Chapter Five - The Call of Distant Drums

July, 5, 1740

We gathered for breakfast as we had every other morning. The three newlywed couples sat at the table. We were still in honeymoon mode. Bernardo joined us. There was very little to talk about this morning, just a little giggling from time to time.

We all knew this couldn’t last forever. Reality would once again come into play. As we finished, Jacob stood and left the room and returned a short time later with his daypack. It had been weeks since any of us had used them or any of the contents inside. Jacob asked Tom to slide down as he sat next to Bernardo. He opened his pack and pulled out half of the binoculars. In the days leading up to this meeting, Jacob had separated the binoculars into two parts, a right and a left. He set the right side down in front of Bernardo.

“What is this?” Bernardo asked.

“This is a very small telescope, like sea captains use.”

“May I?” asked Bernardo.

“You may. Please, go ahead.”

Bernardo picked up the now monocular and held it, first looking into the wrong end and then turning it to look through the right end. He was amazed by how far he could see. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked outside.

“They make things like this in New France?” he asked.

“They do where we’re from.”

“The workmanship is exquisite!” He looked again. “Why do you show me this?”

“I want to sell it to raise money so we can buy passage to Old Spain,” Jacob said. “Do you know anyone who might be interested in buying this?”

Bernardo held it up and continued to examine it in detail. “There is one man. This would amaze him.”

“Can we see him? Can you talk to him about us and set up a meeting?” Jacob asked.

“His name is Don Carlos. He belongs to one of the richest families here in Mazatlán. They date back to fifteen seventy.” Bernardo handed the monocular to Jacob. “I will try visiting him this afternoon. With luck, he will see me and we can arrange for him to meet you.”

“Thank you,” I said to Bernardo.

Bernardo left that morning to see Don Carlos. That day was very hot and humid. July in Mazatlán was hotter than anything I had ever felt. It felt as though it was well over a hundred degrees, but there were no thermometers to confirm this. We waited for the friar, but that night he didn’t return.

Jacob and I went for a walk in town at around ten or so. It began to rain. It came down so hard that we were soaked within seconds. I had never experienced a storm like this before. The lightning seemed to be striking every few seconds. We started to run back to the church. The rain was warm, which was a nice change from the rainstorms in Calgary. It felt more like standing in a shower. We walked the rest of the way back to the church. The streets were overflowing with water, and the mud from the hills ran down past us. We had to watch our step. If not, we could have been swept away. We worried about Bernardo and hoped he would be all right.

As we entered the church, Tom, Keara, Andy, and Kim were waiting for us. They handed us some blankets so we could dry ourselves off.

That night, Jacob and I climbed up into the bell tower and sat and looked out over the town. We watched the rain and lightning, which lasted well into the morning. Life is all about experiences. So many people live life, but never experience any part of it. We hope for only the good experiences, but life doesn’t work that way. When they are handed out by God, they come in many forms. There are no good and bad; they are what we choose to make them. Tomorrow or next week or next year could be our last day on this earth, and I was now thankful for every experience in my life. I cherished all of them. Jacob always said, what does not kill us makes us stronger. Sitting there, I felt strong, proud, and happy. I was ready for the next step in our journey, wherever it would lead us.

July 6, 1740

Bernardo returned in the afternoon. He had met with Don Carlos late last night and spent the night at his home.

“Don Carlos will meet you to see your monocular telescope.”

This was great news for us.

“When?” Jacob asked.

“This Friday, for lunch. We need to leave very early in the morning. His home is far from here, close to the edge of town.”

“Who all is going?” I asked.

“All of you.”

This was the news I was hoping for. I was excited by the thought of finally getting out and seeing more than just this small, dirty part of Mazatlán. I would see how the rich lived, and maybe for one minute feel as though we were home again.

July 9, 1740

We got an early start to Don Carlos’s hacienda. Bernardo rode his small donkey as the six of us walked behind him. The road was rough, and it went uphill most of the way before reaching his hillside home. I was wearing sandals, and my feet were really starting to hurt. I kept wishing I had been wearing my hiking boots. They were worn out, but still a hundred times better than this. It wasn’t great being a woman at this point in history.

