We had to leave our beloved country. War ripped our homeland to shreds and our neighbors were gone to another place or dead. We knew it wouldn't be long before we joined them. We packed our belongings, as much as we dared and set out for the sea where surely someone would take us away. My wife, Rosalie, clutched our newborn child to her chest and in her satchel she held passports to America. We would go there to start anew and build a better life for our child.

"Franz." Rosalie pleaded. "Must we leave?" I nodded.

"Yes. We are not safe. We have been accused of housing the Jews."

"Who would do such a thing?" my wife panicked. Her green eyes vivid with emotion.

"Someone who does not like us." I told her. "War makes traitors of people. This is no place to raise a family." I said looking back to the war battered lands of Hungary, my home for all my life and generations before. I turned away unable to look anymore. "Do you remember what I told you?" Rosalie nodded. "Good. We will be known by different names in America, we will give our child an American name." I slurred in English. We had decided that once we left our country we would no longer speak in our native tongue ever again. Too many memories both beautiful and horrible danced in each syllable.

We sat on the deck of an old cart that was to take us through Slovenia and then we would sail through the Adriatic Sea and from there we would travel to the Mediterranean and on to the Atlantic Ocean. Many times we talked of going back but that was not an option. Soon there were strange lands and salty seas between us and what we once called home.

"Franz." Rosalie said wrapping trembling arms around me as we sailed into the treacherous Atlantic.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared. I miss our home."

"Hiányzik otthon is." I said for the first and last time. "But we cannot go back."

"What if America isn't what they say it is?" she asked hugging me tighter.

"It will be." I told her. "It will be."

...

Huge waves slammed onto the deck of ship swamping us and then sweeping away leaving us flopping like fish out of water. Anymore of this and I will be a fish. I thought to myself as yet another wave crashed on to the deck. It had been storming for seven days. There were times when I thought we would surely go down never to be seen again.

"Franz!" Rosalie yelled her blonde head appearing from the doorway to the gallows.

"Stay down there, Rosa!" I tried shouting over the roar of the storm. Rosa ducked back down out of sight. I returned my attention to the rope in my hands. Somehow I had to climb up the mast and replace another rope with this one. I had been elected to do it since I was the smallest and none of the crew could fit into the small place that needed repairing.

Tightening my safety line around my waist more securely I began the climb up. High speed winds ripped at my hair and cloths threatening to blow me away. Below the crew shouted encouragement even as they were swept to one side of the ship when a wave cashed overboard. All of the other passengers were below deck. I was up above only because I felt obligated to help the people who were helping me.

I reached the thinning part of the mast and could feel every jolt and shake the ship made tenfold. I shuddered and clutched the slippery ropes harder. Salt water and rain poured off me in rivers.

"I'll never be thirsty again." I muttered to myself swallowing a mouthful of salty water by accident. The salt burned in my throat and left me thirstier than I remembered being before. I pushed forward until there was no more rope only wood, sail, and air. I forced myself not to look down to the swaying deck below. Years of running along rooftops had given me a head for heights and good balance. But steady rooftops were nothing compared to the sickening lurching of a ship caught in a brutal storm.

At last I resorted to crawling along the beams that held up the sails. They were rolled up tight to prevent the mast from breaking under stress of too much wind. I finally reached the fraying rope near the top of the mast. I saw what needed repair almost immediately. A rope holding up a smaller sail was slowly breaking apart. I tied my safety line around the beam above me and squeezed between it and the beam just under it. I quickly tied the new rope around it and removed the old one throwing it to the deck. It landed in the ocean. With horrifying revelation I realized I now hung not over the deck but over the ocean.

I clung to the beam hardly caring about the splinters that dug into my arms. The ship rocked wildly. I dared to look down again and saw that the ship had righted itself. The crew was waving wildly at me to get down. Slowly I inched backwards fearing for my life. Twenty years was far too short a life to die now.

Suddenly an ear-splitting groan deadened the howling of the storm. I looked up and saw the beam above me falling. It cracked against my head stunning me. My grip on the wood loosened and I fell. As I fell I saw Rosalie's horrified face staring at me.

...

Someone was stroking my forehead gently. "Mum." I groaned. The hand faltered.

"Franz. It's me. Rosalie. Franz, can you hear me?"

"Rosa?" I croaked. My whole body ached with the force of a thousand needles sticking into me.

"Oh, Franz!" Rosa cupped my face gently in her palm. She began talking so fast in Hungarian even I couldn't understand her.

"Rosa. English." I reminded her. She turned on me her face red with rage.

"How can you think about English at a time like this! How could you be so stupid to go up there and...!" She stopped when she saw me smiling. "What?" she asked irritably.

"You're speaking English."

"I don't care!"

"You're very pretty when you're angry." I said. Her face melted and she hugged me emitting a hiss of pain from me.

"Oh! Did I hurt you?"

"No, no. You didn't." I smiled.

"Franz! Don't joke about it!" Rosa exclaimed. "You fell from the top of the mast! You should be... should be... " she faltered.

"Should be dead?" I suggested. Rosa burst into tears.

"Oh, Franz! When you fell. I... I could hear it from the other side of the ship. You weren't moving and they didn't think you would make it."

"How long was I sleeping?"

"Four days." she sniffed.

"Where are we at?"

"In the captain's quarters. He said you could stay here until you healed or... or..." Rosa burst into fresh tears.

