of pediatricians, Ob-gyns, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and a smattering of general medical physicians, including a dentist from Detroit. All were geared to share their expertise in war-torn countries where the general population, children in particular, came up with the short end of the stick. The nurses that accompanied them were from all over the United States, and every now and then a nurse from Canada on her vacation. Each person generously volunteered their services for the sake of people who had nothing. Some worked in the operating rooms, emergency rooms, prenatal wards, or elsewhere in local hospitals large and small. Mortality rates among the infants were high. Malaria took a great toll on them. The doctors were always on the lookout for malaria cases and carried an abundant supply of malaria vaccines. There was no guarantees of the vaccine working or that the children or adults would live.
* * *
Dr. Lynn remembered seeing some of the nurses hide tears as a malnourished child was brought onto the ship or into a makeshift tent at some village. Or the child with a cleft pallet who smiled after two or three visits and corrective surgery by a skilled physician. Children that the rest of the world did not seem to know or care about. The children remembered them if they returned the next year, oftentimes reaching out to hug and hold their caretakers without letting go.
He had the financial means to have a chopper pick him up in Angola, or anywhere on the coast, and take him back to Luanda for the long international flight back to the states. Instead, it help restore his senses to ride the ship back for twenty days or so. It seemed to help cement his purpose in helping the multitude of children and adults. Twenty days on a ship certainly did not hurt his practice back home, and it was simply worth doing. He always had another Ob-gyn fill in for him while he was gone. His patients knew about it and respected him for it.
He got to visit with physicians and nurses that pursued the quest out of their love for humanity. The ride home on the ship was exhilarating. Three meals a day. Roundtable discussions on this or that patient. Coffee and tarts in the evening after supper. And then, those great evenings on the top deck, smelling the ocean breeze. Looking at the moon and stars. Strolling on the catwalks. Standing at the front of the ship, it was nearly as if you were flying. The quiet hum and thrust of the propeller. Not felt at the front of the ship as at the back. After twenty days, Dr. Lynn had to get back into the “life in United States” mode. Hurry up to get out of the house. Rushed coffee and toast, appointments and surgeries and baby deliveries. Endless reports, out-of-sight malpractice insurance rates for never-ending lawsuits. The folks they treated overseas had no lawyers, mostly just gratitude and love. Lots of love. Two weeks of long days overseas and twenty days of reflection made the rest of the year back home tolerable. He spent the next six months planning ahead for his next overseas visit with great anticipation.
He noticed the nightly ritual of the laundry man as he came onto the top deck. He watched nightly as he pushed his laundry basket to the front of the ship. He would secure it carefully with a cord out of his pocket and lock the wheels. Then he would make his way a few feet to the uttermost front of the ship close to the front gangplank. There the large, black man would kneel and lift his arms to the heavens in some type of prayer. Usually it lasted a few minutes, but sometimes he noticed it went on for a longer period of time.
Movement at the laundry basket caught his eye on at least two occasions. He noticed that the towels seem to elevate as if pulled by a hidden string. He stood and moved a short distance closer, to ensure his eyes were not deceiving him. The towels would slowly move up a few inches and remain there, and then seemingly lower of their own accord. When the nightlights on the ship and the moon were just right, he saw the reason why. There was someone in the basket. He barely made out the shape of a neck and head for a brief moment. From the size of the laundry basket it could only be a child.
Dr. Lynn suspected they might have a stowaway on their hands. They had been at sea for at least ten days. He reasoned there was no turning back now. He had no idea where or how long this
person had been onboard. He knew he had to make it known to the ship captain. All of his years of college and medical school had not prepared him in the least in how to handle something like this. It could have international consequences.
First and foremost, senses aside, he had to ensure that what he saw was, in reality, a child. And if it was a child, where was he or she staying, and with whose help? Maybe the child was being smuggled in some type of child trafficking ring. Maybe folks on the ship were in on the deal. Maybe there were others.
He calmed his mind and spirit. When his heart rate had reached a normal level, he slowly made his way to the basket and large man. The man had just gotten up from his kneeling position when he saw the doctor approaching slowly.
