Rebekah always worried about her brother’s safety. Although he was only a year younger than she was, she had always been the more sensible of the two. Will had a habit of flying off the handle—and then he ended up in trouble. She knew their parents counted on her to watch over him and do her best to keep him out of trouble. Sometimes the responsibility seemed like a heavy load to carry.
“Please, may I go?” she heard her brother ask their father, and she knew Will felt not even a tinge of fear.
Father looked him over, much as Myles Standish had done earlier. “I see no reason why not, especially as Captain Standish has requested it.” Rebekah saw that a twinkle lurked in their father’s eyes, though his mouth stayed solemn. “How is it that he knows so much of your running skills? And what is this about boasting?”
Will’s face turned dark red from embarrassment. “Uh, I didn’t know whether he knew I could run fast, so I told him. I didn’t think it was wrong to do so, when God has given me long legs that have learned to travel swiftly.”
“I see.” Father folded his arms across his chest and grinned. In that moment, his expression was almost identical to Will’s. Father turned to Mother. “Well, shall we let this son of ours go?”
Perfect trust showed in Mother’s eyes. “So long as he promises to stay close beside you,” she agreed.
Before Will could holler with delight, Rebekah asked, “Why must you go? There are plenty of men. I know you’re almost a man, but you don’t know how to fire a musket. What would happen if you crossed paths with a bear or wolf? What good would you be to the scouting party?”
“If Captain Standish thinks I am man enough to go, I am, Rebekah Cunningham. Oh, what’s the use? You’re a girl, and girls are always afraid!”
“That is enough, Will.” Father’s smile vanished. “Your mother was a girl herself not long ago, and I don’t know any man braver than she. Did you not see how she cared for the sick and weathered the hardest storms on the Atlantic without a word of complaint?”
Father’s hand lightly touched Mother’s shoulder, then came to rest on Rebekah’s head. “This one is just like her. There is no fear for herself in your sister. Only for you, and with just cause. In the past, there have been occasions when you were careless and fell into trouble. Rebekah has truly been her brother’s keeper. It is well for you to remember this and show her more respect.”
Father’s stinging criticism made Will hang his head. “I’m sorry,” he told his sister. “Forgive me?” He grinned. “If I find any curious or pretty things ashore, I will fill my pockets for you.”
Rebekah rewarded him with a smile. “Thank you, but be careful, please.”
“I will,” Will added with a sigh. “I only wish we could go tomorrow and not have to wait until Monday.”
“Explore on the Sabbath?” Rebekah frowned at him. “You sound like a heathen.” She proudly raised her chin. “Elder Brewster says we must always set a good example for the crew, the London Strangers, and the Indians. What kind of example would it be to have you go tearing off on the Lord’s Day?”
“She is right,” Mother put in. “It is God’s own commandment. ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God…. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.’ “
“Mother, why did God need to rest?” Rebekah asked. Her forehead wrinkled. “I wouldn’t think God would ever get tired.”
“I have always felt God set aside that time to simply appreciate and enjoy all the beautiful things He created,” Mother said. A little smile played about her lips. “Perhaps He felt a little like you do when you slip into your hiding place beneath the coops—as though He needed some quiet time.” Mother laughed at the expression of embarrassment on Rebekah’s face, and then she continued, “God also set an example for us. So did Jesus. Setting aside one day out of every seven to remember Him and spend time being glad for all He has given us is not too much to ask, is it?”
“No, Mother.”
But Rebekah couldn’t help but squirm a little, thinking of the endless services they held each week. If God was trying to be nice to them, surely He could have thought of a better way for people to spend their quiet time than sitting in stuffy, boring services. Many times in Holland, she and Will had envied the Dutch children, especially on Sunday. The Dutch boys and girls laughed and sang and played games just outside the church door. The deaconess who sat with the Separatist children in a special section watched them with a sharp eye. She made sure they never whispered, and they certainly never laughed. If they did, they were sorry.
