ClineTower

DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS

MALAGA, SPAIN, 23RD DECEMBER 1995

Ruth opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She heard what had woken her up, subtle cries from the basket. It's been tough hiding him from onlookers on the ship and keeping him quiet. Once, he had cried so loudly that she feared that the passengers next door would hear and come out to know where the noise was emanating from. Thankfully they never came.

She rolled where she lay and immediately felt the harsh cold. The cold was probably made worst by the sea out there. She couldn't cover herself; all her sheets she had used to wrap the baby. He had gotten slightly sick over the course of the journey which had made her worried sick. She has prayed every day until finally he had smiled at her that was when she knew he would survive.

Slowing standing up despite the freezing cold, she went to where the young baby was. She looked at him; his blond hair had started forcing its way up his scalp. He was concentrating so hard on chewing on the blanket that he didn't see her still she removed his hands from the blankets. He looked up at her and his eyes shone with instant recognition and he started giggling, bringing up his hands trying to force her to carry him. She smiled at him but she didn't pick him up cause of how cold it was.

His face suddenly changed when she was not yielding to his wish and he let out a cry as loud as his tiny voice could take.

'Shh. Here, hold this'. Removing the tear shaped locket from her neck, she placed it in his hand and the cries immediately stopped as his little brows came together as he concentrated in understanding his new toy. Ruth just smiled, in just a month this little baby had become her whole world. She couldn't imagine life without him now.

She still had not given him a name, she thought. Maybe I'll name him Lucas or Dennis after his father or maybe...

Just then, she held hurried footsteps on the long passage on the ship. She quickly closed the blankets and went to the door to listen.

Now the footsteps were increasing and more and more people joined in the scurrying. She couldn't understand what was going on until she heard the words.

'Maxwell! Rodriguez!!, el barco se hunde! Darse prisa!!!'

The ship was sinking! Ruth immediately ran towards the basket. Just then the ship shook so hard and jolted and she fell to the ground. Getting up, she felt a jolt of pain shot up from her ankle. She could hear him cry. The noise was scaring him, she felt tears fall from her eyes. She had lost everything, her husband, her son, her family. She couldn't lose him too.

Mustering up all the strength she could get, she pulled herself up limping. She went over to where the basket was and picked it up. She limped towards the door. Opening it, she realized it was worse that she feared. The ship was already cracking into two and water was slowly rising.

She started limping towards the exit. People ran past, most of them hitting her, stepping on her ankle. She cried out in pain seeing only black lines when she opened her eyes.

She was crawling now, the basket safely in her arms. The water was slowly filling up the ship and was now flowing freely and unrestrained. With the way she was moving, the water was bound to take her with it.

She was almost there, she saw the wooden door of the ship which led outside. The ship called serpiente was slowly falling apart. The once beautiful ship looked finished.

She touched the handle of the door her hand white and shivering from the cold, cold air coming out from her mouth, she pushed the door open and saw a massive crowd of people all fighting to get on the life boats. She couldn't even get close to the boats, faintly she heard someone say women and children would get on first.

She raised her head and tried to scream but her voice was drown out by the hundreds of voice shouting at the top of their voices. She saw a woman standing close to her looking confused and scared. She gripped the woman gown and the woman turned back sharply wondering who had pulled her.

She opened her mouth to speak but the cold has dealt with her that she could only whisper, 'the basket'. The woman looked at the basket and bent slightly to check what was inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the baby.

Ruth looked at the woman; she had blonde hair which was covered by a blue scarf.

'Take care of him please...'

The woman looked at her and nodded. Picking up the basket, the woman smiled. Dragging and pushing Ruth back through the wooden door, she closed and bolted it firmly.

Smiling to herself, she walked towards the life boat leaving behind Ruth's faint pleas for help that escaped through the door.

UMESI_JNR