St. Mary's Adventure

“How much longer until we finish, father?” The young boy asks. We step over a fallen tree, marveling at the work we’ve done. I stare at the oak, then at the boy, ”Only a while longer, the timber mustn't rot here.” I look back at the fell tree, tightening my grip on the axe.
“But father,” He complains, “I am becoming weary!”
I swing the axe over my shoulder, giving the boy a glare. “Would you like no fire tonight? The hearth cannot lay barren. We need these logs.” I reply harshly.
I watch as his face scrunches, and he turns away. Feeling guilty, I place my hand on his shoulder, “How would you like to hug Brown Bess? It’s about time you learn, Joseph.”
Joseph turns around, his eyes lighting up. I wipe the tears already staining his face, “But we need to finish this oak, so pull up your breeches and let us work!”
“Yes father! Let us work,” He shouts.
Joseph picks up his axe and begins to swing it at the mighty oak. After observing his wild, uncoordinated swings, I begin correcting him. Starting with simple phrases and orders like, “Swing harder here”, “Make sure you hit the line”, and the most used one,“ Watch out!”
After about three more hours, we start the trip home.
“Joseph?” I ask.
“Yes father?” Comes the reply.
“You did a splendid job, dear boy! A hundredweight of timber! I am proud.” I say, “We will have a celebratory dinner. How’s chicken pottage and salted jerked beef?”
“Wow! All of that for me swinging an axe blindly at a fell tree?” He asks awestruck.
“Not entirely, do you realize what is happening in a fortnight5?”
Joseph picks up a stone and tosses it to me, “Look at this one.” He says. I catch it and examine the tan hued stone. The stone itself was bland and uninteresting, just like any other stone.
“What’s so special about it?” I ask.
“Father, why must you be so daft? Just break it open.”
I stop and set the stone on a nearby boulder, smashing it with the axe. What is inside shocks me. A brilliant purple and pink quartz, mixed in with glistening white saltpeter. I ran the chunky minerals and ores through my fingers, gawking at their beauty.
“Boy, do you realize what you’ve found?” I exclaim while giving him the ores.
“No.” he replies, “Do you know?”
He pockets the minerals.
“What say we set homeward, to show your mother these magnificent ores? She might even make you a ring!” I proclaim.
“Yes please, that would be good.” Joseph responds.

~~~~~

We arrive at the wooden home, exhausted from the two hour haul. After dumping the logs on the porch, we head inside, the door clicking with our entry. Following the closing click came the most beautiful woman, Kara Hunter, from the kitchen.
“Oh Thomas! You’ve arrived! With the logs, I presume?” Kara asks.
Kara removes her cloth cap, letting her long, dark brown hair drift across her shoulders. She reaches behind her neck and unties her apron, exposing a beige colored gown patterned with tan, star-like figures. She sets the apron down and walks in my direction. She wraps her arms around my neck and plants a kiss on my cheek.
“I am glad you are safe, you and Jo.” Kara whispers. She plants one more kiss and lets me go, moving on to Joseph. Kara wraps him up in a hug, and kisses him on the cheek.
“Kara, my dear, he alone chopped the logs. We should be proud! This will be remembered. He will grow to be strong, to never have an arrow to the knee! For this, we celebrate. My Love, cook up some chicken pottage. I’ll fetch the jerked beef! Huzzah Joseph!” I burst out.
I walk off, hearing my wife chanting my child’s name as well.