Rebekah made a face as she remembered. A few times she and Will had forgotten the strict rules against talking and laughing. The deaconess promptly boxed their ears. One time she whipped Will with a birch rod. When they weren’t listening to sermons or singing hymns on Sundays, Will and Rebekah were expected to sit quietly. Sabbath days seemed to never end.
“I don’t understand how it can be wrong to be joyful,” Rebekah had complained to Will more than once. “God must have been happy when He finished His world.” Now Rebekah secretly sighed. She loved God. Yet how could she live through another long, long Sunday knowing that on Monday they would finally step onto the shores of the New World, land of freedom? Even if she had to do laundry all day, it would be better than being on board the ship.
CHAPTER 2
Laundry
To Rebekah’s joy and Will’s dismay, the scouting party from the Mayflower did not go on Monday, after all. While the women and girls waded, small children ran on the sands. How good it felt to be out in the fresh air after the long days and nights huddled in their smelly quarters!
Some of the men walked the beach. Excitement spread when they found mussels and clams. For nine weeks, the travelers had been without fresh food. The Pilgrims had never seen clams or mussels before and didn’t know anything about eating them. Many of them stuffed themselves and ended up sick. Fortunately, Father and Mother cautioned Will and Rebekah not to be greedy. They escaped the stomach upsets that followed.
Meanwhile, carpenters examined pieces of the damaged shallop. “Sorry,” they told Governor Carver and Captain Standish. “The boat has been battered so badly by the crossing it will take us some time to get it ready for use.”
Standish scowled. Rebekah knew the captain hated for things to come up and make him change his plans. Rebekah suspected that Will secretly sympathized with the captain. Surely Will was as eager as the new military leader to explore the New World!
Tuesday passed with Will so impatient he worked off his extra energy by racing up and down the deck. A cold Wednesday morning dawned. Standish, privately called “Captain Shrimp” by some, announced, “We will go on foot.” He glanced south toward what appeared to be the mouth of a river, then shook his head. “That can come later. For now, we will go northeast.” He strutted to the head of the scouting party. “Muskets ready?” “Ready,” came the answer.
Rebekah looked at the gun her father carried. She hoped he would know how to use it correctly. Only this morning she had watched Captain Standish demonstrate how to use a musket for the benefit of those who didn’t know. It took time to load. First, Standish poured black powder down the muzzle and then tamped and wadded it. Next, he dropped in a lead ball and shoved it down with a thick pad. When the captain completed his preparations and released the trigger, Rebekah nearly jumped in the air at the yard-long burst of flame, a deafening roar, and a cloud of smoke.
If it takes all that time to get ready, she wondered, won’t the Indians or bears or deer already be gone by the time anyone gets around to shooting?
Rebekah watched as her brother fell into step at the end of the line, close behind his father. She hoped he could manage to stay out of trouble. If there was one false move on his part, she knew the captain would order the youngest member of the party to return to the Mayflower.
Rebekah turned and a grin spread over her face as she looked up at Jake, the big sailor she and Will had made friends with on their voyage. “You’re going, too?” she asked him.
“Came t’ see the New World, didn’t I?” Jake snapped, face grim as ever. Only a flicker of light in his small dark eyes showed the friendship he felt for Rebekah and her brother. “I best be catchin’ up or I’ll be left behind.”
Rebekah gave the sailor a smile. “I’m glad you will be going along.” She eyed the wicked knife stuck in Jake’s belt and the way the seaman rested one hand on its hilt. He had fought pirates and had a long scar on his shoulder to prove it. If the explorers ran into danger, Jake would be a good man to have with them.
She waved until her father, Will, and Jake had at last disappeared between the thick trees. With a sigh, she turned away.
“There’s work to be done,” her mother reminded, her voice gentle.
Rebekah heaved yet another long sigh, this one even louder and wearier than the last. “Mother, don’t you ever wish you could go off with the men sometimes instead of doing women’s work?”