“Nice night out,” said Dr. Lynn.
“Yes, suh, yes, suh. It is a wonderful night out, Doctor. My name is Rufus Obediah. I take care of the laundry on the ship,” motioning to his basket secured with sash cord. “I come up here at night to smell the fresh ocean air,” he said as he took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Smells good, don’t you think?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Obediah, it does smell good. I am Dr. Lynn from the United States.”
“I have seen you, suh, and am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
His great and gentle hand swallowed the small hand of the doctor.
“Yes, suh, I am wonderfully glad to make your acquaintance. Well, suh, I need to be getting on about my rounds and get this laundry to the hole. These folks don’t like to be held up waiting on me.”
Dr. Lynn watched him untie the sash cord secured to the clevis. Carefully he held the basket with his foot while he rolled up the sash cord and put it in his pants pocket.
Dr. Lynn placed his hand on the laundry basket. Rufus looked horrified as he carefully placed his hand down and pressed on the top towel. He felt the top of Jackaleena’s head.
Rufus turned his head away, knowing that things were likely going to change. “Please, suh, don’t hurt my girl. She is just a little girl that I found on the ship. No one but you and me know she is even on this ship. You’re not going to tell someone, are you, suh? She has a big purpose in America, I think.”
Dr. Lynn carefully raised his hand. “Mr. Obediah, I will follow behind you a ways and you take me to where she is staying. Then I want the details of where she came from and how she got on this ship. I will have to let the captain know as soon as I have all of the facts, you understand?”
“Yes, suh. I guess so. As long as she does not get hurt by anyone. I will not let that happen.”
“No, sir, Mr. Obediah, I can see that. I can assure you no one is going to hurt this girl. We simply cannot walk her off the ship in America without notice, you see. There are laws, international laws. We have to abide by those.”
Rufus carefully unlocked the door to Jackaleena’s room. He pushed the laundry basket in, with Dr. Lynn coming in behind them.
“Lock the door, Mr. Obediah,” he instructed. “Now, let me see what your ‘girl’ looks like.”
Rufus pulled the top towels off of Jackaleena’s head. “You can come up now, Ms. Jackaleena. This man is not going to hurt you.”
Jackaleena was concerned but not terrified, as long as Rufus was close. She raised her head from between her knees.
“Let me help you out of there, little girl.” He lifted her out with ease and stood her on the floor by his side. “Well, Dr. Lynn, here she is. Jackaleena. My little girl.”
Dr. Lynn witnessed the young girl in front of him. She appeared to be in excellent health, probably eleven or twelve. Her eyes bestowed what appeared to be a very high level of intelligence. Her countenance was bright and assured, for someone who was not supposed to be on the ship. “Do you understand English?” he asked.
Rufus countered, “Oh yes, suh. She can speak most English, but it—”
“Can you understand English?”
Jackaleena nodded. “I can’t make all of the words,” she said. “I can understand what you say.”
“Thank you,” said Dr. Lynn. “I guess the big question is, where did you come from, and how did you get on this ship? You know we are halfway back to America, the United States of America. Where are your mother and father?”
Jackaleena looked him in the eyes for a moment or two, reflecting on her answer. “My mother and father were killed by boy soldiers and their leader. They killed everyone in my village. They cut off all of the heads of men in my village and put them on stick posts around our communal fire ring. I start to Benguela by the Sea that takes care of boys and girls. I meet Joao on the way to Benguela by the Sea. He tell me about Jesus Man and lead me to Benguela by the Sea. The soldier boys drop from trees and kill him and cut off his head when he get me there. I run into the gates. Margaret take care of me and teach me that I am not a witch because I bleed when moon comes up this many times,” she said, counting each of her fingers and toes and then her fingers again. “She teach me book tracks and words to make. She show me in her Bible about Jesus Man. They feed me and give me this to wear and one other one. They give me these to wear on my feet. “She teach me to give one fingers of my bread to the chickens and pray to Jesus Man for more chickens. Jesus Man send us roosters to make more chickens to eat and lay eggs. He also take roosters from Mingas and soldier boys to give us after I pray for more chickens. Then he send snake that runs to bite Mingas and he die. Soldier boys kill the other two leaders and lay down their guns. Go back to their village. Do not know if their mothers and fathers are alive.
