WISHES AND DREAMS

WISHES AND DREAMS
By Theresa Burres

We would watch her every evening as she stood on the cliff high above our village as the sun spread it's golden rays of vanishing light from the wide sea to the shores of our home. The fading glow would wash over her as she stood and waited. She seemed to radiate in the after effects of the sun that glinted over her until she was agleam.

Many a twilight we would watch as Christina searched the horizon hoping to find the shimmer of a boat in the faraway place where the sea and sky meet. Many an evening after the sun had vanished and the darkness folded itself around our homes we would see her wondering sadly back to the house that she shared with her Aunt Trudy.

Where Christina was sweetness and lightness; her Aunt Trudy was sourness and dark. The differences between the two was apparent when they would walk together on their way to market. Trudy was as short tempered in her old age as she had been as a young thing so many years back. Christina would softly tread behind her the kindness shining from her eyes.

Christina's mother died with the fever during the Winter. Trudy who was the only relative of Christina's living in the village. Trudy was her father's great aunt. Some of us did not want to see sweet Christina living with Trudy; but, no one could take in another mouth to feed until her father came back from the sea.

We had all lived a long time by the sea. We did not knew how long the captain maybe gone. We all knew that some captains keep their ships out to sea for many many months or even years.Christina's father, however, usually came back after only a few months. We could not be sure how long he would be gone this time. He had been gone for ten months already. He had never stayed away so long.

Then a ship came into port of our small town. A sailor went to see Christina. He told Trudy and Christina about the sinking of her father's ship in a raging storm far out at sea. Trudy became so angry that she throw a book through the window. We were showered with glass. Christina thanked the sailor, walked to the door, and quietly told everyone waiting outside that the ship was gone.

Without another word Christina walked up the cliff to stand on the ledge. From that day on Christina would stand every evening on the cliff facing the sea watching for her father's ship.

As the weeks passed Trudy got meaner and meaner. She could be heard all over the village screeching at Christina. Trudy was no longer happy taking care of Christina. No matter how hard Christina tried she could not please her aunt.

Even thought Christina grew quitter and sadder everyday she never lost hope. She kept watching for her father's ship. She waited for a miracle while she stood looking to sea.

No one in the village knew what to do. We could only watch every evening as she stood on the brink of the cliff somewhere between earth and sky. We talked about Christina and Trudy. Not one of us had the smallest idea what to do.

Trudy got tired of people feeling sorry for Christina. She hated it that everyone in the village liked Christina. She had to have known how we felt about her as well. She told Christina to stay in her room. Christina was not allowed to go about town without her. Christina was even forbidden to take her nightly trips to the cliff.

One evening, when Trudy was out, Christina started walking up the hill. Trudy happened to come out of the general store and look toward the cliff's path. When Trudy saw Christina walking up the path she started screaming all kinds of names. Picking up a big stick she ordered Christina to go home. It was all that Christina could stand. Sobbing she ran up the dirt path.

We watched as Trudy chased that poor girl up the hill until it became to steep for Trudy to go any farther. All the time Trudy had been shrilly shrieking so that almost everyone in the village had come out of their homes to see what was happening.

Christina did not stop until she was at the top most edge of the cliff. She seemed not to hear her aunts ravings as she stood as still as a fawn in the dying light.

Then as the last of the light was about to fade a shaft of brilliant light reached from that place where the sea and sky join. As we watched in hushed wonder a golden ship appeared hovering in the gleam of that light. On the fore deck stood the Captain and his wife. Arms around each other they smiled at Christina. Her mother raised her arm becoming her to come to them.

In hushed silence we watched as Christina walked away from the cliff on to the ray of light. She started running toward the ship and the two people that she loved so very much. By the time Christina reached her parents most of the people in village were watching from the shore. We could see the three of them laughing and hugging each other on the fore deck of the ship.

Slowly the light dimmed and faded until nothing was left. The light was gone. The ship was gone. Christina, her mother and her father were gone.