The Fisherman's Friends

By Ronald Allen

From a long line of fishermen, Elis learns what it takes to become a West Coast fisherman. He loses his parents at a young age. Two childhood friends become his surrogate family with a previously unknown brother making it four.
Elis’s navigation of life in small town Canada has its successes and failures. Influenced by his surrogate family, Elis seeks new horizons through travel. His first trip is with his brother for a winter of fun in the Mexican sun. A series of unexpected complications interrupts their sojourn leading to a frenzied journey through the streets of Paris and Athens and sailing the Greek Islands. His taste for travel is ignited by this adventure with book two seeing our friends explore the mysterious and exotic lands of Thailand.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9781304386359

Book preview

Prologue

As the Liberty proceeded into open waters, bulletins boomed from the radio with warnings of a storm brewing in the Queen Charlotte Sound.  From the data that he received, Tomos could not determine how serious the tempest confronting them might be.  He was, however, certain that the Liberty could survive almost any kind of weather that mother nature could throw at them. Furthermore, he would not let down his family and crew by coming home empty handed. 

At full throttle, the Liberty pushed its way through the straits.  They were well on their way to Haida Gwaii when an extreme weather warning blared over the receiver.  The announcer declared, There is a serious weather event for Queen Charlotte Sound.  All boats are advised to immediately seek shelter.  I repeat, there is an extreme weather event in the Queen Charlotte Sound.  All boats are advised to head for shore.

The Liberty rocked in the foaming surf, tossed around by the riotous wind that howled through the lines. They were 15 kilometres from any shore by this time; the mainland was their closest refuge. Tomos felt truly uneasy as he shouted over the growing furor: Hang on boys! We’re in for a blast!  Tie everything down and hold on to something secure! You might also want to get into one of the survival suits in the locker.

As time passed, minute by long minute, thunderous waves became mountains. The Liberty disappeared into bottomless chasms before ascending the next mountain to another peak.  Waves crushed the hapless craft from all sides.  They disappeared into the next trough before being pounded by a wave that consumed the floundering vessel.

Tomos had never experienced a storm that could overcome the Liberty, but now the ship was barely staying afloat. Its masts creaked in the whipping winds and its flag shredded. He clung to the wheel with all his strength, trying to keep it steady as the waves crashed against the hull.

The men heard a loud cracking sound from the ship, sending a wave of fear through the crew. The bow was taking the brunt of the force, and it was becoming increasingly clear that the ship was in danger of shattering in two. Tomos had never heard such an ominous sound from the Liberty before. He could only pray that the ship would remain intact.

He searched for any trace of help, but the horizon was a blur of darkness obscured by sheets of rain and a mountainous sea. He continued to cling to the wheel, pushing the small ship forward through the storm as the men prayed for a miracle.

Never in his life had Tomos asked for help from anyone, but he began to think that this might be the time.  Not being a religious man, he was not asking for spiritual help, but he began to think it might be time to, at least, ask the Coast Guard for some practical help.

Waiting a few minutes more, Tomos hoped that the storm would abate a little and let them get their bearings.  The Liberty, however, was taking on water faster than the pumps could push it overboard. Tomos grabbed the radio and started yelling into the microphone,

Mayday! Mayday! We are aboard the Liberty about 15 kilometres off Goose Island.  We are taking on water and may have to evacuate. Mayday! Mayday! We need help now! He screamed into the receiver while a thought crossed his mind, "I’ve paid taxes all my life that helped support the Coast Guard, and I have never needed them.  Now, when I do need them, where are they?"

Yelling above the howling wind, Tomos told his crew, Everyone, into survival suits now and get ready to evacuate the ship.  We can’t take much more of this and may be going down.  Everyone, be ready.

Two huge waves crashed into the Liberty, one on top of the other.  The boat rocked precariously, and the crew was sent crashing to the floor.  The deck was horizontal, then it wasn’t. The best the men could do was to crawl and to hold on to anything that was still secure.