By eleven or so, we arrived at the gates of the hacienda. It was hot, and we were tired. We were out of shape, and the heat was just too much for us.

The hacienda was enormous. Don Carlos was not a poor man. In fact, he was the richest man in all of Mazatlán. There were castar, field workers, tending the fruit trees. We made our way to the house, which looked like something only seen in movies. It was two stories, white, with a red tile roof. White horses were being walked in the courtyard. The main entrance was a two-story grand hall like nothing we could have imagined. Paintings of that period hung from all sides of the room. The sheer grandeur of it all put us in our place.

Enter the smelly, sweaty peasants. Regardless of wearing our Sunday best, we looked as if we should be tending the fields with the other workers.

A servant showed us into the study, which was just off the main entrance. Don Carlos was a collector of all sorts of things. There were swords, animal heads, coats of arms, flintlock firearms, a sea of model sailing ships and a dozen or so telescopes lined up, some sitting on the outside deck. Don Carlos liked looking at the fields and, one would guess, the stars above. In the study was one of the very first pianos, which had the date of 1709 and had been made in France.

We didn’t wait long, before Don Carlos entered, he greeted Friar Bernardo with a hug. They then exchanged some words in Spanish. Don Carlos made his way over to a grand wooden desk that sat in front of a large window. We stood there like school kids in front of the principal. Don Carlos looked at us. We could feel him trying to size us up. He looked to Bernardo and then gestured to him for us to make our case.

“Jacob, show him,” Bernardo said.

As this was occurring, I looked around the room and then noticed Keara, who was gazing at the piano.

Jacob stepped forward and opened the small leather bag. He pulled out the monocular and placed it in front of Don Carlos.

“Para su consideración,” Jacob said in Spanish.

Don Carlos’s eyes widened, but he quickly went back to his poker face. He asked if he could pick it up. Jacob handed it to him.

He held it and then looked through. First he looked through the wrong end, but quickly turned it around. He stood up and used it to look outside. For Don Carlos, and really any person from this time, it was like magic. He walked over to a very large telescope he had and looked through it, then compared the two. We could clearly see the winner. He turned and made his way back to his desk. He placed the mono down and made an offer.

“Cien pesos.”

One hundred pesos. Well, you could have heard a pin drop. Thinking back to the day we arrived, it took three pesos to tie up two boats, so this was not the windfall Jacob had hoped for.

Jacob turned and looked at Bernardo. “Is this a lot?”

I could tell the friar felt put on the spot. He knew it was very little, but at the same time, he didn’t want to offend Don Carlos.

“Please tell Don Carlos that we’re very sorry that we took his time.”

Bernardo repeated the words in Spanish.

As Jacob started to pack the monocular, Keara asked, “Can I play before we leave?”

We all turned to her. Bernardo looked at Keara and then repeated the request to Don Carlos. “La joven le gustaría tocar el piano antes de irse.”

Don looked at her as he would any other servant girl. “Sí,” he said, pointing his hand to the piano.

Keara had played for over twelve years. She sat in front of the piano and nervously placed her fingers on the keys. I could tell she was shaking. Her right hand still hadn’t recovered completely. Then she tried to play, and I knew the song right away. It was “Bella’s Lullaby.” We both loved that song and would play it all the time. She attempted a few times, but couldn’t make all the notes. Her hand just wasn’t cooperating. I glanced at Don Carlos and noticed he was not impressed. I looked back at Keara, who was starting to tear up. She loved to play, and it was as if her most prized possession had been taken from her. I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder.

“Slide over,” I said.

She looked at me and did as I asked.

“You play the left, and I’ll play the right.”

She smiled at me as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Ready?”

The two of us started to play “Bella’s Lullaby.” She played with her left hand, and I played with the right. It was beautiful. I had forgotten what real music sounded like. I looked at her, and she looked to me. We couldn’t have been happier. We played and played, not wanting to stop.. Tom came closer to the piano and stood next to Keara. He just smiled at her in approval.

As we played, I glanced over at Don Carlos. He was really enjoying the entertainment; I could see it in his eyes. When we finished, the room became quiet once again.

Don Carlos stood up. He put his hands together and started to clap. “Magnífico!” he said.

