Sea Air by Jule Meeringa

all got to work. Even Anna joined in by sewing the sails.
    Years passed in the Hagena household, and Mathis, Jürgen, and Uwe grew into young men. Mathis could hardly wait until he was old enough to go make his way in the world. He went to school halfheartedly—a mediocre student at best. On the other hand, Uwe made up for his small size by becoming a star in the classroom, which made Mathis an even more reluctant student. The constant comparisons got on his nerves, even as he found himself pushed into an increasingly demanding caregiver role. He still had to do physical therapy exercises with Uwe and take him everywhere he needed to go. And whenever Uwe’s handicaps kept him from participating in some activity, Mathis had to stay at home with him while his friends went out and enjoyed themselves. More and more, Mathis got the feeling that he’d been born just to take care of Uwe, especially since his conception was an accident that happened when his father was home on leave from the front.
    Mathis began to withdraw into himself, and Jürgen did the same. He often sat brooding in the corner. And then, one morning, he just disappeared. His bed was empty, and he’d left most of his clothes behind. Only his duffel bag was missing. On the dining room table, they found a note that said, “Going to sea. Don’t worry. Jürgen.” Nothing more.
    Their parents were beside themselves with worry. They called the police; Jürgen was only seventeen. But the Hagenas’ eldest son remained missing. One day, a postcard arrived from Australia. And then another, this one from South America. Other postcards followed. Jürgen had been hired as a cabin boy and he really had gone to sea! Mathis’s heart ached. Why hadn’t he been the one to come up with the idea?
    It took a year, but Mathis’s father finally located the ship on which Jürgen was sailing. He and Mathis drove to the Port of Amsterdam, where the ship was moored. Mathis spotted him first. Jürgen had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Mathis ran over to the gangway. When Jürgen saw them, he didn’t look scared. Rather, he waved cheerfully. He accompanied his father and Mathis home, and his parents signed him up for a maritime training school. In time, Jürgen became captain of a large ship.
    “I graduated school today and I want to be a captain like Jürgen,” Mathis announced one night at dinner. He was finally eighteen years old.
    His mother dropped her fork and stared at him in horror. Then she started to cry. “I’m worried enough with one of my boys at sea. No, Mathis. It’s out of the question. You can’t do this to me, too.”
    Mathis got up without a word and went to his room. He’d seen this coming. But this time he wouldn’t give in, even if he had to leave at night in the fog, like Jürgen did.
    After a couple of hours, his father came to his room. Mathis expected the worst, but his father surprised him.
    “Mathis,” he said quietly, sitting next to him on the bed. “Your mother is really worried about Jürgen. I don’t think we can do this to her.”
    Mathis started to protest, but his father raised a hand. “Hear me out. I’ve got an idea.”
    “What is it?”
    “There’s one solution your mother might agree to.”
    Mathis gave him an anxious look. “Yes?”
    “You could go into the German Navy.”
    “The Navy?” Mathis was quiet for a moment. He hadn’t even considered the possibility. “I’ll have to think about it.”
    “Of course. Take your time. You don’t want to rush into a decision this important.”
    “Thanks, Father.”
    He nodded and left Mathis alone again.
    A few months later, little Mathis Hagena’s dream finally came true: He boarded a huge sailing ship. It was the training ship for the German Navy, the Gorch Fock .
    We sailed quite a distance during Mathis’s story and had reached the open sea. The wind filled our sails perfectly. Mathis’s deep, calm voice was heaven to me. I sat for a long time, thinking about