Elis scrambled into the galley. His thoughts were full of desperation as he stumbled in the darkness. He could hear the waves crashing against the battered hull, shaking it violently. His father was at the radio, trying desperately to send another mayday call but having trouble holding onto the microphone without ripping it out of the radio.

In the chaos, Elis was relieved to see that everyone except Tomos had managed to get into their survival suits, but it was a fleeting thought in the overwhelming fear of what could happen next. He watched as his father tried in vain to send the call, but the waves kept crashing against the ship, each one making it more and more unstable.

And then, it happened. A massive wave hit the badly disabled Liberty, causing it to roll over onto its side and take on water that no pump could bail. With a sickening lurch, Elis felt himself being pulled towards the deck, his body tumbling towards the ever-rising water.

Tomos screamed, It’s time to go boys! Into the water! We’re going down!

   The crew followed orders and, one by one, they slipped into the raging surf as the ship rolled and pitched, heading for the depths. The Liberty was no longer an independent assemblage in the furious sea.  It would soon be one with the sea.  Tomos forgot about the radio and rushed to the storage locker to locate his survival suit, only to realize he had taken it to be repaired, leaving him without a suit. 

Making his way to a port window Tomos squeezed through the small opening. He spotted a faint figure through the blinding torrent and realized it was Elis clinging to a lanyard, barely hanging on but waiting for him. Tomos pushed his way through the maelstrom and joined his son.  The three crew members had vanished into the night.

Elis took one look at his father and knew that something was wrong. He screamed above the raging wind, Where’s your suit? 

Tomos just looked at his son and said, Let’s go son. We’re in for a rough ride.

Elis and Tomos clung desperately to one another as the Liberty vanished beneath the waves. There was a loud whooshing sound as it disappeared, followed by an eerie silence that seemed to stretch on forever. When the sea settled slightly, Elis and Tomos were alone, floating atop a churning ocean. 

The water was painfully cold, and Elis knew that his father would not last long in these freezing temperatures. He held Tomos tightly, trying to keep him afloat, though he would not last long.

The waves battered them relentlessly, making it hard to stay afloat. They held each other in the water, their arms desperately entwined, their eyes meeting in a silent understanding. 

The relentless onslaught of waves crashed over them, the impact so powerful that it felt as if the ocean was trying to tear them apart. With every wave they were lifted higher, only to be dropped viciously back into the depths. 

As the storm worsened, the waves became giant swells that stretched to the horizon, rising like mountains before crashing down mercilessly. Enveloped in the monstrous swell, the pair were dragged beneath the surface for what seemed like an eternity, then spat back out into the blistering gale. For over an hour it seemed as if they were falling off one building after another, unable to rest or even think before the next assault came.

Tomos was so cold his skin looked blue in the moon’s phosphorescent light. Elis looked at the man who had taught him everything about the ocean and knew that he was in grave peril. Tomos’s attempts to speak were swallowed by the wind and waves, but Elis knew that his father loved him and willed him to survive. 

As Elis fought the surf, he began to lose consciousness.  He could no longer see his father and was only vaguely aware of the heaving ocean and darkness punctuated by the luminescence of countless collapsing whitecaps around him. 

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Elis thought he could see a face looking down on him. He did not feel afraid as this image seemed to give him comfort and an assurance that he would survive the storm.  He wasn’t sure if he was asleep or awake.  At one point he thought he could hear a voice assuring his survival but couldn’t be certain if it was a dream or reality.

In this haze of reality and unreality, Elis thought he heard the sound of an airplane engine roaring in the distance.  With frozen hands and trembling fingers, he found a metal ring and, with all his remaining strength, he pulled it.  A blinding yellow light erupted from the flare, a beacon of hope amid an icy wasteland, as the flare accomplished its task.

Elis embraced the darkness as it enveloped him.  The cacophony of raging sounds went silent as his world became frigid and black. Then, suddenly, strong arms plucked him from the sea.  He regained some semblance of consciousness as he was hoisted into the air.

