Christmas Miracle
December 22,1855
I despair to think what might happen to us if the weather does not change soon. We should have been docking in Boston Harbor today but here we are many days away, trapped in a sluggish sea that does indeed look like glass but has The Destiny locked its in grasp like Leviathan.
For as many days as the week that has passed, we have been here in this spot. Every knot gained loses two backwards. For the first time in my career, I fear for the lives of my men and perhaps more than their physical lives, their emotional ones. After two years we were due to come home -- it would have been the first Christmas among family for many.
Captain Gregg carefully blew on the ink until it dried, then shut the cover on his rough journal, replacing his pen in its box and re-capping the ink. The ship pitched forward and then back and he sighed wearily, placing his head between his hands. 'You must not despair, Daniel." he told himself. "The end is coming."
"I hope you are referring to the end," A voice cut into his thoughts. "and not 'The End'."
He looked up to see his first mate and best friend, Brendan Darcy, looking down at him, a mixture of amusement and concern on his face.
"I do mean the first." Daniel assured Brendan, "not the second. But if we don't get home soon, I'm not sure what will happen. Angelo and Luke both have children they have never seen and Nicholas was supposed to wed on Christmas Day and Joseph's mother could be with the angels by now. I promised them they would be home for Christmas and it is not going to happen, no matter how much I pray for a miracle."
"They know it's not your fault, Danny." His confidant laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in brotherly love. "Every single one of these men, including you and I, know that nothing is predictable or guaranteed in this life, especially for a seaman. We will get a good wind and we will get home safely, but it will not be before Christmas."
"Those are very brave words for a man who has a fair lass waiting for him on the dock." Daniel teased him, knowing there was nothing more that Brendan wanted in life than to be with the one he loved. They had had such little time together before this voyage, much too short a time, and although he said little, Daniel knew Brendan ached inside for his soul mate.
"As long as she is waiting, that's all I care." Brendan bid back tears he would only ever let Daniel see. "And you know, Danny boy, someday there will be someone waiting there for you as well. I feel, in my heart of hearts, that she is out there, looking only for you."
"I've given up." the Irishman shook his head. "I used to think that she would be there, that I would only have to turn around and there she would be. But I've turned around far too many times and all I'm finding is empty space. But that hardly matters anymore. I don't really need a woman."
"No, you don't" Brendan agreed, "But you do need the right woman."
The door to the Captain's cabin flung open and Lord Caswell, Daniel's friend and navigator came into the small room, the charts in his hands. He was not a seaman so to speak, but he loved to travel and more than once had come along on a voyage with the crew of The Destiny. "Danny, I just made our marks." he looked at the young captain apologetically. "We lost three miles today. I did it twice, just to make sure. Do you want me to recalculate?"
"No, Caswell." the captain shook his head, pulling on his ear in his nervousness. "I know you did it correctly. Is Nicholas or Miguel about?"
"Miguel is just getting off watch now, sir."
"Tell him I want to see him please."
"Aye, Captain."
The days in between that one and Christmas grew longer, each one not taking them any closer to home. Daniel prayed each night and each morning for the welfare of his men. And if the waiting wasn't enough, Miguel had informed him that yes, they were almost out of food. So not only would they not be home for Christmas, but rationing would become even tighter. They could be arriving home in two weeks or two months and the food must last. They had already been subsisting on next to nothing.
No one complained about the watery soup or the half piece of bread they had for dinner that night. His men were actually in good spirits as they laughed about how perhaps St. Nicholas would bring them each a entire slice of bread for their holiday meal.
It pained Daniel to watch his men be so brave. He, of course, expected nothing less of them, but it wasn't right that they had to endure this now. This was the best crew he had ever had, they were like family. He was more than willing to lose his life to the sea as he knew each and every one of his men were as well. Oh, please, don't let it come to that, he thought as he headed towards the deck.
"Time to throw off these doubts, Daniel," he could hear a voice say in the back of his mind. "Have faith."
Faith. Faith was good but would it provide warm food, family celebrations and goodwill among his men?
On Christmas Eve, the men had a service on board saying a special prayer of thanks to God who had kept them safe and for their Captain who watched over them all. Miguel had the first watch and Alexander informed the Captain that he would be taking his watch hours as a Christmas gift. Daniel insisted he didn't need to do that but was soon informed by all of his men that he had no choice. Their gift to their Captain was a good night's sleep without worry.
"And I've said a prayer to St. Nicholas," Miguel told him as he headed toward the hatchway. The Spaniard said the words as though they would solve every problem they had.
Daniel only gave a smile, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings. He did sleep well, but woke up quite early, stretching down in the blankets. The air felt warm as he threw back his covers and he could almost swear he smelled sausages. He put that down to the dream he had had about being at home with his aunt, who had lavished him with food of all kinds. And, as they had gathered with friends around the piano, he had had a glimpse of a woman he had never seen before. Even now, as he did his brief toilet and dressed, her eyes haunted him. If he ever saw them again, he would know them at once.
"Captain." Caswell knocked on his door. "Can you come up on deck, please? There is something you should see."
"On my way." he called out. He should have known better than to actually take his men up on their gift.
Coming out into the light, he was surprised at the sight of a tree -- decorated like the ones he had seen in Germany, complete with candles which were all glowing. Under the tree were presents wrapped with silver paper like he had seen in England and, when he reached down for one, he saw his name on it. Another had Brendan's name on it and still another was for Gilbert, the cabin boy.
"And that's not all." Caswell said, as he led him to the galley. A goose was cooking in the small stove, dressing was baking on the side, and every kind of food one needed for a Christmas meal was piping hot.
"But who did all this? How did it happen?" Daniel looked over his men, wondering which one of them had done this magic, but knowing none of them could have. He rejoined his men back on deck, all of them anxious to get their gifts.
A breath of wind fell across Daniel's cheek and he pushed his hair back absently before he realized that it was wind! Looking up at the sky, a patch of blue looked back at him and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on.
"We are moving!" Alexander called from the crow's nest.
For the first time in many weeks, they actually felt the motion of the ship and it was soon obvious to all that they were moving forward. "If it keep this up," Daniel remarked to Brendan, "we could be home in two weeks!"
Later that day, after everyone had had their share of food, including a Christmas pudding, Daniel couldn't help but question what had caused their good fortune.
"I told you I was going to pray to St. Nicholas." Miguel told him.
"Well, I guess he listened then." Daniel shook his head. "But why St. Nicholas?"
"Because, Captain, he is the patron saint of sailors."
Merry Christmas.