Telegram of 1881
From the
Fishery Officer
Eyemouth
to the Hon[oura]ble B F Primrose, C.B.
Fishery Board
Edinburgh
The wind howled around the tiny fishing cottage, it was a bleak and weather torn night at Marys home and she could not settle.
"Sister will you not rest?" came a kind voice, and the rain beat upon the old wooden shutters.
"No Lilly my dear I must keep watch, the lord is with him I know it! and he will be wanting a warm drink and food and a roaring fire to dry his soul, I must get on and be read for him, now you go along to bed and sleep soundly, I know the lord will protect him"
Lilly looked sadly at her older sister and heard a crash outside as the wind blew about their meagre farming implements. She looked toward the door deciding whether it was worth going outside in the storm to tie up the tools crashing about their small yard. Instead she decided it was time to tell the truth and her heart was grieved for pain it would cause.
"My dearest sister I cannot bear to see you so held in a faith that must surely be misplaced. Please know I admire the depth of love you have for him and I will say to keep the faith in our lord protecting him" her voice trailed off at this point as she tried to think of kind words in which to convey the truth to her poor sister "It has been a while now, the odds of him surv.."
"He is alive!"
The wind was getting stronger and the shutters rattled and banged at the house which creaked and groaned its displeasure.
Lilly had no heart to insist her sister accept the death of a loved one and with a heavy heart she bade her goodnight and retired to her room.
The storm raged through the night and the next morning was no better. The sun was a distant memory but today the sky did not even lighten. The dark clouds shrouded the sky in melancholy and Lilly had risen early knowing her sister would be on the headland and she thought to take her a little food, she knew her sister rarely ate these days.
The day, dark and dreary did grow in malignance as the strength of the storm increased, in time dragged through relentless rain, Lilly climbed the headland.
"Lilly my dearest, how kind of you! thank you" she said as she accepted the gift although she didn't open the parcel and Lilly knew there was no point in pushing her to eat, she joined her sister in the waiting and sat on the coarse grass looking out to sea. The headland was also peopled by a few other women their shawls flapping in the harsh wind, their clothes wet with the driving rain, it was here that one could see far out to the open sea and those waiting for the return of loved ones would watch from here in eagerness.
"Tis but one day to the eve I know for sure if he is not here today then he will be tomorrow, I know he will be driven to make it home in time, I miss him so much" her voice wavered and tears threaten to spill from her eyes.
"Perhaps if we pray ? Yes let us pray together sister and the wind shall carry our prayers over the waters to the lord and we shall pray and keep vigil until the day itself and passed if need be" said Lilly now determined to provide whatever strength her sister needed.
Her hopes of lifting her sisters spirit were recognised and her sister smiled more strongly now than in any day since the report of the boats going missing. There had been no official telegram for them though, no official recognition of men like her sisters loved one, they had to rely on word of mouth, they had to listen to whispers on the wind.
"Yes! a wonderful idea my beloved Lilly, I know the lord will hear us"
A cackling could be heard and then a barrage of jeers and torments, some of the other women with faces filled with scorn and words of derision now added to the misery of the sisters.
"The good lord does not listen to the pleas of vagabonds and thieves!" shouted a fat woman covered in so many shawls it was hard to see where the shawls ended and the dress began.
"The lord will have no mercy on those who sails the seas in violence!" shouted another fat woman whose cheeks were flame red and her hair was whipped about relentlessly by the wind.
A large woman with black hair strode towards Lilly her finger pointing and jabbing the air.
"Tis a sad day when we witness the harlot seeking her pirate! May the lord have mercy on her soul!" the woman shouted with all the vitriol of sermon preacher.
"Come sister we can pray at home the lord can hear us there! Lilly said and put her arm around her sister trying to guide away from the braying mob and back to the safety of their home. In the same moment the fat woman with cheeks ablaze pushed her and she fell awkwardly, her feet found no ground and the fear on her face for all to see as she slipped over the cliff edge.
"No! Lilly!" came the scream and her arm flung wildly in an attempt to grab at Lilly, in the same moment a fork of lightening lit up the sky and the black haired woman, her face twisted with hate, her mouth spewing forth nastiness and her arms out she pushed at both of them and then watched as Lilly and her sister fell to their deaths.
The rain washed their blood from the jagged cliffs and the wind howled round the headland, the moon was weak and clouds hung heavy, and the storm claimed the coastline, but for a moment a fork of lightening showed a small group of women on the headland praying and watching for their loved ones, hoping with desperation that loved ones would make it home in time for tomorrow, for tomorrow was christmas eve and all they wanted for christmas was to be with the one they love knowing they were safe.
tis but a short story for piratesunday at christmas my best wishes to all ssg community and all of steemit at this time
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many thanks i appreciate your support, respect
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a big thank you and a merry christmas to ssg community for the wonderfulness that is ssg :) much respect to all
Oh, a bit of sad story. Leaves me thinking why and if, as if the wives must endure so much as their men at sea. A fine bit of writing @beckieg.
hiya my lovely friend great to hear from you, thank you for your comment, i really appreciate it, although having never been the wife of a pirate i wrote this because i thought of how awful it must have been every time waiting for him to come home , you would need to be a strong person to be a pirates wife, hope you have a lovely christmas my friend my full respet to you as always
Exactly my thoughts. Even if the husband was not a pirate being a Merchant sailor is hazardous work let alone danger from not only pirates but of other nations at war and terrible storms. With their ships not arriving home as expected leaves the wives to wonder/worry of what may have happened to him. News of their fate may not come for months, years, or even not at all.
@beckieg #PirateSunday #36 Salutes you for Your Participation......Thank You
good to hear from you, i love pirate sunday always wanted to join in but i always have to do things my own way and history usually features strongly because i love learning history luckily pirates is a subject rich in history :) this week i wanted to combine real life pirating and christmas in the 1800s and to me it was perfect to show their struggles and their only wish of the one they love being safe, no talk of presents or decorations just the struggle of surviving harsh weather and a difficult life, and the cruelty of the society they lived in, the women of pirates often suffered purely because of who they loved, and who can govern who they fall in love with? tis a good subject and i am sure many stories could be told thank you for visiting thank you for my card, again :) i really appreciate it just off to try and squeeze in a quick battle now :) hope you have a wonderful christmas mr stockjockey my full respect to you
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