Dream to Fulfill
Written by Romunda Hamilton
At the awakening of the sun, Laura kisses the salty waters of of the Atlantic Ocean. Laura Fergus dreams of becoming a ship captain someday. The ocean had captivated her imagination ever since Mr. Penn’s return visit from a place called America.
Sitting at her desk Laura stares at a worn oak plank, suddenly she falls into a half conscious dream. Daydreaming about the open seas has become a favorite pasttime of hers.
“Laura, sleep at home, not at school!” Miss Hamilton says as she sofly touches Laura's shoulders to awaken her. Laura is often awaken by her teacher. She rather dream of the waters than learn about history.
“Miss Hamilton, do you know of any famous female ship captains?” Laura asks.
“Well, about five years ago I heard of a female ship captain name Mary Read.” She and her crew traveled the watery earth terrorizing saliors and pirates alike. Why do you want to know about female ship captains?” Miss Hamilton asks couriously.
“I want to be one when I grow up. Do not worry Miss Hamilton, I won't terrorize travelers at sea. I want to travel, have adventures and leave boring old New Sutton.” Laura responds.
“Girls can't be ship captains. You're living in a dream world gal!” Jimmy Mcnally screams with tobacco juice running from the corner of his mouth.
“Yea, the only thing you can do when you grow up Laura, is be a teacher, a nurse, or a wife you probably can be my wife.” Benjamin Neals taunts throwing Laura a kiss. The whole class laughs pointing at Laura waiting on her response. Laura didn't say anything. She didn't want to get in trouble, so she waited until Miss Hamilton wasn't looking before she made her move.
“Thats enough guys! Focus your attention to the front of the class.” Miss Hamilton says pointing at the chalkboard.
The class quietens quickly. Benjamin winks at Laura. Laura hits him right smack between the eyes with a paper ball.
During recess Laura sits under an old oak tree on the eastern side of the one room schoolhouse. Laura finds that the old oak tree creates the perfect place for her to make her future plans. A group of three girls walk up to Laura. The group leader, Margret Merrick, began incessiously Laura taunting about her dream of becoming a ship captian. Marget has a repetation as a playground bully. She likes to call other names and spit tobacco juice at the younger kids.
“Leave me alone, Margret! Just because you want to live your life as a married witch is no reason to put down other people's dreams!” Laura screams.
“Witch! Who are you calling a witch? I don't live my life hoping for something that will never happen! You are crazy Laura!” Margret says storming off with her gang.
A female ship captain is unheard of in this 17th century English protestant town of New Sutton of the United Kingdom. New Sutton is located on the hip of the Atlantic Ocean where the mild salty ocean currents sweep dreams with a song. New Sutton has a population of 800 people with a bustling shipping port and a huge marketplace. People and sailors from all over the world come to New Sutton to relish its fine weather and natural scenes.
Mr. Penn enjoys telling stories of pirates and riches found in newly discovered places between Sutton and America during his visits at the Fergus’s home. Mr. Penn is of short statue with a receding pepper-gray hairline. He possesses a mystic miasma around him that holds children’s imaginations hostage.
“We were sailing the coastal settlements of the West Indies. I walked up to the ship’s deck sipping on my hot tea early one morning. I noticed a peculiar looking ship with large unkempt sails awfully close to our vessel.” Mr. Penn says in his deep English voice. He leans back into his chair and picks up his cup of hot tea. He enjoys telling tales to the Fergus’ children. The children are always so attentive to his every word.
“Were you scared when you noticed the ship Mr. Penn?” Laura asks curiously sitting on a stool next to Mr. Penn while her siblings stood next to his chair. She stares Mr. Penn straight in the eyes making sure not to miss a single character of his words.
“No child. I am a seasoned traveler and I know how to deal with uncivilized people.” Mr. Penn says with one upward pulled brow and a cigar in his mouth while fiddling in his upper pocket for matches. “The ship was a pirate ship. I heard a loud thump!” Mr. Penn says throwing his hands in the air at the kids. The kids jumped with fear engulfing each cell. Poor Marley, Laura’s brother, trips over his own feet when he jumped back.
