Immigration to Ellis Island

By: Taylor Brower

December 4 1812

We were in Europe when a horrible earthquake hit and my grandfather knew that we would need to move. We did not know where or when we would move, when the earthquake hit our home town I was terrified.When it was over and our hometown was trashed my parents decided to move to the USA. I did not like the sound of that. When the first ship came to town, I had to get ready. All I had was a trunk to put my most precious items in. I love art and I could paint  anything on to anything. My trunk looked so boring, I decided to take a couple paint brushes and a lot of paint   so when I got bored I could paint something onto the trunk and it would not look so boring any more. I also took a ring that had been passed down 20 generations. It was dimond and very valuable to me. It could be worth a lot of money to I would never sell it is a precious family item. I also took a quilt my grandma and I had been sewing different designs on since I was 3.I would keep going until it was filled. Finally I took a necklace that was given to me by my great grandmother. After many tears, we said goodbye and we went to my father’s wagon. We loaded it up.  I would miss my grandparents, my cousins, my aunts, and uncles. I tried to think of how amazing the new world was going to be I just couldn’t.

When we got to the place where the ship was I got on. Our family was all healthy. We were allowed to board.

That is where I met my new Best Friend.  Her name was Alison and she was from Paris we both spoke english fluently. She taught me some french and I taught her some of the multiple languages I knew how to speak.

Alison got sick the next day  and she died the next. They put her body in a coffin.

Now I was left with no friends and nothing left of Alison. All I could do was go and paint. I wrote Alison in black since she died, and under it I wrote 1800-1812. Then I wrote on the front of the chest my name in pink. I hoped that it was all just a bad dream. When I woke up the next morning they were carrying Alison’s coffin out of the ship to be buried. Then to take my mind off of things I went and designed more on the chest I put on a design that looked like Alison and me playing together. Thats when I realized that no matter what I would do I would never forget Alison. I could not wait to get of this ship.

That is when I did something totally childish and immature. I put on the captain with make up on and I promised myself I would take it off as soon as we got off the ship. I really wanted to show the captain. I knew I couldn’t the people with 3rd class tickets could not go on deck all we could do was stay under deck and eat cold mushy disgusting food.

I wanted to go back home but I knew I couldn’t. I was lonely and I felt like nobody understood me. I wanted a place where I could be alone. Only people with 1st class tickets got there own room. I went to design more on the chest I opened the chest and I saw my ring my necklace and my quilt. At the very bottom a picture of Alison and me. I took one look at it and slammed the chest closed with anger. I decided I would paint the ship sinking. Once again I took it off. I designed a time machine on the chest. I imagined going back in time and imagining doing everything I would have liked to do with Alison.  I started to design some more I designed the Eiffel tower and some of the beautiful  places in Europe there are so many and I designed all of them  with Alison and me. That is when A storm hit. We spent days under deck.

That is where I met my new Best Friend Gabby. I started to feel seasick and I got very claustrophobic and only had about a 5 feet of space in my bed to rest.  I was not feeling well, but when mother said look out the window and I did I felt way better. I saw the statue of liberty and later Ellis Island.

I started to get nervous as we entered Ellis Island what if we got sent back. I could tell that Gabby and her family felt the same way. I could never part with Gabby the way I did with Alison. I wish Alison would have made it to Ellis Island to it would have been so much fun Alison Gabby and me. Now it was just Gabby and me. I walked up the stairs easily but Gabby struggled after the first couple flights and then I started to worry. When I found out this was a test and Gabby was struggling I was scared, What if Gabby could not come to Miami with her family and mine.

I made it to the top, but as I looked down Gabby was getting lead away. I ran after her, my parents said it was okay. Gabby was lead to the examination room. What if this was something serious I would not lose ANOTHER BEST  FRIEND. I waited and waited but Gabby never came out.  After about an hour my parents came to get me and that is when Gabby came out. Her parents first then Gabby. Gabby was on crutches and she said “hey it turns out I broke my ankle climbing up steps I can still go to America” “Oh wow thats great I mean not that you broke your ankle it is great that you can still come to america”I responded. Then my parents called my name “Addie  come here we have to tell you something” they lowered their voices. “We can not come to America there is not enough room on the ship so you will go with Gabby and her family, we will come to America on the next ship and it turns out that you and gabby are going to be neighbors so you will stay with her until we get to America. Grandpa will take care of the house and you will sail…” “FIRST   CLASS” Gabby and I exclaimed together. We started the journey from Ellis island to Miami. When we arrived my bags were waiting there and so was grandpa.  “Addie is that really you I have not seen you since you were born” “Hi Grandpa my parents are coming tomorrow” My parents came and we lived the rest of our lives in Miami.

The End