He then gestured to Jacob to return the monocular. Jacob pulled it out of the leather bag once again and placed it on his desk.

Don Carlos examined it meticulously. “Tal vez yo fui demasiado rápido en mi primera oferta.”

“He says he would like to make a new offer,” Bernardo said.

Don Carlos stood there, looking at us as if to say, Who are you? Peasants can’t play the piano. Peasants don’t come from China, and they don’t own such things unless they’ve stolen them.

“Diez mil pesos.”

Jacob looked at Bernardo. “Is that a lot? We need enough money to book passage to Europe for the six of us and have some left over to get started again.”

“Jacob, with that money, you could buy your own ship,” replied Friar Bernardo.

“Un minuto, hay una cosa mas para que esto sea un acuerdo. Están invitados a cenar con mis amigos y quiero que las niñas toquen el piano para mis invitados,” said Don Carlos.

“Sorry, what?”

I stepped up and said, “Don Carlos would like us to play at his dinner party tomorrow night, and be his guests, for this to be a deal.”

Jacob looked at me. I turned to Don Carlos. “Sí. Gracias, oh gracias.”

With that, Don Carlos picked up his magic monocular and looked out the window. I turned and hugged Keara.

Don Carlos said, “Jacob tenemos mucho de que hablar en los próximos días.”

“He says he has lots to talk about with you in the coming days,” I said.

“Tell him I’m looking forward to it.”

That was the start of the next part of this journey we called life. Don Carlos asked Friar Bernardo to stay for the night, but he said he had important things to tend to. He would return in a few days to see how we were doing, and when he did, he would bring our belongings, which we had left behind.

Standing outside in the courtyard, we each took turns hugging this gentle man who had given us so much love—taken us in, fed us, washed us, and healed us.

“You are a great man of God,” I told him.

“And you are children of God. As his children, be happy, my child. Be forever happy.” And with that he turned, said his good-byes, and left. We watched as he rode out on his small donkey.

“Ustedes son mis invitados. Vengan.”

“Don Carlos said we are his guests, and come.”

The others turned and made their way into the house. I stood there, watching the friar ride way. I would miss this man.

That night we were invited to dinner with Don Carlos. A man came to size up Jacob and the other guys. This was not going to be an easy job for him. A couple of servant women came to the room where Keara, Kim, and I were staying and showed us an assortment of dresses to pick for that night and the following night’s dinner party. They were absolutely stunning woven silk dresses. The colours and the detail on each one were incredible. Unfortunately, they didn’t fit quite right, and it took the two women an hour just to dress me. I had never worn a corset. Oh my God. I can’t believe the things we women did for men.

The boys washed and cleaned up. They would have to wait for their clothes for the big dinner, but at least the three women next to them would look the part.

Jacob came and took me to dinner that night. It was a grand affair just for us. Don Carlos told us his wife would be joining us tomorrow, as she was returning from Mexico City with his two sons. Tonight it would be just the seven of us for dinner.

Jacob sat across from me at the table. The only lights were from the candles on a wrought iron chandelier that hung above the table. Like the night before, it started to rain again. This seemed to happen almost every day during the summer months.

The food was absolutely delicious, by far the best food we had eaten in ages. There was so much of it, and it just kept coming. Don Carlos asked Jacob a number of questions; I acted as the interpreter all night. Jacob had to think very carefully how he answered certain questions. If he wasn’t careful, his lies would come back to haunt him. We drank lots of red wine. The men then moved to the study and smoked cigars as the ladies looked on. I was dying to smoke one, but figured it wouldn’t have been very appropriate. Don Carlos held his prized monocular up high and looked out over the town and ocean.

At the end of the evening, we returned to our rooms as man and wife. Jacob closed the door and tried to hold me, but there was just too much dress between us. He slowly, very slowly, untied it from my body. I don’t think the wine helped. Finally, we lay in bed, holding each other as we had done every night. We kissed and fell asleep.

July 10, 1740

I woke up expecting to see Jacob next to me, but he wasn’t there. Everything about the night before seemed like a dream. I quickly got dressed and made my way down the stairs to the kitchen. There was a lot of activity, as the house staff was getting ready for the big dinner that evening. A woman, whose name I would come to know as Elena, asked if I wanted to have breakfast. I said yes, please, and went on to ask if they had seen Jacob, the tall white man with the dark tan. She didn’t know, but went to ask. She returned and said that he and the other men had gone into town early this morning.