Elis felt the warmth of a face hovering over him and heard faint words trying to register in his mind. He tried to focus yet found himself still lost in a hazy mist. He could barely discern the person's features as they leaned closer.... a young woman in uniform, with kind eyes and blonde hair. Her voice seemed to echo slightly as she spoke Elis' name.

Chapter 1

In the early 1960s, Comox was a tiny hamlet with barely two thousand permanent residents. At the end of the road, it wasn't a popular destination for travellers.  Only those who had family or were planning on settling there ever visited this small Vancouver Island town. It boasted a wharf, a pub, a grocery store, and not much else. Its citizens lived off the sea, farmed the coastal lands, or worked in the cedar, hemlock, and fir forests in the mountains.

Elis’s parents had moved to Comox to seek a new life and start a family. Their home was only a few hundred metres past the town centre on a road that began as paved, then became gravel, and finally turned towards Comox Bay on a well-worn dirt road that was little more than a path.  Their home was on the bay and could only be accessed by this small winding track through 20 acres of forest or by boat from the sea.  By the time Elis was born, his parents had laboured 10 long years building a home and clearing land for the future family they anticipated.

Elis had no brothers or sisters.  He learned to amuse himself from a young age. He had always been fascinated by the sea and often ventured down to the shore of his family's property. It was his own little corner of the world, one that he understood and felt safe in.

To Elis the beach was a wild place full of mystery and adventure. He was mesmerized by the waves that rolled in and loved to feel the sand between his toes. The tide moved in and out as a fragment of the life cycle, and Elis found himself enchanted by it all.

One of his interests was to walk along the beach in front of his house to search for whatever booty might have been swept in by the tide.  During his first 5 years of life, young Elis had salvaged bottles, shells, numerous buoys, various types of fishing gear, and even an old canoe.  He was optimistic that, one day, he would find a real treasure.  The tide also brought in large pieces of driftwood that littered the beach. His father, Tomos, used the debris as firewood, and periodically cleaned the beach when he needed wood to heat their home in the winter. However, during much of the year there was a labyrinth of logs strewn along the beach in front of the Morgan property.  On the morning when our story begins, a 5-year-old Elis was determined to climb over and around the logs to see what prize he could uncover.  Unbeknownst to Elis, his future would be reshaped by this single moment in time. His destiny irrevocably altered.

A few times he had ventured along the beach as far as the next property where he had seen a little boy about his own age on a dock in front of a beautiful house. Even though they had never spoken, Elis was curious about what it would be like to have a friend his own age, or any friend for that matter. He had never known any other children.

On this morning, Elis watched from a distance, mesmerized by the sight of a boy playing with a wooden boat in the water.  He stood there for a long time until the boy had gone inside the house. He was filled with a sudden feeling of loneliness, as he realized that he didn't have anyone his own age to share his beach. It was a reminder of how much he longed for a friend.

The next house was a veritable mansion compared to the Morgan family home.  The boy’s much larger home had an enormous deck overlooking an ocean beach, and floor to ceiling windows that surely revealed Comox Bay to anyone within.  He had seen people sitting on the deck and moving around in the house, but Elis was good at hiding and doubted they had ever seen him.  Elis wondered what the little boy might be like and if they could be friends. 

On this day the boy left his little boat and began walking closer to the Morgan property. He seemed to be similarly looking for any treasures that may have floated in on the tide.  Feeling brave, Elis moved closer to the boy and allowed himself to be seen. 

Through the noise of the waves lapping on the shore, Elis shouted, Hi, what’s your name?  Do you live in that house over there?

    The boy looked up, noticing Elis for the first time and responded, Hi. My name is Will.  What’s your name?

    I’m Elis.  My dad’s a fisherman.  Do you want to play?

    I can’t right now, said Will, I have to go home. My parents are going out.  Maybe we could play another time. 

A little sad, Elis said, Sure, as he walked back along the beach to his house. 

