Finally got a bit of time to write more on Mary Anne's great-grandma Syraria! Enjoy!
MARY ANNE:
I'm curled up in bed with my great-grandmother's diary and a cup of tea once again the following night, so I open it slowly and read some more...
Have not written in almost a week. So much happened and I am just now recovering from it. Another storm came. Angela and I were on deck, but the crew was getting ready to get us inside, in the hold. The rain was beginning and the waves were high. A couple with a small girl was heading to the hold, but the little girl was more curious about the waves and broke away from the mother and went to the rail. What happened next is unclear in parts, so I hope you'll excuse me if I sound not clear here. From what Angela tells me, the girl slipped and fell into the sea. I'd screamed some, then ran to the rail and dove in after the girl. Angela says she was so frightened for both of us! I remember some little parts of being in the dark wild sea and feeling as if wind and water were tossing us around. Everything was black, wet, and salty. I vaguely recall both of us being pulled up and back onto the deck. The girl's mother thanked me in Englisch, then clutched her little girl. I heard sobbing, then I must have fainted then because the next thing I remember was being in my bunk with Mama and Anna sitting by me. Mama was holding my hand. I heard Anna say softly, "She's awake..." and I slowly opened my eyes. Mama and Anna smiled, then asked how I was feeling. Sleepy, I told them. Everything was fuzzy at first, but slowly cleared. Mama reassured me that the little girl was all right. Later on that night, the girl's parents came over and thanked me. They are from Ireland with their three children. Their little girl is all right now. Angela then stopped by my bunk and we talked softly and held hands until I fell asleep again.
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I've been sick, but am beginning to come back from the illness. I still cough and feel tired, but the fever is gone and my congestion is healed. Angela, Mama, and Anna took turns nursing me, so I just thanked them. I'm able to sit up now, but still have to stay in bed for another day at least. Angela told me that the storm is over and the rain is slowing. That is good because I want to go out on deck again. The hold smells strongly now and many people have vomited, so the air here is stale and putrid. Putrid, another of many Englisch words we are all picking up. I'm lying here listening to the passengers talking in so many languages. I know Englisch is the official language in the States, but I've also read that in many cities such is the one we're going to, New York, many languages are spoken among the immigrants. I even hear two women a little further down speaking Swedish, I think.
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Finally! I'm able to get up and out on deck again! The fresh air feels so good! The sky is clearing and the winds have softened now. Angela says she is relieved that I'm well again. So am I. And it feels good to be able to eat again. It's nothing more than watery, salty soups and gritty meat broths and weak tea, but it's food and any food is good. Angela and I heard from some of the others that we're close to America! Just two more days! We both hugged in happiness. I then ran on down to tell Anna and Mama the news. "Thank God!" Mama gave me and Anna a hug. "Now if we can just notify your brother and Joanna, we can secure a place in the States and I can find a job so we can make our home in America." It's hard to believe we are almost in America.
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It's late at night now and our ship is supposed to dock in New York tomorrow morning early. All of us in this ship are a bit nervous and stories are floating around. Some people say that if you're sick, you can be sent back to your old country. Several people are also saying that you have to be able to read. "Englisch?" someone asked fearfully. Any language, she was told. Mama, Anna, and I are huddled close and so are Angela and her family. Mama is trying to smile to comfort us but I can see that she is nervous. I'm a little nervous too...about all the physical exams we might have to take. Before I go to sleep tonight, I will send up a prayer to God that all of us get into America. I hope God sends a touch of Mazel Tov to all of us on board this ship.
MARY ANNE:
I've just fallen asleep, then awakened and it's around two-thirty in the morning, so I better put the journal on the night table and read later. I know the next entry will be about her entry into this country. I wish I could reach back in time to tell her that yes, she and her family got here all right.
More later! Don't be shy about reviewing!
MARY ANNE:
I'm curled up in bed with my great-grandmother's diary and a cup of tea once again the following night, so I open it slowly and read some more...
Have not written in almost a week. So much happened and I am just now recovering from it. Another storm came. Angela and I were on deck, but the crew was getting ready to get us inside, in the hold. The rain was beginning and the waves were high. A couple with a small girl was heading to the hold, but the little girl was more curious about the waves and broke away from the mother and went to the rail. What happened next is unclear in parts, so I hope you'll excuse me if I sound not clear here. From what Angela tells me, the girl slipped and fell into the sea. I'd screamed some, then ran to the rail and dove in after the girl. Angela says she was so frightened for both of us! I remember some little parts of being in the dark wild sea and feeling as if wind and water were tossing us around. Everything was black, wet, and salty. I vaguely recall both of us being pulled up and back onto the deck. The girl's mother thanked me in Englisch, then clutched her little girl. I heard sobbing, then I must have fainted then because the next thing I remember was being in my bunk with Mama and Anna sitting by me. Mama was holding my hand. I heard Anna say softly, "She's awake..." and I slowly opened my eyes. Mama and Anna smiled, then asked how I was feeling. Sleepy, I told them. Everything was fuzzy at first, but slowly cleared. Mama reassured me that the little girl was all right. Later on that night, the girl's parents came over and thanked me. They are from Ireland with their three children. Their little girl is all right now. Angela then stopped by my bunk and we talked softly and held hands until I fell asleep again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been sick, but am beginning to come back from the illness. I still cough and feel tired, but the fever is gone and my congestion is healed. Angela, Mama, and Anna took turns nursing me, so I just thanked them. I'm able to sit up now, but still have to stay in bed for another day at least. Angela told me that the storm is over and the rain is slowing. That is good because I want to go out on deck again. The hold smells strongly now and many people have vomited, so the air here is stale and putrid. Putrid, another of many Englisch words we are all picking up. I'm lying here listening to the passengers talking in so many languages. I know Englisch is the official language in the States, but I've also read that in many cities such is the one we're going to, New York, many languages are spoken among the immigrants. I even hear two women a little further down speaking Swedish, I think.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally! I'm able to get up and out on deck again! The fresh air feels so good! The sky is clearing and the winds have softened now. Angela says she is relieved that I'm well again. So am I. And it feels good to be able to eat again. It's nothing more than watery, salty soups and gritty meat broths and weak tea, but it's food and any food is good. Angela and I heard from some of the others that we're close to America! Just two more days! We both hugged in happiness. I then ran on down to tell Anna and Mama the news. "Thank God!" Mama gave me and Anna a hug. "Now if we can just notify your brother and Joanna, we can secure a place in the States and I can find a job so we can make our home in America." It's hard to believe we are almost in America.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's late at night now and our ship is supposed to dock in New York tomorrow morning early. All of us in this ship are a bit nervous and stories are floating around. Some people say that if you're sick, you can be sent back to your old country. Several people are also saying that you have to be able to read. "Englisch?" someone asked fearfully. Any language, she was told. Mama, Anna, and I are huddled close and so are Angela and her family. Mama is trying to smile to comfort us but I can see that she is nervous. I'm a little nervous too...about all the physical exams we might have to take. Before I go to sleep tonight, I will send up a prayer to God that all of us get into America. I hope God sends a touch of Mazel Tov to all of us on board this ship.
MARY ANNE:
I've just fallen asleep, then awakened and it's around two-thirty in the morning, so I better put the journal on the night table and read later. I know the next entry will be about her entry into this country. I wish I could reach back in time to tell her that yes, she and her family got here all right.
More later! Don't be shy about reviewing!