by Diann Hunt
He lay still, looking at Adelaide. She was so different from Catherine. His first wife would never have bothered with him in his sickness. She left him. Her thoughts were selfish and cruel. While Adelaide cared so generously for others—even him—when he least deserved it.
Just like God.
Where did that thought come from? The only sounds he heard were the thoughts rushing through his mind. Adelaide did love God, and it showed. A God of whom he knew very little. Did he want to know more? What about the people at church who talked about him and about Catherine’s rejection? What about his pain at sea—did God care about that? Why did He let her go? Why did God let Catherine hurt him that way?
He wanted to shake his head and make all the thoughts go away, but his head hurt too much. Was he going to die? What if what they said about God and eternity were true? Was he ready to meet his Maker?
Fear gripped his heart. He knew he wasn’t ready. Being ready required forgiveness. And God could not forgive Josiah until Josiah forgave Catherine and the church people who had hurt him. He knew that much about the gospel message.
He didn’t want to make a deathbed confession. His integrity would not allow it. Would he merely use God to make it to heaven? No, he had to mean it regardless of whether he lived or died, and Josiah wasn’t sure he could forgive Catherine. Ever.
“Josiah!” Adelaide scrambled from her covers and rushed to him. “Oh, Josiah, you’re awake.” Tears flooded down her cheeks.
Her concern touched him deeply.
She looked as though she would throw herself over him in one swoop, but her steps came to a sudden halt. Josiah managed a half smile, which she matched.
Adelaide settled herself into the chair beside the bed and told him what had transpired in the last five days. He thought on what she said, trying to sort out what to do from here.
Someone knocked on the door.
Adelaide stood. “Yes, who is it?”
“Dr. Walters.”
Adelaide looked at Josiah then opened the door.
Dr. Walters walked in, weariness on his face. “Is he any better?” His expression told her he had little hope.
“See for yourself,” Adelaide said with a smile, motioning toward the bed.
Dr. Walters let out a laugh. “Well, if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes.” The doctor expertly went through his routine and checked Josiah out. When the exam was over, he announced the good news that Josiah could sail the next day if he so chose, but he’d still need to take it somewhat easy in the days ahead.
Following Josiah’s instructions, Adelaide told Adam they would be setting sail the next morning at dawn. The crew should be ready to go.
Adelaide purchased a few things for dinner and brought them to their room. The pleasant scent of spices, meat, and potatoes made Adelaide’s stomach growl. Only then did she realize how little she had been eating.
Though Josiah could eat very little, he tried a few bites. He stirred the potatoes on his plate. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Adelaide looked up and smiled. “You’d have done the same for me.”
“Catherine would never have done that.”
Adelaide dropped her fork. She wasn’t accustomed to him bringing up his first wife’s name.
“She hurt me, you know.”
“I know.” Adelaide felt his pain. “I’m sorry, Josiah.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know why I let it bother me so much over the last couple of years. I suppose it was pride. I just hadn’t expected her to do that.”
Adelaide listened, never saying a word lest he stop.
“I’ve been a fool.” He ran his fingers through his hair. He stopped and looked at her. “I want to know God the way you do, Addie.”
Warmth rushed clear through her.
“I don’t understand why she did what she did, but I don’t want it to keep me from God.”
“People make choices, Josiah. Those choices affect others. Good or bad. Catherine’s choice affected you. The good news is that God’s choice to love sinners, shown through the death of His Son on a cross, can change a life that trusts in Him. You don’t have to let Catherine’s choice cause you to make the wrong choice about God. He is there for you. Always has been. Always will be.”
Josiah nodded.
“The church folks you told me about probably just didn’t know what to say. Sometimes folks feel it’s better to say nothing than to say the wrong thing.”
He nodded. “You’re right. I’ve allowed my own imaginings to run away with me. I want to make the right choice now, Addie. Will you pray with me?”
Tears plopped on her dress, and she nodded. She led him in a prayer of confession and repentance to God.
