Gabriel's Tale - Chapter 5

Thank you for your kinds words and encouragement last month.  I also received encouragement in the form of a video posted on Facebook about the four stages of learning that I wanted to share HERE starting at 1:48 on the video.  The first stage: unconscious incompetence; second stage: conscious incompetence; third stage: conscious competence; fourth stage: unconscious competence.  This helped me a great deal because I realized I've been moving back and forth between stages 2 and 3 and that the reason I'd fallen back into stage 2 is because I'd quit practicing every day.  Last year I was making great progress so I thought I didn't need to practice every day.  But as he explains in stage 4 the ability has to be so ingrained that it becomes unconscious competence because that is when you can draw from the right side of your brain--when you are not having to think about what you're doing.  When you have to think about it you are in the left side of your brain.  There is a great book called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" that showed me that I DID have the ability to draw.  I did a post about it several years ago HERE.  So I hope by next month's post I've improved greatly.  In the meantime, I will share Chapter 5 of Gabriel's Tale.

Last month Gabriel had made his way to Baltimore and met a dog who told him where he could find the docks.  We begin Chapter 5 with Gabriel trudging along the side of the road, exhausted. . . . .

                                                   

Chapter 5 – The Voyage

He was tired and muddy—the snow had melted along the road and his feet felt heavy, caked with the mud.  Soon he slowed to a mere walk.  His tongue was now hanging out the side of his mouth.  Just a little farther, he kept telling himself.  But it was no use.  He gave out and laid down to rest.  Soon he was asleep along the side of the road.

##

This turned out to be a good thing because a young man with big muscles saw Gabriel lying there.  The fellow had been out for a walk to clear his head.  He worked on a container ship docked a few blocks away.  He was from Liverpool, England.  Baltimore was a long way from home.  He was thinking about his family, about his little brother who was not well.  He felt bad about being gone so much and wondered if he should find a job that wouldn’t take him so far away.  He knelt down by Gabriel, “Poor little fella.  You look totally beat.  Are you a long way from home, too?”. . . .

"How’d you like to go home with me?”

Gabriel began to struggle because he didn’t know “home” was England—all the way across the ocean—next to Scotland!  But as he struggled he realized he was just too hungry and too worn out to protest.  Maybe the fellow would feed him.  He could look for a way to escape later. . . .

“Harry, what in the world you got there?!” the dockworker asked.

 “Oh, he’s a wee little dog as they say in Scotland,” Harry responded.

Scotland?!  Gabriel’s ears perked up. 

“Oh, looky there,” the dockworker said. “He seems to know the word Scotland.  Do you think he’s from there?”

 “Well, he’s a West Highland White Terrier and that is where they originated,” Harry said. 

“Do you suppose he stowed away on your ship?”

“If he did, he’s going to get a ride home, as far as England at least, in far more comfort, I’m sure, than he had comin’ over.”

##

Now Harry was there standing over him with a sack.  “Sorry, fella, but I have to put you in here so I can sneak you aboard.  I’m afraid they might not let you on board if they saw you.  Now be a good chap and keep quiet.”

Gabriel understood.  He eagerly walked into the sack and lay down so Harry could carry it over his shoulder.  Once on board Harry took Gabriel to his quarters and told him to be quiet.  He shared a cabin with another fellow who hadn’t returned to the ship yet.  “Hide under my bunk.  Stay there no matter what.  OK? Until I come back.” 

 

##

After awhile a noise awakened him.  Thinking it was Harry, Gabriel poked his nose out from under the bed.  “Aye, what’s this!?” the strange voice said. 

Gabriel quickly pulled his nose back, but he knew it was too late.  He slid further back into the corner as the man poked his nose under the bed to see just what was hiding there. 

“Well, if it isn’t a wee little Westie or my mum’s got fleas!” the man declared in a thick Scottish accent.  Just then Harry walked in to find his bunkmate down on all fours.

 “I see you found him.  You won’t tell will you?”

“Of course not! I’ve got a wee little Westie myself at home in Edinburgh.” 

Edinburgh?!  Gabriel’s ears perked up once again. 

##

It hardly felt like he was on a boat because it was so big it just glided through the water. 

Then one night while he was asleep on Harry’s bunk he dreamed he was running through the streets, jumping over hedges, and rolling down a hill.  “Wake up little fella.”  Gabriel heard Harry say as Harry shook him.  “You better get under the bunk so you don’t fall out of bed.  We’re in a huge storm and it’s only going to get rougher.  I have to report to duty.”

##

Finally the day arrived when Harry told Gabriel to get in the sack again.  Gabriel thought Harry was very nice but he really wanted to go home with the other fellow to Edinburgh.  He looked up at Harry with pleading eyes.  “What’s the matter little fella?  Don’t you want to go home with me?”  Gabriel didn’t know how to tell Harry he wanted to go with the other fellow.  But what if the other fellow wasn’t going home?  What if he was getting back on the ship and going back to Baltimore.  Gabriel put his head down and walked into the sack.  This was the only way he could be sure he would get off the ship without being seen.

Next month we'll find out what happens when Gabriel leaves the ship.  Will he be able to get away and continue his journey to Scotland?  What sort of obstacles will he encounter?  Stay tuned!

❤️Take Joy❤️