Our Ride.
Our Protectors.
Less than a month after the terrorist attacks that have come to be known as “Nine Eleven,” we went on a cruise.
The cruise had been planned for several months. It was to begin in New York Harbor and from there, go north to Boston, continuing to Bar Harbor, Maine. We would then go on to make several stops in Nova Scotia, down the St Laurence and to Quebec City.
We were to see the lovely fall colors. Doesn’t it sound wonderful?
For several reasons, I did not want to go.
Reason #1: A terrorist might fly the plane into the Sears Tower.
Reason # 2: We were going to have to skip the New York part because the harbor there was still being used for a morgue.
Reason #3: We were going to have to fly into Logan, which as it was the terrorists’ take-off point; I had a bad feeling about it.
Reason #4: My sister had a bad dream about me concerning the flight.
Reason #5: There was a rumored threat that the terrorists had a plan to blow up something truly decadent soon. What is more decadent than a cruise, I ask you? It is a lavish venue and they serve overluxuriant meals about sixteen times a day.
Reason #6: I had just retired and I wanted to enjoy it for a few more years.
Reason # 7: My horoscope said, and I quote, “The Gemini Moon reminds you of dangers that you have no need to court. Leave this gambling with fate to someone who is more daring and has less to lose.”
I have never put much importance in horoscope, but I wasn’t feeling like taking any chances at that time.
After tormenting my poor husband with my drama for over a week, I went anyway. I obviously didn’t die. The cruise was exceptional, and we were well taken care of.
While anchored in Boston Harbor, I was standing on an outside deck talking to my sis on my phone and watching this Navy gunboat cruising around our boat. There was a huge cannon on its deck. I was telling Barb that I had heard that there were Navy SEALS swimming under our ship periodically checking for suspicious bomb-like items. Plus the harbor was off limits for all civilian traffic, so I was feeling better about the whole thing.
Suddenly a small boat zipped across the water in the harbor. That gunboat charged after it with that big cannon pointed at them. Another gunboat came out of nowhere and joined in the sirens and bullhorn yelling. The guys in the little boat stopped and raised their hands. After making sure that they weren’t terrorists the Navy guys let them go. I’m sure they had to change their pants.
My favorite part of the trip was while in Corner Brook, a girl told us that on September 11, Two jumbo jets landed there, bringing in more people than there were in their town. Their few little motels were filled quickly, so they opened the high school gymnasium. The townspeople also took people and families home with them to stay until the skyways opened up again.
The generous people in the town also made food and took it to the gymnasium. They brought bedding, too. The next day they brought out their folkloric dance troops to entertain the stranded strangers.
I was touched by her story and it was all I could do to keep from grabbing her in a hug and sobbing into her neck. I thought then of how it was so similar to “Amahl and the Night Visitors” when the kings stopped for a rest in Amahl’s village.
The people up there are just dear. I loved them.
That isn’t the first time the people of Newfoundland came to the aid of people in distress. Halifax was the nearest harbor to the sinking Titanic, so there are museums and graves there from that tragedy.
Also a Swiss airliner went down in the waters off of Peggy’s Cove in 1998 and the people of Halifax took the relatives of the crash victims into their homes while the search for bodies was under way.
I always learn many things when I travel to a new place. On this trip one of the things I learned was that The people of Nova Scotia are sweet. Just sweet.
