New Zealand seemed to be paradise, the way that the Admiral spoke of the faraway land truly entranced me into leaving this dump. Through the thick, black fog, I could barely see the advertisement for the distant land. From what I could see, it spoke of wondrous opportunity, more jobs, especially Blacksmith Jobs.
Here at home in England, I spent extensive hours pounding steel into fine armor and swords for the noble knights that protect this land. But jobs here are scarce. After the employment of the Royal Blacksmith, armor is no longer needed to be made. My fine horseshoes and weapons were now made by that bloody Royal Blacksmith. The countless hours I spent meant nothing, the hours I spent pounding that steel into weapons that would slash heads and cave brains into throats of many no longer meant anything. New Zealand looked to be a place of happiness and opportunity, nothing like this shithole.
The thought of leaving England hit me like a ton of bricks. Not even the burning fire of my furnace would stop me like the thought of leaving home. What would happen to my shop? What rats would infest it? Which people would reside in it? Family wasn't an issue, I've got none left. But my poor shop, it's the only thing I had going for myself, the only thing that kept me afloat. England may be a dump. but it's home. The faces of children covered in shit, to remain there till it crumbles off like the distant dreams of children flowing away.
The vessel was an incredible sight for sore eyes. Large and intimidating, the ship looked like it could carry many, many animals of this earth in its hull alone.
"Name"
A large, bearded man with paper grumbled as he stood in front of the steps.
"Alec Culloden sir"
I mumbled anticipating his answer.
"Ah yes, the Blacksmith, you'll be in this group, group three"
The thick scent of tobacco filled my nose when those words left his lips.
"How old are you young man?"
"26 sir, I want to start anew in this wondrous land"
We were promised a new start when we got on the ship. Many young men piled into the hull of the ship. Some forced on top of each other. Others needed to leave their loved ones and children in order to go on this trip. Good thing I had no family, no one to hold, no one to hold me. The stench of England followed us on our voyage. Rotten fish and cat urine could be smelt from a million miles away. There were some young men rocking back and forth hugging their knees, no space, hardly any food and the addition of rats scurrying around made this all ten times worse. The men from the church wanted to start a church choir. They spent all their time harmonizing and creating melodies to keep themselves entertained and to keep spirits up. I decided to join in on this, apparently, my raspy voice did some good. Months went by, and we were still on this ship, some gave up, but I soldiered on, this new life and opportunity were what I strived for.
Many months went by and we finally arrived in New Zealand. My legs, barely able to keep me upright, struggled and slowly took me to the steps of the ship. Many trees and little ships took over all of the lands. The glimmering of the Tuscany sea shone with the reflection of the sky and the sun. My own hut was quite small with all of the tools necessary for Blacksmithing. But something seemed off, I'm not sure if it was the copper-skinned men or the English pointing guns at them. The indigenous people of New Zealand spoke a different tongue to us, a language no one seemed to understand. The English didn't care, they just pulled their triggers. Loud bangs filled the air, a sound most of us were quite familiar with, but the copper people did not like this sound, they all ran and hid in the bushes. This wasn't the life I wanted, scaring the native people of this land, this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I was going to live my best life. I wanted to go home, but then I realized, the amazing scenery. This place truly looked beautiful. New Zealand was the paradise I dreamed of every night, the place I was now to call home.
Here at home in England, I spent extensive hours pounding steel into fine armor and swords for the noble knights that protect this land. But jobs here are scarce. After the employment of the Royal Blacksmith, armor is no longer needed to be made. My fine horseshoes and weapons were now made by that bloody Royal Blacksmith. The countless hours I spent meant nothing, the hours I spent pounding that steel into weapons that would slash heads and cave brains into throats of many no longer meant anything. New Zealand looked to be a place of happiness and opportunity, nothing like this shithole.
The thought of leaving England hit me like a ton of bricks. Not even the burning fire of my furnace would stop me like the thought of leaving home. What would happen to my shop? What rats would infest it? Which people would reside in it? Family wasn't an issue, I've got none left. But my poor shop, it's the only thing I had going for myself, the only thing that kept me afloat. England may be a dump. but it's home. The faces of children covered in shit, to remain there till it crumbles off like the distant dreams of children flowing away.
The vessel was an incredible sight for sore eyes. Large and intimidating, the ship looked like it could carry many, many animals of this earth in its hull alone.
"Name"
A large, bearded man with paper grumbled as he stood in front of the steps.
"Alec Culloden sir"
I mumbled anticipating his answer.
"Ah yes, the Blacksmith, you'll be in this group, group three"
The thick scent of tobacco filled my nose when those words left his lips.
"How old are you young man?"
"26 sir, I want to start anew in this wondrous land"
We were promised a new start when we got on the ship. Many young men piled into the hull of the ship. Some forced on top of each other. Others needed to leave their loved ones and children in order to go on this trip. Good thing I had no family, no one to hold, no one to hold me. The stench of England followed us on our voyage. Rotten fish and cat urine could be smelt from a million miles away. There were some young men rocking back and forth hugging their knees, no space, hardly any food and the addition of rats scurrying around made this all ten times worse. The men from the church wanted to start a church choir. They spent all their time harmonizing and creating melodies to keep themselves entertained and to keep spirits up. I decided to join in on this, apparently, my raspy voice did some good. Months went by, and we were still on this ship, some gave up, but I soldiered on, this new life and opportunity were what I strived for.
Many months went by and we finally arrived in New Zealand. My legs, barely able to keep me upright, struggled and slowly took me to the steps of the ship. Many trees and little ships took over all of the lands. The glimmering of the Tuscany sea shone with the reflection of the sky and the sun. My own hut was quite small with all of the tools necessary for Blacksmithing. But something seemed off, I'm not sure if it was the copper-skinned men or the English pointing guns at them. The indigenous people of New Zealand spoke a different tongue to us, a language no one seemed to understand. The English didn't care, they just pulled their triggers. Loud bangs filled the air, a sound most of us were quite familiar with, but the copper people did not like this sound, they all ran and hid in the bushes. This wasn't the life I wanted, scaring the native people of this land, this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I was going to live my best life. I wanted to go home, but then I realized, the amazing scenery. This place truly looked beautiful. New Zealand was the paradise I dreamed of every night, the place I was now to call home.
Hey Nadia, I loved how deep you delved into the description with life on the ship and in New Zealand. Something you could describe for next time is how Alec interacted with others once he arrived in New Zealand, and what he was like in general. Besides that, I loved your piece!
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ReplyDeleteHi Nadia. I really enjoyed your writing. It was informative and I liked how you talked about what your character thought of the Maori people. Your very descriptive in your work and I was able to easily visualize what you were talking about. Maybe you could mention how Alec's family died. Good luck for your next draft! K bye
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