Grand County Library Children's Corner

Introduction: Truganini is a woman reputed to be the last Aborigine of the island of Tasmania. Below are what I imagined her prayers to their god (called the "Great Spirit") would be like through the years of her life. The prayers span many, many years and (thanks to much research) contain events and facts which are historically accurate.

Great Spirit—Thank You for sending our band that wallabie today; we all ate heartily and our bellies are content. You are kind and generous. Perhaps You could teach the white men to be kind like You. I crossed some of their paths today while looking for fern roots. I was friendly and showed them my Spirit Animal. I was proud You made me after him; he was cleaning his shiny, dark feathers, pausing to be merry and laugh his laugh. Yet the men laughed meanly at me, calling me and my Spirit Animal a Laughing Jackass. I know the real English word for my Spirit bird is "kookaburra", yet they chose to use the insulting name instead. These white men who came to our Tasmania wrapped in metal have no reverence for You or Your children. I almost yelled at them, but then they would call me a heathen and mock my attempts at their language. Don't worry though, Great One—I know You will bring them around.

O Great Spirit—Thank You for the new necklaces my band-brother made for his partner and me. It is pretty and I wear it proudly. Maybe You could talk to the white man who is angry with him over it. The man keeps raging that the strips of skin on it are from his Hound. Brother says it looked like a sick runt dingo. Also, please make the whites understand that we kill their fuzzy white beasts for food—they are on our land eating the grass so we eat them. Beware, Great One: these people anger easily. They have killed many of our tribe with their firesticks. Now our band is taking revenge on them. Watch over those in my hearth, Great One. Keep them safe from harm.

Great One guide me. I feel trouble brewing. The whites have started stealing our children for revenge on us. I sleep with my two sons tucked under my arms. Watch over those stolen babies, Great Spirit. The fights grow more numerous with every fattening of the moon. I worry, Great One, but I trust in Your plan.

I hope You heard us sing for You yesterday, Spirit, at the great tribe meeting. All our bands met and dances and sang in Your honor. There was another purpose for the gathering, though, as You must know: we met to discuss the whites. They are not being honest with us, Great One! They are stealing our land, killing our bands, and trying to change us. We have agreed that if they continue this, we will try to make their tribes smaller—as they are doing to us. I pray You are on our side. Send me, your daughter, a sign.

It has begun, Great One! The white chief has declared war on us—all of the tribes. He wants us off the whole island of Tasmania. I know Your will is on our side, Great One; he does not know how to beat us. First he offered all the whites their shiny money-stuff in exchange for our capture, but the fat and charcoal we coat our bodies with in winter for warmth makes our skin too slick to grab. Plus, our people hate capture so much that eleven of us die fighting to every one they can bind in metal. We are glad You made us so close to our land, Spirit; the white men can hardly find us, much less catch us. They are so desperate that they actually formed a human chain of 3,000 people and walked around looking for us. After all that they only caught two of our people! Thanks be to You for that! The whites are shocked that men and women fight together against them. Their women may hide from the sun in their big box houses, but we fight for the land You gave us! Yet I worry, Great One.. .will this ever end? We are holding up fine, but I tire of war. Already it's been years and nothing has been accomplished. Do something for Your people, Great One.

Thank You, Great One, thank you! You've sent the answer, the end to this war. He calls himself George Robinson. He came unarmed into our band and persuaded us to agree with the government of the whites. He has done this with practically all the tribes. We like him because he looks at us like we are humans and is kind, unlike many of his people. That is what makes me sure You sent him, O Generous Spirit. The whites are taking us to a place they call Flinder's Island, off the coast. They tell us we will still be able to see our home in the distance. They have promised to feed and shelter us in exchange for us moving off the island. You are kind and wise, Spirit—we will follow You and listen to Your Robinson.

