Ruairidh/His Mother/Origins.
As soon as he heard the bell from the crows nest he lept out of the straw and fabric he had slept on for the past couple of months and screamed. “LAND!”
Most of the people who were still sleeping jumped the same as him and ran to the deck of the ship. A few, who seemed to not want to believe it as if their dreams had been more satisfying swung at the air or rolled over grumbling to themselves. By the time he got up on deck the it was packed with people wanting the first glimpse of their new home. Hushed whispers between people filled the air around him with a sound as fluid as the ocean in the early morning hours. They all peered off into the distance through thick fog to try and see the beaches and cliffs of their new home.
“Ruairidh! Over here boy, aft!” He jerked his head toward the sound of his fathers voice and saw him and his mother leaned against the larger of the masts on the ship. As he ran to them he realized he had not seen his mother so lit up in years. All the worry of preparing for this adventure, for lack of a better word, had taken a lot of the light he remembered in her. Beginning with the death of her cousin Andrea, she was hung from a tree by angry villagers because they feared her a witch, a fear not completely without merit. His mother decided then to take the opportunity they were offered to help settle a new country where she had hoped they could make a new start and avoid the preconceptions about her family. She was a teacher, and they needed them badly in America.
The entire group in almost perfect unison gasped and began to cheer. Through the fog the dim light of the Makeshift lighthouses along the coast became visible and people hugged and leapt and danced on the old weathered wood deck. One man filled with wine fell from the ship and needed to be fished out by Crewmen who were laughing and celebrating with the People who they had promised to get here safely.
The celebrating was halted when a gun was fired. Everyone looked to the bridge where the captain of the ship was standing with his sidearm held high still smoking.
“Now, We have a lot to do. I know it has been a long voyage, but we have to fall into the schedule we had set up to get everyone off the ship and to land quickly and safely. Those who have taken ill will remain here until they are well enough and cleared to go ashore, or we commit their bodies to the sea.” He paced as he talked. His Green tailed jacket, now stained and worn from over use hanging loosely on his body where it had once fit almost too tight. he stopped and turned to the upturned faces of people who had also suffered a great deal of physical changes throughout this voyage. “I know we are tired. Worn, and some of us have lost loved ones on the way. Some of us still may. But we need to keep it moving. For Their sakes, and ours.”
He took two steps down from the bridge and called out 6 names. Ruairidh’s father was one of them. “Stay here with your mother Ruairidh, I will see what our duties are and we can get started.” He turned to his wife and kissed her “I can’t believe we are finally here Pauline. We made it!”
She smiled back to him her color seeming to deepen as she did. “Should we tell him now Craig? Or wait?” Ruairidh blinked and looked to his father. His mother turned and lowered herself to look him in the eye. “This voyage has brought us a blessing.” She took Ruairidh’s hand and put it to her belly. He noticed for the first time her extra girth, and almost jumped backward, his mother keeping his hand to her belly. “A New brother or sister Rurie, isn’t it wonderful?”
He pulled back and looked at her, the joy in her face was astounding, his father rubbing her shoulder assuredly while she waited for a boy’s reaction. All he could think is how hard it had been for them to get this far just the three of them, Now there will be four. He mustered up all he could to give them a smile and say, “Are you sure?” His mother lifted again to her feet and took the boy’s hand laying it to her belly, the boy’s hand jerked away and then slowly returned to the spot he felt his new sibling move. “When does it come?” His mother smiled and looked out toward land again. Her eyes showed a painful blend of hope and despair,
“Mid Winter Yule time Ruairidh. If we can make it there.” She said as her husband wrapped his arms around her from behind cradling their unborn child in their hands rocking gently. It was at this moment he saw how large his mother had become. She sobbed softly and rubbed her belly her long red hair now reaching far past her waist and thicker than ever, His father kissed her cheek and held her closer.
“We will be fine.” his father said.
His mother leaned in and put her lips to her son’s ears. “The God and Goddess permitting. We will all be fine.” She dared not speak those words aloud with so many people around. Tho our families lifestyle is one that kept had done people so much good for a centuries before we practiced it, it was not accepted by most. On the contrary. you could be killed for even being suspected of Witchcraft.
Ruairidh felt his desire to make his mother smile completely negate his fear of this new family member and spouted the same wrapping his arms around them both, as well as a 13 year olds arms could reach. “Yes Mother, We will be just fine.”
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