Story Peeps Change Lives

Grandma's Story Coming To Ellis Island!

Written by lisa

This is my grandmother's story, not mine.  I hope I do it justice.  She was a big part of my life and I hers. 

My grandmother was sent here to the states by her parents as a sort of punishment.  They saw her as a disgrace.  You see her mother discovered she had been secretly seeing a married man in their town behind his wife’s back.  Not only was she having unholy unions with this man who was forever bonded with his wife under god’s eyes, but she had found herself with child.  Her father was so disappointed and completely hurt he couldn’t bring himself to even look at her.  Her mother could only look at her in disgust and loathing.  In order to save face with all the other family members her parents concocted a story that she was to take a boat over to America.  She was to live with her uncle and also work for him in his general store.  The reason or cover up more like it was that she was to build a better life for herself maybe go to the American schools and get a good job to help out the not so wealthy family.

The day she was to set sail her parents took her to the docks.  They didn’t take her because they wanted the heartfelt good-byes most parents would want.  Oh no not this family.  They wanted to be absolutely sure she got on the boat.  The docks were full of people.  There were of course dock workers running around, Sailors doing their jobs, Merchants coming to retrieve their cargo.   However out of the expected crowds like these there were an abnormally large group of passengers along with the stations of guards checking the papers of those trying to board. 

Thank god my grandmother was told before she left that they would not allow any luggage.  The only thing allowed was the clothes on her back and whatever was small enough to conceal.  Her parents made here layer on dress after dress along with knickers after knickers.  She was so hot under the hot sun that she felt a bit faint but she still drudged on.  She wore all her jewelry it wasn’t much but what it was she concealed under her clothing.  She wore a scarf that her own grandmother had made her when she was a bit younger.  All she treasured in life was with her and within her as to speak of the child now almost full grown in her belly. 

The guards gave her no trouble they simply took her papers as another picked at her hair as to check for lice or some other critter.  Since they did not find anything they shoved her on her way.   She looked back at her parents seeing them turn and walk away without so much as a wave.  She cried out "Momma!"  And only got a reply in the form of shunning.  "Papa!"  He however did look back.  She could see the pain and anguish in his face.  She thought those moments from her leaving his side and them walking away he had aged at least another ten years.  Her heart broke in a million pieces as all she wanted was to go back in time and say no to the older mans flattery and deception. 

She wished she had never opened her legs to the man whom her father had over for holidays and family functions) the married man who had three grown children who all were older than she was).  A man who was known for being suave with a cruel seduction in his manly approach.  She had been taken for a fool.  And now she was to go to a new world to a family member she hadn’t seen since she was still messing in her cloth nappies.  To an unknown life and what was to come was completely unknown.

As she stood there thinking of how much he screwed up and watching her parents dang near run away from her the guards rushed her along.  Next thing she knew she was climbing a steep ramp and being herded along with the others who were to ride the boat along with her.  Most of who had worn multiple layers of clothing also.  She observed many different types sizes and ages of people. 

The boat deck hands pushed shoved hit and punched the cattle passing them as they lead them to the deepest recesses of the boat.  Where it was damp dark and crowded.  She stood there hoping someone would show her a place to sit.  Her back ached due to the pregnant weight of her belly pulling at her spine.  Her feet hurt and thundered in pain because she couldn’t bring herself to wear the comfortable shoes she had at home but instead she wore her church shoes that were ever so nice to her appearance while being just as painful to her feet. 

She didn’t know what was going on it was loud with the rumble of peoples chattering.  If it were spoken words she didn’t know most of it.  The thunder of voices mixed and mingled into a loud hum of noise.  She wished with her everything if only to go home and be held in her mother’s arms and be once again adored by her father.

It was a day into the trip and she was in more pain. She figured it was due to the close quarters of the people.  It had begun to stink with human bodily fluids, moisture from the water splashing in the cargo hold where most of the people including herself were housed for the trip.  Her head was hurting her back was hurting she had already taken her shoes off and tied them to her wrist as to not lose them in the shuffle of the crowd.  She was sitting down while some still stood.  She just didn’t have the energy for it.  As it was at night when they wanted to sleep she was forced to prop herself up against people she did not know.  There was an older woman about her mother’s age positioned next to her that kept feeling her stomach throughout the whole ride now.

The woman tried to talk to her but they didn’t speak each other’s languages.  This old woman was Russian and she was German.  They tended to understand each other a bit despite the apparent language barriers.  The older woman was concerned for the baby coming soon, and she kept checking for any signs of change.  As the woman reached over to feel once more my grandmother let a small whimper then the flood gates let loose. Yep her water broke.  Right then and there on the boat.  It was a bit early but she was told that was typical by the midwife her mother had taken her to three towns over.  At least her mother was wise enough to do that.

The older woman grabbed my grandmother set her back up against a cold lifeless yet still breathing body of an old man who only wanted to see America threw his own eyes before he died.  Grandma knew he was dying, and tried to push away but he contractions started hard and strong.  Grandma was concerned something was wrong and began yelling out "something is wrong" in German”  the older woman tried to console her as she flipped the many dresses my grandmother was wearing in order to check if the baby were crowning.

Grandma seen the worry in the woman’s eyes and the scared expression then the woman started yelling out things to the crowd of people who were now trying to squeeze even closer together to give them room on the floor of the hold of the boat where she laid out stretched with legs wide open and feet up on the older woman’s shoulders by this time. 

Another woman about my grandmother’s age made her way through the crowd shouting back.  This girl came and sat on her knees at my grandmother’s side and proceeded to tell my grandmother in German "It will be alright.  I will translate."  That put my grandmother a bit at ease but not much because she was in more pain than she had ever been.  Next thing she knew the older woman was barking out orders at my grandma and then looking at the girl to translate.  The girl told grandma to push with all her might!  "Push!  Push it out!"  The older woman slapped grandma on her knee enough to say damn it girl do it now!

With nothing but striking pain and sharp eclectic streams running up and down my grandma’s spine as she pushed the baby eventually popped out.  I don’t know how the old woman had done everything or what she used to do so but she had somehow cut the cord sucked the mucus out of the baby’s mouth and nose and got the baby to cry and then handed the baby to the younger girl sitting next to grandma.  The older woman then finished he process with grandma and took off a layer of her clothes and ripped it apart. 

The younger girl helped grandma sit up against the old man who was now making noises that showed he was closer now than ever to death and nobody was going to do anything to help him as someone just helped her bring another into the world.  The old woman took part of the ripped dress and swaddled the baby in it after wiping her off with another piece of it, then handed the child to grandma while saying something in Russian.   Then with a small soft comforting voice the younger girl stroked grandma's hair to get it out of her face now that the work was done and translated "Congratulations it s a girl!"

Author Profile: lisa

This author has published 1 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.

Comments  

 

+2 #2 RE: Grandma's Story Coming To Ellis Island! — toni reyno 2010-09-28 07:02

i would love to hear the whole story- up to today if possible! this is a great story!keep talking...

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+3 #1 RE: Grandma's Story Coming To Ellis Island! — kobra000 2010-09-11 18:54

id really like to know more,how did she fair in the new world? was the unknown relative kind or cruel,this is a sad but wonderfully narrated story,im anxious to know more if your willing to tell it.

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