the sea. If there is a sea, there must be docks, and if there are docks, there must be ships. Was I finally in the right place?
Headed to the port and yes, there were ships; small ones and big ones. I was confident; surely one was going to France.
H: What was your next move?
E: While watching the lines of men going up the gangplank, loading a cargo ship marked, “Germany”, a sailor asked me to run to the bar and have them fill a bucket with beer. “Hurry, we are leaving tonight,” he ordered. “Give you a dime.” Ran, got the bucket full, and feeling dry, took a couple of swallows. Again and again, went to get beer and each time, sneaked a gulp or two. By the third, or was it the fourth time, not sure, was no longer running, but wobbling. If they were leaving tonight, so was I. Grabbed a sack, hid between two big men on the loaders’ line and edged aboard the freighter. Up to the deck, placed the sack and looked for a place to hide. Dog tired and with beer courage, opened a door to a dark room, reached out, felt a bench, sat down and quickly fell asleep.
Hours later, strong hands shook me awake. Opened my eyes. The room was brightly lit. I was surrounded by a group of sullen looking men grabbing at me and shouting in a language I did not know.
Where was I? I could feel the motion of the ship and the grumbling engines. “Was macht’s auf das Schiff? Wie bist ue heir gekommen?” Couldn’t understand. It was the sailor who sent me for beer. “Hey, you’re the kid from the docks, the one who got the beer. We are underway and you are in serious trouble, my little friend. You are an illegal, dangerous, stowaway.”
The captain was summoned. Tall, militant, towering over me in his crisp white uniform, he glared down and with a strange accent demanded, “Was ist los? Wer bist du den? Wie bist du auf mein.” The crew shouted, “Schmeis ihns in wasser und las die fishe ihn fressen!” My sailor friend whispered in my ear, “He wants to know what is going on. The men want to throw you overboard and feed you to the sharks.”
Sacre bleu!! “Oh, my God, I’ll drown or be eaten by the sharks. Please, I can’t swim.” Got down on my knees and begged, “Don’t kill me. I’m just a boy.” The more I pleaded the louder the crew laughed. The officer bellowed and ordered, “Kom hir! Steh auf! Wie heist ue?” The sailor said, “He wants you to stand up and say your name.” I stood, trembling, head up and said, “Sparrow!” He commanded, “Fogel, wenn du auf dem Schiff, muss arbiten. Du muss essraun sauber halten, die boden washen, due wilst sher beschaftic, due Schwartzer Lump”. I was told he said, “Sparrow is a blackbird. If you are aboard, you must work. You’ll clean the mess, swab the deck and more. You’ll be very busy, you little black bastard.” The bosun told me to calm down. “We won’t throw you to the fish just yet. Next time, don’t drink our beer.” The crew enjoyed every moment of my panic.
I was handed a towel. The men gleefully applauded as the bosun ordered, “Wipe away your tears. Sit here in the mess hall, have some food and then help clean up. We’ll put you to work. You’ll earn your passage.”
The cook, soon to be known as Cookie, led me down a creaking steel stairway to a rusty metal door “This is home,” he remarked. The yellow painted walls in the ten-by-ten room were old and paint flaked off at a touch.
“Sparrow, these bunks are three high. You have the top one over there. Listen up; being on the top, you must be careful not to step on anyone’s face. Of course, some of them would look better, but if you do, it could cause trouble. Next rule - don’t wake anyone. Your cabin-mates have various work shifts. Make your bed. There is a sheet, pillow and a blanket. Stay clean and keep them clean. You will wash the sheet once a week. Okay, you’ve heard me. Those are the rules. Do what you are ordered and we’ll all get along. Be in the kitchen when the Sun comes up, right?” I saluted and said, “Right!” My bed, top-side, was just a narrow, wooden slat covered by a thin mattress. But it was home for now. I worked my way on that ship, doing whatever was asked, and learned German.
It was, “Sparrow this” and “Sparrow that.” “Fly over here, Sparrow.” “Serviere kaffee, kartoffel schalen, dem recept nach, steh auf und schlaf spatter.” (Bring coffee, peel potatoes, follow recipes, up early and sleep later). I scrubbed floors and ran errands. Men on night watch demanded, “Hey Sparrow, more coffee now,” and I was quick to deliver. It was, “Sparrow, clean up the galley, take this to the bridge, bring this to the engine room.” I was always on the move. Whenever I had the chance, I was on the bridge where the first mate taught me to navigate by the compass and by the stars. “Remember the stars, little blackbird. Wherever you go, they go with you. They are your friends. Study the stars and you will never be lost.” Taught me how to read a map and to understand map directions in German, Ost, West, Nord and Suden. Looking at the chart, I asked, “Where is France, for that is where I am going.” He replied, “Not on this ship. This is a German ship bound for Scotland and then to Bremen to deliver gewehren and tausenden kanonen, guns and a thousand cannons.” He pointed to our course. “ Look here. This is Aberdeen, Scotland, where we will be unloading and where we must put you off. France is just across the Channel.” Thunderstruck, in shock, “You can’t put me off! You can’t just drop me. There is no one there for me. I never heard of Aberdeen or Scotland.”
H: What did you do?
E: Had no choice. Did my chores and after dinner, not too happy, I entertained. The crew, now friendly, enjoyed it and they sang songs in German. I learned some of them. Words I would not forget and didn’t realize then how important they would be for me to know. It was very hard work, but managed until the storm. The ship was buffeted and I was bounced out of bed. Rushed to dress. Put on my life-preserver and headed topside.
The early evening’s white clouds had turned murky gray and soon the sky was dark. Thunder claps roared and lightening lit up a raging ocean. The seas were running high and wild. Fierce winds rolled the ship left and right and up and down in giant swells. Everything was in motion. Plates flashed off tables and smashed on the floor. Fear…are we going to sink? The motion was up, down and sideways. Reaching the deck, roped myself to the passageway. Huge waves washed over the deck, soaking each of us. The wind-driven rain was frigid. The ship was a toy as it bounced and dipped, with my stomach matching each move. I was seasick, my skin clammy. Stomach ached so bad, thought I was dying. In fact, there were times I wanted to.
Friendly sailors stood midst this storm and almost force-fed me, saying, “No matter how sick, you must eat. Must have something inside to get rid of or you could hurt your gut.” I was freezing. Soaking wet in the rain, roped so as not to go overboard, for if I did, there was no chance of rescue. I held white-knuckle tight to the railing. Leaned over and upchucked everything, including, I felt, my insides, and was sure I was dying. They chuckled, “Eat Sparrow, you look pale, almost white. When you heave, watch out for the wind.” Big joke. I was too sick to listen. It wasn’t funny, but to the crew’s delight and my regret, the backlash of the wind blew everything I threw up, right at me. My night’s dinner, including the potatoes I peeled, came up, went over the side and then the swill flew back on me. The men enjoyed every moment of my pain. It was disgusting. I was filthy, but stayed on deck, holding the railing and praying and letting the rain wash the stink and muck from my face and clothes. Felt like an eternity until the seas calmed and so did my stomach. Didn’t eat for days.
H: You poor kid.
E: Henri, I learned the compass, directions and many German words. Each would be very helpful in the future. But for this time, it was how far Scotland was from France, and what awaited me in Aberdeen.
CHAPTER 6: ABERDEEN AND GLASGOW
E: The steel-colored clouds were motionless, the day gray and dark; a dismal fog touched the sea and touched me. The ugly sky was a dense canopy of bone-chilling mist that welcomed the ship as it pulled into Aberdeen Harbor and docked.