Great One, what has happened to us? We came here with dreams of an easy, happy life, but we find ourselves starving and ravaged by sickness. Your Robinson promised his people would see to our well-being if only we left our home—so where are his promises now? We don't even have the food You used to bless us with. My partner is with You now, taken by a fever of the blood. Please ease his soul, Great One. Care for Your people. Why do You let us suffer so? Is it because I have not prayed for years? I know I have not been constant, Great One, but there is not much to thank You for. Plus, these Christian missionaries rule us with an iron fist: no praying to You, no speaking our language, no smoking, and we are forced to cover ourselves. Why are these "clothes" so important, Great One? They are hot and restricting and a pain to maintain. I am not ashamed of my body—You made me and I am beautiful. Aren't I? The Chief Elder died yesterday. For six years I have watched him pray for You to save us, and bear the Christians' lashings for it. Why didn't You answer him? Why didn't You help him? Watching him didn't encourage me to pray, so I haven't. Yet now I have time and needed to speak to You. I needed to ask You why You led us away from our beloved home. That land was our mother—she kept us alive. Now we stare at her over the water and mourn. Those of our people who do not starve or get sick die of broken hearts. I watched my elder son stop playing, then talking, and finally eating. He let go of the life You gave him, because he missed his hearth and his home. What are You letting happen to us, Spirit?

Where are You?! Can't You see us, Spirit? They are moving us again. A place called Oyster Cove is our destination this time. Out of the 200 of us they brought to Flinder's Island, only 47 of us are still alive. The rest died in pain and despair, their sole remaining hope to be with You in death. My young son is all that is left of my hearth now. He goes with me to Oyster Cove. I beg of You, Great One, to save Your children! Our road has been long and hard, so please help us now. Please.

My heart is torn by your hands, Spirit. My young son died today. Why would you take him from me? He was all I had left. Now he is gone, like all the rest of my hearth. He is buried under those odd Christian sticks, left to rot underground in the dark. I yearn to properly care for his shell and burn it, or place it inside a tree, but the whites say that is savage. These whites, who have managed to kill all of us, say we are savage. These whites would take a gull out of the sky, stick it in the ocean because it is a naked savage, and wonder why it drowns. The years

pass here at Oyster Cove and still we die. We think of our homeland, weep for it, dream of it, and curse the day we traded that heaven for this hell. I also curse the day we trusted your devil, that Robinson man. You led us astray. You left us. I have almost left you too.

Almost twenty years you have left me here. Now I am alone. Utterly alone. The last man of pure aboriginal blood died today. There is only me. A bitter old woman, exiled from home and abandoned by her god. I have had everything stolen from me by a people who steal everything, yet when we stole even one of their animals they were enraged and we were savages. They did this. Yet mostly I blame you. You could have stopped them, or showed us a way out, but you didn't. You could have given us hope and a reason to live yet you didn't. Now, Spirit, you shall perish with me, for your white man's god has no room for infidels like you or me. So we leave together, alone and forgotten. How does it feel to know you won't be mourned or remembered? To know that all your children's blood is on your hands and they died with unanswered pleas on their lips? I hope you share in my misery, Fallen One. I am the last of your believers. Now, as I close my eyes and take my final breaths, you die with me.

Dear Diary, March 18, 1921
This is my first time writing to you Dear Diary. My friends thought it would help me through my
troubles. I suppose it will be helpful. It's always there when I need someone to talk to. My name is
Jasmine Noel' Hawkins. I was born May first, 1900 and grew up near Detroit Michigan, in this very
house on Chesterfield Ave. My problem is that I wasn't well educated, learned a little reading and
writing. But I'm still in this same old town not doing much with my life. Things are changing for us
colored folk but they still treat me the same. So Dear Diary I am stuck working for a rich,
insignificant, rude man named Mr. Darcy Cash, -Chum... the name certainly fits the man). But we all
call him The Boss. Life isn't all bad though. I've made friends while I've been here. I am a hard worker
and the Boss says that only the best works for him. Until next time, Dear Diary.

"Isn't it a little to early to get started on the House cleaning?" Jasmine asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Jones stopped and turned towards Jasmine. "Yes... but David said that the all the staff needed to meet downstairs cause' he has news from the Boss."

"Just hurry girl. David said it's important!" Jones yelled over his shoulder as he hurried out of sight

As Jasmine made her way back to her room she past by a window, looking out at the beautiful morning. I wonder who is going to ruin it today? Jasmine thought to herself. I wish I was a boy so that I could work in the gardens. Even though it's harder work I love being outside looking at the lakes and wondering what might be out there beyond mis mansion. Realizing that she had spent too much tune daydreaming, Jasmine hurried to change into her uniform.

"Jasmine we are all waiting on you. You are always late!" David the staff overseer snapped at her as she took a seat next to Samuel.

"Jasmine, you always have your head some place else." David said looking at the young woman. "Well it looks like everyone is here now. Mr. Cash left me with new lists of things he

wants done." Handing Jones a handful of papers David continued. "Please pass these out to

"If you'd be patient I was just about to tell everyone. Mr. Darcy has gone on a hunting trip with his two sons. They will be back soon with many guests and he wants all these things done before his return. Any questions?"

