treasonatsea
Bluelighter
The young, dark skinned boy leant excitedly over the railing, a bright glimmer in his eyes evident as he spotted the first faint sight of land looming in the distance. "Father, father!" he cried ecstatically, in the way all young boys do when they discover something new. "Come and see! I can see it, see the land! We're almost there!" A few heads turned, and there were some excited exchanges between men and women, but father was not amongst them.
The boy, engrossed in eagerness, soon forgot though. Father was probably on the other side somewhere, looking after Mother or singing a lullaby to Brother, comforting him. A momentary flash of jealousy crossed the boy's mind, but soon faded. After all, Brother wasn't here, was he? He missed the first signs of land, and would probably miss the ships, too!
At the thought of the ships Anki (his name was originally Ankmadi but Mother decided it sounded better shorter, calling him "my little Anki") remembered his father saying to him "Remember Son, when the ships come, every everything will be well." When the ships come, Anki thought. They could come anytime, because we can see land! Then we'll live happily, Brother, Mother, Father and me.
Sudden, friece emotion overcame Anki. How he loved Father! Strong, proud father, skin tough as leather yet when he touched Anki or held him it seemed so gentle, so soft. Strong, proud father, who worked everyday in a place where it seemed no one worked, who comforted him when the noises of distant and often close gunfire woke him violently from soft sleep. Strong, proud, father, who never cried, not even when Mother cried and he cried and even Brother cried, when they all cried together, frighgtened, even then Father did not cry.
It was his decision for them to move: His strong feet that led them on to a boatfull of people like themselves: Tired people, sad people, frightened people. Yet always hopeful, always brave. Anki loved his father.
The atmosphere was becoming fervent, as more and more others began to realize how close they were to realising their dreams. It was visible in each one's eyes - that glimmer of hope, so particular to each individual yet at the same time shared by all, the sort of feeling that, once experienced, cannot be completely forgotten and lingers, maintaining some indescribable bond between those who share it together. The waves seemed suddenly to pulse, as if feeding off the energy in the air like a hungry infant. Anki could feel the atmosphere, charged like heavy pregnant clouds before a torrent of rain, and a shot like electricity raced through his spine. Soon, he sensed, something would happen.
Amidst the crowd of jubilant voices and faces Anki saw his family and callem them hurriedly to come. They came, Anki's father pushing through the pulsing throng which had assembled on the prow, holding Mother by the elbow. He, too, was excied, and when he reached ANki, he said breathlessly "Today will be a great day, son. A great day. Today the ships will come, I can feel it. They can all feel it. And then, my son, we shall be free."
It seemed to Anki to be surreal. The voices around him swirled and blended in a vortex of nois. His world was filled, his senses overwhelmed. He felt connected with everyone around him. A gull flew slowly, lazily overhead, as if defying the tumult with its indifferent flight. Ankis head was throbbing with noise. And then, suddenly, the first cheers began.
It was the ships. Finally, at long last, it was the ships. Father had been right, they were going to come, just like he had promised. They would come and take him away, take him, Father, Mother and Brother away to the shore, to the one place with a sun which could dry even mother's tears. To the one place which Father had said was worth working every day of five years for (And how he'd worked!) In Anki's mind the ships reminded him of magestic, golden-sailed ships upon which Princes travelled across seas to rescue Princesses and make everyone happy. "The ships have come", he thought. The ships had finally come.
As immigration minister Phillip Ruddock finished his speech tohe media, denouncing the latest illegal immigrants with a fierce, determined gaze, Anki sat, huddled in the corner, trembling, watching strong, proud Father weeping with his face in his soft hands.
The boy, engrossed in eagerness, soon forgot though. Father was probably on the other side somewhere, looking after Mother or singing a lullaby to Brother, comforting him. A momentary flash of jealousy crossed the boy's mind, but soon faded. After all, Brother wasn't here, was he? He missed the first signs of land, and would probably miss the ships, too!
At the thought of the ships Anki (his name was originally Ankmadi but Mother decided it sounded better shorter, calling him "my little Anki") remembered his father saying to him "Remember Son, when the ships come, every everything will be well." When the ships come, Anki thought. They could come anytime, because we can see land! Then we'll live happily, Brother, Mother, Father and me.
Sudden, friece emotion overcame Anki. How he loved Father! Strong, proud father, skin tough as leather yet when he touched Anki or held him it seemed so gentle, so soft. Strong, proud father, who worked everyday in a place where it seemed no one worked, who comforted him when the noises of distant and often close gunfire woke him violently from soft sleep. Strong, proud, father, who never cried, not even when Mother cried and he cried and even Brother cried, when they all cried together, frighgtened, even then Father did not cry.
It was his decision for them to move: His strong feet that led them on to a boatfull of people like themselves: Tired people, sad people, frightened people. Yet always hopeful, always brave. Anki loved his father.
The atmosphere was becoming fervent, as more and more others began to realize how close they were to realising their dreams. It was visible in each one's eyes - that glimmer of hope, so particular to each individual yet at the same time shared by all, the sort of feeling that, once experienced, cannot be completely forgotten and lingers, maintaining some indescribable bond between those who share it together. The waves seemed suddenly to pulse, as if feeding off the energy in the air like a hungry infant. Anki could feel the atmosphere, charged like heavy pregnant clouds before a torrent of rain, and a shot like electricity raced through his spine. Soon, he sensed, something would happen.
Amidst the crowd of jubilant voices and faces Anki saw his family and callem them hurriedly to come. They came, Anki's father pushing through the pulsing throng which had assembled on the prow, holding Mother by the elbow. He, too, was excied, and when he reached ANki, he said breathlessly "Today will be a great day, son. A great day. Today the ships will come, I can feel it. They can all feel it. And then, my son, we shall be free."
It seemed to Anki to be surreal. The voices around him swirled and blended in a vortex of nois. His world was filled, his senses overwhelmed. He felt connected with everyone around him. A gull flew slowly, lazily overhead, as if defying the tumult with its indifferent flight. Ankis head was throbbing with noise. And then, suddenly, the first cheers began.
It was the ships. Finally, at long last, it was the ships. Father had been right, they were going to come, just like he had promised. They would come and take him away, take him, Father, Mother and Brother away to the shore, to the one place with a sun which could dry even mother's tears. To the one place which Father had said was worth working every day of five years for (And how he'd worked!) In Anki's mind the ships reminded him of magestic, golden-sailed ships upon which Princes travelled across seas to rescue Princesses and make everyone happy. "The ships have come", he thought. The ships had finally come.
As immigration minister Phillip Ruddock finished his speech tohe media, denouncing the latest illegal immigrants with a fierce, determined gaze, Anki sat, huddled in the corner, trembling, watching strong, proud Father weeping with his face in his soft hands.