"Hey, hey. It's okay, I'm not leaving anytime soon." I reassured her. She cried for a few moments more before calming down.

"I know. It's just. I was so worried. Everyone said you wouldn't make it. They said you were hurt inside. What does that mean?"

"I think it means I hurt something and no one can tell because it's too far inside me to feel." I yawned completely drained of energy. Suddenly the door flew open. Rosa jumped.

"Ahh, good to see you awake, sir." the captain said loudly. "Thought you wouldn't make it for a while there. I just want to thank you for doing that." Rosalie made a small noise. "Even if it almost got you killed. If you hadn't done that we would have lost many crew members." the burly man said. He smelled strongly of sea water. "The storm lasted another two days but your rope held fast. You were a natural up there. I have yet to meet any man who can do repairs that quickly even in calm weather!" the captain praised me. I felt a warm glow rise to my cheeks.

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, now, no need to call me that. You're the one that's earned it. We all owe you our lives. God bless you in America." The captain saluted me and left singing a rolling song about highs seas and rum. Rosalie made a noise of disgust.

"Don't you ever think about joining them." she said.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I said. Rosa smiled. "How's a kicsike?"

"Franz! You said we should speak English!"

"Sorry. Slip of the tongue. So, how is he?"

"He's fine. One of the women are taking care of him right now."

"Mmm." I was feeling sleepier by the minute. Rosalie saw this.

"I should let you rest." she said. I didn't hear her. I was lost to sleep.

...

Cheers greeted me as I hobbled out on to the deck three days later with Rosalie supporting me. Strong hands patted me roughly on the back congratulating me. They asked me how I was feeling and if I considered joining their crew to which I replied no every time. Every time I said no Rosalie's smile grew broader.

"Alright, back to work!" the captain shouted. "You, kid, come up here." he said pointing at me. I slowly limped up the smooth, worn steps to where the captain stood. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, sir."

"Call me Rodger, kid. Least I can do is tell you my name. I wanted to formally ask you if you would consider joining my crew. You'd make a fine sailor."

"I..." I thought for a moment. Rosalie was gripping my hand tightly. Her eyes were filled with adoration and love, I knew that whatever choice I made she would follow me no matter what. For a moment I considered life on the sea. Always moving, always a place to go. Then I realized I was being a fool. My child needed a steady home. A place he could come back to always.

"I cannot accept your offer, Sir Rodger. I am needed elsewhere." I said looking at my wife once more. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"You've a strong heart, lad. And a fine woman. If I had both I'd lock myself away inland and never set eye on the sea. Alas her water runs too strongly in my veins. Keep what you have, lad. It's a fine thing."

"Thank you, sir." I said bowing slightly.

"Rodger." he corrected. I nodded but as we walked away I heard him chuckle to himself. "Sir Rodger. How 'bout that."

...

"Land ho!" someone shouted from above. Everyone rushed to the deck but we could see nothing but water and endless sky. I strained my eyes and saw a blurry strip of what looked to be land.

"Rosa! I can see land!" I shouted to my wife. Rosalie rushed to my side carrying our child in her arms. Our child stared up at the sky with bright blue eyes so much like mine. "We're almost home." I whispered into his ear when Rosa handed him to me.

"We won't be on land for three more days, folks." the captain told us. Muffled groans followed the people as they went back under deck. I stayed above to watch, Rosalie stayed with me leaning against the railing in eagerness.

"Franz." she breathed. "We're almost there." she looked up at me her eyes brimming with tears of joy. I nodded too happy to speak. We watched for the rest of the day but the land appeared no closer than before. The same went for the second day also. But on the third day everything changed. We could see the land and make out towers and other buildings. The deck was crowded with other passengers all trying to get a glimpse of their new home.

Wanting space I climbed the ropes leading to the top of the mast. Crew members smiled at me as I made my way up. I could hear Rosalie calling my name but I ignored her. Finally on the nest I looked out across the water. The view took my breath away. Towers of unseen height lined the coast and for a moment terror gripped my heart. Was this America? Buildings of terrible height? But then it was gone.

"Rosa! Come up here!" I shouted to my wife below.

"Franz! You're insane! Come down here now before you fall again!"

"Rosa, come see!" I shouted. Below me Rodger was grinning so broadly I could see his smile from the top of the mast.

"Better join your husband, lass. It's a fine view." he said. Rosa huffed.

"Franz, I can't climb up there with the baby!" she shouted up. Suddenly a woman offered to take the child. Rosa paused reluctant to give her child to the woman for even a little while. But then several children appeared around the woman's skirts. Seeing this Rosa was more willing. She passed the child onto the woman and began slowly climbing the ropes. I climbed down to her and helped her the rest of the way up.

"Rosa, look." I said wrapping one arm around her and pointing with the other towards a green statue of a woman holding a torch above her head and a tablet in her arm.

"It's beautiful." Rosa breathed as we sailed past it.

"It's liberty. We are home."

Translation: Hiányzik otthon is - I miss home too

A kicsike - The little one​

******************************

Hi!

Just so you know this is set just before WWII. Franz and Rosa are German Hungarians who were accused of housing Jews.

This was a school project. Basically we had to write about our family and how they came to America and so on. The only things my family knows about Franz and Rosa are their names and that's about it. We don't even really know when they came over. Oh well. Just something I had some fun with.

Vote and comment!!

Lonely...

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