The Crossing

Seventeen-year-old Regina Filagree crept down an alley on Nassau’s waterfront and squeezed her emaciated body between two dumpsters behind adjoining restaurants.  She was exhausted after the grueling 500-mile trip across choppy seas in a rickety old smuggler’s boat.  She huddled against the filthy adobe wall and gave in to a restless sleep.

Behind her closed eyelids, dreams of her family and the life she’d so recently left flitted past.  The little ones were always crying from hunger.  Even though everybody grubbed for what food they could find, there was just not enough to go around.  She relived the family conference of two nights earlier where it had been decided that it was time for her to leave.  She must make her way to the Land of Opportunity.  There she would surely find work and could send support back to her family.

She awoke to the rumbling in her stomach.  Even though it was getting dark, she spied some scattered cabbage leaves.  She snatched them up and chomped them down.  Her nose led her to an overripe peach.  She picked it up and, guided by her nose, avoided the rotten side and ate the remainder.  She was still scavenging as the night darkened and the whistled signal calling them to the speedboat sounded.

She hurried to the dock where a smuggler motioned them into a boat.  One by one they squeezed in until the entire hull was packed.  There was scarcely room to breathe, but Regina was elated.  At last she was on the final leg to the paradise that awaited her.

She held her breath as the loaded vessel idled away from the dock and headed across the bay.  The lights of the city disappeared behind them and they were soon surrounded by open water.  Millions of sparkling stars and a slim crescent moon only slightly brightened the sky as they bounced over the swells.  It seemed as if they were the only living beings in the universe.

In spite of the misting spray and the wind slapping her face and whipping her hair, the jouncing of the boat and the rocking of the waves made her eyelids begin to droop.  I can’t go to sleep she chided herself. What if I fell overboard?  No one would even know I was gone.

Struggling to stay awake, she began counting the silhouettes in the dim lights of the instrument panel. Twenty-seven grown people!  How did they get that many in here?

Despite her best efforts, fatigue overcame her.  Sometime later the jostling of her fellow passengers awakened her.  Bewildered as to where she was, she looked around in confusion.  As her senses took in the surrounding sea and the glow of the lights of their destination in the sky up ahead, it slowly all came back to her – the tearful goodbyes to her family, sneaking onto the smuggler’s boat, hiding in the alley, boarding yet another boat and this long boring ride.  Then she became aware of something else, her feet were wet.

Cold water sloshed over her feet and was rising with increasing speed.  Her panic grew as it rose to her knees and waves came surging over the sides of the hull.  The boat began to tilt and she dove into the sea and swam away as fast as she could to avoid the undertow if it sank.  When she thought she had covered a safe distance, she turned and began to tread water.  The boat was nowhere to be seen and all around her echoed frightened cries for help as others struggled to remain afloat.

Would all of her hopes and dreams end up here on the bottom of the sea?  The cries of the others became less and less frequent as the minutes dragged past endlessly.  Her muscles ached from fighting to stay afloat against the pounding of the waves.  Just when she thought she could fight no more, a wave carried a fortuitous piece of flotsam to bump up against her tired body.  Wearily she threw her arms over it and rested her head on top. 

The feeling of something lightly brushing against her cheek jolted her from her stupefied daze.  She raised her hand to brush away what she surmised was a piece of seaweed only to discover what felt like hair.  Further exploration made clear that she was clinging to a facedown body, probably that of one of her fellow passengers. It’s too late for her.  But maybe she’ll help me stay alive.

For hours, she floated in and out of semi-consciousness hoping and praying that help was on its way.  Suddenly she became aware of a bright light on the horizon.  It became more and more brilliant and all around she saw the floating bodies of other passengers. Is this the end?  Is that the Light that signals death is at hand?

The light spread across the water and she saw an arm rise above the waves and begin to wave back and forth.  Then she heard a booming voice.

“Ahoy there!  We’re here to help you.”

She watched as they tossed a lifesaver toward the first person that had waved and slowly towed him alongside the boat. Then they idled toward her and the life preserver landed with a plop within arm’s reach.  She cautiously let go of the cadaver with one hand and pulled it closer.  Clinging desperately to it she was slowly pulled to the ship, helped up its ladder and then carried to a cot.  Outside the porthole beside her the eastern sky was beginning to brighten. 

“Only three . . .” she heard someone say as they passed down the passageway.  Did that mean that there were only three survivors out of the twenty-seven on board?  Looking again at the sea surface, she saw numerous bodies all bobbing face down.  Thank God for the woman who kept me afloat.

She tried to wipe the image from her mind and relax.  All of her muscles ached from the struggle of the last several hours and her skin burned from the abrasion of the salty waves.  Thankful that the ordeal was over she wondered, Now what will happen to me?  Will I ever reach that golden land or will I be sent back?


Word Count:  1043