Elis’s father Tomos and his mother Bethany had comprised his entire world for the first 5 years of his life.  He wished he had a friend his own age and hoped Will would be that person. Elis spent much of his time following his father around their large ocean-front property or on his father’s fishing boat.  The Morgans were not wealthy but the 20 acres where their house stood was on the very beautiful Comox Bay.  From almost anywhere on the property they could see the bay, the Comox Spit beyond and the mountains on the horizon where a beautiful glacier was nestled between twin alpine peaks. 

Their wharf was just metres from the house where Tomos’s boat, the Liberty, sat docked when he was not out fishing along the shorelines of Vancouver Island, or the mainland coastal waters.  The sea life that inhabited the Straits were the Morgan family’s entire source of income and his dad’s occupation.  Tomos was a West Coast fisherman and Elis fully intended to follow in his father’s footsteps. 

Tomos mostly fished for Salmon but in the off-season, he would subsidize his income by catching shrimp or even scouring the beaches for oysters that he could sell to a local processing plant.  The sea was his entire focus in the support of his family, and he was fairly accomplished at it. Some years were better than others, but mostly Tomos could provide his small family with a decent living.  They did not take exotic vacations or buy expensive luxury items, but Tomos was not one to even consider such things.  Whatever he earned went into feeding his family, better preparing himself for the next fishing season, and working on his property.

On this day Tomos, was working on the Liberty while Bethany was doing chores in the house.  Having seen the boy next door’s house, Elis wondered why their home seemed so out of place. 

The Morgan house was lacking a deck and there were only a couple of small windows facing the bay.  You could barely see the ocean from inside the house. In fact, the Morgan house seemed as if it was from another world.  He had seen pictures of similar homes in the books his mother read. It seemed to Elis that their house should be sitting in the old country as his mom called it. Elis wasn’t quite sure what this meant, but he knew that his parents came from some place far away called Wales. Elis thought their home must have come from such a land as it didn’t look like any other house he had seen.  He always wondered if his parents had floated their house across the ocean to its present resting place on the east coast of Vancouver Island. 

Their house was simply a square shake box of a building with two stories.  The few windows were small and did not encourage any view of the bay.   Every wall and the roof were covered in cedar shakes that appeared to have been made by hand as they were not all the same.

The house was unpainted, giving it an aged look and the disrepair of a structure long past its prime. The walls were rough-hewn and held together with visible nails. The roof was simple; a frame held together with twelve-foot-long beams and covered in cedar shakes.

Elis was not born when his father had hand-cut the shakes and build the home himself by hand.  Tomos had designed it after memories of the houses he had known as a child. The cedar shakes that covered the walls and roof were cut from trees on their property.  Over the years they had faded to a dusty gray having endured strong winds, salty ocean spray, endless rain during the winter months, and the occasional sea-born storm.  This was a home built for service, not appearance.

Elis loved his home and property.  He had much of it to himself most of the time and knew every nook and cranny. His mother was usually in the kitchen and his father was either away fishing or working on their property. The rest of the house was his to explore and inhabit.

The first floor of the house featured a long and slender kitchen. The Morgan family stove was still heated by wood, as electricity had only recently come to the Morgan end of the valley, and neither of Elis's parents saw any reason to change what they had been quite content with all their lives. To conserve space, there were no hallways in the house, so each room had to be accessed by passing through other rooms. The entranceway opened directly into the kitchen that contained a small table. The living room was next, and finally a washroom and a bedroom at the very back of the house.

The second floor of the Morgan home was laid out in a line as well, with four bedrooms attached to one another. Visitors had to journey through all four rooms before reaching the most eastward bedroom. There wasn't much privacy in the Morgan home.

Elis also loved the forests behind their house.  Although they lived on an ocean bay, the majority of the 20-acre property was a dense and dark forest with only the land around their house cleared.  There was also a workshop where his father dry docked the Liberty in the winter for repairs.  Tomos spent a lot of time working on the Liberty in the winter.  Elis loved the forest on their property with its numerous trails that were mostly made by deer or from Ellis’s foray’s.  He knew every inch of the property and all that lived there.  