Once they had finished praying, Adelaide wiped her tears and looked at Josiah. She placed her hand on his. “You know, Josiah, the prayer is only the beginning. The joy comes from having a continuing walk with Christ. Spending time with Him through His Word, allowing Him to lead you through life. It’s an incredible journey.”
He wiped his face, smiled, and nodded. “That’s what I want—a changed life.”
Adelaide smiled while her spirit soared. Though their situation hadn’t changed, she felt certain their future would never be the same.
Chapter 13
Adelaide stepped up on deck to get some fresh air. Josiah was feeling much better, though his strength still waned. The sickness allowed him to get up only a few hours each day; then he headed back to bed. The admission of weakness didn’t come easily for the rugged sea captain. Adelaide knew he would never go to bed unless forced to do so.
She took a deep breath. At least no one else got the sickness, and for that they could all be thankful. Still, she knew the extra days in port did little to help the morale of the crew.
Footsteps sounded just behind her. “Mrs. Buchanan?”
Adelaide turned to face Adam. She smiled. “How are you?”
His expression turned sober. “Not good.” He looked at his feet. “I’m sorry to bother you with this, but, well, with the captain down, I don’t know what else to do.”
“What is it, Adam?”
“It’s the men. Ebenezer’s got ’em stirred up. Convinced them the whales are in the Gulf of Alaska, and the captain is wasting their time if he heads only as far as the Sandwich Islands.”
She stared at Adam, biting her lip. “If only we could catch another whale.”
“I fear a mutiny, Adelaide,” he whispered. “I mean, Mrs. Buchanan.”
She waved away his formalities, her mind already trying to figure out how to handle the situation. “I’ll see what I can do. Thanks for your help.”
He nodded, a worried look still on his face.
“Keep praying,” she told him. With that, Adelaide turned and walked toward the cookhouse to prepare lunch.
Working hard on the meal, Adelaide prepared a feast of ham, Irish potatoes, cabbage, string beans, and goat’s milk for the crew, hoping to calm them down through their stomachs. Once her work was finished, she left the cookhouse and carried a meal for her and Josiah to their room.
Adelaide felt Josiah’s gaze on her when they settled into their chairs.
“You want to tell me about it?”
She flipped out her napkin and looked up in feigned surprise. “What do you mean?”
His hand swept across the table. “This meal tells me something’s wrong. This is not our normal fare for lunch.”
Of course he would pick up on that. How silly of her. Adelaide sighed. “The men are restless, Josiah. It’s Ebenezer. I believe he’s trying to convince them the whales are in the gulf and you’re wrong to go only as far as the islands. Adam told me, though we have no real proof, unfortunately.”
Josiah rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I see.”
Adelaide said little more, knowing Josiah was working out the issue in his mind. They finished the meal in silence.
Before Adelaide could clear the table, Josiah grabbed her hand. “Join me in
prayer, Adelaide. We need direction.”
How those words thrilled her heart! The two of them prayed for discernment. Afterward, the exercise of prayer seemed to have tired Josiah. “I’m afraid I’ll have to deal with it when my strength returns.” He looked at Adelaide apologetically and climbed back in bed.
Adelaide still feared for him. Though the doctor had told her the danger was over, she had never seen him so frail.
She stood and gathered the things she wanted to take back to the cookhouse. She needed to clean up after the crew. First, she would clean the dishes; then she would go.
Once the dishes were cleaned, Adelaide stepped from the cabin to make her way to the cookhouse. She heard a commotion from the forecastle. Though a woman should never go near the men’s quarters, she edged her way closer in hopes of hearing what was going on. She stopped short when she saw Josiah’s form standing in the shadows. She could hear the men grumbling among themselves, Ebenezer’s voice urging them on. Then out of the rumble, she heard Adam’s voice.
“Now look here. Captain Buchanan has been good to us. He feeds us far better than any other whaling ship on these waters, and you know it. He sees to it we stop in port when we need a change. He’s been entirely fair in his dealings with us. Now all of a sudden you think he’s trying to cheat us. Why?”