Her mother shook her head. “Nay, Rebekah, I can’t say I do. I have to confess, I would like to go along just to keep an eye on my menfolk. But otherwise, I’m content to stay behind. In fact, I’m eager to be scrubbing all that dirty laundry. It will be good to have everything clean again.” She put her hand under Rebekah’s chin and lifted her face so she could look into her daughter’s eyes. “You’ll see. It will be fun to be up to our elbows in sudsy water. And it will be good to be on solid land for a change. There may even be time for you and your friends to play hopscotch and tag in the evenings.”
Comforted, Rebekah returned her mother’s smile.
In the days that followed, Rebekah followed her mother’s example, while her father and brother roamed the beach and forests. Always a good helper, Rebekah worked alongside Mother, scrubbing clothes and dirty blankets. She won approving looks and high praise from the other women for her hard work.
“Mercy, she is as good as a full-grown woman,” some said. Mother only smiled, but the pride in her face made Rebekah feel good. She thanked God that she was strong, in spite of being short and petite. She flew from task to task, green eyes shining and curly dark brown braids tossing. Mother was right. The work was hard—but it was also fun. It felt good just to be off the ship, with room to run and breathe.
During the days of hard work, Rebekah had a precious memory she kept treasured in her heart, like a rare jewel in a box. It helped a lot during the anxious time of waiting for Father and Will to return. Each time fear for their safety sneaked up and grabbed at her, Rebekah whispered what Father had told Will: “There is no fear for herself in your sister. Only for you …”
Once Rebekah asked her mother, “Do you think Father was right? About me, I mean. That I don’t really worry about me.
Just about Will.”
“You are a loving sister,” Mother said. “Any boy would be proud to have you care for him as you do Will. Even though he teases you, always know how much he cares about you. You are also a joy to your father and me.”
Rebekah blushed until the red dimmed her freckles.
As the days went by, though, Rebekah’s back began to ache from bending over to scrub the dirty clothing. Her arms ached from carrying the heavy wet blankets and stretching up on tiptoe to hang them to dry. By evening, she was too tired to play with her friends. She wondered what the men were doing.
“Mother,” she said with a sigh, “I’m starting to wish again that I were Will so I could go exploring, too. I want to see more of the New World than what we can from here, and I’m getting tired of cleaning these smelly old blankets.” She looked with loathing at a pile of blankets waiting to be washed. They were stiff from dried saltwater and the vomit of sick passengers.
Mother’s eyebrows raised, and Rebekah hurried on. “I know it’s silly. Goodness, Will barely got to go, and he’s a boy.” She giggled. “Can you imagine what Captain Standish would look like if I begged to go scouting? I can just see him.” Rebekah placed her feet apart, squared her shoulders, and made fists of her hands. She put them on her hips, tucked her chin into her neck, and said in a deep, unnatural voice, “Be gone with you! Girls are made for tea parties, not exploring parties!”
Mother’s green eyes sparkled with laughter. “Respect your elders, Rebekah.”
“I do. It’s just that Captain Standish acts like he is more important than anyone else.” Rebekah dropped her imitation. A troubled look crossed her face. “He isn’t a believer, is he?”
“Nay, but we pray he may become one of us.” Mother sighed. “We must also appreciate what he is doing for us. Father says he feels Captain Standish will be faithful to his duties, no matter what happens.”
“I’m sorry I made fun of him.”
“As am I sorry for laughing at your nonsense,” Mother admitted.
Boom! Boom, boom, boom!
“The signal!” Rebekah joyfully shouted. “The men are back!” She ran, shading her eyes with one hand. “Will promised to bring me whatever he found,” she cried. “I wonder what it will be!”
She caught sight of Jake, marching near the front of the company this time, and she moved back. Friend he might be, but the sailor’s scowl sent shivers through Rebekah sometimes.
