Teen Ink

Chapter 1

Andria raced down the street with blinding tears in her eyes. “Hey! Watch it!” an old woman carrying a food sack called after her. On a normal day Andria would have yelled back an apology…On a normal she wouldn’t have been running down the street with tears of furious anger streaming down her face…But it wasn’t a normal day…Anyone willing to feel would know that…It was something on the wind…Something with a certain tang to it…But because Andria’s mind was elsewhere she didn’t feel it.
“Where are you going?” Her father yelled to her. “Is school already out?” But instead of answering, she ran past their shop. Andria’s family had run it since 1790, the year now being 1863. Through the Klomp’s were simple people, they wanted all their children to have a good education so they “could be bright as buttons”, as her father always told her and her three brothers whenever they groaned about school. Andria, being the oldest and female, was to inherit the tailoring shop when she came of age. School made it all the better for her so she could manage the business on her own if need be.
It angered her father when she ran past him without uttering a word, so he ran after her and caught her by the arm, shook her, then said “What’re you doing girly? Now, I asked you a question and I want an answer!”
Andria knew better than to mouth off when her father had grabbed her. “Yes sir.” She sniffled. “No school isn’t out.” Another sniffle. “I’m headed to my island.”
“Schools not out yet?! Then what in the blazes are ye doing here lass?!...Psh! Your island! Taint nothing but a miserable rock to crash ships on! Completely worthless!...Just like you!”
She let out a big sob “I’m playing hooky alright?” Andria wretched her arm out of his hand. “My island isn’t worthless and neither am I!”
She ran onto the beach. Her father was on her tail screaming cusswords like the local sailors. Luckily, Andria didn’t talk like that. One, because she was a lady and had to act as such. Two, because she had to read so many books that she had learned bigger and better words to use than the conventional curses. And three, because it was all together beneath her.
Her father seemed to be gaining so she pushed herself even harder. Suddenly her feet met the planks of the jetty. “Get back here you good for nothing cockroach!”
Andria hopped into her boat. She staggered a moment because of the rocking of her dingy. “When I catch you, I’ll make you scrub the floor until your hands bleed!”
Andria went to her knees and began untying the mooring line. The skilled fingers of generations past that had been stitching, sewing and embroidering since 1790 were on her side.
“Stow it!” She yelled back as she used an oar to shove off. Andria was no dummy. You don’t say that to an angry man unless you’re sure you’re out of his reach.
When her father reached her she was four feet away from the jetty. He swung out trying to catch her but missed and instead fell into the cold sea. He then screamed curses while spitting salt water.
“Love you to Papa! Hope you enjoy your swim!” She knew she was in huge trouble when she got home! Why come home at all? She thought to herself. You’ve got enough provisions to last at least three days. After that you can just catch fish. This brought on a whole new wave of tears. She knew she’d have to come home eventually…No matter how hard she tried…
Now alone on the ocean with just the beach in sight and her island covered by a thin veil of mist, she let all her emotion out…Until she cried herself to sleep…