hoping to steal some honey and get away unstung. Most of the children recovered from their injuries in a few days, but she remembered one of her friends that almost died from a single sting, like a devil was choking him from the inside.
She tried to remember a time when her mother had been stung, and could not recall it. In fact, she remembered that her mother had always avoided going near the hives. «What if mama had such a reaction or knew how dangerous it would be for her to be stung at all?» She wondered.
She felt the back of her neck tingle with the realization that she may be searching for her mother in vain. «Maybe she never left!» Maria thought as her mind raced through all possible scenarios. «What would they do to her, if they caught her?»
At that moment, a warm breeze with the scent of wildflowers and honey blew through her hair. It smelled exactly like the breezes that came across the fields in Rostov. She felt her fears soothe for a moment, but it left her with such a yearning to be reunited with her family. The once simple life in a small farmhouse had become a faraway heaven, fading quickly in the passing wind.
«She has to be alive, I just know she is» Maria asserted as she turned her attention back to the fireflies. As far as she could see along the river ahead, fireflies lit the way as an invitation to continue on the journey. She closed her eyes for a moment and wished to find her mother, just in case the fireflies were listening.
The quartermaster and a few deckhands were moving barrels below. The new cargo was transitioned on various decks unless it would be offloaded soon. It made sense to her as it gave more room on the deck for the men to sleep.
The quartermaster noticed Maria sitting by herself and the sad look on her face. «Is everything alright, Miss?» He said calmly.
«Yes, thank you I am fine.» She said realizing her sadness was no secret.
She stood to go below and get something to eat but had to wait until the men finished with the barrels.
«Why is it necessary that everything goes below?» She asked the quartermaster «Is it to give more room for the men? Maria asked.
«That and to protect it from damage during storms» the quartermaster answered. «If cargo is damaged the captain has to pay for it, so you can understand why we are so careful.» The quartermaster explained as he watched the men working.
«Ah, makes sense,» Maria added.
«That won’t fit that way! I told you to turn it around before you go down the stairs!» The quartermaster shouted at the men. «I better get back to work, have a good evening, Miss.»
Maria nodded and returned to her seat, waiting for them to finish. It seemed a very hard life aboard the ship; everyone was on a tight schedule with very little room for rest. She wondered how people could spend years or a lifetime in such a trade.
The men finally finished, and the quartermaster returned. «You can go down now, Miss,» he said kindly.
«Thank you, I was wondering about this trade you have. It seems so difficult, how is it that men can do this for so many years?» She said curiously.
«Ah, well…» the quartermaster replied as he paused, «It’s certainly not a job for everyone I’ll give you that. But we only work when the river flows. This will be our last run of the year, once the Volga freezes we’ll be waiting for the spring thaw.»
«The whole river freezes?» Maria said in surprise.
«Da! Ice as deep as a man is tall and jagged on top like frozen rocks! All ships stay in port until spring, then it’s a new river, it changes and flows differently each year.» He said in a kind voice that reminded her of her father.
«It sounds a lot like farming,» Maria said, «Everything is seasonal… So what do you do when the river is frozen?» She asked curiously.
«I spend time with my wife and children in Neva» he replied. «I hardly see them from spring through fall.»
«That’s important,» Maria said in a supportive tone.
«Da, we used to live in Yaroslavl but after the Tatars had come it was no longer safe. Neva is outside of their control, but they allow us on the river to keep supply lines moving.»
Maria nodded, understanding all too well the situation he was describing.
«Best you get below Miss, the food will be gone if you wait too long.» He said cheerfully.
Maria smiled and walked toward the stairs turning to wave to the quartermaster, «It was nice talking to you, and have a good night… Oh, and my name is Maria!» She said extending her hand.
«The pleasure was mine, Miss, enjoy your dinner.» He replied.
Maria continued making her way down the stairs, thinking it odd the man had not given her his name, she walked towards the smell and sounds of the kitchen. She could hear the chatter of the ship’s crew and merchants all talking on top of each other in the noisy room. There was no place to sit, and everyone pushed and shoved to get closer to the food.
Maria felt intimidated to be surrounded by so many men; it reminded her of the Tater court in Rostov. The men had the same kinds of looks on their faces as she pushed by them, some annoyed, some curious and many looking at her with hungry eyes. She felt her appetite fade and turned to leave the room.
«Skatina takoe! Let the young lady through, ya bunch of cows!» Barked the captain.
It was the first time she had seen him face to face. He was shorter than she imagined, with wide shoulders and a stocky build. His face was rough and tan from a life on the river, he had deep wrinkles around his eyes and a white beard that needed trimming.
«Forgive us, lass were not accustomed to delicate young ladies on the ship.» Said the captain in a boisterous voice.
«Shto?!» Came a woman’s voice from the kitchen. It was clearly Sveta listening in and protesting in her playful manner.
The men burst into laughter and moved aside to let Maria through. She smiled, appreciating the accommodation and moved toward the large bowl of soup Sveta had prepared. She leaned over the bowl, admiring the dark red color of the soup, it was borsch, and it smelled delicious.
Sveta appeared from the kitchen and quickly prepared a small bowl for Maria. «We took on fresh beets in Mologo!» Sveta said excitedly. «This is my mother’s recipe, but we’ve already run out of cream, thanks to all these hungry bastards.» She stated in a voice loud enough for them to hear. The men cheered, and it became evident that everyone got along like one big family with playful insults.
Maria felt more comfortable in the room when Sveta was nearby. She smiled and turned, looking for a place to sit.
The captain turned and swatted a man on the back of his head, «Gennady, make room!» He charred.
A young man stood and made eye contact with Maria. He was clearly the youngest of the entire crew and immediately offered his seat without objection. Maria smiled as she walked towards the seat, noticing the young man continued his gaze on her.
«Thank you,» Maria said sweetly.
Gennady paused for a moment, appearing nervous, «Preyatnoga apetita». He said quickly.
«Gena, where are my cargo records?» The captain said as he cleared his throat.
«Da Captain, right away,» Gennady said as he quickly exited the room.
The captain came and sat next to Maria. «Welcome aboard, Miss. I saw you come on in Yaroslavl, but I had my hands full with these greedy merchants.» He said.
«Thank you, your ship is… very nice!» Maria said nervously, unsure what else to say to him. He appeared as if he wanted something from her but she could not imagine what it would be.
«Ah, she was a fine ship in her day, but each year she’s more rotten and gone through with worms than the year before. Held together