~~~~~

“Queen Henrietta Maria would be proud of the work we’ve done for Maryland.” I mumble to myself, searching for the crates of tobacco, corn, and wheat. With no prevail, I call out to my wife, praying she’d solve my problems,”Oh dearest… have you seen our crates? It appears they’ve gone missing. The order has been placed for next week. We cannot miss another.”
“No, Thomas, I have not. Check the barn house, they must be there.” Kara replies.
I turn and unlock the door, opening it, and shouting thanks to Kara. I close the door and re-lock it. I step off of the porch, glancing at the pile of wood on the way down. It’s warm out, not a surprise for early September. The weather is quite warm, actually… almost hot, but not quite.
I sigh, as I walk begin the thirty minute walk to the barn house. Passing rows and rows of tilled soil, mixed with manure from the horses at the stables. This mix was vital to growing large amounts of crops, mainly wheat.
I see the large red building enter the horizon, feeling relief as this walk is about to end. I encroach the doors, keying the lock, and swinging the doors open. My eyes widen as I see absolutely nothing. They were gone!
‘God help the one who did this.’ I think, infuriated.
I rush back home, being relieved upon the sight of the crates. I silently curse to myself as I reach the front porch. It is now evening as I load firewood in my arms. I kick the door, banging permission to enter. Nothing. Once more… nothing. Maybe one more… granted. Joseph and Kara were at the door. I hand Joseph some of the wood as I start stacking it in its designated spot.
“Did you find the crates dear?” Kara asks, walking back over to the cast iron pot, undoubtedly cooking Joseph’s celebratory dinner. She sticks a wooden spoon in the pot, and tastes the pottage. She nods, and hurries off to grab some spice or another.
“Yes, I have found the crates, although they will be a little late.” I inform her. Kara returns with a handful of unknown spices to me, and dumps it into the pottage.
“Jo! Thomas! Get in here, Supper is finished!” Kara shouts.
She pours the stew into wooden bowls that we gladly accept. We take our seats and begin our prayers.
“O Lord, we thank you for the gifts of your bounty which we enjoy at this table. As you have provided for us in the past, so may you sustain us throughout our lives. While we enjoy your gifts, may we never forget the needy and those in want. Amen” I say.
“Amen!” They repeat.
I plunged the steel spoon into my bowl, shoving the succulent food into my mouth. I was lost in thought, eating until I had no more, not even realizing. After the meal is over, everyone is sent to bed.
“Goodnight, Kara. May your dreams serve you well.” I tell her.
She rolls over, “To you as well, Thomas. Goodnight.”

~~~~~

The next weeks went by too fast. With the shipments barely arriving to Delaware, where they would be shipped to England16. Joseph becoming ten years of age, Kara bearing another child, and myself working to keep them all fed, was exhausting.
“Kara, can we please discuss important matters?” I ask tiredly.
“Yes, what is it Thomas?” Kara asks, concerned.
I run my hand through my hair, “The shipments did not reach England. The ship was blown off course.”
“What does this matter? We are paid, are we not?”
“No, we are not. Out payment arrives once the ship does.”
“Another week without pay? We cannot keep doing this. This is insane!”
Yes, Kara, I know. I’ve been doing my best. I cannot do more.” I say, hurt.
An upset Kara storms out of the sitting room, and into the bedroom. Best not to disturb her.
‘I just need to sit and asses the situation… what would
The Baltimore, George Calvert, do?’ I think.
I stand up and start pacing the room, still thinking about the situation at hand; What caused the ship to blow off course? Was is purposeful, or accidental? Caused by bad weather? I do not know. But I do know that we do not get paid.
Kara comes back into the room and plops back on the chair.
“I’m sorry for my attitude. It was unnecessary.” Kara apologized, bowing her head.
“It was, and your apology is accepted.” I say, “But for the task at hand, you must NOT storm out again, understand.”
“Yes, I do.”
I sit down and begin my long winded explanation on why I think the ship is off course. It was all over the place, but Kara got the point easier than I expected.
“Pirates? Do you hear yourself? You’ve gone mad, I tell you.” Kara says.
“I am not mad, and this is not madness. This is now, and we are all in danger. There will be pirates at our doorstep at any minute.” I advise.
Kara sighs, and slowly stands up. She grabs a chunk of bread and sits back down.
“So what you’re saying is that we leave our home because of your pirate premonitions?”
“No, what I’m saying is we need t-”
Kara and I turn around to see unfamiliar faces rushing into our doorway, muskets in hand. All of them raised in our direction.
“Get everyone in here,” One of them demands, “Or this could get bad.”
Joseph conveniently walks out of his room, half asleep, to find strangers in his safe haven.
“JOSEPH RUN!” I yell, but not before a single shot echoed around the house. There was a thud on the floor, and my eyes widened. Crimson stained the floor.
“We advise you listen, or you’ll end up like the woman.”