“We were being boarded! Algerine men with long beards, hair like wool, and eyes like burning onyx ran across a big plank onto our ship. They wanted the gold booty that we had stored below deck. I immediately grabbed a piece of wood. I didn’t have time to get my pistol from my compartment. One of the pirates, whose eyes were so monstrous that they slapped me in the face, ran directly toward our ship till so he can steer us off course. I immediately attacked him. Boy! Let me tell you. We fought for dear life because it was either me or him. My golly it wasn’t going to be me. Thanks goodness that the fight was cut short because we were sailing in a galleon. The galleon blades ripped the enemy’s ship sails to pieces. Fearing that they might lose the battle and be left stranded at sea, they retreated back to their ship and sailed off. The pirate that I was fighting ran to join his gang, he looks back at me. His eyes told me that I will be back to finish this fight.” Mr. Penn pauses to catch his breath grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the drizzling sweat from his brow.
“Let those pirates come after me!” Marley yells demonstrating a sword fight with a piece of driftage. He jumps on the cherry coffee table besides the armoire almost knocking over the family pictures. “They won’t ever forget Captain Marley! I’ll do them like this! I’ll do them like that! Swoosh! Swoosh!”
“AHH, Marley get down off that table! If mother catches you she will pull your ears from your head.” Laura screeches as she grabs Marley’s arm and forces him off the table almost throwing him into the couch next to the granite fireplace.
After arousing the children’s imaginations with his tales, Mr. Penn grunts, rubs his stomach, and leaves. The sweet scent of his expensive cigars lingers in the room.
Laura runs into the library where her mother was reading Pamphilia to Amphilanthus
by Lady Mary Wroth as she usually does after dinner.
“I want to be a ship captain when I grow up mother. I want to fight pirates and to find treasure!” Laura says with gleam of oceanic dreams in her eyes. Laura was so eager to tell her mother about her life long plan; she had forgotten to tidy up the living area after Mr. Penn’s storytelling.
Her mother frowns over her glasses and says as calmly as she could without showing her total disgust with Laura’s comment, “That is not the way of a proper young lady Laura. Young lady you need to make sure that my living area is descent the way I like it. Young ladies need to make sure that their homes are properly taken cared of like sophisticated people.” she says with an exaggerated sweeping hand motion shooing Laura off and returns to her reading. She has little patient with Laura when she talks of ridiculous dreams of sailing the world performing a manly occupation such as a sailor. Mrs. Fergus believes that a woman’s joy comes from taking care of the home and family. She works hard to instill these values into her daughters but Laura is too spirited and independent. “Oh, I pray that Laura will put all of this nonsense behind her and find a husband to take care of her. A woman isn‘t fully a woman without a husband” Mrs. Fergus ponders to herself. People in New Sutton traditionally frown upon an unmarried young woman. Mrs. Fergus knows that society will not make life pleasant for a lady with Laura’s mind.
Laura drops her head and departs into the living area to do as her mother instructed her to do. “What is this?” Laura whispers to herself as if there was someone eavesdropping over her shoulders to listen to what she has to say. It was a newspaper clipping dated November 28th about a female ship captain named Mary Read.
Mary Read had disguised herself so she can be mistaken for a boy so she could sail the open seas. She was forced to disgust herself because sailors were so superstitious. It is a well known belief that women aboard ships brought bad luck. The news article was detailing how she defeated a cut throat sailor in a sword fight. Mary Read defeated the larger and more experience male fighter with her cunning and swiftness. She and her crew were caught off the coast of Jamaica and she was sentenced to be hanged with her husband for piracy. Mary Read was a brave, fearless, cunning, and smart pirate.
“I don’t want to be a pirate but I do want to sail the seas.” Laura utters taking the newspaper clipping into her bedroom hiding it in her chest of drawers under her shirts so no one can find it.
“If she can do it, I can do it as well.” Laura says wiggling her finger at the newspaper giving her a new boost of buoyancy and fortitude. “On my ship women will not have to dress as men. Females can run a ship as well or better than most of those drunken, skirt chasing men. It burns my hide when women are spoken of so lowly.”
“I will be a ship’ captain someday but how?” murmurs Laura to herself as she walks toward the salt eaten fence that surrounds her home.
