Katherine leaned back in her chair and sat silent, pondering this new idea of relationship. After a while, she sat up, drained her teacup and said with a mischievous grin,
“Well, now that you two have things settled, I’d better go finish putting away all that food you baked this morning!”
25 Becalmed
A few days later, Katherine was sitting on the floor of the Harborside, dusting the jars and tea bowls on the lowest shelf. Captain Braddock had come in to tend the fire in the old wood stove and had sat down in the old chair to enjoy its warmth. He was apparently in no hurry to get up again, and Katherine felt glad for the company. Miss Harriet had been spending more time with Mr. James, and although Katherine felt genuinely happy for her friend, she was beginning to miss having her all to herself.
“Captain,” she said over her shoulder as she lifted one last jar and wiped down the shelf underneath it.
“Yes’m?” the old man answered, surfacing from a reverie of his own.
“When did you decide to go to sea?”
Captain Braddock leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling. His brow furrowed as he worked to recall the memory he wanted.
“I don’t know as I could fix the exact moment. I always wanted to, ever since I was a little mite, listening to Great-Grandpa Braddock’s tales of the Anne and her grand old seafaring adventures. I suppose it was them that made me want to go.”
Crossing the room, Katherine set her rag behind the counter and curled up on the floor opposite Captain Braddock by the stove. “But… how did you know it was time—that it was what you were actually meant to do?” she asked with a little frown.
Captain Braddock sat up straight and looked at Katherine with raised eyebrows.
“Why? You fixin’ to go away to sea?”
“No, it’s just…” Katherine gave an impatient little sigh, “When I was little, the world seemed so wide and full of possibilities, and I had ever so many dreams. One day, I would dream of being a doctor; the next, I would be sure I wanted to be an artist; and the next, a ballerina or a librarian. It was as if I could change the direction of my life anytime I chose. Now that I’m grown up and on my own, I feel sort of… I don’t know…” Her voice trailed off and she stared absently at the toes of her boots which peeked out from under her warm full skirt as she sat, hugging her knees.
Captain Braddock watched her for a moment, then spoke up.
“Becalmed. That’s what you are.” He said, leaning forwards in his chair.
“Becalmed?” Katherine looked up, puzzled.
“Yes. It was one of the most dreaded things for a sailor in the days before motors and engines. You see, when a ship would make a voyage, its progress was largely dependent upon the winds. A good, stiff wind from the right direction could bring you into port well before schedule, but a wind from the wrong direction or no wind at all would stop a ship dead in its tracks until the wind changed.
“Captains were careful, you see, to travel during the right times and seasons, so that the winds would be favorable, but every now and then a ship would get stuck out in the ocean because the winds weren’t right.
“Sometimes it was because the wind was against them, from the wrong direction, see. With an unfavorable wind like that, at least there was something you could feel you were fighting against, and there was hope that the wind might change direction and blow the right way again.
“The worst was when there was no wind. Sailors called that being becalmed. Day after day, sometimes week after week, the ship would sit there, resting on a calm sea with sails limp as seaweed and completely still. There was nothing to do but wait and keep the ship ready for the moment the wind picked up –if it ever did.
“The danger to a shipful of sailors who found themselves becalmed was grave: food and water supplies could run out before they could get anywhere and restock. That was bad enough, but to my mind, the real danger was that the crew might get impatient and give up hope. Once that happened, desperation would set in, and men can do some pretty awful things when they’re desperate.
“The Anne was becalmed on several occasions, and Captain Jeremiah used to say that the only thing to do when you’re becalmed is to keep your eyes on the sails, pray, and expect them to fill.”
Captain Braddock reached down and put his hand on Katherine’s shoulder. “You’ll dream again, Missy. I’m sure of it—and this time the dreams will be real and alive, not far-off mists in the distance. Then your sails will swell and you’ll be on your way again. Just wait, pray, and stay hopeful.”
Katherine laid her hand on top of the captain’s and tried to smile, though her eyes were glistening with tears. “Thank you,” was all she could manage to say.
The old captain gave her hand a squeeze and then stood and went back to the paperwork he had left unfinished in the next room. Katherine stayed there by the fire for a while, then got up, straightened her canvas apron, picked up a new rag and began dusting the counter.
* * * *
That night, when she let herself in at the front door of Miss Harriet’s, Katherine noticed her employer’s voice coming from the kitchen. She listened for a moment, expecting to hear Mr. James as well, but hearing only Miss Harriet, finally decided that she must be on the phone.
Katherine ran up the stairs to put her hat and coat away, and then came back down to see if the Miss Harriet needed any help. As she neared the kitchen door, Miss Harriet rushed out. The two almost ran into each other, and Katherine started to laugh, but then she caught a glimpse of her friend’s face.
“Miss Harriet, whatever is the matter?” Katherine led her friend to a chair and made her sit down. She was white and trembling, and tears were brimming in her eyes. Katherine pulled another chair close and sat down.
“I’ve just had a call from my brother in England. Mother is unwell, and he thinks—” Miss Harriet broke off abruptly, and Katherine reached over to squeeze her hand. After a few moments, she continued. “He thinks she may not have long left and says I should come right away.”
Katherine’s eyes grew wide as the full weight of the situation sank in. “You must go, of course,” she said, a bit breathlessly. “I can try to hold down the fort here. I’ll…I’ll ask the captain if he can spare me while you’re away. I’m sure when he knows why you’re gone, he’ll be willing to work something out.”
Miss Harriet, calmer now that she had spoken the dreadful words, took both Katherine’s hands in hers and looked her in the eye. “Yes, Dearie. I know I must go, but I’m so sorry for the load you will have to shoulder to keep this place running. If there were another way… but I want you to know that there’s no one on earth I would rather have look after things here. No doubt it will be a stretch for you to do everything all on your own, especially with such short notice, but I know you will come through it just fine.”
Katherine’s heart swelled in spite of the nervousness and concern which had begun to tie knots in her stomach. For Miss Harriet to trust her with the shop meant more than anything she could think of –but it also meant carrying a terrifyingly great responsibility.
Miss Harriet wiped her eyes on a tissue fished from the pocket of her cardigan, squared her shoulders, and began telling Katherine the particulars of her plan, as if determined not to give way to her emotions until all was arranged.
“I’ve called Harold already and asked him to be at your beck and call, as much as possible, just in case. I also reassured him that you really do know how to make a decent cheddar scone.” She gave Katherine a watery smile, then continued. “I have a flight booked for midnight. At the moment, my return flight is scheduled for Saturday, but it all depends…”
A tear slipped out, and Miss Harriet had to stop to apply her tissue again before going on. “If you’ll come with me to the kitchen, I’ll run through the baking schedule with you and make sure you have everything you need.”
Katherine followed Miss Harriet into the kitchen, amazed at her friend’s strength and wondering how she would ever begin to fill Miss Harriet’s place while she was away.
