Finding Home

Chapter Three

As dawn approached, Olivia found herself walking past a street she had not noticed before but seemed very familiar. She felt compelled to turn and stroll down the road with so many beautiful homes on each side. Each built using masonry bricks or massive stones. Most of the homes had grand porches and tall windows. The front yards, though small, were well groomed and a portion of them were surrounded by a fence of some sort.

            Olivia imagined herself a proper young woman living in one of these fine houses. Strangely, she felt like dancing down the middle of the street as if she were attending a grand party, much like the ones she had read about in her books. While her imagination soared, her eye caught sight of something carved into a tree in front of a nearby house.

            Of course, curiosity got the best of Olivia, and she approached the white picket fence. She stared at the tree for some time before she placed her hand on the gate and pushed it open.

For reasons she just couldn't figure out, Olivia was drawn to that tree, so she stepped into the yard for a closer look. She slowly moved towards it and placed her hand on the carved letters – “C.O.A.” All at once, a memory was triggered in Olivia's mind. A memory that had apparently been tucked away.

It was fall and leaves covered the grass around her.

She saw a tall man standing in front of that exact tree. When he turned around, she could see his light brown eyes were covered with metal-brimmed glasses. He was smiling proudly at the beautiful work he had done. Just past him, she saw this very carving she was looking at now.

She turned and could see a lovely woman sitting next to her. She was talking to the man, then she smiled at Olivia and handed her a brilliant orange colored leaf.

            As suddenly as her memory appeared, it faded, and Olivia was back in this strange front yard. A single tear ran down her cheek as she moved her finger around the letters as if to trace their very existence onto paper.

            “May I help you, young man?” came a soft voice from close by.

Olivia jumped back noticing a young woman standing on the front porch. At first, Olivia looked around wondering whom she was talking to when she suddenly remembered that she was the young man the woman was addressing.

            “I apologize for being on your property, miss. I will leave at once.” Olivia turned and quickly walked towards the gate.

            “Wait, please. Would you care to come in for some tea and something to eat?” the woman asked kindly seeing that Olivia appeared hungry and tired.

The woman's red hair was pulled up into a loose bun. She wore a midnight blue dress that was covered with a lace apron. She rocked a sleeping baby girl, no bigger than a watermelon, on her hip.

            “I would love some. Thank you,” answered Olivia shyly.

The woman smiled at her as she opened the front door. Olivia caught her breath as she stepped inside. The woman's home was so comforting, so inviting. Something about it made her want to kick off her boots and never leave.

Something familiar.

Olivia thought that maybe this house reminded her of what she once had with her own mother and father.

She thought for a moment.

Could this possibly be the house? No, it can't be. This house looks too new, as if it was built just a few years back. I just couldn’t understand how the tree and house connected.

Olivia noticed the woman had walked into the kitchen and she quickly moved to catch up to her. A teakettle had already been hung from the crane over a fire in the large fireplace. The woman laid the infant in a basket on the table and sat down.

            “Now, my name is Mrs. Fuller. What might your name be?”

Olivia sat down across from her. She hovered over the idea of telling her the truth; after all, she did just meet her. On the other hand, what harm would it do? It's not as if she would ever see this woman again. Olivia decided to slip the cap off and reveal her long hair as it fell around her shoulders.

Mrs. Fuller was taken aback. “Oh…my,” she gasped. “You are but a young girl.”

Olivia could see Mrs. Fuller's mind racing with questions. She immediately regretted her decision. She wondered if Mrs. Fuller would send for the constable. She knew she couldn't be sent back. She would be made a fool of, and Emily would love tormenting her for her failed attempt at running away.

Olivia had to do something!

Say something!

“Yes, I am. My name is Olivia. Please don't turn me over to the constable. I am just passing through on my way to the colonies.”

Mrs. Fuller sat back in her chair studying the nervous girl. Olivia anxiously twisted the loose cloth on the trousers she was wearing, waiting for her to say something.

Anything!

            Mrs. Fuller leaned forward again and smiled. “And what do you plan to do once you have arrived?”

            “I don't quite know yet, but anything is better than going back to the life I just left.”

            The teakettle began to whistle, and Mrs. Fuller quickly retrieved it before it woke the slumbering baby. She poured two cups and placed them on the table. Olivia gently blew into the cup to cool it down as Mrs. Fuller offered her some biscuits.

            After a little while, Olivia broke the silence. “Mrs. Fuller, do you know what the initials on the tree out front stand for?”

            She thought for a moment. “I don't recall. They were here when my husband bought the property two years ago. The couple we bought the house from said the tree was the only thing standing here when they bought the land five years prior. They had heard rumor that the original home had burned down. I am sorry I can't help you more.”

