Chapter 2

The waves were big and the ocean was stormy. It matched his own soul and except for expelling all the contents in his stomach every ten minutes he found this to be a fitting beginning to his new life. It was a lesson he would always remember. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worse.

The journey out of the Scottish Highlands was long and rough and he had to stop more than once because he couldn't see where he was going because his eyes filled with tears. He would get angry, shake it off, stand up and get back on the trail.

He had never been to England before and he was amazed how much more civilized it was from his life in the Highlands. He could see right away that was both good and bad. He still saw strength in people, but that finely honed edge that one has when you are apart of nature was missing.

He had to find a temporary job to be able to afford passage to America. He sold his sword for food, although I think the gentleman who bought it did it more out of pity for the teenage boy than any real value the sword had. But eventually he made enough money for the trip and for many days he would stand at the bow of the ship looking for this mysterious place called America.

First a statue of a grand lady came into view and then a quick stop at a citizenship island known as Ellis Island. This was his gateway to America, both exciting and anticlimactic.

He always said, "I don't what I expected, but it sure as hell wasn't what I thought."

The smell of too many bodies that have gone one too many days without a wash perforated the air. The chatter of many languages echoed from the walls. Families huddled together and loners like he standing stoically strong.

It was hard to see the mainland of America just beyond and not be able to go there until another told you it was time. Yes he was sixteen, but he grew up in a harsh climate so he was more a man than most at the age of twenty so most people left him alone.

One or two pretty girls caught his eye. Nothing draws your attention like a pretty girl smiling at you. Not two hours later does Casper see two men trying to corner one of those girls. It was easy to see that she was scared.

Casper pushes his way through the two men and goes up to the cute redhead and says, "Now wife, I've told you not to wander off by yourself." The Seventeen-year-old girl's magical green eyes go big as she looks at him like her knight in shinning armor. Casper turns around to the men and continues, "Thanks guys for finding my wife for me." Then he slaps one of them on the shoulder and pushes his way through them with the girl in tow.

They give him a dirty look, but do not make to stop him. "Thank you." Says the pretty redhead in a sweet voice with a thick Irish accent.

"You are most welcome. My name is Casper and I think you should get back to your family and not go wandering on your own any more. I have seen those type before and they are no good and definitely not to be trusted."

He beautiful green eyes fill with tears as she says, "I have no family. They were killed by bandits not so long ago so I chose to leave Ireland and come to this place called America."

Casper glances over and sees those same two guys staring hungrily at this pretty teen redhead. Casper sighs. "What is your name, darling girl?"

"My name is Mary."

"Well Mary, I was wondering if you would do me a favor?"

"I owe you that much, at least."

"I may be only sixteen and have no thought to a possible future in this realm known as America, but I was wondering if you would like to travel it together."

"What do you mean?"

"Will you marry me?"

Now Mary is a seventeen-year-old pretty and petite sweetheart of a girl with the brains to match her beauty, but for the moment she is at a loss for words. "Okay." She says in a small voice.

For the first time in over a year she feels like she is no longer alone and she is not scared of every shadow, of every creaking board, of everybody looking her way. It is always hard when a pretty girls is also a shy girl because people always turn and look.

Casper holds out his hand to her and she takes it gratefully. Casper leads her over to a corner where they can set down and talk. They set on the floor and put their backs to the concrete wall and talk about their surprisingly similar pasts. As the last day of March of the year 1902 comes to a close Mary leans her head on Casper's shoulder and they both fall asleep feeling strangely complete. They close their eyes and wake up ten years later.

Mary and Casper MacDoogle are excited that spring is in full bloom and soon the warmth of summer will be upon them. They both like warm weather very much. As May is half over of the year 1911 Mary and Casper have not spent one night apart. They both work when they can find it and they always find the time to show each other how much they love each other.

Their time in America has been a struggle, but for Casper he already found what he was looking for so anything above and beyond Mary is just gravy. Luckily they are simple people who don't need much more than what they can get from each other.

Mary mends their clothes to make them last as long as possible and even altars other's clothes for extra money. Together they till their little garden on the roof of their apartment building. When they have extra they share it with a large Italian family down at the end of the hall.

One winter when things were particularly lean Casper chose to do some work that was less than honorable, but put food on their table and whenever possible something special for Mary. Casper rationalized the taking of another's life with two factors; one he would do anything for Mary and two the people he assassinated earned what they got. There were no innocent people as far as he could tell.

No matter what the day brought or what other people's desires for him were he was always home in time to wrap his loving arms protectively around Mary as they accepted the ending of another day, together as always, together forever, together in love.