“Thanks again,” I thanked the closed door. I looked down the hallway and I saw that it was dimly lit. Thankfully Branson had given me directions because, I could hardly keep my eyes focused. It was a bit hard keeping my balance as I began to walk down the hallway. The ship was being rocked side to side like a baby’s cradle. Good thing the ship was moving otherwise I would have looked like a drunkard trying to keep my balance. Finally I reached the end of the hallway and found the stairs. Fearing losing my balance I crawled up them. I noticed them that someone had put socks on my barefeet. The stairwell became brighter as I walked up and came out onto a very well lit hallway.

I stood up and wiped my hands off on my jacket and walked down the second hallway. At the end I could clearly see the green door. I felt very claustrophobic all of the sudden and began to walk faster. I fell a bit on the door. Giving the slightly rusty handle a turn I opened the door. Light flooded against my eyes. The sun must have just come up, because it was just a little over the sealine in the East. “ ‘allo there, Me name is Seamus. Cap’n Crawly said I was to keep an eye on ye,” said a man no older than twenty, as he walked towards me.

“My name is Irean Mason,” I said holding out my hand. He grabbed it firmly and gave it a quick shake.

“I’m sorry me clothes don’t fit ye properly,” he said with a small chuckle as the sleeve of the jacket fell over my hand.

“Oh I’m sorry, I thought they were just clothes lying around the ship,” I said in a bit of an embarrassed tone.

“It’s not a problem,” he said with a smile. We sat there in silence for a few seconds. I noticed that he also had red hair like Branson, but in a deeper crimson shade. His eyes were green and his skin was very white, for someone who lived on a boat. He didn’t have a bit of hair on his face.

“It’s so pretty out here. I have never been on a boat before,” I told him looking to the sky and taking a deep breath.

“Aye it is. This here be a tanker. We are mainly used for sending supplies of wool around the world,” he said hitting the side of the wall.

“That’s so interesting. Where are you headed now?” I asked looking at the water.

“We be ‘eaded back ‘ome to Ireland. We should be there in about a month give or take a week, if we ‘ave no storms,” he answered. I jerked my head to the side to look at him.

“We are going to be sailing for a month?” I asked with an excited look on my face.

“Aye,” he answered back with a smile. “I noticed ye ’ave an American accent. If I might ask, what were ye doin in Singapore?”

I put a sad look on my face, and looked down at my hands. “I moved there when I was ten years old with my parents. They got sick and died. Our family back home didn’t want anything to do with us, so I spent the next eight years in an orphanage, and the next two in the streets. Two days ago I was taken by traders from a park and brought to the pier. I got away and climbed aboard the ship,” I answered still looking at my hands.

“That be a shame Irean. Me parents died as well, but I be five when it ‘appened. My uncle Branson took me in he did, and I been growing up on the sea ever since,” he said in a mellow voice. I gave a small smile.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I knew you and Branson looked familiar.” I laughed after a few seconds of silence.

He laughed too. “Enough of this depressing jabber. Why don’t we find ye something nice to fill yer belly.”

“That sounds lovely,” I answered through a smile. He escorted me around the deck, and to the other side. I was given stares all across the deck from the crew. Many of them were big bearded men. Many had dark brown, or light brown hair. My feet were freezing by the time we reached the other side.

“ ’ave you not any shoes?” he asked looking at my feet.

“No I don’t. These socks were put on me while I was sleeping,” I said embarrassed again, and looking down at my feet.

“Well we can’t ’ave that,” he said quickly after through a laugh. We walked through the door and down a hallway, and into another door. Seamus turned on the light and I saw boxes upon boxes in this room. “There be clothes that we take back ‘ome with us from Singapore,” he said walking to the back of the room and opening a box. I heard him rustling around in it and producing a pair of dark brown work boots. “ ‘ere try these and see if they are a fit for you,” he said handing me the boots. There were heavy. I slide one of my feet in, and then the other. They fit perfectly.

“They fit perfect, but won’t you get into trouble for giving these to me?” I asked worried.

“No. Ye see we take these boots back to Ireland to sell. Now the way me see it ye will be a working on the ship, so ye will be a paying for them,” he said like he just discovered the fountain of youth.