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| Life and Times of Nestor Horaatio Plimsoll pg 4
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Let us resume the life of young Nessy, Nestor Horaatio Plimsoll.
Along with the castle where the Laird was wont to live, upon the Mount ( Saint Michaels Mount, Cornwall ) is home to twenty five ( give or take) residents in its' village , has its own Kirk, Kirk yard, ancient natual harbour, and beautiful gardens that are full of exotic flora.
Nessy was fierce for life from the beginning. He had zest beyond the other lads of the small village. He was not really better at many things but he was quick and smart and used his head if his minute body was not equal to the tasks or play of the other children.
Though many wagged their heads at his pint sized self, They knew not to let tongues wag. In such a tiney place as the Village on The Mount, it seldom took as much as an hour to find the source of an ill word. Often in small places gossip is as rampant as in large. But here on The Mount, where so many lived and died in previous years in the monestaries and religious cells, nary an ill word was oft' spoke. For all their Christian ways... the Island Mount' folk' belived the dead saints would see an evil deed. Or prehaps hear an evil word. Silly to you and me prehaps, but to the folks on the Island it was real enough.
His parents loved but did not spoil him, his da' was 'prout' on his lad. He took 'Nessy lad' and taught him to swim almost as soon as the boy could walk. "No good having a boy drownt fer te' lack o' knowin' 'ta stroke m'dear. He had calmed Essie's fears. 'Twill be the mor'n' safe fer't". Essie knew this and soon was brave in her own bare feet in the gentle waters on the beaches of the mainland. She had no mind to miss out on this joy of her son's life.
The summer when Nessy was eight, he proved to be the best and strongest swimmer of all the boys. It was a time when many a Royal sailor was about, the Cornwall coast was teeming with the news of the Kings latest doings. It was a hot year and the normal sicknessess of summer times were about. People on the Mount tried to stay off the mainland as much as possible. This meant the few same aged boys often swam for fun and competition amongst themselves not being allowed to play with the warf mens' or mainland children during and out break. Nessy was by far the champion swimmer of the lads. Only the great lads of fourteen or more years could out distance him sometimes.
The boys were playing vigorously and while swiming had lost track of the time. Though the tide had long gone out & was gently turning in, an unusual pattern of waves slipped upon them. Many, many years later Nessy would know it was a smallish series of tidal wave from an earth shaking in far off Greenland. The tide was near to half in, about when the boys usually left the water and ran about doing other games. When the tide was about half in, the causeway was some what crossable in a boat. Smaller boats were still the better.
There were five boys all, at the seawall when a strange out flow of water pulled them from the wall and harbour way, rather than into it. Three boys scambled up the wall very quickly. Nessy and Tom Trevinin, were on the sucking end of the wave. Nessy grabbed and old ancient wall padeye and tried to grab Tom also. Tom drifted out and a mask of fright and horror replaced his jolly boys face. Nessy turned loose, and also caught in the strange tow, swam and drifted after Tom. In a panic Tom grabbed Nessy and both boys went under the water. Nessy was forced to bash Tom and set him loose a moment. The water ebbed then and the boys were nearly out in open water beyond the moorings of the Mount. Nessy felt the difffernt colder temperature of the water. Tom grabbed him again and they went under again. ""Stop tha' tom yer'll downt' us both"" Nessy rasped out when they resurfaced. Tom out weighed the little Plimsoll feller . Nessy had no choice but to out swim and dunk him "a time'm'er two." He let Tom go under by himself once and retrived him. Finally, catching him under the jaw he tried to tow him back toward the boats and the seawall. Men from the warf were rowing towards the boys but it was an odd thing... Just then the water returned and lifted the boys and the boats rapidly towards the seawall and moorings. They would be bashed and hurt for sure. Nessy felt about with his feet for any old snaggs of the ancinet forrest that had its' last remains under water near here. His foot touched one and he tried to grab for a foot hold with his toes but was to quicklybourne away. Tom was coughing hard, he'd gotten a snout full of water. He instintivly flailed with his hands knocking Nessy off away from him. Another small powerfull wave over took them. The men in the boats were closer, now too, Nessy dived about and Tom crashed into him as they were underwater. Nessy grabbed a handful of hair. Toms was thick and could be well grabbed. He pulled the boy up and fliped himself to his back. The spalsh of an empty water cask barrel was just near him. He could not hold the cask barrel and Tom. So he twined his hand abut the toss line and hung on making what little progress he could. At least by the line they would not be smashed to bits on the long, small, fast, wave., as it spedd toward mount and shore. Though only about a foot in height the wave was fast and one more would soon break over them. Finally the men in the boat fought to them. They were saved... carried along in the boat now they skimmed just over the causeway towards the rock of the shore. Ney't ta' worrit' lads a boat man yawed out to them, weave'd been pooh'shed above the savigin' roocks."" Nessy was only aittle surprised to hear the accent of the Scilly Islands. He was to tired and scared to respond. At high tide they would have been dashed upon the slight bluffs on the end of the beach as it was they were whirrled above the high tide line and left in humble,thankful, bewilderment, upon the last four inches of grassy mix as gently as a child might be laid to sleep.
Later Toms' mother would praise Nessy above Toms endurence of it. ""More like Half Drownted than sav'edaah'' Tom would spew out. "" Better half downt, an' alive than all drownt' and eating your suppers wi' Davy Jones"" Tom's ma'm would say.
When grown, Tom would occasionaly and spontaniously hug Nessy, slug Nessy, and walk away quickly..
The rock is 250 feet in height, and has possessed a castle since 1047. You see the restored seawall and man made assist to the natural harbor. Looking remarakably close to how it has appeared since the waining of the Dark Ages.
Add a comment
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Posted by lampoil on 2008-06-24 20:51:38 | Rating: | Views: 94
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| Blog Comments
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you know you're a great writer ... have i told you that?
i admire you. :)
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Posted by DreamingOfBruxelles
on 2008-06-26 18:18:49
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Thanks :)
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Posted by lampoil
on 2008-06-27 09:18:23
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Thanks :)
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Posted by lampoil
on 2008-06-27 09:18:35
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Lovely and enjoyable read, as usaul
Agape
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Posted by Christianthoughts
on 2008-06-28 19:12:05
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Thank you people more is written but have had outrageous trouble posting.
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Posted by lampoil
on 2008-06-28 21:45:50
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Seems your great at getting alot said in just one page. Your words are very visual.
I was just thinking on the last page.... I'd been on google images looking up pics of Ireland. Oh there are some beautiful shots. I thought it'd be nice to add a few to your story if you could find ones that are fitting.
I'm aware most books don't have pics but they are just too beautiful!
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Posted by anotherdaze
on 2008-09-29 08:08:34
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I like to post a few on the blog stories... thanks for the feed back think I will add more... :)
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Posted by lampoil
on 2008-10-17 16:06:39
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