She took the packet from her coat pocket now, carefully untying the piece of string which held the bundle of letters together. She took out the piece of paper at the front, marked ‘April’ and unfolded it. The noises outside her cabin walls faded into the background and a silence enveloped her as she began to read.
April 1911
Dear Maggie,
It is April now and the spring is here. I know this is your favourite month what with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. They are a mighty spectacle alright – I’d barely noticed them before, but now I can see them for all their loveliness, as you do.
I stood and watched you for a while today. You didn’t know I was there, but I hid myself behind the barrels which were being loaded off the wagon outside D’Arcy’s. I watched you under the blossom tree as the drayman hoisted the barrels onto the ground and rolled them past me into the hatch of the cellar. I’m sure he thought I was in trouble and hiding from someone, not watching my lovely cailín.
You looked mighty pretty so you did with your curls all blowing in the wind and the petals falling about you. You were sitting on the grass with your back leant against the tree and you closed your eyes. I wondered if you were thinking of me.
Then Peggy Madden came up and she gave you a fright and you were after almost leaping off the ground. She said something to make you laugh before she went on her way, swinging her basket from her arm, the fellas all gawping at her as they do.
I thought to myself ‘they can gawp away, I’ve a girl lovelier and prettier than any other in the whole of Ballysheen – in the whole of Ireland’ and I was so pleased that you were waiting for me under that tree and not just taking a rest or waiting for some other fella.
When you saw me walking over to you, you smiled, like you always do, getting those dimples in your cheeks. We went strolling then, down to the lake and threw stones and you picked some flowers for me to take back to Da. When we walked back, you put your arm in mine and leant your head on my shoulder and told me that this had been your favourite day and that you wished all days could be like this; warm and happy and the blossom blowing in the breeze. I thought I would burst I was so happy at that moment and if I could make that day happen for you again and again Maggie Murphy, I truly would.
Yours,
Séamus
As with the previous three letters, he had ended with the words I will wait for you under the sixth blossom tree until you come back.
Maggie held the letter in hands for a few moments longer, letting the tears roll down her cheeks before carefully folding it and placing it back into the packet along with the others and returning it to her coat pocket. She would read another letter tomorrow.
She turned to write in her journal then.
Private journal of Maggie Murphy
14th April, 1912
Day 4 at sea
I can hardly believe that this is already our fourth day at sea. I sometimes feel like we will never be off this ship or away from the grey ocean - the lush fields of home seem far distant now. I’ve been wondering what my legs will feel like when they’re back on dry land. They say that sailors sway in their sleep for a while after returning from sea, what a strange feeling that will be!
There was to be a lifeboat drill at eleven o’clock today but it was cancelled. Jack Brennan says it must be because of the cold – ‘probably too cold for the rich folk to be up on deck’ he said. Aunt Kathleen has asked a steward for extra blankets for the beds tonight after we were waking up cold last night. Harry told me that most of the spare blankets are being used by the First Class ladies to keep their knees warm while they sit on the decks in the sunshine. I suppose us steerage will just have to freeze to death then.
After the service this morning Harry took us up a special crew ladder to the upper deck. He’s so bold – he could have got himself into a right bother of trouble if anyone had caught us, but what a sight we saw from our hiding place behind a life raft; the ladies taking tea and the gentlemen smoking their cigars. I think it took Peggy every bit of control in her body not to run straight up to one of them and ask them to marry her then and there. They really do live among such luxury up there I wouldn’t wonder if some of them never want to leave the ship at all.
I watched a little boy for a while who was playing with a spinning top. He was dressed all nicely in a cap and jacket and short trousers with long black stockings to keep his legs warm. A white teddy bear was on a deck chair near to him – I think it must have belonged to him. A few men stood about the deck and watched him – he made quite a sight being so engrossed in his little game, but I didn’t see his parents anywhere nearby. I should think they were too busy taking their tea and talking with their rich friends to pay much notice of his little games. I felt sorry for him and would have liked to play with him myself for a while. He had a nice little face.