The forest always smelled of wet leaves and pine needles. It frequently rained on Vancouver Island and the forest floor was a wet carpet of leaves, brown, yellow and red.  To Elis the forest was quiet and safe with the occasional sound of bird song or the leaves rustling in the breeze.

Elis was too young to contribute to his father’s fishing endeavours, but he had been on the boat numerous times.  Even before he could walk, he felt at home swaying in rhythm with the rise and fall of the waves on the deck of his father’s boat. The Liberty smelled of fish, diesel and seawater, the same smells that permeated his family’s clothes and hair. Spending so much time on the boat left him unable to walk straight on land, much like his father.  Even on dry land, they rocked from side to side as if they were still at sea.  It was as if they were compensating for the ocean swells.  These were seafaring people.

For those first five years of his life Elis had hardly seen another child.  Even though he had only shared a few words with Will, he hoped they could be friends someday.  His life was mostly shared between his father, mother, and a few deckhands that his father employed during fishing season.

These men, and the occasional woman, came to the Morgan house sporadically for a meal or for the end of season party.  The crew of the Liberty was as varied as the catches that they brought in. The deckhands were a rowdy bunch, but Elis loved them. They treated him as special and one of the crew.  There was always a lot of laughter and good cheer when the deckhands were aboard the Liberty.

One fall day Elis’s mother walked him up the path to a little schoolhouse just past the family property.  At first Elis felt intimidated as there were more kids than he had seen at one time running around in the school yard and playing in front of a yellow clapboard building.  Not having been around other children, Elis wondered what they were all yelling about.  It seemed that they were making a lot of noise for no good reason.

Elis held his mom’s hand very tightly.  Bethany had talked to Elis about school, but he really had not understood what was expected of him.  Walking past the other children, Bethany took him to meet the teacher. 

Guiding Elis with a tight grip, Bethany walked up to a woman with long brown hair and motioned that she would like to introduce her son. Are you the teacher here? she asked.

The apparent teacher smiled at Elis and said, Yes, I’m Mrs.  Blaney and who is this fine young man?

Hello Mrs.  Blaney, this is Elis and I’m Bethany.  Elis just turned 6 years of age, and he will be joining your class.  Where would you like him to go?

I am very pleased to meet you, Elis and Bethany, she replied, smiling at Elis. Why don’t you play with the other children, Elis?  The bell will be ringing shortly and then you can come in with the others.

Bethany drew her son closer and asked, Are you going to be okay here, Elis?  I’m going home now, but I’ll be back at noon to walk home with you.  She leaned down and kissed him lightly.

Feeling a little uncertain but knowing that he would have to start school sometime, he said, Okay, mom, I’ll see you later, as he looked for a quiet spot out of the way of the other kids.

Elis was a big boy for his age but there were many children that were much bigger than him. It appeared that the small schoolhouse accommodated all grades up to grade 6, so there were many children much older than Elis.  Elis watched the scene before him with a mixture of fear and confusion. Children of all ages seemed to be having fun, playing some sort of game with a ball. The older children stood in clusters, while the younger ones laughed and ran around. Elis wondered why they were all so excited. Elis felt like an outsider in this new world and was mostly scared. He did not know what to do, so he just stayed near the school and waited for the bell. He did not really want to be here at all. 

With Bethany gone, almost immediately, a boy approached Elis and said, Hi. I’m David.  Do you want to be my friend?

    Feeling a little taken aback by this strange looking boy, Elis looked at him but did not know what to say. He just nodded at the boy, noticing his strange looks with big lips, a hooked nose and greasy black hair.

    David was not deterred and started laughing, You fool! I wouldn’t be your friend! He pushed Elis to the ground.  Now everyone was looking at them. 

Elis had never been in a situation like this before, but he certainly did not think that David was being very friendly.  Elis was not a submissive or shy child, however, and certainly wasn’t going to let some funny looking kid push him around.  He had spent a lot of time around men and had seen a few fights.  He had even wrestled with some of his dad’s deckhands.  He was in no way afraid of David.

