JEWELLED STAR LIGHT, SOUTHERN LIGHTS, SNOW WHITE.

JEWELLED STAR LIGHT

SOUTHERN LIGHTS

SNOW WHITE

                          Written by Dawnie M D  2005.

George and Eliza were married on a beautiful balmy day in Sydney and then flew off to Argentina for a brief stop over before they were to board the ship, Norse Star to the Antarctic for their once in a life time adventure honeymoon. George had entered a competition and won the prize, 6 months in the Antarctic doing some observation research and thought what a splendid opportunity to have a once in a life time holiday, honeymoon all rolled into one at no expense, so he was all excited when he told Eliza his surprise destination for the honeymoon, but Eliza just gasped and almost choked and was completely lost for words. George was so rapt that he did not notice his bride had a ghostly pallor invade her usual rosy complexion. She was absolutely horrified that George could think of taking her to a far off freezing hole like that, for what she had assumed would be the most romantic dreamy time of her life. And now she had visions of shivering to death and or a teeth-rattling experience, al-rugged up in unflattering garb looking like a shrew.

            Oh well! Best try and make the most of it she thought, but how the hell she was ever going to look enthusiastic and happy for 6 months; God only knew?  They arrived at the dock with plenty of time to spare. George was like a schoolboy in a candy store. Eliza on the other hand looked very dower and could not raise a smile if she tried. Then a big brawny bloke yells.

 "Come on you lot, get all your luggage over here and be sharp about it."

Eliza finally spoke:

"Crikey you would think this was boot camp instead of our honeymoon he can wait until I´m good and ready, rude bloody upstart drongo."

"Oh! Come on Eliza don´t be like that, he has a job to do."

"I don´t care George, he´s not a colonel, so why he, should think, he can push and

bully is anyone´s guess?"

            Finally they were aboard the Norse Star and in their cabin.

"I hope things improve from here on in George,"

Eliza stated emphatically.

"What do you mean dear, things seem to be going very well don´t you think?"

"No George; I don´t for a start half my luggage is missing, that drongo in charge of luggage and supplies probably ditched it on purpose. He had an evil look in his eye George and I wouldn´t put anything past him, the shifty looking so and so."

"Eliza don´t worry..... I will see about it in the morning. We had better bed down and have a good rest and you will feel, much better the morrow."

"I don´t think so George this trip fills me with in-trepidation to say the least."

            The trip was horrendous and Eliza was sick all the way, and worried she

would never see her main land home again, but today they were arriving and the adventure was about to begin. She looked out her porthole and all she could see was white, white and more white, pretty enough she thought but she could see 6 months would be a test of her endurance. It just happened to be the windiest day of the year 80 km/hr plus and well below 10%c what a welcome! They disembarked and were taken to a hut where they were to live. The door of the hut burst open with a howling gust of wind and in they stumbled. Eliza looked around aghast and sank to the floor and moaned in a deep mournful tone. George just looked at her and could not understand what she was so unhappy about.

            As the weeks rolled from one into the next Eliza made the most, she could of

it writing poems and reading about the Antarctic but they did not ease her dreaded fear of this beautiful but treacherous environment. The wind howled and howled with no let up for days. Finally the weather eased and George took Eliza out to see the penguin rookery they were admiring the elegant, stately penguins when an eerie creak and almighty roar sounded out and when Eliza looked George was gone, the ice had split open and swallowed him. Eliza screaming in sheer panic didn´t know what to do, so she sat down on the ice and shook uncontrollably trying to collect her thoughts and all that came to her mind was a poem she had written only days earlier..........

Snow-white, Golden light, Southern-cross sparkling bright,

Cold and white, Bridle delight,

Southern lights and wondrous nights,

Howling winds, and frosty graves,

Overcome and powerless,

Spellbound with wonder and fear,

In this large land of windswept drifts of ice,

The stars shine like jewels on Earths great crown,

Of wonder and ice.

Eliza just sat there she could not get the strength or desire to move and knew she was

destined to stay here with George. He had wanted to bring her here and so now they

would be staying. Eliza froze to death staring at the place she last seen George. The

Antarctic had encapsulated George´s soul and had riveted him to this adventure.

The star-sparkling jewelled sky of Antarctica would always watch over George and

Eliza now. And if George had had any ideas of control over this adventure they were

gone for the Antarctic had reduced this man and his wife to it s terms snow-white ice.

22:13 - Saturday, November 12, 2005 - post comment