Marley Evans awoke with a groan. The sun came in through the small porthole hitting her directly in the eye. She sat up slowly and looked around the quiet room. Her sister lay in the bed next to her, finally asleep after a long night of getting sea sick. She saw her mother was still sleeping comfortably in bed, but her father was not lying next to her. She swung her legs out onto the floor and tiptoed over her brother snoring on the floor and out the door. The climbed out of the cabin and onto the deck of the vast ship. The cold sea air whipped across her bear ankles and feet, she looked out onto the sea and toward the front of the ship and that is where she saw her father standing there watching the ocean.
"Father" she called out to him and began walking in his direction. He turned and gave her a warm smile.
"Good morning little one" he said as she got closer to him, "how did you sleep my dear?"
"About as well as you did father." She said
"The not so well" He joked. He paused and looked back out on the ocean, "I have something to show you."
"What?" She questioned excitedly.
"Come here" he said as he picked up her small seven year old body and balanced her on his hip. "You see right out there, right there in the middle of the ocean" he pointed. She squinted and searched the sea.
"I don't see anything father" she said sadly
"Oh come now Marley, really look" he coaxed. She looked again and as she scanned a small strip of black caught her eye.
"There, there!" she said shaking wildly. Her father chuckled as he tried to keep hold on her as she squirmed.
"That my love…is our new home. South Carolina" he smiled down at her and she felt a wave of happiness flow through her as she snuggled closer into her father's shoulder.
However, that time was a long time ago, 10 years to be exact, and it was a much joyful time.