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  • Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
  • Theme: Drama / Human Interest
  • Subject: Death / Heartbreak / Loss
  • Published: 06/12/2011

Sara's Boat Ride Home

By Mary Lee
F, from Columbia, SC, United States
View Author Profile

Sara’s Boat Ride Home

Sara saw the Princess Tour Boat. She wished to board that boat. Months of despair taught her, she had no escape. Her thoughts drifted to the seven passengers boarding. Who are you? Who am I?

Sara sifted through memories starting with the orphanage. Her parents were killed in an accident. She was three. For fifteen years, she kept to herself, did school work, and her chores. On her 18th birthday, she left.

Today was her birthday. Memories flowed in a slow motion movie way, as she saw herself walking up three flights of stairs to her new apartment, carrying a birthday cake and a bag with ice cream.

A man rushing down the steps collided with her. He apologized. Seeing the birthday cake, he asked, “Whose birthday?” “Mine”, she said. He took the cake and the bag, saying the least he could do was to carry them for her. He introduced himself as Jim, followed Sara in to her apartment. Unpacked boxes lead him to assume she was moving in. He was an undercover policeman, not in uniform, on his way to work. He asked to be invited to her party. She admitted the cake and ice cream were just for her. Reaching for his phone, he punched numbers to the precinct. Hey, something important has come up; cover for me.”

Months later when Jim proposed, she said, “Yes.” He knew she would. He had the license. “Let’s get married now”, he had said. They laughed and talked in the taxi heading toward city hall.

“Happily ever after” lasted all day, but died that night; her wedding night. She came from the bathroom in a lacey nightgown as Jim, sitting on the bed, waited. His face was distorted, malicious. His eyes blazed with anger. “You no good tramp.” He beat her, shouting accusations… "you let me in your apartment, a complete stranger, only a tramp would do that.”

The next morning she tried to sneak out. Jim knocked her down. He told her he was a policeman; no one would listen to her. “You are nobody; you have nobody except me. I will beat you whenever I want.” He grabbed her purse, took her money, and driver’s license. Throwing the purse, he told her not to call the nuns at the orphanage, because he had an informant there. He told her to answer his call every two hours. He said he loved her but he must beat the tramp out of her.

She was in shock, but she could not forget the face she saw last night. She had married the devil; she was in Hell.


Time between the two hour phone calls was safe. She watched through the window as seven new passengers boarded the tour boat. She fantasized about joining them. The phone rang. She had answered, “I am here.” He sneered, “Where else would you be.”

***

That night she stayed awake for hours, after Jim had passed out, thinking about the pregnancy test she had stolen from the market between calls. It was a miracle she wasn’t caught. If she was pregnant, she knew she would be a passenger on the Princess Tour Boat. Jim left for work. Sara took the pregnancy test. It was positive.

***

She knew the ticket only cost $5.00, but she didn’t have $5.00. If Jim’s next phone call came and went unanswered, he would hunt her down. Sara had less than an hour to get the $5.00, buy a ticket, and board the boat. She dressed in slacks and a sweater, wrapping a scarf around her neck. The mirror showed that her bruises were covered.

On the sidewalk, about a block from her apartment, Sara stopped a woman walking begging for $5.00. Sara walked one more block, squeezing the $5.00 so tightly her fingers ached. She bought her ticket. Trembling, she boarded the boat. Sitting down, she watched the passengers, but not from her apartment window this time. Instead of wondering who they were or what their lives were like; she wondered if they were curious about her or her life.

It was a scalding hot day making her sweater and scarf seem inappropriate to the others. Sara lowered her eyes hoping no one would talk to her. She could not stay true to her commitment of going home if anyone showed concern. No one spoke.

The tour boat sailed toward the second island. Sara walked to the back, climbed over the railing, whispered, “I am bringing my baby home”, and jumped.

Sara's Boat Ride Home(Mary Lee) Sara’s Boat Ride Home

Sara saw the Princess Tour Boat. She wished to board that boat. Months of despair taught her, she had no escape. Her thoughts drifted to the seven passengers boarding. Who are you? Who am I?

Sara sifted through memories starting with the orphanage. Her parents were killed in an accident. She was three. For fifteen years, she kept to herself, did school work, and her chores. On her 18th birthday, she left.

Today was her birthday. Memories flowed in a slow motion movie way, as she saw herself walking up three flights of stairs to her new apartment, carrying a birthday cake and a bag with ice cream.

A man rushing down the steps collided with her. He apologized. Seeing the birthday cake, he asked, “Whose birthday?” “Mine”, she said. He took the cake and the bag, saying the least he could do was to carry them for her. He introduced himself as Jim, followed Sara in to her apartment. Unpacked boxes lead him to assume she was moving in. He was an undercover policeman, not in uniform, on his way to work. He asked to be invited to her party. She admitted the cake and ice cream were just for her. Reaching for his phone, he punched numbers to the precinct. Hey, something important has come up; cover for me.”

Months later when Jim proposed, she said, “Yes.” He knew she would. He had the license. “Let’s get married now”, he had said. They laughed and talked in the taxi heading toward city hall.

“Happily ever after” lasted all day, but died that night; her wedding night. She came from the bathroom in a lacey nightgown as Jim, sitting on the bed, waited. His face was distorted, malicious. His eyes blazed with anger. “You no good tramp.” He beat her, shouting accusations… "you let me in your apartment, a complete stranger, only a tramp would do that.”

The next morning she tried to sneak out. Jim knocked her down. He told her he was a policeman; no one would listen to her. “You are nobody; you have nobody except me. I will beat you whenever I want.” He grabbed her purse, took her money, and driver’s license. Throwing the purse, he told her not to call the nuns at the orphanage, because he had an informant there. He told her to answer his call every two hours. He said he loved her but he must beat the tramp out of her.

She was in shock, but she could not forget the face she saw last night. She had married the devil; she was in Hell.


Time between the two hour phone calls was safe. She watched through the window as seven new passengers boarded the tour boat. She fantasized about joining them. The phone rang. She had answered, “I am here.” He sneered, “Where else would you be.”

***

That night she stayed awake for hours, after Jim had passed out, thinking about the pregnancy test she had stolen from the market between calls. It was a miracle she wasn’t caught. If she was pregnant, she knew she would be a passenger on the Princess Tour Boat. Jim left for work. Sara took the pregnancy test. It was positive.

***

She knew the ticket only cost $5.00, but she didn’t have $5.00. If Jim’s next phone call came and went unanswered, he would hunt her down. Sara had less than an hour to get the $5.00, buy a ticket, and board the boat. She dressed in slacks and a sweater, wrapping a scarf around her neck. The mirror showed that her bruises were covered.

On the sidewalk, about a block from her apartment, Sara stopped a woman walking begging for $5.00. Sara walked one more block, squeezing the $5.00 so tightly her fingers ached. She bought her ticket. Trembling, she boarded the boat. Sitting down, she watched the passengers, but not from her apartment window this time. Instead of wondering who they were or what their lives were like; she wondered if they were curious about her or her life.

It was a scalding hot day making her sweater and scarf seem inappropriate to the others. Sara lowered her eyes hoping no one would talk to her. She could not stay true to her commitment of going home if anyone showed concern. No one spoke.

The tour boat sailed toward the second island. Sara walked to the back, climbed over the railing, whispered, “I am bringing my baby home”, and jumped.

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