I made my way into the dining room and found Keara and Kim having their breakfast. “Good morning,” I said.

“Good morning” was the faint reply from each. They looked like I felt. Obviously, we were all hung-over from the night before. I had hoped that in the heat of all the drinking I hadn’t said anything that could ruin our story—especially anything referring to where we had come from and possibly the future. Regardless, my reputation was already ruined, for simply getting drunk the night before.

We had a delicious breakfast with eggs, blended with tomatoes, aromatic local spices, and fresh bread and coffee. It was hard to believe that just a day ago, we had been received as peasants, and now, we were practically royalty.

Midafternoon, the three boys returned. They looked good. Don Carlos said hello to them as they entered the house.

“Hello,” I said to Jacob. “How was your time in town?”

“It was very good. I have something for you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll see.” Jacob took my hand, and we went into the garden, but there was Tom and Keara.

“Damn.”

“This way.”

I followed him into the study, but there was Kim and Andy.

“Oh my God!”

“What?”

“Jacob, what?”

“Okay, this way.”

Once again we were on the move, this time to the horse stables. Jacob grabbed me and guided me up against one of the stalls.

“I wish I could have had this for your birthday.” He handed me a small black bag with a white ribbon tying it shut. “Open it.”

I slowly pulled the ribbon and opened the bag. Inside was a simple gold wedding band. I looked up at him.

“Happy birthday, my wife.”

“Thank you.”

“De nada,” he said to me. “You’re welcome.”

He kissed me—then again. We kissed for a very long time. There is something to be said for being in love. It’s a feeling that overcomes you. It’s absolutely magical. I hoped that I would always be in love with him, my hero.

That night we got ready again for Don Carlos and his dinner. I wore an emerald dress with gold lace, and Jacob looked so good in his men’s apparel, which a team of tailors worked all day to get ready.

There were about eighty invited guests who joined us for dinner. We were graced by Señora Teresa Riquelme Alonso, Don Carlos’s wife, a very beautiful woman, Spanish, black hair, red lips. She was very nice, but she played the game. People with wealth were born into the game, the right marriage. They hoped for boys to pass the family name on. This dinner was for her.

I remember the people speaking Spanish, and there was Jacob, sitting there. Afterward, he told me that he felt like Mr. Melon Head. He didn’t understand anything that people were saying.

All the women, and some of the men, were talking about Kim. They had never seen a woman of Chinese descent. All night people looked at her, and at first she felt uneasy about it. Andy stayed by her side all night, never once leaving her. She looked so stunning in her soft Yellow dress with gold sequins. At some point in the evening, Kim was nicknamed the Chinese Princess. After all, only someone with great wealth and power could make the long journey to New Spain. By night’s end, she felt important. I was happy for her; she had such a loving heart and was always looking out for those around her. The universe was repaying her for being such a compassionate person..

I tried to listen to what people said about her. There was some unease about her being there, but most were fascinated. They all knew about China, they all wore silk gowns, but they had never seen a Chinese princess. I think our dinner host liked all the talk. It made his dinner different than so many others. It moved him up the social ladder by having such fascinating guests.

Finally, it was my and Keara’s turn to play the piano. Like the day we arrived, we played “Bella’s Lullaby.” This time it was flawless. We had practised for most of the morning, until we got it right. Tom and Jacob watched us. Later, Jacob told me how beautiful the music was, almost as beautiful as me. We also played a few other songs, and the guests applauded. Their applause was not that of politeness; it was from the heart. Keara was on top of the world. I was thrilled for her. She had almost lost her life, and now she was happier than I had ever seen her.

We finished the night with a dance to a mix of Spanish and local music. The rains held off for most of the night, and we danced under the moon and stars until well after midnight.

July 11, 1740

We all got up very early, too early for most. The dinner and dance had gone late. I think we got about four hours sleep, if we were lucky. We headed out just before dawn and made our way to the church of Friar Bernardo.

