001. Beginnings


The ship was dipping and jumping over the waves, but it wasn't so bad now that there was an end in sight. Seamus McFly and his brother Martin stood on the deck fighting off seasickness.

"That shoreline don't seem t' b' comin' any closer!" Martin yelled over the wind, squinting at the grey line in the distance.

Seamus didn't think it was either, but he was sure it was all just an illusion, and he didn't want Martin to get overexcited so he said. "It surely is, yer jus' blind."

Martin gave his older brother a snarl, but Seamus was sure he wasn't really angry, still you never knew with Martin, they had certainly got into lots of fights over seemingly little things back home.

Home, Ballybowhill, which wasn't home anymore, at least, he shouldn't think of it that way. After all, everyone he loved was on this vessel on their way to a new land and a new life.

Seamus had never planned to leave Ireland, despite the difficulties of living on the land, he loved the place of his birth. But after his parents' deaths and with the country in the grip of a potato famine, there seem to be no reason to stay. Certainly it seemed as if they'd starve if they didn't move on somewhere.

Seamus though, didn't want to live in the smelly and dirty cities, where the only work was. Farming was his life, and having heard about America and the great sprawling farms of that land, he'd made his decision. His wife Maggie had agreed with him and it hadn't taken much to get adventurous Martin to agree to come along either.

Of course, when the storm had blown in the second day upon the ship and hadn't let up except for a day or two since, Seamus had wondered if it was all together the best decision. He wasn't sure how some people on board, especially the crew managed it... The seasickness wasn't so bad now, but it was still enough to put him off his food. He figured he'd lost at least 10 pounds.

And when the ship wasn't swaying and rocking so much that you could barely stand, things were still rather tense, especially with a brother like Martin.

Seamus had hoped his brother would have a new outlook on life now they had left Ireland, but Martin hadn't been too interested in that. He was as he was, with no ability to suffer those he considered fools gladly.

The second day on board he'd got in a fight with one of the gentlemen in first class, considering the McFly's were in steerage, this was a very stupid idea. No-one had been seriously hurt, but Seamus had had to pay off the man with a silver watch, a wedding gift from Maggie's father. Martin had apologised about the whole thing, and was sorry that the watch had to be given away, but he certainly didn't think he was in the wrong.

"That guy b' a bastard!" He declared now, sensing what Seamus was thinking.

"Indeed he may b'," Seamus replied, "but it b' over now. It b' a new beginnin' for us, Martin. We'll make the best o' it."

Martin smiled and nodded, but Seamus still wondered if he'd ever change.


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