I held the rosary,and realized in the panic,I had forgotten my friend,Mary.I was in fact,numb now,and felt that if we tipped over,as we surely must,that I would no longer be afraid.But,what would become of my children?

"Please,God,help us",the soft words were like a sharp sting in the face,and the men stopped fighting.Once more,our life-boat righted itself."Holy Mother of Mary,help us,"the prayer continued,taking on a strange power of its own.It floated over to the next lifeboat,touched the formless shapes there,and moving on,sailed clear across the water.

The facts of this tale are true.It is based on one woman's journey to a better life.There is some embellishment by the author.To fill in Mazy's(fictional name);hopes,dreams,and strength.This is listed as fiction,however.