Dusting himself off, Elis climbed to his feet.  David tried to push him again, but Elis was ready this time.  As David lurched forward, Elis grabbed the boy’s arm and yanked as hard as he could.  David clattered to the ground in a puff of dust.  He just sat there and started to cry.

By this time a crowd of kids had gathered and were yelling Fight! Fight! Fight!

Mrs.  Blaney came rushing out of the schoolhouse and grabbed both boys by their arms. What are you doing? You have been here five minutes and you’re already in a fight? she questioned as she looked at Elis. Both of you come inside…now!  She dragged them by their shirt collars to the classroom.

Mrs.  Blaney put both boys in a desk at a reasonable distance apart and told them, in no uncertain terms to, Sit there and do not say one word! They did not move or look at each other.

A few minutes later the bell rang, and everyone started lining up, as another teacher told them to gather around.  After a few moments the kids began streaming into the schoolhouse in single file as they followed a teacher.  One by one, they found their desks.  As the class settled, Elis found that the boy, Will, whom he had seen on the beach was seated next to him. 

Will leaned in closer, his voice barely more than a whisper. My name is William, but they call me Will, he said, furrowing his brow as if to jog Elis’ memory. I need to warn you about David. He’s not someone you want to be friends with. But I’ll be your friend, and no one will bother you. My two big brothers are sitting over there, he said, pointing at two much older boys a few rows away. They both stared back at Elis and Will with welcoming smiles.

Elis, feeling very grateful to his neighbour, nodded his head, Sure, I would like to be your friend.

Elis could barely recall his fateful first day of school. While it was far from triumphant, it wasn’t a complete disaster. He had managed to make one friend, and they planned to meet on their adjoining beaches after school. Unbeknownst to either of them, their friendship would grow and shape their lives forever.

Chapter 2

During the 60s and 70s Comox was a tranquil and beautiful seaside settlement that attracted people who worked on the sea, harvested the vast forests, or farmed the fertile lands along the coast.  It was largely undiscovered by much of the outside world during Elis’s childhood but began receiving some recognition when the Canadian government established an armed forces base only a few kilometres from the little community.  As a result, others from around the world were exposed to its beauty. The Comox Valley began to experience a time of growth.

It looked very different, however, when Tomos and Bethany found their way to this little sanctuary.  The Valley, as it was known by the locals, was many thousands of miles from their birthplace.  They had arrived shortly after the second world war from their homeland in a small working-class village called Lower Fishguard of the County Pembrokeshire in Wales.  Their homeland was, however, much more populated and ancient than their new home on Vancouver Island.

Lower Fishguard was a small community of about 1,000 residents but there were many other communities of a similar population nearby. Lower Fishguard was primarily a community because of the fishing industry that dated as far back as the 16th century, and likely beyond.  Most of the residents were of seafaring stock. 

Tomos and Bethany were both born and raised in Lower Fishguard.  Tomos’s father, uncles and grandfather were all fisherman and their lineage had been farming the seas for centuries.  Their ancestors had always been involved in something to do with the sea, as the name Morgan is an ancient Welsh name meaning sea. It seems Tomos was from the sea, would spend his days toiling on it and would one day return to the sea. 

Although Tomos had taken his first steps on his father’s fishing boat like Elis, he was unluckily born between two world wars.  His destiny had been mapped out until the German hoards began invading neighbouring lands.  Consequently, instead of aiding his family in their livelihood and honing his familial skills, Tomos found himself trudging through the French countryside. Like many other boys in his village, Tomos enlisted to be a part of the war effort even knowing full well the horrors that likely awaited them. Many were fortunate enough to return alive but bore the physical and mental scars of battle, some missing arms or legs, others haunted by memories of war.

Bethany, who only had a passing acquaintance with Tomos, lived a few doors away from the Morgans. Like many young women of similar age during wartime, she stayed in Lower Fishguard, where she aided in a clinic that cared for the soldiers returning home. 

