Far from the Sea

~inspired by Sarah, Plain and Tall

She came such a long way to reach us, all the way from the sea, two weeks on a hot dusty train to these grassy plains.  She would stay with us for a trial period.  We thought it would be strange to have this new person in our house, but it wasn't.  "Won't you miss the sea," we asked her one day, "that is---I mean---if you stay."

"Oh," she replied, "there are always things to miss.  I will miss the sea, yes, but if I should leave, I would miss you too."

She meant what she said, we trusted that.  And the house felt like a home now, less quiet, less cold, for she was always busy at something and she kept us busy too.  We didn't mind the work, and we didn't mind Sarah.  We wanted her to stay, our Sarah from the Sea.

Still there were days when she stood in the fields and looked out at the mountains circling all around, and we wondered if the look we saw in her eyes was sorrow for the ocean and the home she left behind.

Once when she was out on one of her walks, I followed her, just quietly in the grass.  When she sat to pick daisies, I sat down alongside her.  She didn't seem surprised at all that I was there, like she knew I had been following.  "Will you help me gather a bouquet to put on the dinner table," she asked without looking up.

I fell to picking at her side.  Then, like a deer that's caught a noise, she lifted her dark eyes and watched.  "Look," she whispered, "look how the wind ripples the grass.  It is just like the waves on the ocean."

I thought I would look at her and see that sorrowful look  again, but when she turned to me there was a light that I had not seen on her face before.  She held my hand and we turned to watch the waves together as the sun sank below the hills.

It was a long moment we stood there, before we heard Jack barking and thundering down the hill toward us, and Liza with her bonnet blown back, and her hair loose and wild clamoring along behind him and calling out to us.

I wanted to be angry at Liza for breaking the spell of the moment, but she ran up to Sarah, red cheeked and breathless, and thrust her fist full of daisies up toward her with a smile that nearly covered her face.  Sarah laughed and I couldn't help but laugh too.

Liza looked at us both and she laughed too  though she didn't know why.  Sarah took Liza's daisies and handed them to me to add to the ones we'd picked.  She scooped Liza up in her arms and with her free hand held mine.  We walked home together in the orange glow of evening.

That night, Papa came in, washed up, and sat down to dinner.  He noticed the daisies on the table and smiled.  "Did you pick those, Liza Lou?"  Papa asked.  "Yes, sir, with Samuel and Sarah.  And Jack came too and he almost caught a prairie dog, Papa, but then........" she kept prattling on.  I knew Papa didn't hear her though, he was looking at Sarah.  And Sarah was looking back at him.

"Samuel?" Liza asked that night as we lay in our bunks.  "Are you still awake?"  

"Yes, silly.  Why?  What's the matter?"

"I hope... Sarah stays.  Do you think she will?"  She asked, her voice almost a whisper now.

I poked my head out from my bottom bunk and saw her leaning over the edge of hers.  I looked at her for a moment, considering her question.  

"Yes," I said, "She's going to stay."  

"You certain?" she asked

"Yes, Liza, I'm certain.  She's going to stay with us."

That was enough for Liza.  She rolled back onto her bunk and was soon fast asleep.
I tilted my head toward the window.  "She's our Sarah now," I said, to the night and the stars and the wind making waves on the grass, "our Sarah from the Sea."

Shopping Info:  Sea Shanty Singing Pink and Ivory Sailor Dress by Rock Steady Clothing