July 12, 1773
Dear Diary,

This is the first time that I've written in this journal. So, I would like to introduce myself. I know that sounds silly, but what if someone in the future reads this journal; I'm sure they would like to know who they're reading about. Well, my name is Laurena Jameson. I'll be fourteen next month.

My mother is starting her first day as manager of the village bank. She's the only woman banker in all of the ports of England. She brought me up to be a strong young lady. She thought a young lady should keep her records of life in a journal. So, she gave me this journal for Christmas. She said that one day, when I'm married and I have little darlings of my own, I'll be able to look back at this journal and see how much I've grown into a stately, well-behaved lady.

I love living by the sea. Every morning, I wake up to the smell of the ocean and the breath of the fresh ocean air sweeping over my face. But, every day, I look out my window wondering if my father will ever come back. You see, my father is a sailor. He doesn't even know I'm alive. My mother has told me stories about him since I was five years old. He had already left England a couple days before my mother found out that she was expecting me. I've never received any letters from him. I'm not even sure if he's still a sailor. But, I've heard great stories about him. Just last night, I was walking along the docks, and I overheard some old sailors talking. They were crew members of my father's fleet along time ago. One night, on the ship the "English Lady," the winds started to brew up a storm on the open seas. All the men were ready to jump overboard to their deaths; except for John Jameson, my father. He was the first mate of the ship. He kept the crew together. He told them to take down the sails. A couple days later they ended up at the docks without a scratch on them. Then, they gave my father the title of captain.

There have been other tales about my father. The old sailors remember the time when my father had to fight a raid of Spanish pirates single handedly. A few years after, my father was condemned missing somewhere along the Atlantic Ocean. For the past four years, they've had no idea where he is, who he is, or if he's still alive. Since he's been missing for the past four years, he's said to be dead. There is a memorial at the town graveyard for him. The commodore of the British Navy has already laid a Medal of Greatness in his honor. Sometimes, I'll here my mother in her bedroom praying for the hope that he's still alive. Sometimes, she loses that hope and forgets the idea all together. Everyone, including my mother, believe him to be dead, but sometimes I get these strange feelings tugging at my heart with the hope that he's alive.

Some people say that I should be a sailor. Even though it's in my blood, I would never want to leave my family and never come back. The other sailors have left their families and usually come back within a month, unlike my father. Since I was a little girl, I would sit at the window waiting for my father to come up the road. Sometimes, I would see a shadow of a person come up the road, but the shadow always passed our house. Sometimes I wonder why he left my mother and I. Was he too scared to love my mother? Was he too scared of becoming a father? I'll probably never know. I don't know if I'll ever meet him, but I hope that he has a good reason for leaving me and my mother.

They say that he's a good man. Everyone says that I'm lucky to be the daughter of John Jameson, the bravest sailor in all the seven seas. They think that it's great to be me. It's not great to never meet your father. It's not great to not even know where he is. I'm not even sure if he's still alive. For the past eight years, I've stayed up late every night waiting for him to come home. But I hope, that where ever he is, he knows that I love him. I put my pen down with this thought to the person in the future who is reading this. While your parents are here, spend as much time with them as possible. Love them as much as they love you. Always show them your appreciation. unlike myself, always be lucky that you have two parents that love you.

Well, Mother will be home soon. I should start the dinner chores.


Sincerely,


Laurena Jameson