We arrived just in time to take part in his first Mass. We sat in his house of God and listened. He saw us there and smiled. I think we made his day.

After the Mass, we met, talked, and laughed. Then we said our good-byes. This would be the last time we would ever see this amazing man.

“Thank you for saving us,” I said to him. We hugged, and I held him forever. I didn’t want to let him go.

He said to us, “My children, go with God, and be happy. I do not know where you are from, but I know your journey is far from over.”

With that, we picked up our packs, filled with treasures, and left the friar standing at the door of his church. We waved good-bye as he waved back to us.

“Vayan con Diós. Go with God.”

We held hands with our loves and started to walk up the hill. The last time I turned around, I saw him close the door behind him.

Jacob held my hand tight. I know he didn’t want to lose me, and I him.

July 15, 1740

Our stay with Don Carlos and his family was wonderful. They taught us how a lady rides a horse. Jacob and Don Carlos practised fencing. Jacob sucked at first, but got better. Don liked that he had someone to practise against.

That morning we left for a horseback ride into the hills above the town. From up there, we could see everything. The sea on which we had come stretched out to the horizon. We stopped in a small green clearing and had lunch. We sat under a tree, with our food laid out before us, and talked about what we were going to do next.

“We can’t stay here forever. We have to start thinking about moving on,” Jacob said.

He was right. As good as life was there, it was not our home. The problem was that, when your home is 274 years in the future, there are very few, if any, places you can call home.

I told the group that I wanted to send a message home to our families. They looked at me as if I were crazy.

“What?” I said. “It bugs me that I wasn’t able to say good-bye to my family.”

“No, she’s right. We could send a message through time,” Jacob said.

Tom jumped in. “We can send a message that gets to us just before we leave on the caving trip and stops us!”

“We could, but it wouldn’t help us, for we are here, and no messenger came telling me not to go. Therefore it won’t work. It’s not like suddenly we will find ourselves back in the cave. The message will get lost and never make it to us.

“Like it or not, you can’t change time. It is what it is. We were meant to walk into that cave. We were meant to travel through time. Robert was meant to die. Everything, everyone has a part to play. Our part is this. You cannot change it. All we can do now is finish it.”

Jacob looked at me. “Trinity has a wish to send a note in a bottle through time to our parents, to let them know that we are okay. I think that is a good wish, and one we should try to make happen.”

I tried to hold back my tears. “I miss them a lot, and every night, I pray that they are safe. I want them to know we are safe. I want them to go to bed knowing that, to be at peace. That’s what I want more than anything.”

“Then I think we should deliver that wish,” Andy said.

“How?” Keara asked.

“We know the future. We know things. We know how things will play out. When wars come, who wins? Who loses? What things to invest in? We are family now, and we can use what we know to make sure our children, and their children after them, are well taken care of,” Jacob pointed out.

“Aren’t we changing the future then?” Kim tried to point out.

“No. How can you change what is meant to happen? As I said, all of this was meant to play out this way. I miss my family very much, but I’m also very thankful for you as my friends. And most of all, I’m very thankful to have you as my wife.” Jacob looked at me. He always knew what to say at the right time. Women like to be told they are loved. I think men like it too.

So we had the start of a plan. A plan which in time would change, evolve and adapt, but for now, we would have to leave and travel to Europe and make our way to Switzerland. There we could leave our message, which would consist of these words and the words which would follow in the coming years. Wars would pass the country by over the centuries, meaning that our message would not be lost to invaders. We did not know the full details yet, but we hoped a church or some society would hold our message safe for 274 years and then deliver it a few days after we went missing. This was our hope, and if we planned it right, it should work. In the message, or time capsule, we would put all our belongings, and diary of our lives living in the past. Our parents and loved ones would know everything about how our lives turned out. They would read about us growing up, how we fared in life, who our children were, and who we fell in love with and married. Before any parent dies, they long to see these things. And I made it my mission to honor that wish.

We would have to start planning to leave New Spain and head across the great sea. The thought was quite overwhelming. Once in Europe, we would have to find a way to make money. After all, we were not born into wealth. We would have to earn it the hard way. Ten thousand pesos sounded like a lot, and it was. We could live very well for a few years in New Spain, but then what? Sell off one more of our trinkets? No, Jacob was right. We needed to use what we knew and make something of ourselves.