Every one in the room except Jasmine said no. "David, I have a question." Jasmine spoke up.

"What is it Jasmine!" David was getting frustrated with the young woman. "WHY DO WE HAVE more work? I am a housemaid not a slave!" Jasmine pouted. "Girl you get your wages just the same. Now go get something done." Jasmine made her way to the back of the house where the laundry room was located. Now she knew who would ruin her day. It was David, die old bossy coot In the laundry room was one of the other maids. "Hello, Jasmine."

"Hello, Kathy," Jasmine said as she looked at the mounds of laundry "Looks like we are working together today." Kathy smiled. "That's great. Now I don't have to worry about the schedule. You really know how to get things done right." Jasmine was relieved it was Kathy she was working with. "Thank you Jasmine. That was sweet of you to say."

"I'm not off to a great start today, making everybody wait on me this morning." "Don't worry about it Jasmine, stuff like that happens to everybody. The Heavenly Father will help you if you ask. I ask Him to help me when I'm having a bad day and it helps. Anyway, we should get this laundry done! It's not going to do its self now is it?"

Just as the girls thought they were about done with the laundry, they could hear more coming down the laundry chute. With a grumble, Jasmine got the laundry basket ready to receive the load of dirty laundry heading their way. Kathy opened the chute but nothing came out.

"The laundry is jammed." Kathy's voice echoed from inside the chute. "Someone filled it with a large bundle. I can see a corner of a bed sheet, maybe I can pull it down." Kathy tugged on the bed sheet but the bundle would not budge. "I don't know what to do now. Maybe we should get David."

"No! That old man will just give us a hard time." Jasmine had already gotten on his bad side today. "Someone was sure in a hurry to get things done and now that will put us behind in our chores!"

"Well how in the world are we going to get it unstuck?" Kathy asked pulling her head out of the chute.

"I know how!" Jasmine said. "In the kitchen there is a connection to chute. That is where the cooks put their aprons when they are dirty. That is where it looks like it's jammed. We can take a broom and try to push it down"

The women climbed up the back stairs to the next level and into the kitchen. There they found Samuel busy at the stove.

"What are you girls doing in my kitchen?" Samuel barked at them. "We have a problem and think we can fix it from here. We will try to stay out of your way Samuel." Kathy said to the cook while Jasmine got the broom.

"Alright, just see to it that you stay out of my way. I have a lot of things to get done." Kathy poked her head into the laundry chute. "Jasmine, I see it! Let me try pushing it down." Jasmine handed the broom to Kathy. "I think it's moving!"

Kathy gave the stuck bundle one last push and it broke free, falling to the floor of the laundry room. Giggling the young women hugged each other. Just then, Jones came into the kitchen.

"What are you girls doing? I have been looking for Jasmine." Jones gave them a
disapproving look. "David is talking to an elderly man in the parlor and sent me after you
Jasmine. He said for you to come right away."
"What is it?" Jasmine asked.

"I am not sure but I heard that something has happened to your family." As Jasmine entered the parlor, she saw a stout, balding old man wearing an old top coat "Sir, you called for me." Jasmine said to David.

"Come hear girl." David said motioning for Jasmine to take a seat. She knew it must be very important if she was being allowed to take a seat in the parlor. "Jasmine this is Edwin Brook." David introduced the visitor.

"Please to meet you sir." Jasmine looked at David. "I was told something has happened to my family."

"Yes, something has happened." Mr. Brook told her, "I am so sorry... I bring news from Manitoulin Island that your family is very sick. They desperately need your help with food and money. They need your help and have asked you to come."

"How do I have family on some Canadian island? How did they get there?" Jasmine was confused. There was a lot about her family that she did not know about.

"Jasmine, they have lived there for most there lives. They were slaves at this very house and sold to a man that owned a large estate on the island. Even though they were set free long

ago, they chose to stay on the island. Your mother died when you were an infant, and they needed money so they sold you back to the Master of this house. David took care of you until you were old enough to work. But now they need you Jasmine." "So, that's some news." Jasmine was trying to take it all in.

"Yes Jasmine, I wish there was some way for me to help you but I am just passing through on business. I promised to deliver the message. I know Mr. Darcy from past business dealings so I took the liberty to contact him before arriving here and explained to him your situation. He said that you were free to go to your people. He was very fond of your Aunt." Mr. Brook explained. "They are in a village called Little Current." He told her. "Sorry I do not have more information for you."