            Olivia lifted the cup to her lips as she mulled this new information over in her head. Ms. Fuller had helped her more than she had realized. As quickly as the previous one had, another memory came rushing back to her.

Overpowering her.

            She could only see blackness and smell an intoxicating amount of smoke. Fear ran though her body as a door just in front of her flew open.

There he was again, the tall man.

He sprinted over to her and picked her up. He carried her into a hallway and down a staircase. The hot flames surrounded them as the thick black smoke burned her eyes. He barreled through the front door and onto the lawn. He gently placed her down on the grass.

She looked at him. His mouth was moving, but Olivia couldn't understand what he was saying to her. Then he turned and ran back into the burning house. Olivia felt confused. She didn't know what she should do. She glanced up at the single tree with the magnificently carved letters and the memory quickly faded.

            Mrs. Fuller was now kneeling next to her, her hand on Olivia's shoulder. “Olivia, are you all right?”

Olivia's face was pale, and she felt sick.

            Mrs. Fuller continued, “At first, you seemed lost in thought. Then all of a sudden you began to cough and gasp for air as if you couldn't breathe.”

            Taking a deep breath, Olivia responded, her voice full of sorrow, “I think this was my home.” She glanced over at Mrs. Fuller who seemed a bit confused. “I mean I came to live at the orphanage when I was four and all I was told about my parents was that they died in a fire. I…I think my father carved the letters in the tree and that is why they seemed so familiar to me.”

Olivia sat back absorbing what she had just said; wondering if her past could really be explained so easily.

* * * *

Meanwhile, Mrs. Fuller had returned to her seat and was now pouring herself a second cup of tea. She always prided herself on judging a person by their character and not by the way they appeared. Olivia baffled her though. She wanted to give her a chance, but was, nonetheless, cautious as well.

            Olivia peered over at her, “Mrs. Fuller, I am so sorry I must sound crazy and all you wanted to do was show me a little kindness.”

* * * *

Olivia knew that if Mrs. Fuller did think she was insane, she couldn't blame her. After all, it was Olivia that had randomly showed up on her front lawn, an orphan, dressed as a boy, claiming she once may have lived where they now sit. She would think she was going mad too.

            But from her reaction, Mrs. Fuller appeared to see sincerity in Olivia's eyes. “That is quite all right dear. I truly am sorry to hear about your parents, but I am more concerned about your well being.”

“I will be just fine. It was a long time ago,” Olivia spoke with a smile, but deep down she was even more perplexed about her past.

After sitting in silence for some time, Olivia decided it was time to go. She stood and thanked Mrs. Fuller for her hospitality.

            Mrs. Fuller went over to a basket sitting on a small table, placed a few small rolls of bread in a handkerchief and handed them to her. “Here. You may get hungry on your journey.”

Olivia smiled and placed the items in her pocket. Mrs. Fuller escorted her to the front door and opened it. They stepped onto the front porch together. Olivia slipped her long hair back up into the cap.

            “I wish you luck on your journey. Just remember you will always have a friend here,” said Mrs. Fuller as she gave her a hug.

Olivia smiled and thanked her again as Mrs. Fuller watched her walk down the steps and back into the yard. Olivia shifted her attention back to the tree and placed her hand on the letters one last time. She took a deep breath and continued toward the gate. As she stepped back onto the street she turned and looked at the tall, two-story home, then waved farewell to Mrs. Fuller.

            As Olivia strolled down the street, the rows of houses gave way to shops and various kinds of businesses. At long last, she reached the harbor. The smell of the salty breeze was now even stronger as she approached the long wooden docks. There were boats and ships of all sizes waiting there.

            Some were small fishing boats while others were large ships used to carry supplies and goods short distances to other parts of this country or to nearby lands. The even larger ships were too big to come into the harbor, so they would way anchor near shore; sending smaller boats in land for supplies and goods meant to deliver too far off lands. This was exactly the kind of ship Olivia was looking for.

            Orders were barked in all directions as sailors moved cargo to and from the different ships. Olivia found it fascinating that the men didn't get confused as to which orders belonged to which ship. Along with the sailors, the harbor was occupied by King George's soldiers patrolling the area for thieves. Wanting a closer look, Olivia spotted a few barrels sitting off to one side of a long pier. She carefully maneuvered over and slipped behind them.

            While peering through a small gap, two sailors walked over and stopped just in front of her. Olivia held her breath, hoping she wouldn't be discovered. The two men took clay pipes out of their pocket and proceeded to stuff them with tobacco.

            “Well, once again we find ourselves on another journey over to the colonies to deliver supplies to the soldiers,” stated the first sailor with a noticeable amount of annoyance in his voice.

