July 14, 1845

St Helena at last! Samuel Gates stood on land after being at sea on the Velox for far too long. Captain Adams was kind enough to offer free passage, but the reverend insisted that he and Sam earn their keep. What the Reverend really meant was that Sam would earn keep for the two of them. He stayed busy scrubbing the deck and working the sails. In fact, there was no task too menial for him to do. Now that he finally stood on the narrow, dirt road which boasted evergreen trees on either side, he felt as if his hard work paid off. He didn't even care that the island had no beach!

They stood just outside Jamestown. Two hills each consisting of a fort, flanked the town which was located at the bottom of a narrow gorge. Samuel didn't look towards the city instead he watched as the waves rolled in hitting the cliffs and breathed in the sea salt air.

He and the Reverend J. M'Gregor Bertram met with a Mr. James Morris and Mrs. Janisch. The later of the two agreed to allow Bertram to hold Sabbath services in her home. The three of them spoke of the sabbath plans and the correspondence the men shared before their arrival. Samuel managed to tune out the group's chatter but managed to notice as Mrs. Janish grew stiff.

He turned to face the direction that she was looking and saw the most beautiful creature heading their way. She was short maybe just over five feet tall. Perhaps just over five feet tall with a tanned complexion. She had dark spiral hair and her large scrutinizing brown eyes were overshadowed by her thick dark eyebrows. Her delicate mouth boosted a bright smile which lit her entire face. She held her head high and walked towards the party as if she were made of confidence.

"Good Day." She called when she came closer to the group.

"Hello." Mrs. Janish said avoiding eye contact with the girl by studying a rock on the ground. She made no effort to introduce the newcomer to the rest of the group, so Sam decided to introduce himself. He took the hat off his head holding it across his heart. "How do you do. I'm Sam Gates and I just arrived at Jamestown this afternoon."

She nodded, her genuine smile lit her face. "I'm Letizia Leo, it's nice to meet you Mr. Gates."

Sam motioned at the reverend, "This is Reverend J. M'Gregor Bertram."

She clapped her hands at the introduction. "Oh, thank you so much for coming to our little island reverend. I do hope that you can make some time to preach to the liberated Africans. I volunteer with them and the poor souls arrive here in such straights. It would be wonderful if someone could say some words over the dead and the dying."

Mr. Morris answered for the reverend. "There is no way to know if the men that are already dead on arrival are even Christian, the Reverend wouldn't be able to give them a proper Christian burial."

"Those poor men and women and children may not have been Christian." Latizia's brown eyes darkened and widened in her round face and Sam couldn't help but smile at the woman's fiery spirit. "However, the men who kidnapped them from their homes, stuffed them on those filthy crowded ships and ultimately caused their deaths were Christian. So perhaps some Christian compassion is warranted."

Mr. Morris's eyes widened at the speech and he looked down just as Mrs. Janisch had been doing for the entirety of the conversation.

"You bring up some valid points." Bertram acknowledged. "I'd be happy to discuss the prospect further with you."

She took leave of the group with a thanks and hurried on her way. Sam couldn't take his eyes off her as she left.

"You don't want to fool around with that girl." Mrs. Janisch said after Latizia was out of earshot.

"Is she married? She wasn't wearing any rings." Sam's face grew red with those words for he feared that he gave away just how interested he was in the young lady. He glanced at the reverend worried that he would disapprove or worse he'd tease him about it. The smile on Bertram's face indicated to Sam that he was in for the latter.

"No man would have her." Mrs. Janisch laughed.

"Why not?" Reverend Bertram asked, "she seems lovely enough and responsible if not a bit too passionate."

"She has the Gilly Gilly." Mrs. Janisch whispered.

"The Gilly Gilly?" Both Bertram and Sam repeated confused.

"You may know it as the evil eye." Mr. Morris said, he kept his voice low and his gaze darted around the narrow path as if he were concerned about being overheard.

"Surely you don't believe in such nonsense." Bertram laughed.

"Let's just say that I shouldn't have confronted her on the burial." Morris said.

Bertram shook his head and Sam was happy that he didn't believe the nonsense they were spouting about the girl. He couldn't imagine her hurting a fly.

"You were right not to look her in the eye." Mrs. Janisch said. "She can curse you with one look. In fact, a few years ago she caught old man Williams stealing a tomato out of her garden."

"That's rather rude." Sam said.

"Well she placed her Gilly Gilly on him and his whole body broke out in a rash. Next thing we know the whole town is coming down with the measles. It was the second outbreak in a five-year span."

"Coincidence." Bertram said.