Laura comes from a highly, respected English family. Mr. Fergus, Laura’s father, is an accomplished lawyer and her mother, Mrs. Fergus, is the head of The Sutton Women’s Art Association. Mr. and Mrs. Fergus had mapped out Laura’s life at her birth. They want their baby girl to learn proper manners, to play the lute and to marry into a rich English family. Laura doesn’t share the same goals as her parents.
“Momma thinks that I want to be a dainty, obedient wife. But I will not be some man’s trophy. I am going to sail around the world and live my life the way that I want to live it.” Laura says feeling a little melancholy as she leans against the salt ridden fence. She hates going against her parents wishes. It burdens her heart that what her parents desire for her conflicts with what she yearns for her own soul. Not attempting to accomplish her dreams is like entrapping her spirit in a loin den of misery.
“Laura, come in and get really for our dinner with Mr. Stevenson!” Laura’s mothers screams from the first step. “Sometimes I wonder about that daughter of mine.”
“I will be right there mother!” Laura says looking over her shoulders as the warm wind blows through her hair. “I don’t want to have dinner with Mr. Stevenson. He is so monotonous and pretentious. I don’t know why my parents invited him over for dinner this afternoon. He’ll carry on and on about stocks, bonds, and investments in a charter company. If he smacks his lips one time, I am going to scream.”
Mary Beth lives on the east side of town with her working class family. Times had been rough on the Reeves family ever since Mr. Reeves’ passing. Mary Beth’s father died in a tragic accident when Mary Beth was only ten years old. He was mining diamonds when the mine shaft collapsed killing him and his best friend.
Her mother, Mrs. Agnes Reeves, works as a cook for Mrs. Dooley, the wife of a local doctor. To help make ends meet, Mary Beth and her brothers earn money selling baked bread in the town’s marketplace by the shipping dock.
Mary Beth talks with sailors everyday about their trips to different places around the world. She had heard stories of sea monsters and paradisaic lands of gold. Places where natives welcome strangers and treat them like kings. Mary Beth daydreams of commanding a ship and sailing across the ocean to find a better life for her family.
“Mom, I want to be a ship’s captain when I grow up.” Mary Beth says happily showing all of her teeth.
“It is nice to have such dreams child. Maybe someday you can sail to a place where there are golden roads and silver trees blossom for miles. And maybe your family won’t have to work for so long for so little.” her mother says jokily with a hand on her hip. She knows that Mary Beth has an independent spirit and will not follow the traditional path for women. She embraces Mary Beth’s view because she once had such dreams. “Hey, help me cook dinner.”
“Okay mom. I will make my special shell bread.” Mary Beth replies reaching for the ingredients from the cupboard. “I love baking momma.”
“I am so happy that you do Mary Beth.” her mother says proudly giving Mary Beth a loving peck on the cheek.
Mary Beth skips to the docks, like a child going to a candy store, as she does every evening after dinner. Watching the ships coming and leaving the docks is Mary Beth's favorite pastime. One day Mary Beth sees someone that she has never seen before standing at the dock by a ship named The Blue Maroon. This person is too young to be a captain or a sailor and is too neatly dressed. The stranger doesn’t reap of dead fish or tobacco like most seafaring people. Matter of fact, the stranger is swathe with the delicious smell of cinnamon.
Ump, cinnamon nature‘s true culinary blessing. The sweet smell of cinnamon entices Mary Beth nose. Mary hark back to the ancient saying, “No man should die who can afford cinnamon.” She knows that only the rich can afford cinnamon. Mary Beth approaches the stranger.
“Hi, are you lost?” Mary Beth asks the stranger.
“No, I am not.” the stranger says while staring straight ahead toward the water.
“Well, what are you doing here at the docks?” Mary Beth asks inquisitively.
“Why are you asking me all of these questions?” The stranger asks with a puzzling look.
“Well, I have never seen you here at the docks before and I am wondering if you are lost.” Mary Beth says.
“My parents are having dinner with a client tonight. Those dinners are so boring, so I sneaked out of my bedroom window and came here to see the ships.” the stranger says.
“What is your name?” Mary Beth asks.
