JOHN AND MIRIAM
Chapter Eighteen
Miriam looked around frantically. Where was
Mary?
Splashing through the icy water, she looked
around the boat, but the child was not there. Several people had climbed back
into the boat, and, as she watched, one woman reached out and pulled a sobbing
Nadia from the water and wrapped her in a blanket. But there was no sign of
Mary.
Miriam turned to look over the railing--and
saw her. The little girl was floating face-down in the water.
Miriam looked around. People were running,
screaming, shouting, and doing everything they could to survive. No one noticed
Mary's plight. She would have to rescue her herself.
Taking a deep breath, Miriam climbed up on
the railing and reached for the child. Leaning forward as far as she could, she
grabbed for the edge of Mary's dress.
It was too far. She couldn't reach her.
Looking around again, Miriam realized what
she would have to do--go into the water after the little girl. She started to
climb over the railing, then froze, fear coursing through her. She couldn't do
it.
She couldn't do it.
She had to.
Taking a deep breath, Miriam climbed over the
railing and lowered herself into the water. She gasped as the icy water soaked
through her wool dress, quickly stiffening her limbs. She would have to get
Mary quickly.
Clinging to the railing, Miriam lowered
herself the rest of the way into the water. Her life belt held her up as she
reached out to grab Mary, but she was freezing fast.
Miriam stretched out as far as she could
without letting go of the railing, which was even now sinking further under the
water. It was still too far.
Desperately, Miriam lunged forward, her
fingertips still clinging to the railing. She grasped for the child's dress,
finally gripping a loose string.
The string came off in her hand, but the act
of pulling on it was enough to send Mary drifting toward her a few
inches--close enough to grab the hem of her dress.
In moments, Miriam had Mary in her arms and
was climbing back over the railing. Moving a few feet away from the rising
water, Miriam laid Mary down on her back and checked to see if she was still
alive.
The child's heart was beating, but she wasn't
breathing. Miriam turned her over and pounded on her back, trying to expel the
sea water from the little girl's lungs.
Mary didn't stir. Desperately, Miriam turned
her back over and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, trying to breathe for
her.
Just as it seemed her efforts would be in
vain, Mary choked, coughed, spit up sea water, and began to cry. Miriam pulled
the girl into her arms and held her tight, trying to comfort her.
After a few moments, Mary stopped crying and
simply clung to Miriam. Miriam stood up, looking around for the boat. It had
drifted some distance from the deck--still near, but too far away for her to
reach. Nevertheless, she had to get Mary into the boat.
Setting Mary down, Miriam untied her
lifebelt. Prying Mary away from her legs, she pulled the lifebelt over the
child's head, then watched in dismay as it slipped off the tiny shoulders.
Tying it as tightly as she could, Miriam looked around for something else to
help secure the child in the garment.
Seeing nothing, she glanced around in despair
until she realized that the sash on her dress would serve to tie the little
girl into the lifebelt.
Untying her sash, Miriam yanked at it until the
heavy fabric tore. Her dress gaped open in spots, but that was of little
concern--she could always get another dress...if she needed one.
Looping the sash around Mary, Miriam tied it
tightly, securing the little girl in the lifebelt. Picking her up, she held her
close as she walked to the railing.
Miriam hated what she would have to do next,
but there was no other way. She had throw Mary toward the lifeboat and hope
that she would get there. If she did not...Miriam suppressed the thought of the
child drowning or freezing to death just a few yards away from safety.
Embracing Mary one last time, Miriam tossed
her as far as she could over the railing into the water. Mary's shocked scream
was cut off as she went under, them came back up, choking and struggling. Much
to Miriam's relief, the child's struggles carried in the direction of the boat.
On board the boat, one of the men, Caledon
Hockley, tried his best to club people trying to climb aboard. Brandishing an
oar, he hit one man, shoving him beneath the water. Miriam could only hope that
he would miss Mary.
Mary's struggles had carried her close to the
boat now, and the same woman who had rescued Nadia reached for her--just as Cal
sent the oar crashing down once again, narrowly missing Mary. The child's
terrified scream split the air.
The woman grabbed Mary's lifebelt with one
hand and grabbed the oar with the other. Her voice raised in angry protest as
she informed Cal that such a small child was not likely to swamp the boat.
Letting go of Mary's lifebelt for a moment,
she wrested the oar from Cal's hands, then pulled the child into the boat. Cal
grabbed the oar and began beating people away with again, while the woman
wrapped Mary in a blanket and set her beside Nadia. Recognizing her friend,
Nadia put her arms around Mary.
The woman who had rescued the children was
looking around, trying to locate Miriam. Turning away, Miriam started walking
up the rapidly tilting boat deck, tears streaming down her face. Even if she
could swim, she would never be able to get into the boat. She could only be
grateful that Mary had found a seat and a protector.