"You have been very kind Mr. Brook. So I guess the Boss has a heart after all. I will have to leave right away. I have some money saved in my room."

"I know a man who can help you. Go pack your things and I can take you to him." David told her.

"Thank you David, That is very kind of you. And thank you too Mr. Brook." Jasmine rushed off to her bedroom to pack her few belongings.

David drove her to Port Huron just east of where she spent most of her life. She was directed to find the Captain of the Sweet Clare, docked past the old railroad. There was something vaguely familiar about the place. Jasmine was told that the ship usually set sail in the afternoon. Finding her way through the docks a man pointed out the Sweet Clare to her. There was a rush of activity going on around her as the many ships were loading and unloading their goods. Jasmine spotted a man that matched the description of the Captain. She was nervous about going on a boat, even if it was just a fishing boat. She was never been too far from home by herself but she knew she had to do this.

"Yes, a Mend told me that you might be able to help me get to Manitoulin Island."

"I have money. How much will it cost?" Jasmine did not want to tell the Captain how much money she had. She was afraid that being a woman alone that she might get robbed.

"How's twenty dollars? That is if you help the cook in the galley. The Captain did not like the idea of having a woman aboard it was bad luck, but knew she would be safe with cook.

The Captain introduced her to two of his hands, Brian who was twelve years old and Michael who was sixteen. They told her that they were orphans and that the Captain took them in and gave them jobs. The boys took her down into the cabin and showed her the room that would be hers during the trip. Then they introduced her to the cook. After they set sail, Jasmine went above to look at the water. Seeing Jasmine the Captain hollered over to Michael to move the hogs head so Jasmine could sit at the stern.

Heading out to sea Jasmine realized that there was no turning back. Am I ready to see my real family? Jasmine wondered.

Jasmine went below deck to help cook with dinner. As she headed to the galley she passed an open door of someone's sleeping quarters. She spotted a picture of a beautiful young woman. She thought it might be the Captains wife? Maybe I'll ask one of the boys about it some time. Jasmine thought.

In the galley, the cook was preparing the evening meal. He was a colored man, who looked like he was a hundred years old, but Jasmine took an instant liking to him, he had land eyes she thought. The crew came down for the meal with the Captain sitting at the head of the table.

"Captain, I saw this picture of this pretty woman, do you know who it is?" Jasmine asked.

"Michael, your mother is very beautiful. Do you like the fish I made for you?" Jasmine asked. But Michael looked away from her. "He don't say much, does he?"

"I know how he feels. I grew up not knowing my family." Jasmine said smiling at Michael.

"It happened for a reason. I just have to wait and find out why. I wonder what awaits me when I get to the island."

"We have friends on the island." Brian told her. "The Captain has a small business there. He gets fish for the market."

"You boys have a lot of responsibility. It's hard work fishing and running a ship." Jasmine was glad to have someone close to her own age to talk to. Even if Michael was not saying anything, she could tell he liked her talking to him. "I didn't get much of an education. House work is about all I know."

"I didn't either." Michael said. "You seem smart to me Jasmine. The Captain taught me everything I need to know."

"You know this lake better than I do Michael." Brain said. He was happy that Michael

was talking to Jasmine. Michael was like a brother to hum. "You know how to use a compass better than anyone and you read the stars as well as the Captain."

Once they got to the Island Brian did not want to say good bye to Jasmine. They had become fast friends. Jasmine decided to stay at the port with Brian until they had to set sail again. Then she would start her search for her family.

Brian took her to the market near the port where they sold the fish he wanted to introduce

her to their friends but couldn't find them. The place reminded her of a dream she had. In her dream, she was a nurse and fell in love with a charming, handsome man.

"I guess he thinks he is too old for this kind of stuff. This is my favorite place to come to. I'm only truly happy when I'm here. You can see everything from here. On days like this, I wish I could stay in the tree house. Brian said.

"I'm really glad that I met you Brian but I must go for now." Even though it was not proper for a colored girl to kiss a white boy Jasmine didn't care and kissed Brian on the forehead. After all, he had become like her little brother.

Jasmine watched Brian leave but she decided to linger to take in the view. From behind her, she heard a voice.

"Well I am a friend of Brian's, he just left here. Do you know him?" Jasmine asked. "Yes I'm Michael's and Brian's friend. How do you know them?" The man asked.