Adam’s voice held more authority than Adelaide had ever heard before. She felt proud of him for standing up for Josiah.
“I say this sickness is turning him yellow,” Ebenezer called out. “He’s weak and afraid to take on a whale now. Too bad for him. We still have to make money with or without him. I say we go to the gulf!” Ebenezer’s voice was raised now, exciting the men to action.
Adelaide gasped as she watched Josiah step through the shadows, bringing the room to instant silence.
Josiah raised his arms. “I understand your concerns. No one wants to waste time. We’re all trying to make a living here.” He turned his unrelenting gaze on Ebenezer. “I’m not trying to make you suffer because of my illness.” Josiah measured his words evenly, as if carefully considering what to say next. “In talking with the other captains along our journey, I’ve been told the weather will be severe this year in the gulf. It didn’t seem prudent to risk being trapped by the ice. We’ve heard of more than one incident where ships have been trapped and eventually destroyed by the icebergs—”
Ebenezer waved his hand. “Yellow, like I said. We ain’t afraid of no ice!” His voice thundered with rebellion. He turned to the men. “You gonna let him scare you into missing an opportunity of a lifetime? I’m telling you, the whales are there!”
Adelaide heard a faint sound on deck. She turned. The masthead. The sound came from the masthead. She slipped up the stairs.
“There she blows!” the seaman cried.
Excitement surged through her. She ran back toward the forecastle as fast as her legs could carry her. “A whale. We have our whale!” she cried. The men scattered as fast as the words left her lips.
Relief washed over Adelaide. Josiah looked at her and smiled. They would catch this whale.
God had heard their prayer.
A squall kicked up, making it difficult for the men to fasten the two whales. The ship reeled to and fro like a drunken man. Adelaide could not bear to watch the whaleboats being tossed about from wave to wave.
Her fear subsided when the crew returned with somewhat small, though in Adelaide’s view impressive, whales.
The crew immediately set to cutting in and boiling, working day and night. Adelaide watched the pilot fish, skipjack, and albacore that followed the ship for the refuse of the whale that was thrown overboard. The air seemed black with the hundreds of storm petrels that hovered just over the surface of the water. The stench and sight, though still gruesome and overpowering, did not make Adelaide sick like before. She felt proud she was growing accustomed to the life on a whaling ship.
The next morning, Adelaide prepared albacore for breakfast. The crew finally stowed away sixty barrels of oil from the blubber and commenced to salting down some albacore for trade at the islands.
They caught more pilot fish. Adelaide thought them a pretty fish, about the size of a trout, blue with black stripes, and considered very nice eating. She decided to prepare the pilot fish for dinner.
Just after lunch, Josiah asked Adelaide to summon Adam Bowman into their quarters. She knew Josiah didn’t care much for Adam, though she couldn’t understand why. Josiah seemed to have taken a dislike to Adam from day one. Not that any of it should concern her. Josiah was the captain. Be that as it may, Adam was her friend, and she hoped the two men could settle their differences.
Once back in their room, Adelaide tidied the area while Josiah relaxed on his bed. A knock sounded at the door, and Adelaide opened it to allow Adam entrance.
He pulled off his cap. “Ma’am.” He turned to Josiah. “Captain? You wanted to see me?”
Josiah raised himself from the bed and walked over to the table. “Have a seat, Bowman.”
Adam complied.
“Would you like me to leave, Josiah?” Adelaide asked.
“No, I’d like you to stay.”
Not knowing what to do with herself, Adelaide sorted through her clothes just to keep her hands busy.
“First off, I want to apologize to you,” Josiah began.
Adelaide’s fingers stopped moving through the cloth. She couldn’t imagine what Josiah would say next.
“I’ve been utterly unfair to you from the start.”
Adelaide dared a glance at Adam and thought his expression priceless. He looked as though he’d swallowed a fish whole. She stifled a chuckle.
“I allowed foolish thinking to get in the way of good sense.”
