This
story holds a special place in my heart, because it is not only the
first novel I finished, it's the first I ever published. It took me
nearly 10 years to complete it, and required a lot of rewrites, but I
made it! It's a lovely sweeping historical novel with an interesting
location, which few authors have explored.
It's
the spring of 1739 in sultry St. Augustine, Florida and something's
amiss. It seems a British spy has wormed his way into their lives and
he's bent upon leading the British Army in an attack against the fort
and town. It's up to Gabriella Deza and her fiancé, Manuel Enriques,
to stop the spy from being successful.
The
rain was so heavy, I soon lost track of him in the storm. I knew he'd
be heading to the wharf, so I found my way there as best I could.
Once I reached the shore I began to call him. My voice was drowned by
the sound of the wind.
"Please,"
I begged of the men that I knew. "Will you help me find my
brother?"
But
all were too busy to listen to a young lady who was too foolish to
stay out of the storm. I could see Papa's ship in the ocean heading
toward the wharf, as the waves pounded it on all sides. It looked
ready to break apart! I began to pray as I ran looking for my little
brother.
"Oh
Lord, protect them and help me find my brother!" I repeated over
and over as I ran through the crowd, pushing my way in the press of
men.
It
was then I saw Marcos. He was trying to help deploy ropes. The men on
the shore tied off stout hemp lines to the pier and were roping
themselves in to wade out into the storm. They formed a life line
should the ship break apart. Other men were standing and holding the
ropes to bring in the others if they foundered in the waves. No one
was watching my brother. They were all too busy with their appointed
tasks.
I
saw the approaching wave before he did, for he was not looking at the
sea. He had turned briefly to implore the men once more to let him
help, but none gave him their ear.
"Marcos!"
I called, though he couldn't possibly hear me. "Marcos, behind
you!"
The
wave moved faster than I could, with all my damp skirts around my
legs. I knew I couldn't reach him and he was going to die. Despite
his faults, I realized I dearly loved my little brother. I didn't
want to lose him. I couldn't even think what his death would do to
Papa.
As
I ran, I watched the wave build higher. It rose until I could hardly
see the top. The ship rode the crest. The men on shore saw the swell
approaching. They dropped the ropes, running inland as fast as they
could in the wet sand. Several fell and were swept away by the
waters. The ropes held them and they were able to pull
themselves
out of the waves.
Marcos
was calling to them. "Where are you going? My mamá is on that
ship!"
He
hadn't turned around, distracted by their flight. The ship loomed
nearer and the wave grew. I couldn't reach him through the wet sand
and the press of men running against me.
"God,
I beg you please save him! I swear I'll be good to him all my days!
Oh, Mother of God, protect him! I promised Papa!"
Lightning
flashed across the sky illuminating the beach, lighting Marco's face
like a ghost! It was then he turned and saw the ship as the wave
approached him. He froze.
"Marcos!"
I screamed, "Marcos run!"
He
heard my voice, but he was paralyzed with fear. I ran, screaming for
him to move. There was no way he could escape. The water was too
deep, its pull stronger than he. The darkness and rain enveloped him,
obscuring my view. In the next flash of lightning, I saw the ship
looming ever closer and screamed for all I was worth!
Suddenly,
another figure appeared on the beach. A man, large and strong, was
running toward my brother, a rope around his waist. He came upon
Marcos just as the wave broke on the shore, grabbing him securely. He
dropped to the ground, tucking the little head against his massive
chest, holding my brother with an inhuman strength. He turned his
body, taking the brunt of the wave on his back and powerful
shoulders. Marcos grasped his waist just before the wave's surge
covered them.
The
ship swerved hard to starboard, hitting the corner of the pier not
far away, shuddering to a halt. The water rushed around the ship, up
the beach, over my brother and the man. I couldn't see what happened
next, for I had to retreat out of the wave's reach. The greedy
fingers of water clutched my dress, determined to drag me into the
fray. Were it not for the aid of the men on shore, who held me fast,
I would have been spirited away and surely drowned.
I
babbled every prayer I knew, calling on God to help them. Little by
little the waves receded and I could move closer, looking for them. I
saw the rope tied to the pier, taut with weight, and began to pull.
Men from the shore saw me and raced to my side. Together we hauled
them in. I feared both were surely drowned. Finally, their sodden
forms broke the surface of the waves. I rushed forward, but the men
held me back, for the currents were wild and treacherous.
©
2017 Dellani Oakes
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