"Maybe so." Morris agreed. "But there is also the issue with her parentage."

"You must have a lot of Mulatto's on your island." Bertram said. Sam heard the word to describe a person of mixed races before. Usually it was spewed as an insult, but when applied towards Latizia he found the word oddly pretty.

"But not all of them can claim Napoleon as their father." Morris said.

Sam drew in a breath. He knew that the French Emperor was exiled to the island, but he hadn't heard of him having any children while there.

"Latizia's mother was one of the first Liberated Africans on the island. She found work cleaning Napoleon's home. She was devastated when the Emperor died and more than a little pregnant." Morris whispered.

"They say she was infatuated with him and that she even stole his seed." Mrs. Janisch added.

"I will hear no more of this." Bertram said.

Morris held up his hand acknowledging that the gossip had indeed gone too far. "There are plenty of lovely girls on this island, I just want to steer your apprentice in the right direction."

"Well if everything goes to plan," Bertram said, "Samuel will be much too busy to worry about pursuing girls."

September 1845

Bertram was right about keeping Samuel busy. The congregation soon outgrew Mrs. Janisch's home and they set up a fund in Cape town to buy a mission house. The building they settled on was larger than most of the homes in town which seldom reached more than two stories. Samuel was assigned the two-fold task of turning the old home into a mission house with quarters to house the Reverend and his family.

The building they bought was across from the barracks. Many of the rowdy soldiers made their displeasure about the building known. Sam feared that the situation was becoming too dire. However, that never stopped Letizia from visiting him while he worked. Sometimes she brought lemonade or produce from her garden to share.

As Bertram said, Samuel didn't have time to pursue any woman. He appreciated that the one woman he was interested in, took time out of her day to pursue him.

Sam wiped sweat from his brow and licked his lips. His stomach growled and he practically salivated wondering what Latizia would bring him today. He looked up from his work when he heard some of the soldiers yelling.

"Where are you going blacksmith?" Sam noticed James Emily walking down the road with Henry Leo. The men seemed to be deep in discussion. Sam thought it curious that Mr. Emily would leave his workstation in the middle of the day but by no means did he understand the soldier's reaction.

Mr. Emily finally looked at the soldiers who were berating him and quickly dashed away from the men. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him and he crashed straight into Latizia who spilled a basket of bread that she was carrying.

Sam ran towards the woman as she stood and straightened her close. Her fierce eyes were a shade darker than usual. "Mr. Emily, you should watch where you are going!" Latizia cried.

"I'm sorry." Mr. Emily said walking away. "I'm very sorry."

Latizia picked up the basket and looked inside. No bread remained. "There goes lunch." Her voice shook with sadness.

"Hey, it's the thought that counts." Samuel said outstretching his arms. Latizia stepped into his embrace. He breathed in the cinnamon smell of her skin and his stomach growled. Latizia laughed and stepped out of the embrace as quickly as she stepped in.

"Well Sam, I don't think your stomach agrees with the sentiment."

Sam laughed at her joke. "My stomach can go a day without eating, but I don't think my eyes would go a day without seeing you."

Two red spots formed on Latizia's cheeks and a smile formed on her mouth. "I think that's your stomach speaking."

"Maybe my stomach wants to know what I did to make such a nice girl want to feed me. So that I can keep on doing it. Or maybe my stomach thinks if I do more, that sweet girl will finally bring me some of that coffee this island is famous for"

Latizia laughed. "Your stomach thinks too much, and it has expensive tastes. St. Helena has the most expensive coffee in the world!" Samuel smiled they had the conversation before. Latizia thought that the price hike was due to the remoteness of the island coupled with the fact that only free hands touched their coffee unlike the coffee coming from the Americas. It was a point of pride with her.

She paused for a moment as if trying to decide how to phrase her next words or if she even wanted to say them at all. "I know that you convinced Bertram to preach to the liberated Africans and I just know that his generosity is making a difference."

"I'm glad." Sam nodded. Bertram was hesitant about preaching to the liberated Africans, but Sam helped him see that the unique situation in Saint Helena warranted out of the box ideas.

St. Helena became a dropping off point for captured slave ships. The Royal Navy captured the ship and unloaded the people, whether they were alive, dead or dying to an area called Rupert Valley. The navy kept any seized property and either sold or destroyed the slave ship. Bertram prayed for the dead and dying and gave sermons to the living. The volunteer work was demoralizing on him. "But it was your impassioned speech that convinced him." Sam reminded her.

"That's the other thing, you've always been so nice to me, despite the gossip."

"Gossip about you. Never." Sam smiled.

