always wanted to be in a row boat, but not this way. She looked beside her and saw her mother looking out to sea as if she had seen something. Her mother was quite tall and very slim. She used to be so beautiful but ever since that wretched mosquito bit her, she had had the disease. All of Rosha's family had died of the disease. Her brother and father had died of it; that was all the family she had ever known. Rosha and her mother were travelling to Port's Island. For they both had `Yellow Fever'. The year was 1731 and the fever was quite common. Rosha stared at her mother. Her skin had turned yellow. She looked as if she had a yellow glow to her. The man that was rowing Rosha and her mother and a couple of other families, stepped off the boat and onto Port's Island. There he tied up the boat and helped everyone off. Rosha looked around her and thought Port's Island was very attractive. She saw many flowers -- Bermudianas, Oleanders, Hibiscus and many more. She turned and saw lots of tents. There were people rushing everywhere and she heard babies crying. She knelt down on the ground and picked a violet Bermudiana. Her mother adored Bermudianas. She tucked it deep into the pocket of her apron and turned just in time to see her mother disappear into a tent with a cross on it. Rosha went to the tent and peeked in there. She saw the most beautiful woman. She had dark skin and the most breathtaking eyes. They were a green, brown mixture.

The woman looked at Rosha and then at her mother. "Is this your daughter?'' she asked. Her mother nodded. Rosha was placed on a seat next to her mother where the nurse wrote down Rosha's full name and how old she was. `Rosha Outerbridge. Nine years old.' "My name is Sandra Smith. I will be you and your daughter's nurse for the time being. If you need anything at all, I will be here or at my tent right next to your's,'' commented Sandra. She showed them the tent they were to stay in, then left them to settle down. Rosha's mother wanted to lie down so Rosha went out to play. She decided she was going to explore the Island but before she did, she popped her head into Sandra's Rosha finds a new mom her that she was going for a walk and wanted to know if she could come. Sandra could. They walked side by side and asked many questions about each other.

They came to a stop right next to a bluebird. They looked around them and saw lots of cedar trees, Oleanders, Hibiscus and Palmettos. They walked on again.

Rosha felt as if she had known Sandra for quite a while. When they returned, there was a patient waiting to see Sandra. Rosha went back to her tent and lay down in her bed. She listened to her mother's steady breathing beside her and fell asleep. She dreamed of her family all together again. It was their last Christmas together. They had had a small chicken with stuffing inside and roast potatoes on the side. They had a delicious cassava pie and for dessert, Christmas pudding. In Rosha's socks she had got a small doll and a pair of shoes. Joshua, Rosha's brother, had received a carving knife and a pair of shoes. Something was not right in Rosha's dream though. There was a light which her brother, father and mother were going to. It was a bright light that was very attractive. Rosha woke up in a cold sweat and got up. She put on her slippers, crossed the tent to where her mother slept, kissed her forehead and went back to sleep. Rosha woke up. She had woken quite late. She quickly dressed and then went to look for her mother and Sandra. Rosha couldn't find them anywhere. She saw them, then ran to them. "Where have you been?'' Rosha asked. "We went for a walk,'' replied her mother. They went into a tent that was bigger than all the others. Sandra left her and her mother in the tent to find something to eat. They picked up their food and sat at a table. There, they had a pleasant, long talk. They talked about life and the dream that Rosha had. Christmas was only two weeks away. Rosha knew that this would be her mother's last Christmas. She was becoming weaker and weaker as the days went by. Rosha however, was becoming stronger. After breakfast, Rosha walked her mother back to their tent and went for a walk by herself though there were rain clouds in the sky. Rosha was a special girl, she had lots of spirit and sensitivity. She was a smart girl for she could figure things out for herself.

She knew the dream meant something but she didn't know what the light was.

Rosha stopped when she saw an opening in the bushes. She went through the opening, which was quite well hidden. In the opening a couple of feet forward, there was a hut made of palmettos. Some of the palmettos had been woven to make an arch at the doorway. Rosha stepped in. This place was comfortable and cozy. She looked around inside and, on the ground, she saw a half woven basket which she picked up. She knew it was a basket because on the main Island she had seen people selling them. Rosha wove one strand, then another and another.

The rain started to pour down hard. Rosha imagined that she was a fugitive fleeing to safety and had taken refuge in this palmetto hut. The rain started to become softer and lighter. Finally, it all came to a stop. Rosha looked at the basket. It looked pretty good considering it was her first attempt at making a basket. She laid the unfinished basket on the palmetto ground, went out the opening of the palmetto hut, and headed for her tent. Time flew by for Rosha that week. She visited the palmetto hut everyday and spent most of her time there. One day, when she had just finished weaving another palmetto basket for her mother, she headed to her tent as happy as could be, not knowing anything was wrong. Sandra and she had become great friends over the past week. Her mother was not better. She approached the tent. Outside the tent, Sandra stood very still, her face tired and solemn. "What's wrong?'' asked the worried girl. "Your mother has gone,'' replied Sandra. Sandra took the crying girl into her arms and rocked her until she fell asleep with a tear-stained face. Sandra placed Rosha into her bed and put a cold cloth on her forehead. That night Rosha dreamed the dream she had had a week ago. This time, Sandra was in it and her mother gave her a word of advice. "Don't be depressed my darling. Enjoy your life while you're still young.'' Then her mother, brother and father went into the light, leaving Rosha with Sandra. The next three days went by very slowly. Rosha went to her hut every day and made many baskets. She was still very sad, but at least she had Sandra. Sandra was always there when she needed her. Many of her baskets she had given to Sandra.

She kept them in a trunk with her other belongings. It was Christmas Eve and there was to be a campfire that night. All the patients and nurses were to be there. They sang many Christmas carols and had some good food for once. After the campfire had finished, Sandra tucked Rosha into bed and told her a Christmas story. Before Sandra went to sleep that night, she put a gold locket into Rosha's sock and went to sleep. Rosha woke up very early that morning, expecting a wonderful Christmas dinner and family to greet her. There was no dinner, but there was family. Sandra greeted her. Rosha peeked into her sock and saw the most beautiful locket she had ever seen. It had been her mother's.

Rosha gave Sandra a mat she had woven. That was when Sandra told her the good news. "Tomorrow, I am to leave the Island for my stay here is through. I would like it very much if you would come back and live with me and my future husband.'' With that, Rosha gave Sandra the biggest hug that could ever be given. The next day around late afternoon, Sandra and Rosha went off back to the main Island of Bermuda. Rosha snuggled against Sandra's chest overjoyed with happiness. She dug deep into her apron and pulled out the violet Bermudiana that she had found the first day. Now it was brown and old. She dropped it in the ocean and watched it float into the sunset. "Goodbye mummy, I love you,'' she whispered. SHORT STORY CONTEST CPN