Coming Home

"She is still there, almost as though she is waiting for something".

The sailing ship silently sitting on the horizon was as motionless as it always had been since Jane first set her eyes on it 21 years ago.

"Why is it that this place, which I couldn’t wait to get away from, is now the place I can’t wait to get back to?".

Jane sighed and inhaled the cool, fresh Cornwall breeze. The familiar squelch of the sand between her toes and the rising tide lapping around her ankles brought her back instantly to her childhood. Jane's coastal Cornwall village was a far cry from her life in New York.

HAZY SUMMER

The ship first came to Jane’s attention in the summer of her fifteenth birthday. The summer of 2000 was long and hot, unusual for Cornwall where the weather was usually very unpredictable. Jane and her friends spent their days at the beautiful coves that dotted in and around her village. Tourist season was in full swing and the girls spent quite a lot time milling around hoping to be noticed by the influx of bored teenage boys holidaying with their families. The local boys were fine, but all twelve of them had went to the same school as the girls since they were 4 years old. A summer romance was nowhere on the cards with them!

Kelly, Jane’s best friend, spotted two very inquisitive seals and beckoned the girls over. Jane strained her eyes. There were the seals, their brown heads bobbing up and down in the water and peering quizzically at their onlookers. A bright glint behind the seals just on the horizon caught Jane’s eye.

"Looks like a ship, a sailing ship", thought Jane.

"That's strange".

She didn’t think such ships came in so close to the shoreline and couldn’t recall ever seeing one before. She had seen many yachts and speedboats growing up on the coast, but a large passenger ship so close to the coast was unusual. What was even stranger was the fact that it was not moving. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun; yes, the ship was definitely there and was no mirage. Jane turned to her friends, who were still transfixed by the friendly seals.

"Kelly, look, do you see that ship?"

Kelly searched the horizon, as did the other girls, but no one could see the large sailing ship that was so obviously sitting in plain sight to Jane.

"Huh? A ship? There is nothing there, Jane."

"Kelly, what are you talking about, its right there!"

Kelly called out to Paul, one of the boys from school. He was sitting on the wet mossy rocks, listening to his Walkman.

"Of course I see it! Are you really saying that you can't?", replied Paul.

"I can!" exclaimed Jane. "Thank goodness! I was a little concerned there. I thought I was hallucinating".

"You are crazy!" retorted Kelly. "Both of you! There is no ship. None of us except you two can see it, so it must be all in your heads! "Paul, maybe you just want to please Jane!" laughed Kelly.

This same scenario played out over the next few evenings, with Jane scanning the horizon to locate her ship and finding it, and her friends scoffing at her insistence that there was a ship in the first place. She eventually gave up attempting to convince her friends and believed that they were playing games on her.

THE PROMISE

Old Pete sat watching the horizon; he sat on the same old wooden bench, on the grassy verge by the beach, every evening for the past 62 years. He had lost his love when the ship she had boarded was sunk not far from the coast. Emily was just twenty one when she and Pete declared their love to the world and set about planning a wedding. Unfortunately Emily’s father had other plans for his daughter and packed her off to America –

"You need to go and look after your grand-aunt in Philadelphia, she has no family and is depending on you."

He had it in his head that his daughter would marry a wealthy American and live happily ever after. Pete was a hardworking young man but a fisherman wasn’t going to give his daughter the life he believed she needed. Emily was distraught but wrecked with guilt and duty - she felt she had no choice only to go to her grand-aunt who her father had made clear had no one but her.

"I'll come home Pete, I promise, wait for me.",

Emily hugged Pete tightly, her tears dampening his starched collar.

Pete sat on his bench gazing out to sea. There she was- the mighty sailing ship, the ship that sailed away 62 years ago with his Emily. He could imagine Emily standing at the railings, with her long dark hair and gazing back to the shoreline.

"Come home Emily. Come home"

Pete was the only one that saw the still ship- he give up telling people about it years ago. All he was met with were gazes of pity so he stopped talking about the Emily's ship on the horizon.

WAITING

Jane brought herself back to the present. She could still see the ship and whilst it was disturbing that no one else could, she would be disappointed if it wasn’t there.