“My name is Laura Fergus. What is your name?” Laura asks.
“My name is Mary Beth Reeves.” Mary Beth replies.
The girls quickly became good friends. Mary Beth and Laura met at the docks everyday to watch the ships and to talk about their dreams of sailing the seas and discovering different exotic lands together. Their favorite ship is called The Christie Lady. Captain Skitter, captain of The Christie Lady, always brings the girls exotic sea shells and books whenever he comes to New Sutton.
“Hello, ladies.” Captain Skitter belched. He has just come back from islands of the Moluccas with a large cargo of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Only a few people in New Sutton can afford to use these expensive spices.
“Hello, Captain Skitter!” Mary Beth happily exclaims.
“Sir, please tell us about some of your adventures.” Laura asked with extreme curiosity. The girls love listening to Captain Skitter’s expeditions of far away places. The English and the Dutch are constantly at odds over trade.
“Well, girls I have some not so good news to tell you. The Dutch are waging war with the Bandanese.” Captain Skitter says with a worried look in his eyes.
“Why are they engaging in war with those people?” Mary Beth bawled throwing her arms in the air and stomping the ground. Mary Beth hates fighting. It hurts her heart whenever she hears of people at war. Mary Beth and Laura had studied about the wars between the English and the Dutch in school. These two countries have a long history of war over trade. Laura looks poignant.
“Those Dutch wants to take over the spice trade from the Moluccas. So they waged war on those poor fellows. People can only buy nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon from Dutch jongs from now on.” Captain Skitter divulged. “Business is going to be hard now. Englishman will have to find a new source of for these spices or go to war again.”
“Laura and I will help you find more sources Captain Skitter. We are planning on being ship captains when we grow up.” Mary Beth informs Captain Skitter.
“That’s nice girls. You do know that women aren’t allowed to be a captain of a ship. Things may change by the time you two get old enough.” Captain Skitter says in a less than enthusiastic tone. “I will see you girls again when I stop in New Sutton again.”
“Thanks for the books and seashells Captain Skitter.” Laura says.
The sun has passed its noon stop smoldering the girls with its warm arms.
“Laura lets play Blow-Out. I have some marbles in my bag.” Mary Beth asks reaching into her cloth bag pulling out several colorful glass marbles. Blow-Out is played with marbles. The first player tosses a marble on a flatten plane. The second player tries to hit the marble by tossing another marble at it. If successful, the second player wins the marble. If not, the first player has a turn to hit the second player's marble.
One day in the marketplace Laura and her mother were shopping for new fabric at Miss Lou’s
“Mary Beth, Mary Beth!” Laura screams waving her hands to get her friend’s attention.
Mary Beth and her brothers were selling bread on the corner of Summit and Elm Street. Mary Beth looks up and runs over to Laura with a great big smile. Laura and Mary Beth met each other with a warm embrace, since they have not seen each other for almost two days.
“Stop that child. We do not associate with people like that,’ snaps Laura’s mother snatching Laura away with such force that she almost made the child drop her bag, ‘Laura you are forbidden to play with or to speak to that child again!”
“But mother!” Laura did not dare finish her sentence after she sees the fury in her mother’s eyes.
Mrs. Fergus, like many others in New Sutton, was scared of catching the affliction suffered by Eyam, a town in Derbyshire, United Kingdom.
August 1665 the bubonic plague arrived in Eyam from the backs of devilish, flea infested rats.
William Mompesson, of Eyam, persuaded the villagers of Eyam to enter a voluntary quarantine to keep from spreading the disease to the surrounding areas. The people of Eyam were so determine not to spread this disease beyond their boarders that they buried their own dead and required people to leave food and supplies on the outskirts of Eyam. Not a soul was allowed in or out of Eyam. During its 14 months of unwelcome and horrific visit to Eyam, the bubonic disease killed a third of the village residents.
Mrs. Fergus’ distant cousin Elizabeth Ridberry buried six of her children and her husband a few years back. Many people in Eyam have died from the horrible bubonic disease. Many believe that the disease was spread by dirty lowly people.
Laura misses Mary Beth. It saddens her that she cannot be friends with Mary Beth anymore. As for Mary Beth, she sits at the dock waiting on her friend every evening, but Laura never came.
