Hours wore on and on. And oh! How tired we all were. It soon seemed to us that we would never get through, the ocean would swallow us up. Still, we pressed onward, the vicious wind stinging our skin, the rain pelting our faces, and the ocean burning our eyes. I faintly heard someone scream as a falling beam crushed him. I winced as I felt the hot blisters on my hands pop and the water and sweat sting them. I prayed that God would see us through and not forget that we were here floundering in the most beastly thing he ever created.
Suddenly I saw a huge wave lerch high above the ship and wipe down upon us all. The great amounts of water yanked me away from my hold on the ropes. I felt the skin burn and rip away from my bone. I cried out as I was thrown over the side of the ship into the water. I tried to swim and grab the side of the ship and attempt to climb up, up to where I was needed, where I belonged. My eyes stung as the water dashed into my face again and again. My lungs burned from lack of air, my stomach hurt terribly from the exaggerated amounts of water filling my belly. I cried out for help as I was thrown and thrashed around by the great monster we call the sea. The sea water on my face was soon mixed with the salty tears I could no longer keep inside.
My friends, my companions, my God, had all forgotten me? Had all left me to die here in the dark, and bottomless deep? My whole body and soul shook with fear, pain, sorrow, and despair. It was no use, no one was there. No one would save me. I could no longer move, the great waves had broken my bones and shattered my soul. I would never again see the blue sky or the sun as it set into the ocean.
I was leaving. I would be gone forever. Would they remember me? Would they be sorry? Would they feel guilty at knowing they could have saved me? I was slowly losing consciousness, but suddenly, just before my world went black, I felt two strong hands grab and lift me up.
Days later I awoke. I could see the sunshine as it fell across my bunk, I could feel its warm embrace on my sore and swollen face. My whole body hurt as it had never hurt before. I was confined so I could not move. Nearly every bone in my body had been broken. I slowly turned my head and saw a man beside me. He was on his knees, eyes closed tight. Those strong hands folded resolutely in a humble prayer to God.
I felt a tear roll down my face and I heard myself croak, “Captain?” The man looked up with tears in his pale blue eyes. He stood and looked down at me and smiled a fatherly smile. “Captain.” I croaked again, “What had…” I coughed and sputtered, and he held a cup of cool, fresh water to my lips. I drank hungrily. I again tried to ask him what had happened, but my Captain only shushed me and told me the whole story.
He had seen me get ripped and washed away and thrown into the terrible sea. He knew I was young and how much life I still had before me. He shouted orders to the sailors and grabbed a rope. He had tied the rope to the great mast and around his waist. He ordered a man to pull him back up after ten minutes had gone by. He said he had been pulled up three times. Each time the sailors had told him it was probably too late and it was no use risking his life for mine. But he was definite! He would not rest until he had found me. My Captain had been bashed and smothered by the waves before he was finally able to find and grab hold of me, pulling me up to safety.
Tears were rolling down our hard and weather beaten faces. “Why did you do it?” I asked. He looked at me and simply said. “I am the Captain.”
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