"I wonder if Kelly was right back then? Maybe Paul was just trying to please me".

Through the years Jane had brought family, boyfriends and friends to the water’s edge but all thought she had but a wonderful imagination.

"It just looks so sad and lonely! Why doesn’t she just go home- it looks like it is just waiting and waiting for something".

Jane looked across the beach - goodness – is that old Pete? "What age is Pete now" she wondered .

He was always old Pete. He had sat on that bench for as long as Jane had remembered. For years before she went to America, every evening, she would see Pete gazing out to sea. Twenty one years later- here he was- still sitting here, frozen in time. She thought of her life in New York, all the ups and downs, places she had been to, experiences she had and here was old Pete still sitting on the bench.

Pete looked up.

"Young Janey! I haven’t seen you in years. Are you still living it up in New York?"

"Well Pete, I am still working and living in New York but its been all work and no play recently. I had to get back here to find some head space".

"Is there no head space in Central Park, Janey?" he teased.

"It is good to see you Janey, I love seeing the young ones coming home again – I hope America is good to you."

Janey loved old Pete, always did. There was something so sweet, innocent yet melancholy about him. He was happy and smiling when he spoke to people but there was an undeniable sadness in those eyes. She had heard from her grandparents about Emily, the love of his life lost at sea- about how his heart never mended and he never married.

Jane told Pete about her life in New York, she told him she hadn’t met anyone and- who knows?- maybe she felt drawn back to the village to meet her match. Peter smiled.

"Those boys have all grown up to be good men Janey and most are still here, don’t knock it Janey girl."

Jane hugged Pete goodbye and smiled.

"Pete, I will see you before I go back. I know where to find you".

THE PUB

Kelly came down from London to see Jane and they enjoyed a few warm bevy’s in the pub- the pub that they had counted the days down until they were old enough to frequent its doors. The little tavern was the only social life in the village and the highlight of the girl’s week. It hadn’t changed- the log fire was still burning and the atmosphere hadn’t dimmed.

"Who is that Kelly, right corner, smiling over, handsome, green jacket?" she whispered.

Jane, that's Paul, Old Pete’s great grandson, we hung out with him for let me see, 20 years!

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Jane. "He is all grown up."

Kelly informed her that he took over the family fishing business and has a fleet of trawlers. He had never left the village- why should he, he has a great life here.

Paul walked over.

"Well hello Janey girl ,Kelly! It's been a while."

Paul and the girls reminisced and talked about their new lives in London, New York and in the village. Paul mentioned that Pete wasn’t feeling great so he was going to take over from his dad and stay the night at the cottage. He drank up but arranged to meet with Jane before she left for New York.

"I look forward to it", said Jane, and she meant it.

THE EMPTY BENCH

A few days passed and Jane noticed Pete wasn’t on his usual bench.It looked strange and empty without the familiar figure with his little cap and walking stick.

"He must still be unwell."

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized she probably wouldn’t see Pete again, considering she would not be back from the US for some while. Next time, Pete would be no doubt gone. Jane felt an overwhelming sadness. She turned to gaze at the horizon to look at her ship but something was different.

It was gone.

Jane searched the horizon frantically but to no avail.

"Where is the ship? Where has it gone?"

In the distance she could see a lone figure walk up the beach towards her.

"Is that Paul?"

GOING HOME

"Paul, it's Pete, isn’t it?"

Yes. Jane, I had a feeling I would find you here. Pete has gone- he died last night".

Jane felt a wave of loss wash over her. She had been in New York for 21 years but there was just something about Pete. He wasn’t family and she hadn’t seen him in years but she felt a part of her roots had gone.

"Paul, I am so sorry."

"It’s OK, Janey girl. I know he liked to call you that."

Paul turned to face the still ocean.

"He was so peaceful and ready. He looked at me and, before closing his eyes, he said,"she’s come home."

Jane followed his gaze and searched the horizon. The ship was still gone, the setting sun glinting off the peaceful sea.

She felt a strange joy envelop her entire being and it all began to make sense.

Emily had waited for Pete too – they were both home.