We rode back to the estate just in time for dinner. Don Carlos was happy to see us. It was over dinner that we told him we would be moving on shortly and heading to Europe— to what we believed would be our home—now that we had money.

Don Carlos looked at each of us, stood, and raised his glass high. “Yo también extrañaré, a mis amigos. Pero les deseo lo mejor.”

I started to translate. Jacob stopped me and said, “He will miss his friends, but he wishes us the best.”

“Yes,” I said.

We drank, and drank, and drank some more.

We were told how bad people were toward others through history, but there was some good. For if there was not good, we as a people wouldn’t have survived. Perhaps it was our destiny to always find nice people along the way. I surely hoped so.

July 20, 1740

This would be our last day with Don Carlos. The next day we would depart for Mexico City. Jacob asked that I translate for him, and I joined him in the study with Don Carlos. Carlos, stepped forward, gave each of us a hug, and asked what he could do for us.

“I have a final gift for you,” Jacob said.

I passed his words on.

Jacob pulled out a small cloth bag and slid it over to Don Carlos. He looked inside and pulled out the .357 Smith &Wesson gun Jacob had used to save the life of Keara from the grizzly bear. Don Carlos picked it up and looked at it. He was amazed by the quality of workmanship.

“Please tell him it will go very nice on his wall right here.” Jacob pointed to an open space in Don Carlos’s collection of guns. “Tell him it was last used to rescue Keara from a grizzly bear and save her life. Tell him I’m sorry, but I have no ball and caps to make it work anymore. All he can do is display it and admire the quality of workmanship. And each time he looks at it, he will remember us and our visit.”

I passed on his words. Don Carlos came around the desk and gave us one more big hug. “Muchas gracias.”

Not to be outdone, Don Carlos walked over to the bookshelf, pulled down a box, and walked over and handed it to Jacob. “Para usted.”

Jacob looked at me.

“For you,” I said.

Jacob opened the box. Inside were two flintlock pistols. He pulled one out and said, “Gracias.”

Don Carlos slapped him on the back and then hugged him like a lost son. “How you say…You may need someday.”

And so closed one more stop on our journey.

July 21, 1740

We departed the hacienda of Don Carlos, heading for Mexico City. Don Carlos wanted us ladies to ride in a coach, but we decided to ride with the boys on horseback. We were joined by Oscar Sánchez, and a group of his men to act as protection from possible robbers along the way. Ten thousand pesos is a lot of money, and we didn’t want to lose it or our lives.

The journey to Mexico City would take about eight days. Once there, we would stay at Don Carlos’s city home until we could book passage aboard a Spanish ship to Spain. From there we were not sure what would come next, but at some point, we would have to make it to Switzerland.

As the gates of the hacienda swung shut for the last time, I thought I saw Friar Bernardo waving to us from a nearby hill. By noon, Mazatlán was no longer to be seen as we headed into the hills above the city. We would try to sleep at inns along the road, but some nights, we would have to sleep under the stars.

August 1, 1740

We finally made it to Mexico City. The trip took a few extra days to complete due to summer rains along the way. We could have used our rain-proof coats, but we didn’t want to show them off to Oscar and his men. Once again, there would be too many questions.

Mexico City was a thriving place; nothing like Mazatlán. The buildings were grand and built in a Spanish style.

We were all tired. The air in Mexico City was cool compared to what we were used to. The high elevation was also hard on us. We found ourselves much more tired.

By noon we rode into the city home of Don Carlos’s family. We were met by the house staff, who greeted us as if we were VIPs. Jacob helped me down from my white stallion, which Don Carlos had specially picked for me on this trip. We made our way into the house. It was grand in scope, but lacked the magic of the hacienda. We could see why Don Carlos used this home only when he had to come to Mexico City on business.

The staff showed us to our respective rooms. The first thing we did was sit down on the long couch in our bedroom; there we looked at each other. We smiled. Alone at last. Jacob looked so good. He was now sporting a ponytail. His hair had grown long over the last year. He had on off-white riding pants with high boots. As I sat here, I was once again reminded how far we had come. Just over a year ago, we were walking through mosquito-thick swamps, not knowing if tomorrow would be our last day. I pulled off my riding boots and slid over to be next to Jacob, but he had fallen asleep on the couch. No matter, I curled up next to him.