Laura has not seen or heard from Mary Beth for many suns and moons. Laura cannot bare thinking of her dream of becoming a ship‘s captain or the best friend that shared that dream with her. Thinking about those things breaks her heart.
Knock! Knock! The smell of fear fills the air. Mary Beth jumps out of bed, heading toward the door.
“Its me, Mary Beth.” Laura whispers.
“Laura, thats you?” Mary Beth cautionouly walks toward the window.
“Yes, its me, Mary Beth.” Laura says. Mary Beth walks to the window.
“What are you doing out there? Its night and you know you will be in trouble if your mother finds out that you have been here.” Mary Beth says.
“I am running away.” Laura says.
“What? Where are you going?” Mary Beth asks.
“I am going to join Captain Skitter's crew. Come with me Mary Beth.”Laura begs with a pleading eyes.
“Captain Skitter said you can join his crew?” Mary Beth asks.
“No, but I figure I will dress like a boy and join.” Laura replys.
“No, no Captain Skitter knows us. We have to join another ship.” Mary Beth say excitely.
“Great you are coming with me! Yes, we will have to join another crew.” Laura says.
“Yes, but we have to leave a note for our family. I love my family and I do not want them to worry about me.”
Mary Beth says.
Laura and Mary Beth leaves a note for both of their families explaining what they have done.
“Mary Beth get some of your brother's clothes for us to wear. You know we have to pretend as if we are boys.” Laura says.
“I have two pairs of tousers and shirts. I have some scissors so we can cut our hair.” Mary Beths says.
Mary Beth and Laura went down to the shipping dock. The girls hid behind a shack while waiting for the ships to dock. A ship worker seen the girls from afar.
“Hey, boys do you want to make a little money?” ask the ship worker. He startled the girls.
“No, sir we are waiting for someone.” Laura with a trembling voice. She is afraind he might realize that she is a girl not a boy.
“Boys come on now. I need you guys to help me with these barrels.” the ship worker says grabbing Mary Beth's arm forcing her to come with him. Laura picks up a large stone and hits the man in the head. The man fell to the ground and blood oozed out of his head. He laid down holding his head. She and Mary Beth ran as fast as they could fearing he may follow them. The girls ran and ran until they came upon a large ship docked next to an old water logged tree.
A group of men were graving and loading cargo into the ship. “We can get on that ship as ship helpers.” Mary Beth says. “We can pretend to be one of the workers.”
“Good idea. Let's go!” Laura says nervously. The girls helped load the ship hiden among the crew.
“We are finally here. Where do you think we are going?” Mary Beth asks.
“Maybe we will go to America, or to China.” Laura says excitingly.
“Its late lets find a place to sleep on this filty ship.” Mary Beth says. “We can sleep in that hole there.”
A strong gust of wind tipped the ship to the east causing all on deck to fall. Mary Beth fell down on top of another crewman. The crewman pushed her in the chest. Mary Beth landed hard on the deck. She struggles to her feet. Mary Beth's shirt is caught on a nail and rips it open.
“Oh! My gosh! A female on board!” yells a crewman. Women on ship were thought to bring bad luck.
“This girl brought the wind and almost sank our ship!” yells another crewman. A group crowds around Mary Beth. She screams. Laura is frozen with fright.
“We have to get rid of this bad luck. Lets throw her overboard.” the groups screams. They grab Mary Beth and tosses her over the side of the ship into the sharky waters of the Atlantic. All that is heard is a loud splash as Mary Beth hits the waters.
Laura quickly unties a row boat. The boat fell with a loud thump. She wants to join Mary Beth. Laura throws her leg over the side. Suddenly, someone grabs her by the arm.
“You cannot save your girlfriend mate. You should have known not to bring a female upon a pirate's ship.” someone says.
“Let me go! Let me go!” Laura screams.
“No, we need your labor here on this ship boy!” the crewman yells.
Laura did not tell anyone that she too is a female fearing they will throw her overboard too without a boat. As soon as the ship docked in Northern Ireland, Laura desserted the ship. To her surprise, Captain Skitter was in Ireland selling a cargo of cinnomin. Captain Skitter return Laura to the United Kingdom safely.