“Then I see this ship with a glass on a stick over the walls of Benguela by the Sea. I put my clothes in my pillow sack and climb down the soldier boys’ ladder and run to the boat that bring the people that help the people at Benguela by the Sea. I hide in a box on the boat. They pull us up to this big boat and I hide in box until it is moon come up. Mr. Rufus found me when I was out of box and trying to get out of the boat. Margaret at Benguela by the Sea tell me Jesus Man gives everyone a purpose to be here. She tell Jesus Man has big purpose for me. I believe in Jesus Man and I do not believe in Toto the witchy man anymore. He never help our village and never come to me when I clap like this. I could see him and he never help. I cannot see Jesus Man but he came to my prayers and help me. I can feel him. Margaret tells me Jesus Man has a big purpose for me to live. I can feel that my big purpose is in Amerika. That is how I come on this big boat.”
Dr. Lynn turned his head and wiped away tears. To think that this young child’s parents were both killed, her entire village wiped out, was overwhelming. Yet here she was, speaking in broken English on a big purpose in America like it was just an ordinary exercise. Not only was she extraordinary in her countenance and thought and recall, she was extraordinary in bravery. She seemed to be shrouded in God’s protective blanket. She had nothing but the two dresses she said she possessed that were given to her at Benguela by the Sea and the sandals on her feet. Yet here she was on a ship heading to America, unafraid of any difficulties that could and would arise from the journey. She seemed unafraid of unpredictable events. Jesus Man had a “big purpose” for her.
Dr. Lynn was quite astounded. He in his own life had never experienced anything that would come close to her dire circumstances. Where would she go, how would she survive? Who, if anyone, would take her in? How could she stay in the United States? Was she a refugee or asylum candidate? What were the international laws governing her and him when they arrived? She seem completely at peace and quite oblivious to any difficulties that might arise.
“Jackaleena, first of all,” he said, “I have to inform the captain of this ship that you are here. We will make sure that you are fed and taken care of during your journey. Mr. Obediah has apparently done an outstanding job of doing so thus far. However, we are going to make sure that you are in the care of female nurses that will help take care of your needs, not that Mr. Rufus has not done so.
“Next, we will ask the captain to help us decide what is the best way to take care of you once we get to Amer
ica. I do not believe there is sufficient reason to ask him to turn this mighty ship around and take you back. You have nothing to go back to, except Benguela by the Sea. It alone is not supposed to be a place that holds children forever, I would think.”
Rufus stood by, looking on. “Can I say something?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, Rufus, by all means.”
“You see, suh, I have been praying to God every night when I go out. That is what I was doing when you came to me. I have been praying for help in taking care of this baby girl to get to her purpose. It seems that the answer to that prayer for Old Rufus is you, Dr. Lynn. God sent her you. Maybe you can help her. She is real smart.”
“Yes, Rufus. I realize she is very smart. But we have laws in our land that must be heeded. Especially when someone, in this case a child, stows away on a ship. The laws do not care if she thinks she has a big purpose. A lot of people might think that and try to get into America. In this case, as in all, we have to follow the laws of the land. I cannot guarantee what exactly will happen and will not make any promises. For right now, let’s get her situated with the nurses in their berthing. There will be no more of her living by herself and going out in a laundry basket at night,” he said, smiling at Jackaleena. “She can come out in open daylight like the rest of us. They will take good care of her, sir. You can stop by and see her anytime you wish.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Captain McKewn listened intently as Dr. Lynn told him about Jackaleena. “You know, Doctor Lynn, she is not our first stowaway. She is in fact the only one that has made it halfway back to America. It sounds to me like she is all right, physically and mentally, right?”
“Yes, sir, Captain. And not a care in the world. She claims that her Jesus Man has a big purpose for her, and it is in America. I cannot imagine what that might be, but I know for a fact she is not one bit afraid of anything. I have never seen someone with as much confidence. It is really quite amazing. You should meet her, sir.”