A SEAFARER'S DAUGHTER

A NEW WORLD

In the 12th year of the 17th century, 10-year old Isabella Toles was a very imaginative and adventerous young woman from a wealthy seafaring merchant family. Her father, George Toles, and her mother, Louise were a rare marriage, as it was a win-win; not only did Louise's family, John and Marlene Eddrow want to marry her to a wealthy husband, which George's parents Sam and Maria Toles agreed to, but it also brought George and Louise personal happiness since they had feelings for each other since they were both 17 years old.

Though the Toles family got along well with minimal arguments every now and then, there was one thing that was always a subject of argument: Isabella's adventurous attitude. Her mother feared this adventurous attitude would one day get her into trouble. Her father, on the other hand, always claimed that her adventurous attitude was not her fault, but his.

"As I have said repeatedly, our daughter, as with any child, is not to blame for what type of family she was born into. Even a commoner cannot be blamed for being born a commoner." George said.

"Yet how are we to find her a husband who would tolerate such a nature? If you would cease to tell her of your overseas adventures, then perhaps she would not be so enthralled and distant many times a day."

"Well I can help not that she is relentless when she wishes to hear tales and exploits. You know, as well as I, that if I starve her of overseas stories, she will start here at Hampshire, then Oxford, then Nottingham, Coventry, Birmingham and any other city in this country until she gets to listen to the stories she craves."

"I will say again what I have said many a time before: if God takes me early, I urge you to make sure that our daughter is safe, even if you must leave on a voyage."

"You know that I would never leave our sweetheart to fend for herself while I still breathe."

That night, Isabella envisioned her usual fantasies of accompanying her father on his overseas travels. While some of her dreams were tranquil and wondrous as she stared out towards the sea, remembering how her father had told her many times that the sea, in spite of its majesty, was unpredictable and ever-changing. Other times, she had nightmares of getting caught in a hurricane and crashing ashore, sometimes alone, other times dead; perhaps also meeting such a fate at sea, where she is either adrift amongst wreckage or swallowed by the depths. This night, it was the former. This night, she saw herself staring out to the ocean, looking down every now and then to see if any sea creatures were swimming by.

Two years later, Isabella's usually mundane life, made enjoyable only by her father's multiple seafaring tales any day she could hear them, was completely overturned by a nightmarish tragedy slowly progressing. What no one ever knew about the Toles was that Louise had been battling tuberculosis. At that present moment, it seemed to George and Isabella that Louise was about to lose her final battle with the disease, and it would only be a matter of time until the killing blow was struck. All the Toles could do was wait for it to happen; their hearts growing heavier as the day of reckoning neared at an agonizingly slow pace, as if God was either mocking them, or at the very least granting her a small mercy in allowing her to spend as much time with her family as possible.

They routinely switch their prayers. Sometimes, they prayed to the Lord to just end it then and there and take her, or give her the strength to finally overpower the disease that so plagued her. Sometimes, George would fall into a state of denial that his wife was dying and have physicians moniter Louise and tell him and Isabella whether she has progressed in recovery or simply taken another step to the gates of Heaven.

Finally came the hour of reckoning. Sitting at Louise's bedside, George, Isabella, and the butler, maids, and servants all looked on with grief as she lay dying.

"I know not what will become of us, but if Isabella continues to persist with her adventurous attitude, I beseech you to at least keep her safe to the best of your abilities." Louise softly said.

"Of course, my beloved darling." George tearfully said.

Turning to Isabella, Louise weakly beckoned her daughter forward.

"My beloved daughter," Louise softly whispered, "I am soon to be with God and the Almighty Father. I am certain you know that even as my hour of death nears, I implore you, if you truly believe your future lies in the beyond, to not tread upon this path lightly or recklessly, for you are young, healthy, strong, and have your entire life ahead of you."

Louise then turned her head upwards and stared into the heavens.

"I swear upon my last minutes of life, that I shall speak highly of all in this house when I meet Jesus, our Lord. God bless you George and Isabella, my family. God bless England, my country. God bless King Jamed."

With that final blessing, Louise closed her eyes for the last time.

All present knew that Louise's passing marked the end of their world as it used to be. Now, hard as it would be, all present knew they would have to make a new world with Louise only with them in memory.