Years passed. Laura married a rich broker named Lewis Livingston much to her parents’ approval.
“Where do you want to go for vacation my dear?” Lewis asks his wife.
“I have always fancied going to America.” Laura replies.
“Well America is where we will go.” Lewis says smiling at his wife.
Laura gives her husband a hug. “I’m finally going to America.” Laura sighs. Emotion has traveled from her toes to her heart causing her to jump with delight. She sprung around in a gloriously happy dance.
A room labeled “Adventure” is located at the bottom of Laura’s heart. The room refuses to completely close its doors to stop Laura‘s longing for the freedom only the sea can give her.
“Umm the water is even more intoxicating than ever,” Laura says as her reminiscences take her back to a time of dreams.
Laura’s sweet reminiscences came to a shrieking halt at the sound of screams and of panic.
“A furious storm is approaching” yells the ship’s captain, “Everyone below deck! Everyone below deck!”
Everyone rushes safety below deck. The sky looks down upon the ship with fury in its dark eyes. Rain drops raced to see how many drops it took to cover the ship's deck. Deafening inhumane music rang as rain rams the close knitted wood of the ship. The wind places the ship in its arms and rocks it back and forth like a baby in a sea cradle.
“Laura, Laura!” Lewis yells so loudly that it can petrify the soul. His wife's loving voice didn't answered him.
Laura is no where to be found. No one has seen her come below deck.
“Come back here.” yells the captain to Lewis. Lewis is searching for his beloved wife.
“Hold him down. Do not allow him to go back up on deck.” a passenger says as he leaps toward Lewis.
“She is not here! She is gone. My life is gone.” Lewis is inconsolable. The ship shook with a loud thump!
“We are being boarded!” a young gentleman yells shaking in his breeches.
Everyone is terrified. They are afraid of pirates. Pirates are known to rob lost or wrecked ships. Most occupants of these ill-fated ships were killed, enslaved, or thrown into the sea. These thoughts engulfed the minds of everyone on the ship except, Lewis. No greater pain could be inflicted upon him than the one that has already been given to him by the hands of nature.
The door flings open. A creepy shadow covers the entry way. A large beast with long hair stands at the entry way. The closer the shadow came below deck the louder the sound of rapid heart beats can be heard. Men stronger than most cowering behind ship barrels trying not to been seen.
“Are you people alright?” the figure asks. “My crew noticed that your sails were ripped and the waters are filled with your belongings.”
“Who are you?” someone asks.
“I am the captain of The St. Laura. Come on deck and get some fresh water.” the captain of the St. Laura instructed them.
“Captain, I have lost my dear wife in the storm. I would like to find her body and give her a proper funeral in United Kingdom.” Lewis Livingston requested of the captain.
“Come and drink some fresh water and my crew and I will help you to find your wife‘s body,” the captain said to him empathetically.
“Thanks you are so kind.” Lewis says crying that most will believe is unbecoming of a man.
Lewis climbs to the top deck and walks over to get some water. Lewis could not believe his eyes.
“Laura, Laura! You are alive!” Lewis shouts running toward Laura.
Laura is sitting on a barrel shivering under a blanket drinking water.
“Oh, Lewis I was so afraid that I would never see your face again.” Laura cried as she runs toward her husband. “Lewis there is someone that I would like for you to meet. This is my best friend Mary Beth Reeves.” Laura said beating back her emotions and wiping tears from her face.
The captain walks over and shook Lewis’s hand.
“You are Mary Beth. I have heard so much about you.” Lewis said elatedly.
The captain of the St. Laura was Mary Beth Reeves, Laura’s best friend. She had fulfilled her dream for the both of them. Laura and Mary Beth plan to travel the world together and have adventures together like they originally plan. Laura, Mary Beth, and Lewis all agreed to sat off to Austrilia.
About the Author
Romunda Hamilton was born in Nacogdoches, Texas and raised in Bradley, Arkansas. She is a proud mother of one son. Miss Hamilton earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Henderson State University and the owner of WWW.walgifts.comt. She loves to read, write, and cook.
