Dark Water Rising

On Tuesday morning, Seth wakes to find that Lucas, Andy, and Will all joined him in bed. Seth worries about Josiah, thinking the other boy will probably be haunted by what he had to do on the barge. Mama made pan bread for breakfast. Mama and Seth talk about what a good, helpful man Ezra is. Mama calls Ezra “smart” and says he “sure deserves more than his lot in life” (161-62). She asks if Seth and Josiah could rebuild Ezra’s little house in the backyard. Seth says he'll put it on his list but that Aunt Julia’s house is the priority and they need to repair the roof before the next rain. Mama says Papa would be proud of him. Seth is still angry with his father for joining the bridge crew instead of coming home to help.

Outside, Seth carves Sarah Louise Ellington’s name into a wooden marker and wedges it into the branches of the magnolia tree. He hears Ella Rose singing nursery rhymes with the young children; he thinks he was seeing a darkness in her since the loss of her father, but her voice sounds happy now. Matt comes back to help the boys haul ruined carpets and furniture from the house. He tells them the men are working around the clock at the bridge to repair it and that it might take a while. Seth has already accepted this and is starting to think he can handle matters at home by himself after all.

Seth sees Ella Rose staring at the lot where her house was. Now he knows there is a darkness growing in her. Ezra finishes the outhouse and then helps Seth work on the roof. Ezra goes for more fresh water at midday; Seth notices how tired the man is and knows he worked since it was dark that morning, so he thinks he will have to make sure Ezra rests.

Seth sees Josiah walking down the street with Henry Covington. He calls for Ella Rose, who is overjoyed to see her cousin alive. Henry tells her only he and his younger brother, Spencer, survived. Josiah and Seth push Henry’s wagon, which is full of food supplies, to the backyard. Seth wishes he could help Josiah, but he knows the other boy saw awful things and needs to process them. Ella Rose tries to bring Henry and Josiah into the house, but Josiah says he must clean up first. Ella Rose tells him she’ll send someone out with strong soap and clean clothes. Seth appreciates how gentle and caring she is with Josiah.

Ezra is very relieved to see Josiah. Henry leaves to help rebuild the house of the Dobsons, who’d sheltered him and Spencer during the storm. Henry asks Ella Rose to come with him, but she says she owes a debt to the Braedens and will stay and help with the children. Henry asks Seth to walk with him; he tells Seth about finding Mr. Farrell’s body in a tree on Sunday morning. Henry also tells Seth the Judsons and their house are gone and that the burial at sea failed—even with the weights, hundreds of bodies washed up on shore that morning. They’re burning the bodies now. Henry says everyone is worried about disease spreading if they don’t take care of the bodies. He says he’s telling Seth so he can find a way to tell the women.

Seth finishes fixing the roof, then finds his mother and tells her about the bodies washing ashore and the burn pile. They decide they will tell Aunt Julia together after supper. They realize they’ll have to warn Matt, too, because he’ll probably see the burning bodies when he’s taking Papa his meals that night. Seth offers to go instead of Matt to spare him, but Mama says Seth is needed at the house. After supper, Mama and Seth tell Aunt Julia the news. She maintains her composure. That night, Seth and Josiah sit on the roof and watch the sky and the dozen or more fires.

Mama finds the board with Sarah Louise’s name carved on it and convinces Seth to tell her what happened. She makes a paper flower and attaches it to the board. The days blur together as the family works hard to repair the house. The newspapers continue to list the dead, but the family does not report Nate and Ben as among them. On Wednesday evening, the city water mains re-open, and everyone celebrates. That evening, Uncle Nate’s horse, Archer, wanders back into the yard. He serves as a symbol of hope that Ben and Nate and even Henry’s family might still find their way home.

On Thursday, the newspaper prints a full accounting of the storm. The telegraph office opens. On Friday, the banks open, too. The temperatures hit 100 degrees, but no one dares to enter the gulf to swim for relief. No one eats fish from the gulf, either: Seth explains, “As long as the dead still washed ashore, the gulf would remain an unclean enemy” (179). Ezra makes all the trips to pick up rations in town; he’s afraid the militia might press Josiah into service or mistake him for a looter. Provisions start to arrive from the mainland. There are rumors more than 5,000 people died on the night of the storm.

On Saturday, one week after the storm, Matt comes home late and upset. He tells Seth he let Papa sleep later than he was supposed to and that Papa swore at him for it. Seth consoles him and sends him off to finish up the tree fort with the other boys. The family finally has clean water, so Mama and Aunt Julia work on scrubbing the grime from the house and the family’s clothes. Seth worries for Ella Rose, who rarely smiles anymore. He thinks her loss might be overwhelming her. Then he wonders if she’s sad because Seth is too busy to spend time with her.

Seth and Josiah work to repair the house. Seth is anxious about his father coming home and finding his work inadequate. Ezra comes home with news that mule carts will begin running their routes again. Everyone is excited for this small return to normal life. Seth worries about Josiah’s mental health after all the other boys saw on the body gangs. Seth tells Josiah they need to go out looking for a lot more lumber the next day so they can rebuild Ezra and Josiah’s house. Josiah smiles and agrees. They watch the twilight sky together until supper is ready.

Everyone gets a tub bath that night. Seth gets into a clean bed and feels almost like life is normal again. He thinks about Ella Rose and wonders if she ever lies awake thinking of him. On Sunday morning the convent bells ring, but only a few of the city’s churches can hold services. Mama asks Seth to read some Bible verses to the family before breakfast but doesn’t ask them to observe the day by not working.

Seth and Josiah build a sled and take Archer out to find lumber to rebuild Ezra’s house. The house will be small and simple, but Seth wants to add a little porch area where Ezra can sit and watch his garden. On Monday morning, Seth awakens from a dream about Zach. He and Josiah work on the foundation to Ezra’s house after breakfast, even though they need more lumber. When Matt gets home, he surprises Seth by hooking up the sled to the horse and getting the younger boys to help him find lumber. They even find four windows.

The newspaper reports the number of dead might rise to 6,000. The number is staggering, but Seth thinks it may match the level of devastation he saw on his travels. Some stores in town regain power. Support pours in from around the country—the American Red Cross arrives, and contributions begin to arrive from people all over. Seth is thankful but also wishes they could just leave. Many people already left the island, but Seth knows his family will stay: “The storm that ravaged Galveston had left behind much more than wreckage and mud and death. It had left a challenge” (190). Josiah and Seth build a bond as they work together. They discuss how they only ever felt such peace working with another man when they were working with Zach.