August 17, 1740

The city was abuzz with talk of Don Pedro de Castro arriving, who would act as the new viceroy of New Spain. His ship had been attacked by the British, and he was forced to flee in a small boat, with other passengers, near Puerto Rico back in June. He had now finally made his way to Mexico City to claim the governorship.

We were reminded that things would not be as easy as we had hoped. Spain and Britain had been at war for the last ten years.

That afternoon we all met for lunch. Jacob had booked us passage to Spain on a galleon, a Spanish warship returning to Spain laden with silver and gold to feed the war effort.

“How much did that cost us?” Tom asked.

“Five hundred and fifty pesos.”

“At that rate, we will be out of money very soon.”

“I know,” Jacob replied.

“Are we doing the right thing?” I asked.

“Is there a right thing? We were not born into wealth, and we are going to have to find some way to make a living. It’s not like any of us can marry into Don Carlos’s family anymore.”

Jacob had a point. What do six people from the future do to make a living? The world didn’t run as we knew it. We couldn’t just invent something that had already been invented and call it ours. This part of the world worked on the class system. We would have to find a place where we could settle down and make a living. Time was not on our side. Added to the fact that tensions between Spain, Britain, and France, would lead to a number of wars in the future, it would be best to steer clear of them. I wished I, and the rest of us, would have listened in history class and not screwed around so much. It would have helped a lot.

“When do we sail?” Tom asked.

“Fourteen days. We sail from Veracruz,” Jacob replied.

“How long before we reach Spain?” I asked.

“Thirty to thirty-five days or so, subject to wind and the seas.”

“Thirty-five days? You’re kidding.”

“This is not the jet age. Steamships are still two hundred years away.”

“I know, but…thirty-five days on a boat?”

“I think if you can sail down the coast of America to New Spain, you can do this,” Jacob lectured “I have three cabins booked. The ladies should be happy to know we will be dining with the captain each night.”

“How many passengers on this ship?” I asked.

“Just us.”

“Well that should be fun. When do we leave?”

“In eight days.”

Eight more days, I thought. I was sad to be leaving New Spain. I stood and walked to the window.

“What are you thinking?” asked Kim.

“There’s nothing we can do here?” I asked.

“You tell us,” Jacob replied.

“I like it here.”

“I do too, but we have gone over this as a group. The class system will not, cannot, let us succeed here.”

He was right. I knew it. Besides, I needed to get my message home to let our families know we were safe.

The last days in Mexico City were filled with walks, dinner, a stage show, and carriage rides all over the city. The six of us had a great time, I will always be thankful for the time we had there. We did a lot. Part of it was the thought of being on a ship for thirty-five days. It was just too much. Whenever I could, I would sneak a photo on my phone. I hoped that in 275 years they stilled worked. The ultimate time capsule, I thought.

August 26, 1740

Good-bye to Mexico City. That morning we rode out on horseback to Veracruz, where we would board a ship and sail to Spain. The road was good. That night we stopped and spent a night at an inn along the way. Being a young lady in this time was nice, but I needed to be free. I needed to get out and be free of all that heavy clothing. Out there on the road, away from the city, I could ride and dress like a man.

August 28, 1740

We rode into Veracruz, which was abuzz with people. The city was the main port for New Spain. All goods from Spain made their way here, and in turn, all the wealth from New Spain flooded east from here. We were very quickly shocked by the number of black slaves. Slavery in Veracruz was big; it was everywhere. Needless to say, we wanted no part of Veracruz other than to wait for our ship to sail east. We took rooms at an inn in the centre of the city and waited the three days before sailing.

That afternoon, Jacob and the boys went down to the dock to see our ship. Kim, Keara, and I remained holed up in our rooms, waiting for their return. Oscar, Sánchez and his men departed that night and started their return journey to Mexico City. Just after dark, the boys returned. They had met the captain, Alonso de Leiva, who commanded the San Ignacio. This would be our home for thirty-five or so days. He was said to be a nice man who welcomed our company for the coming crossing.