“Jake is not a believer, either, is he, Mother?”
Her mother shook her head. “I doubt it. But he has been a good friend to you children. I was grateful for his watchful eye while we were on board ship.”
Rebekah nodded, but her green eyes were cloudy. She knew the church leaders preached that not everyone was chosen by God to go to heaven. But she hated to think that God might not love Jake. Surely God would see past the sailor’s ferocious exterior to the kindness she knew lived inside him.
“Does God love Jake, do you think?” she asked her mother. “Is he one of the elect?” She bit her lip, looking troubled. “He won’t send Jake to hell, will he?”
Her mother glanced down at her daughter’s face. “I believe God loves everyone,” she said softly but firmly. “The Bible says that God is not willing that anyone should perish. He wants us all to have eternal life.” She smiled. “We must pray that Jake will come to know how much God loves him.”
Rebekah puzzled over her mother’s words for a moment. Was her mother saying she did not agree with the teachings of the church?
Then Rebekah recognized her father’s hat, and she forgot about her worries. Father and Will were walking toward her and Mother, their eyes bright with eagerness. Rebekah dashed forward and flung herself at them. “You’re home!”
CHAPTER 3
Joy and Tragedy
Rebekah danced around Will. “I am so glad you are safe!” He grinned at her. “Aren’t you glad to see Father, too?” “Of course I am,” Rebekah replied indignantly. “You worry more about me, though, don’t you?” Will teased. Her freckled nose went into the air. “With good reason.” When he started to protest, she laughed and said, “Never mind. What did you bring me?”
“Just you wait and see!” Will’s eyes sparkled, and his hands crept toward his pockets. “Hold out your hands and make a cup of them.”
Rebekah started to obey, then put her hands behind her back and demanded, “You won’t give me something squishy, like a worm, will you?”
“Where would I get a worm this time of year? C’mon, Rebekah. You can trust me. Honest. Put your hands out and close your eyes.”
Rebekah slowly did as her brother asked. All the time he had been gone, she’d tried to think what he might bring her.
Cones from the evergreen trees? Pretty shells? She felt a shower of small objects pour into her cupped palms, then something long and rough. Her eyes popped open.
She looked at what she held. Dried seeds. They were hard yellow kernels and an ear
that was bigger than any grain she had ever seen. “Oh, Will!” she whispered. “It’s the best present in the whole world. What is it?”
Will laughed. “It’s the Indians’ grain. We’ve been calling it corn, though it’s not like anything we’ve seen at home. We’re going to plant it come spring. And in the meantime, we will eat it.”
“Where did you get it?”
“We got it from the Indians.”
“Real Indians? What were they like? Were they frightening?”
A shadow passed over Will’s face. “We never saw them. We found the corn near a grave. There was an abandoned house there, as well.”
Rebekah frowned. “How did you know the Indians wouldn’t come back for their corn?”
Will shrugged. “Captain Standish commanded us to take it all.”
Rebekah’s eyebrows pulled together. “Isn’t that stealing? What if the Indians come back for their corn and find it gone?”
Will looked unhappy. “I know. That’s what I said. But Captain Standish wouldn’t listen to me.”
Rebekah shook her head. “Well, of course not, Will. You’re just a boy. What did Father say?”
“He said we had to obey the captain’s orders. We need the food desperately, after all. Father said we will pray that God will show us how to make things right with the Indians.”
Rebekah let go of her worries and closed her fingers around the corn. “What will it taste like, do you suppose?” Suddenly, she wanted to hug her brother and dance, even though the Separatists permitted no such foolishness. Real Indian corn, here, in her hands! And her brother and her father had returned to them safely.
“Mother, just see what Will has brought!” Rebekah said when she could finally tear her gaze away from her gift.
“I know. Isn’t it wonderful? William, how glad we are to have more food,” Mother said to Father with a grateful look. “Our stores were perilously low.”
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