"What's yours? And how would a colored man in his twenties be friends with two young white boys?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes, that's true I am colored. In ease you didn't know... You are colored too." The stranger laughed.

"Nice to meet you, Jasmine. You are here to find your family? I might be able to help you."

"Well have it your way. Little Current is that way." Blake said pointing over his shoulder. "May I ask what your last name is?"

"Just if I knew I might know who you are looking for." Blake sincerely wanted to help her.

"Hawkins." Jasmine said as she walked away. Jasmine thought about Blake as she walked back to town. She thought he was cute.

Jasmine walked through the little beach village wondering where she would stay for the night. She decided to pray to the Father for help. She was getting scared being a lone hi a strange place and it would be night soon. Then she saw a familiar face. "Captain, you're still here? I thought you would have left by now."

"Jasmine...No, I'm still here because of the storm." "It don't look like a storm is coming." Jasmine said looking at the sky. "It's coming from the other side of the island. They are saying everyone should stay inside until it passes"

"If it's that bad then I should find a place to stay before sunset." Jasmine said. "There is a room at the Inn where I'll be having dinner. You can stay there. I happen to know the owner very well."

"You would really do that for me Captain?" Jasmine said surprised by his kindness. "If you are going to come with me then hurry it up before I change my mind." Trying to

"Yes, of course. Thank you so much." Jasmine is grateful to have someone looking out for her in this strange place. "I'm afraid I didn't come very prepared. I've never been this far from home."

The Captain led the way to the Inn. He took a seat in the far corner of the dining room motioning to Jasmine to join him. "Sit girl, you can eat with me."

After they ate their meal, the Captain talked to the km Keeper and arranged for a room for Jasmine. Before leaving, he handed a small cloth bag to Jasmine.

Jasmine spent the night in her room listening to the storm wondering how her friends were back in Detroit and she began to question her decision to come to the Island.

The next day Jasmine was walking through the open market and saw a woman who looked familiar.

"No I've never seen you before." The woman looked confused. "It must have been someone who looks like me."

"Oh I am sorry." Jasmine was embarrassed. She just knew she had met this woman before.

Jasmine continued through the market buying bits of food to last her for a few days when she saw Blake. He saw Jasmine too and with a big smile on his face, he came up to her.

"Wow it's you, from the tree house. Jasmine, right?" Blake knew that was her name, he couldn't get her out of his mind. "Did you find a place to stay or something to eat?"

"Yes, I did thank you. You seem like you're really concerned about me." Now Jasmine really felt embarrassed. She was not used to this kind of attention.

"Your new here, I just want to make sure you are alright. Would you like to have the

"I don't think it would be proper for me." Jasmine blushed. "You don't know what you're missing." Blake said. "I have a special recipe that my Mom used to make. I brought a picnic basket just hi case you said yes. We still have some time before the storm is supposed to start up again we can eat at the beach."

"Okay I suppose it would alright" Jasmine smiled. She was happy to have made a friend so soon on the island. "But I was on my way to find the house where my family is supposed to be living. But I guess we could eat first."

Blake laid a blanket down for Jasmine to sit on while he set out the meal. Jasmine felt her heart pounding in her chest as a scary image appeared hi her mind. She tried to ignore it as she felt the wind start to pick up. She was worried about the Captain and Michael and Brian. Maybe they had not sailed out yet Jasmine thought She could not concentrate on what Blake was saying because she was worried about her friends. Jasmine asked Blake if they could go to the docks to see if her friends had left yet. They were too late. The ship was gone. Jasmine told Blake to go back to town without her. She was too troubled to be good company.

Jasmine sat at the pier and prayed for her friends. When she looked up the woman, who she thought she knew from the market was there.

"Hello, again." The woman said. "You must be new here. It's about to rain. Do you have a place to stay?"

"I stayed at the Inn last night. I am here to find my family. If I don't find them right away my money won't last very long I am afraid." Jasmine told the woman.

"I'm Elizabeth. I am so sorry, what you're going through must be the hardest thing for

you. I have an extra room at my place. You are welcome to stay with me until you find your family.

"Thank you so much, Elizabeth. But right now, I am very worried about my friends on the Sweet Clair. I was told the storm unexpectedly turned around and I am afraid they will get caught up in it." Jasmine did not know the ways of the sea but she could not shake the gut feeling that something was going to happen to them.