Tomos had been gone for four long years. During that time, he had been a witness to the ravages of war and all the pain it brought with it. He returned to find very little as he had left it. Many of his friends were still away at war or forever lost. He felt a deep sorrow for those who did not return as well as those whose lives were shattered by what they had endured. 

Tomos knew that it would be difficult for him to find work. Most of the jobs he could do had been taken over by women or those who had not gone to war. Tomos had little formal education and was barely able to read and write, so many jobs were unavailable to him.

Tomos anxiously trudged up the dusty road to Lower Fishguard. He had walked this path thousands of times, but it felt unfamiliar this day. Reaching the Morgan yard, he was heartened to see that some things remained the same, but uncertainty swirled inside him. He knocked on the door with trepidation. Had his family moved away? His heart ached as he realized how long it had been since he'd last seen them.

Mom! Dad! he shouted.  It’s Tomos!  I’m back!  Is anyone home?

Tomos heard a creak behind the door, and as it burst open, he was met with his mother's shocked expression.  Tomos, is it really you? We thought you were lost, she said breathlessly as she rushed towards her son. She tried wrapping her arms around him but could only reach halfway around. He had grown and filled out from the scrawny teenager who had left years ago. He had become a man. 

His mother ushered her son inside while she continued talking and crying at the same time.  It is so good to see you son! We have had such a bad time.  Everything is gone, your father, your uncles, most of your cousins, our boat.  We don’t know what to do.  I am so glad you’re back. she cried. 

Tomos sat at the kitchen table and listened intently while his mother told him their story.  Tomos’s father and uncle had been lost in a fierce storm, and their treasured fishing boat was somewhere at the bottom of St. George’s Channel in the Celtic Sea.  Another uncle and two of his sons had been claimed by war. Left alone at home were his mother and two sisters, who did what they could to get by. His mother worked as a seamstress while his sisters scrubbed other people’s homes. Rationing was commonplace across the whole country.  Life was very hard.

Tomos was shocked and cried for his lost father and uncles.  What will I do? he asked.

    There isn’t much for you here.  All the jobs are taken, and we are barely getting by.  Our boat is gone, as are most of them in the village, sobbed his mother as she looked sadly at her only son.  Perhaps you should consider going to North America.  Your cousin, Gareth, has gone, and he is, apparently, doing very well as a fisherman somewhere in Canada.

The war had been very difficult for Great Britain and its people, but it had certainly toughened Tomos.  He had left little more than a boy and had returned a man.  He was from stout, working-class stock, but the many days and months trudging through France carrying his tools for survival and the weapons of war had made him even sturdier.  He was built for hard work to start with, but the war had further hardened him both physically and mentally.  To have survived the war and all its challenges further entrenched in him a character that would be ascribed to centuries of men who worked hard and lived hard.  He was not a man to be underestimated. 

Although Lower Fishguard had little to offer Tomos, he did find a fair maiden that seemed interested in this hearty young man just back from war.  He soon found himself spending most of his days with the lovely Bethany.  Her family lived just a few metres from the Morgan home and Tomos had known her since they were children.  Her family had similarly been devastated by the war, and she had little to keep her in Lower Fishguard. 

Tomos and Bethany were soon a couple, with both families very happy for them.  Tomos wanted to support his new wife but wasn’t sure how he was going to do that.  His mother kept encouraging him to contact his cousin in Canada.

After several months with only a few day jobs Tomos became very frustrated, aware that he was a burden to his mother, and he had added a further burden in Bethany.  One day he trekked down to his aunt’s house to enquire about his cousin Gareth. 

Sitting with her on the stoop, he asked, Auntie, I hear that Gareth has moved to Canada and is doing very well.  Do you think he would be interested in a helping hand?

    Responding, his aunt said, Why don’t you write him a letter? From what I hear, Gareth has his own fishing boat and likes Canada very much.  I think it would be a good place for you and Bethany to make a new start.

