Page 50 - MailOrderBrideFlipBook
P. 50
Chapter 5 Jimmy l Eli sat on the dock looking out over the ocean, rolling a piece of driftwood over and over in his hand as he thought. The night was clear and cold, and Eli shivered, not from the cold, but from the emotions he was struggling with. The moon shimmered above the horizon, casting a long sliver of light across the sea, looking like a path leading into the unknown. The water was still, except for a slight lapping along the shore. This path of moonlight looked like a road that he could step onto and walk away on. But where would the road take him if he walked it? Home? He wondered again where home was. And what was it? Was it with his mother, father, brothers and sisters? Molly was no longer there, at least, not for him. Was that home, or was this his home now; here with Jim? Or was Pennsylvania to be his home? And what about Anya? The bow of the cattle boat gently nudged against the dock, making a small thudding sound, as if trying to get his attention. He looked over at it. It loomed large in the moonlight. It was as if it had something to tell him, something it wanted him to understand, but it was mute. He would have to find out on his own. The stillness was broken by the sound of a cane thumping across the dock behind him. He had been so deep in thought he didn’t even hear it until it was almost right beside him. He recognized it well and turned to see 47