Though Adelaide hadn’t a clue what he meant, and she could see confusion on Adam’s face as well, she was proud of Josiah for taking this hard step.
Josiah swallowed hard. “I never did properly thank you for rescuing Adelaide from the water that day, and I want to thank you for helping me with the men before a mutiny erupted. You’ve been a top-rate officer, and I’m beholden to you.”
Adam blushed. “Wouldn’t Esther be proud?” Adelaide said with a smile.
Josiah turned to look at Adelaide. “Esther?”
“Well, yes. Didn’t you know Adam was sweet on my sister?”
Adam fingered the cap in his hands. “I’d say it was more than that, Mrs. Buchanan. I want her to be my wife—if she’ll have me.”
Adelaide saw the surprise on Josiah’s face and laughed. “You mean you didn’t know?”
Josiah shook his head. “No idea.”
Adelaide watched as a pleasant countenance fell upon Josiah. No doubt about it, things were changing for them.
Adelaide fried the pilot fish for dinner and served the remainder for breakfast the next morning. Josiah didn’t much care for the fish, so he ate some eggs. About ten minutes after their breakfast, Adelaide’s face began to burn, and her head ached. A glance in the looking glass made her gasp. Her face was as red as a lobster all over: chin, forehead, ears, and neck.
Adelaide got into her bed and prayed Josiah would come back and check on her. At this rate, she would not be able to prepare lunch.
About midmorning, Josiah stepped into their room, took one look at her, and made a face. “I didn’t know what was wrong with the crew until I looked at you. Now I know that you’ve all been poisoned by eating the fish that we kept overnight.”
“Oh dear, Josiah. I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “You didn’t know. Everyone will be fine by tomorrow. But you all will feel pretty nasty for the remainder of the day. I don’t think there’s much need to worry about lunch and dinner. Most of the crew ate the fish.”
She nodded.
A smile tugged at his lips. “You are a sight for sore eyes,” he teased.
Adelaide grabbed her head. “Just wait, Captain Buchanan, I’ll get you for this.” She managed a smile then a groan.
“R
est well, Mrs. Buchanan,” he said, slipping out the door.
Chapter 14
Adelaide and the crew felt better by the next day. With the crew’s renewed strength came restlessness for more whales. Long days of inactivity did little good for them. The head winds and calms added to a great deal of rough weather didn’t help matters. The calms caused the ship to move slowly, and Ebenezer continued to let them know there was little time to lose.
Adelaide prayed they’d catch another whale soon, before Ebenezer could cause more trouble.
One of the whalemen grew sick with pneumonia. Josiah said if the man didn’t get better soon, they’d have to leave him at the islands. The forecastle offered few conveniences for sickness. Adelaide worried the illness would overtake some others.
While sitting in her room mending clothes, Adelaide thought of the last months at sea. Her head had been so full of romantic notions. Pa had told her what she wanted to hear. He’d left out the bad parts. She smiled and let out a sigh. So like Pa. How she missed him.
Though she still loved the sea, Adelaide had learned much from her short time aboard the Courage. It was a hard life. Sickness, disgruntled men, accidents, loneliness—they all plagued the seafaring man. An ache squeezed her heart as she thought of Ma and Esther. Adelaide wondered about their health. Did Ma have enough help with only Esther there? Adelaide breathed deeply and closed her eyes. What was done was done, and she couldn’t go back and change things now. She had to make the best of it. And so she would.
Josiah burst through the door, quite out of breath. “Another whale, Addie.” He grabbed something from the room and left.
She lifted her gaze heavenward. “Thank You.” As long as the whales appeared, Ebenezer couldn’t stir up the crew. She said a prayer for the men then rushed to the deck.
Adelaide held tightly to the ship’s rail, watching the wind toss about the whaleboats. Strong waves lifted them to great lengths, then dropped them without mercy. The men continued to row vigorously. In the distance, the whale spouted his presence, almost in a teasing fashion. Adelaide’s stomach spasmed from the constant motion. The angry seas pelted hard against the ship, biting into her skin. She fought against worry.