"You poor thing. Why don't you come to the house with me. I'll make us some tea." Elizabeth offered.

"That is very kind of you but I need find a way to find them." Jasmine had no idea how she was going to do that.

"Jasmine you can't just go out in the water. Something could happen to you. Besides you don't have a boat." Elizabeth was trying to talk some sense into the young woman.

"I must do something." Jasmine said looking out at the water as the dark clouds gathered. "I think maybe I will just walk down the beach. Maybe they aren't too far out."

"Okay, Jasmine. The walk may do you some good. But if it starts to rain please come in. That is my house over there." Elizabeth pointed to a grand white house facing the water.

Jasmine walked down the beach, she had taken off her shoes earlier and now wished she had put them back on the rock were cutting her feet She moved closer to the water in order to stay on the sandier part. She decided that if it took all day she would keep on looking out to the sea until she

knew every last one is safe. Suddenly she saw someone lying on the ground several feet away. She ran as fast as she could to the body. It was Brian! He was showing no sign of movement. Her heart gives way. Jasmine yelled for help as rolled him over. His shirt was torn off and his arms sprawled out. Jasmine was not sure what to do so she began pounded on his back to clear is lungs of water and she prayed.

Several men come running to help. They picked Brian up and told Jasmine that they would get him to the hospital. "What is the boy's name?" One of the strangers who was helping

"It's Brian. He is an orphan who works on the Sweet Clair. Will he be ok?" Tears were welling up in Jasmines eyes.

"Yes he should be fine thanks to you miss." Jasmine followed the men back towards the docks hoping the others were safe too. As she approached the dock, she could hear a bell noise coming from a skiff on the water like there’s an emergency. A few minutes later a boat docks and a man rushes off. Jasmine can hear him tell the others that he saw a ship sink and the thought it was the Sweet Clair. Jasmine knew she had to get to the hospital to check on Brian. She asked one of the men on the dock for directions and ran as fast as she could to the hospital.

Jasmine didn't even pay attention to which door she entered into the hospital, all she could think about was seeing that Brian was alright Just inside the hospital lobby, she sees Elizabeth dressed in a nurse's uniform. Jasmine told her what had happened after she had left Jasmine at the beach.

"Yes Jasmine I saw him when he came in." Elizabeth said. "Oh Miss Elizabeth how is he? Is he going to make it?" Jasmine cried. "He has a bad concussion, but he will recover. Would you like to see him?" Jasmine stood by Brian's bed holding his hand. He opened his eyes and whispered Jasmines name. He is talking, he's going too all right, thank you Father!

Elizabeth came into the room. "Jasmine it is getting dark why don't you come and sleep at my house and in the morning you can see Brian again."

The next morning Jasmine woke up in the big feathered bed at Elizabeth's. She had almost forgotten where she was, but so much had happened she knew she would never be the same again. Jasmine got up and dressed. She came down stairs to find Elizabeth sitting out on the porch drinking her morning tea.

"Miss Elizabeth, your home is so beautiful. Thank you so much for letting me stay here

"I bet you are. You hardly ate at all yesterday. Jasmine what is your last name?"

"I know a colored family but their last name is not Hawkins. But that don't mean that you are not related. You know sometimes slaves take on their master's last name."

"Yes that is right, but do you know where I can find them?" Jasmine asked hopefully.

"I can’t show you right now because I to get to work. But there is plenty of food hi the kitchen. Please make yourself at home"

"Thank you again for all your help yesterday Miss Elizabeth. Now you better get to work I don't want to make you late."

"No, Jasmine the housekeeper will be in tomorrow. You can go into the village and look for your family."

"I have an address but the man who gave it to me said that they might not be there anymore."

"Ok if you say so." Jasmine thought about Brian and how she would take him to the tree house when he got better. That made her think about Blake and Jasmine decided she would go look for hmi to tell him what happened.

Jasmine walked through the market and saw Blake. He saw her coming towards him and

"Jasmine I have some bad news. The Captain and Michael didn't make it. I was down on the docks looking for you. But you were already gone."

"I don't know what to say, I never got a chance to talk to Michael before he left and now what is Brian going to do? So much has happened and I still haven't found my family." Jasmine cried.

"I know Jasmine I am so sorry. Michael was my friend too. I told you that I would do what ever it takes to help you find your family." Blake took Jasmine by the hand trying to calm her.