She told Tomos that Gareth had been able to purchase a small fishing boat on Vancouver Island and was looking for an experienced deck hand. 

Tomos became very excited and sent a letter immediately, asking if Gareth would be willing to hire him. 

Meanwhile Tomos lived with Bethany in his old bedroom and did odd jobs around the village to pay for their food.  Bethany worked cleaning houses while they saved as much money as they could, hoping that Gareth would ask them to travel to Canada. 

As Canada and Great Britain were still closely aligned, Tomos learned that he could move to Canada without even applying for a visa and could, ultimately, become a citizen with little effort. 

At long last, a letter from Gareth arrived like a lifeline. He beckoned them to Canada, where they could start life anew. He offered work and accommodation until they could secure other lodging. Determined, Tomos and Bethany boarded the next available vessel and set sail, hopeful for a new life.

Chapter 3

Although Lower Fishguard was very beautiful, and Tomos and Bethany loved their village, the war had changed it and its people beyond recognition.  Most of the men were gone and there were so few jobs that people were barely surviving.  Tomos and Bethany knew that this village was no longer a place for them. With an invitation to travel to Canada, they jumped at the opportunity for a new start. 

When they received their offer to come to Canada, they were ecstatic. Even the long and difficult journey did not deter their exhilaration.  The weeks of travel only served to boost their spirits; however, a tiny fear of the unknown was always present at the back of their minds.  To keep that fear at bay, they constantly reminded each other that they would be living on an island, they had a place to stay, and Tomos had work. Like many others during this time, their faith in themselves and their yearning for a new start in life drew them to countries like Canada.  The war had changed the world.

Tomos and Bethany's journey was an adventure beyond comparison. After several days at sea, the ship docked in the bustling port of Montreal. Then they boarded a train that crossed the continent to Vancouver, passing countless foreign and exotic place names. Reaching the Pacific Ocean, they boarded a ferry that took them across the Georgia Straits to Nanaimo. Finally, after two buses and passing through several unfamiliar villages, they arrived in Comox where a new life awaited them.

Tomos, as was his nature, was quiet for most of the trip while Bethany rambled incessantly about everything they passed.  She was so excited for their new life and was amazed at all that this new colony offered.  The Great Lakes were massive.  The prairies were endless.  The Rockies were like nothing she had ever seen. Then finally, Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean were so beautiful and smelled like their home in Wales.  Bethany pointed out everything new that she saw to Tomos even though he barely made more than a grunt in response.  At least he seemed to be paying attention. 

His interest finally began to emerge when they neared Comox about half-way up the east coast of Vancouver Island.  Looking out the bus window, they passed numerous little seaside villages with fishing boats tied to sturdy wharfs.  At a place called Oyster Bay they saw mountains of shucked oysters that smelled like home and gave him optimism.

As Tomos stared out the window, he savoured the quaint villages that were a reminder of his homeland. He studied the forests and the ocean with equal intensity. As they entered the Village of Comox, he was entranced by the beauty of the bay that was sheltered from the sea by a narrow peninsula. The sea looked like an old dog sleeping in the grass, chest rising and falling but nothing else. He uttered, almost to himself, I think we've found our home.

As he stood in the street, with the bus departing, Tomos felt a light drizzle on his face from a warm summer rain. He took in the small downtown core, the quaint shops and businesses, and the fishing boats in the harbour.

Tomos seemed to come to life as he marvelled at what surrounded them.  He pointed out the mainland to Bethany and the various islands in the straits.  Looking inland he gasped at the stunning forests that were blankets of dark green, ocean bays like glass, and the ever-present glacier suspended over the little town. 

Bethany too, was impressed and pleasantly surprised at Tomos’s sudden animation.  She suggested, It’s like a living postcard here.

The bus had deposited them at a little stop beside a hotel in downtown Comox that bore the name, Elks Hotel. Then they saw the big smiling face of Gareth who greeted them with a welcoming embrace and the words, "Cousin, it is so good to see you. I have been needing some good hard-working Welsh stock.  The