ADVENTURE ON OCRACOKE ISLAND; CHAPTER 7: A MESSAGE FROM THE SEA BRINGS DREADED NEW BACK HOME (SEVENTH IN 14 PARTS)

Ben points to a long, flat object floating in the surf. "Looks like a piece of wood," he said. "A log or something." He slid off Flame's back and waded into the icy, pounding waves.

"Be careful!" Delia shouted, holding on to Flame's streaming mane. The wind muffled her voice.

"It's a name!" Ben called out. "From a ship!" The plank plunged toward him on the crest of a wave. He grabbed it and turned toward the shore.

"It says 'South Sea,'" Ben shouted as he dragged it out onto the sand.

Delia shouted back, "Was that the ship that sank last night?" she lowered herself to the ground and helped him pull it. The wood was cold and wet and heavy.

"Probably," Ben said. "We need to show this to somebody. Come on." He helped Delia back up onto Flame. Then he hoisted the dripping plank and climbed up himself.

Delia held the nameplate between them. What happened to the rest of the ship? And the men on it? She shivered. She was glad to leave the beach. The sky was charcoal gray, and when she looked straight up she saw the dark bellies of winter clouds.

They turned and rode past the lighthouse, past the inn, past the church. Then they started down Howard Street.

Delia said, "I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"No you won't," Ben replied quietly. "I stopped goin'."

"But why?" Delia asked. "You're only 13."

Ben said, "I need to work, I told you." His voice was suddenly sharp.

Delia said, "But can't you work after school?"

"I need to work all day," Ben said. "And when there's no work, I fish or hunt. We've gotta eat, you know."

"I would hate it if I couldn't go to school," Delia said.

"Well, I do hate it," Ben said. "My mama wants me to go back, too."

Delia said nothing. She felt sorry for Ben. It wasn't fair that he had to work instead of go to school.

"'Course, if I want to join the lifesaving service, I can just keep doin' what I'm doin,'" Ben said.

"Is that what you want to do?"

Ben was silent for a moment. "I really want to be a teacher."

Delia leaned forward and looked him in the face. "Then you have to go back to school! Otherwise you'll never get to do what you want."

"That's what Miss Hetty says," Ben replied.

As they passed the tiny O'Dell cemetery, Delia glanced at the carved stone that market the grave of her grandmother, Essie O'Dell.

There was a small wooden cross beside it that looked new.

Delia sat up straight and craned her neck to look. "Ben, stop."

Ben pulled on Flame's man and they stopped.

Delia said, "There's a cross for my mama." She could see that it was carved with pine cones and leaves, and it said, "In memory of Irene O'Dell Parrish." "I wonder who put it there."

"Looks like your Grandpa's work," Ben said. "He taught me to carve like that."

They walked slowly down the street.

Delia turned and looked back. Delia wondered if her Grandpa felt as lonely and sad as he did. He had lost his wife and his daughter in less than a year.

She looked at all the gravestones they passed, some for children, and thought that all of those people must have left behind someone who felt lonely without them. She wondered if any of the mothers had come back to check on their children, as hers had last night.

When they reached Delia's house, Ben slid off Flame's back. Delia handed him the piece of wood, then slid down herself.

The front door opened and Alex Caldwell came out.

"Delia!" he said. "Your aunt was getting worried about you. Thanks for bringing her home, Ben."

Aunt Hetty leaned against the door frame. "Delia? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Delia said. "But look what we found."

Ben held up the plank.

Aunt Hetty leaned against the door frame. "Oh, my Lord," she said.

Delia asked, "Is this the ship from last night?"

"Yes, it is," Alex said. He looked tired. "We think there were no survivors."

Aunt Hetty clutched the collar of her dress. Her face was pale; she looked as if she felt dizzy. "Billy Haskell was on that ship," she said. "Alex heard him on the radio, calling for help."

Billy was Sidney Haskell's only son, Aunt Hetty said. She had had him as a student. She showed Delia a photograph of Billy with his classmates. He looked shy, and had a sweet face.

Word spread quickly, and when Delia walked to church with Aunt Hetty and Grandpa, nearly everyone at the service already knew about it. The Haskells were not there.

The service was short and the minister asked everyone to remember Billy Haskell and his family in their prayers.

Afterward, they walked home in silence. Delia saw Grandpa and Aunt Hetty glance at the little cemetery as they passed.

"Grandpa," Delia said. "Did you make that cross for my mama?"

Grandpa stopped and stood in the middle of the sandy lane. His face was lined and tired-looking.

"Yeah, I did," he said. "She'll always be remembered here." He turned away and continued walking. Then he stopped. "Her mama would've like that."

Delia watched him shuffle away. She thought that even though he was big, he looked fragile.

Aunt Hetty clutched his arm. "Daddy, please. You'll scare her."

Grandpa wrenched his arm away. "They're here, all right," he said in a choked voice. "They're tryin' to tell us somethin'. But hanged if I know what they want."

He turned and hobbled down the street alone.

NEXT WEEK: Chapter 8: Gifts.