"That's sweet of you to say, Sam Gates." Latizia took her leave of Sam shortly after. He slowly walked towards the mission house listening as the birds squawked undoubtedly fighting over his bread. His stomach growled once more, but soon Mrs. Janisch would provide a meal for him and Bertram.

Sam didn't work too much longer when Bertram arrived. "Checking on my progress?" Sam asked.

"Unfortunately, there has been an accident," Bertram said. "James Emily fell from the precipice next to ladder hill."

Sam gasped. "I just saw him! He was speaking to Henry Leo."

Bertram patted Sam on the back. "It's a sad day when a man dies and can't have a proper Christian burial."

Sam swallowed hard at the information. It was a sad day indeed.

Oct. 1845

Sam finally finished refinishing the mission house. Bertram walked through the family quarters. "I believe my wife will find this suitable," Bertram exclaimed. "You've done a good job."

"That's high praise reverend," Sam said feeling a touch of pride at his work. Now that he was finished with the reverend's home, Sam hoped that he could begin to renovate one for himself. Every time he tried to broach the subject with Latizia his palms became too sweaty and he couldn't form the words to ask her. He worried that he was misconstruing her kindness for something else.

Latizia arrived with some crumb cake as the reverend toured the mission house. "What do you think, Latizia?" Bertram called out from the pulpit "Our Sam did a good job didn't he."

Sam felt the color rise to his cheeks and noticed that Latizia also had twin spots of red. "Yes, he did," Leticia said. "When will you hold your first service?"

"How about tonight!" Bertram boomed.

"That sounds lovely!" She said.

"You're coming right?" Sam asked standing close to her in the little church.

She bit her lip, "I don't know. Some of the people don't want me."

"I want you." He said too quickly and felt his cheeks burn.

"Of course, I'll come." She said leaving the crumb cake for Sam and Bertram to share.

The noise from the barracks was ten-fold louder than normal. Sam ushered guests inside the mission house, waiting for Latizia to arrive. Some of the congregation complained about the noise coming from across the street. Finally, Sam marched over there to see what was going on.

A soldier stood on a makeshift stage and shouted into the audience. "I don't care if you have the Gilly Gilly, I want you to marry me."

Another soldier on the stage responded. "That klutz made me drop my bread! The birds are eating my bread."

The soldiers in the audience laughed hard at the jokes.

"What's going on here." Sam confronted William Fowler, the highest-ranking soldier he could find.

"We're not going to let you have your little church!" William said. "We're going to throw theater every time you have it and drown you out. Eventually, your congregation will come here instead."

Sam didn't notice with Latizia arrived, not until she stepped next to him and spoke to William. "How could you!" She shouted. "There are good people in there praying for your salvation." She poked William in the chest at the words

Sam heard Bertram begin the service and knew that the reverend expected him to be in the mission house, yet he had a feeling that Latizia wasn't going anywhere and Sam certainly wouldn't leave her alone with the soldiers.

William didn't take to being poked and grabbed Letizia's finger. Sam pulled back balling his fist ready to deliver a punch when William doubled over in pain. He clutched his stomach. "What did you do to me, you little witch."

Sam let his fist fly at the words. "Sam!" Latizia shouted. "He's not worth it." She tried to pull Sam away.

"You're going to stop this," Sam said gesturing towards the theater before he followed Latizia to the mission house.

William Fowler was plagued with stomach issues for the next few months. His face became shallow and pale. He lost weight and his skin hung from his bones. "Tell her, that we quit the theater," William said in a raspy voice one day confronting Sam.

"Tell who," Sam asked.

"Tell her, I'm sorry. Ask her to spare me, not for my sake but for my wife and kids." William pleaded.

Sam bit the inside of his cheek and breathed deeply. William was in no condition to be walking. Sam had to hold him up for support. He wouldn't wish what William was going through on anyone. Yet he was blaming the wrong person for his condition. "I can't help you." He said looking into the man's large shallow eyes before leaving him in the care of his allies.

Mr. Bertram was ecstatic that the Baptists drove the soldiers to quit their silly theater and he thanked the congregation for their efforts in casting the evil out. Sam kept quiet about the true reason the soldiers stopped.

February 18, 1846

"I don't like how restless these seas are," Leticia said as they strolled around the wharf. They had a steady rhythm, not the seas, the strong sea crashed against the cliffs relentlessly. But Sam and Leticia together formed a rhythm. Sam worked for Bertram during the morning, while Leticia aided the Liberated Africans. Sam had occasion to visit Rupert Valley with Bertram a few times and the work that Leticia did mesmerized him. In the afternoon, he worked on building his home while Letizia gardened or sold wares to some of the locals. After dinner was their time together. They usually walked by the wharf or ladder hill. Sometimes they walked through the town, but it wasn't Sam's favorite. There were too many dirty looks from people who blamed Laticia for things that she couldn't have done. If they knew her the way, he did they would never suspect her of those things. He didn't care what anyone else thought but he enjoyed his private moments with her.