"Please I would like to be alone right now." Jasmine thought about how life has been so hard on her lately. She could not wait until she found a better place and was with her family, but what about Brain? Could she raise him by herself? He had no one now. She had been walking, so deep in her thoughts she was not paying attention to where she was going. Jasmine realized that she was at the tree house. It was so relaxing here. She could hear the rushing water of the sea from there. The tree house made her feel at peace, even after all that has happened, it helped her to feel like everything was going to be alright.

Suddenly she felt the tree house start to shake. Looking out the window of the tree house she saw two men who were cutting down the tree.

"You are going to build it here?" Jasmine looked to the left and to the right at all trees that would have to be cut down. He heart sank to think about Brian's tree house being torn down. He will never get to see it again. Just when things could not get any worse, it started to rain. She

"No, I didn't. That's too bad. But we are getting all wet. Let's get back to the village." Blake wrapped his arm around her as they ran through the forest, back to the village.

"Blake, where are you taking me?" Jasmine asked Blake as he led her through the village.

"To my house, it is not really mine but my folks. I want to introduce you to my family."

It was a hard climb to Blake's family home. In order to get to their place you had to cross a small creek, men walk up a steep trail. There were not any trees near by to give them any shelter. It seemed like one big obstacle. It looked like it was very far from the village. When they approached the house, an older man was sitting on the porch hi a rocking chair whittling at a piece of wood with a small knife.

"Son, you're home. Who is that stranger, she looks mighty beautiful." Blake's father was very kind,

"Father, this is Jasmine the one I told you about, from the tree house." Blake introduced Jasmine to his father.

"She has been through a lot recently. She is here because she is looking for her family." "We could be your family." He smiled at her.

"I wish that could be. But I was told that there was illness in my family and that they needed me."

"I see. I hope you find what you are looking for." Blake's father continued with his

"I would be thrilled to find my family." Jasmine said,
"Come on in I'll show you around." Blake said.

Blake showed her around the small but cozy house. He offered her a drink and they sat in the parlor. On the table was a very old bible mat caught Jasmine's attention.

"That bible is just about the only thing we have that traces my families past line," Blake held the bible in his hand, opening to the front page to look at all the names that were written in it. "Unfortunately a lot of the writing you cannot read anymore because the bible got wet from a leak in the roof. It rains here a lot and unfortunately the bible got wet." Blake explained.

"That's just perfect" Jasmine said sarcastically. "I was hoping that since you were a colored family too that we might have common family roots."

"I have an idea, Blake if you want to come you can. Maybe Miss Elizabeth can help me search the hospital's public records for anything that might help me find them. I came here because of an emergency. I was told that they were sick so maybe they were in the hospital at one time. But they are probably all better now. I wish I were given an address or something!" Jasmine was starting to think that she would never find her family.

"I would be more than happy to help you. We could even go by the church and check the marriage and baptism records." Blake said.

"Maybe he was protecting you from the truth. Or, maybe he was the one who took you and the Heavenly Father worked on his

heart and in his guilt he sent you back to us. We would never sell you." Mr. Nash told her.

"We must have a celebration for the return of our daughter. I'll make a special supper for

us. Even though it is just beef stew, I'll call it the family special from now on! This is certainly a night to be remembered."

My life has been great, these last few years. I learned that one of the most important things in life is

FAMILY. I'm due do to be married in late July. The weather is so perfect that time of year. I met this

very charming, man. You can guess how that went! I almost forgot to tell you Dear Diary, he is the

grandson of my grandmother's friend who came to the island with her. We plan on having lots

children. I'm so overjoyed' with him. He spoils me terribly and that I don't mind! Until later, Dear

I found that special place I've been looking for. "THAT HAPPY PLACE’ is here with my family. Oh, and Dear Diary if your wondering what happened to Brian, he had a full recovery and / took care of him until he got old enough to be on his own. He still helps me around the house because lam getting old and I have developed skin cancer so he worries about me. It's not too bad but I suppose I do need help around the house. Bless his heart, he is trying to do everything he can for me but I sometimes have to remind him that he has a paying fob too and that I will be fine for today- Until later, Dear Diary.

Dear Diary, December 10,1965
I feel close to deaths door. I finally realized in my entire life with all the people that I have met we
may not always agree and we may look different but we all have something in common. All lives
end- We, alt die some way or the other. To me death is just the start of a new beginning, the start of a
new journey but the end of the chapter to this story. Until later. Dear Diary.

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2007 Writing Contest Results