            “You know, I heard a rumor on our last voyage that the colonists are calling themselves Americans. It seems that they really believe they can win this war with a few farmers and some pitch forks,” added the second sailor with a snicker.

            “I don't care to know who will win just as long as I can come home to my family sooner.” The second man laughed agreeably.

            “Mathews, Jacobs, get back to work!” yelled a well-dressed man as he pointed to a ship that was anchored some distance from the harbor.

            The ship was massive. It had seven large sails and two tall, round masts. It was as if the ship had never set sail before. The beautifully carved letters on the side spelled out the name Golden Phoenix. It seemed to be calling to her, telling her it was time to finally follow her heart to a path of her own choosing.    

            She turned her attention back to the two sailors who grumbled and slowly walked towards a smaller boat that was tied up at the end of the last pier. Olivia told herself that this was going to be the ship in which she would leave Portsmouth, and it must be tonight, knowing there wouldn’t be many people around then. She crept out from behind the barrels and hastily made her way back to the main street.

            As Olivia strolled along, figuring out what she would do till tonight, she noticed several gentlemen and a few ladies gathered in a crowd nearby. Curiosity over-powered her, and she slowly pushed her way through the crowd to get a better look. In the middle of the mass of people stood a tall wooden platform occupied by three men. The man on the right had his arms folded in front of him.

            A more distinguished gentleman stood on the left and Olivia found herself wondering how he was able to read the proclamation in his hand as he stuck his abnormally large nose in the air. Both men had their attention fixated on the poor soul in the middle. This man had his hands tied together in front on him. He raised his head towards the sky and began to pray in a language Olivia couldn't understand. His voice was quiet and heartbreaking.

            It wasn't long before Olivia noticed a boy, not much older than herself, had made his way through the crowd and was now standing next to her. Gaining courage, she turned and asked him if he knew what was happening.

            The boy kept his attention on the spectacle playing out in front of them. “They are going to hang him.” As he processed her question further, he looked at her confused. “Haven't you ever seen a public hearing before?”

            Stumbling for words Olivia blurted out, “I'm not front around here. Just passing through.” Olivia brought her attention back to the platform hoping the boy wouldn't see how nervous she was.

            “Well, around here rich folks like to make examples of people. That is the magistrate,” the boy said pointing to the man on the left. “And that is the constable on the right. That poor soul is a Spaniard. He stole a bag of coins from a merchant.”

            “And he deserves to hang?” Olivia demanded in a questioning tone.

            The boy shot her a strange look. “He is supposed to be a warning to all people.”

            Olivia was revolted by the whole idea, but she had to maintain her composure, or someone might discover who she really was. The magistrate continued reading for a few more minutes before concluding that there would be a public hanging tomorrow. The Spaniard was then removed from the platform by the constable followed close behind by the magistrate.

            The crowd began to disperse. Olivia turned to walk back down the street with her thoughts only on the poor Spaniard. Within minutes, she could feel a firm hand on her shoulder and she stopped instantly. Her body tightened, and her breathing became shallow. Olivia slowly twisted towards the figure desperately searching for something, anything to say. She sighed with relief as she came face to face with the same boy from earlier.

            “You say you aren't from around here, right?” he asked.

            Olivia thought fast. “I've been traveling around seeing the sights. Just catching my breath till I can catch a ride overseas as a cabin boy.”

            “Well, if you want, I got a place you can rest and grab a bite to eat.”

Olivia hesitated at first, and then she realized it might be a good idea to lay low in case someone from the orphanage was out looking for her.

            “That would be great,” Olivia said with a grin.

            “By the way, the name's Ted,” the boy boldly stated as he held out his hand to her. She took his hand and firmly shook it.

Ted led her to a hidden side ally not far from the main street. He stepped up to a small door on the side of an abandoned lodging house. He knocked twice, paused, and then continued knocking three more times. The door gradually opened, and a boy's face appeared. Seeing Ted, he stepped out into the ally. The boy was lengthy in stature, and he carried an unlit pipe in his mouth.

            “Ted, you street rat, welcome back,” smiled the boy, extending his hand to shake Ted's.

            Ted grinned and returned the gesture, “Dan, it's good to see you too.”

Dan's attention suddenly turned towards Olivia. He eyed her suspiciously as he leaned back against the door and crossed his arms.

            Ted pointed to Olivia. “Oh him. Don't worry about him. He's just passing through. I told him he could stay here for a bit.”

            Dan reached his hand out to Olivia, “What's your name, kid?”

            Ted jumped in, “That's right. I never did catch your name.”

            Olivia took Dan's hand and shook it thinking quickly, “The name's…Oliver.”