"I know how the seas feel," Sam said softly.

Leticia gave him a sideways glance. "Are you feeling restless to Sam Gates."

"I'm almost done working on my house."

"Whatever will you do with your time?" Leticia mocked.

"Now that his family has arrived, Bertram would like for me to take more of an active role in the church."

"Makes sense that he wants to spend more time with his family," Leticia said watching as a wave rolled in and crashed on a cliff.

"He's lucky to have them." Sam sighed. He made the decision that he would ask her today but when he woke, the island air had been oppressive. Something bad would happen, he knew it. The feeling rested in the pit of his stomach and he dreaded asking her, but he always felt it was best to face his fear straight on. He smiled wondering how such a petite woman could strike so much fear in his heart.

"My house is too big for just me," Sam said.

Latizia bit her bottom lip. "I figured that you were building it with a future family in mind."

"I was building it for you."

Her laughter tinkled through the night and if Sam didn't know better, he would think it landed on a wave. The sea tinkled with her laughter.

"Now Sam Gates, what am I going to do in such a big house?"

"Start that family with me."

"Wait," Latizia said. "You couldn't possibly want to marry an old maid."

It was Sam's turn to laugh. "You're twenty-four."

"How come you see me differently than everyone else, Sam Gates."

"Because they're not looking at you," Sam said. "Marry me?"

Letizia nodded and kissed her future husband.

Sam couldn't settle down. He slept in a small room in the missionary house that was separate from the living quarters. Happiness ran wild and free in his body causing his stomach to do summersaults and his heart to palpitate. He couldn't go to sleep if he wanted to so the crashing noises pounding the island didn't bother him in the least.

While the blissfully happy Sam tried to calm his joy, the sea didn't try to quell its anger at all. Large waves called rollers attacked the island. A roller picked up the slave ship named the Decobrador and threw her right on top of a second slave ship, the Cordelia. Then another roller threw both ships high in the air until they landed in front of the sea gate. The rollers destroyed eleven more ships for a total of thirteen, those that saw the tumultuous seas all said the same peculiar thing. The waves tinkled with laughter.

Like the other islanders, Sam picked his way through the debris and followed the path towards the wharf. Sam listened as the Islanders talked about the ordeal. One man, Robert Bath, was drowned in the sea. His two companions stranded on Sugar Loaf until this morning. The Seale's were on one of the thirteen ships when the rollers started tearing everything apart. Fortunately, Mr. Roach, an American with a rope, came by and saved them.

Sam politely listened to the stories, but his mind was reeling for he couldn't find his fiancé. The last time Sam saw her, she was standing on the wharf.

He quickly looked for her with no success, as the morning progressed his mind raced with worry, for Laticia was nowhere to be found.

Nobody that he asked had seen her and then Bertram found him. "Son we need to speak in private." Bertram's eyes were downcast.

"You know where she is don't you." Sam accused.

Bertram walked up the path that led to Jamestown. "We'll talk at the mission house." He said. Once inside he motioned for Sam to sit in a chair and Bertram sat next to him.

Sam followed Bertram to the church his head hung low. He couldn't believe this was happening. He opened his mouth to ask the question a few times but closed it unable to say the words, unable to swallow them.

"There was a body found last night."

Sam closed his eyes. "Somehow I don't think you're talking about Robert Bath."

"No, his poor soul is lost to the sea," Bertram said.

"It was Leticia." Bertram said.

Sam closed his eyes and the tears fell. Bertram took a letter from his pocket.

"This was found on her person." He said and began to read.

"Dear Sam, Your love has set my wicked soul free. Only a pure-hearted man like you could see the good in a Gilly Gilly like me. I'm sorry for what I did to Mr. Emily and Mr. Fowler and the measles epidemic I caused a few years back. I hope that one day, you'll be able to forgive me. Love, Leticia."

Two weeks Later

Sam stood next to Captain Adams on the Velox. 

"How was the world's most expensive coffee?"  The captain asked.  

Sam shrugged.  "I never tasted it."  

After a few minutes the captain tried to strike up conversation once again. "How did you enjoy island life?" 

Sam looked the man deep in the eye before answering. "The devil shat that rock out as he passed from one world to the next."