横浜市鶴見区に密着した地域型のスワンアカデミー英会話教室。未就園児から大人まで、3人までのグループレッスン、個人レッスン、セミプライベートレッスン、オンラインレッスン

The wind sang its song reminding Henson just how far away from home he was and stared at the old woman. “So, that’s what happened, the ones that came before Mr. Peary and myself.” Ahnah nodded her ancient head. “About two months later, maybe longer, I don’t know, an English whaling ship came. Irwin and Oaks had made it to the post, we’re picked up and we were rescued.” “And Dunn, he stayed?” Ahnah nodded and smiled. “He stayed, was my husband and leader of our band. We raised Tah, whom you know as Tahsa and is now our chief. Dunn died in… 1892.” “I’m sorry, Ahnah.” “He drowned on a hunting expedition. I miss him. I heard his sister was still alive.” Henson stared at the snow. “And the others?” “Tim Reiner became a whaling captain himself, I see him every two or three seasons. He’s told me about the others. Irwin is a boat steerer with Tim. Denhard drowned in some faraway place, I heard he was a first mate. Aesop and Mason never went back to sea. Aesop took his money and started a dry goods store. Mason and his woman Mai-Ling raised their son. I heard Mason died last year. His wife is still alive, their son is a doctor, I heard. Hollister never did get his sight back, he married his woman, he died in 1906. “Why didn’t Mason or anyone else say anything?” Ahnah shook her head. “Tim told me they wanted too, but the men who gave them the money told them to say nothing and paid more money for them to be quiet. They were disappointed and worried that Mason’s failure would reflect on them. Tim said Hollister tried to publish something but it never went anywhere. Tim said it was… it was…” she was trying to remember the word. “Suppressed?” ventured Henson. “Yes, suppressed, that’s what Tim told me.” She sighed and looked at Henson. “It doesn’t matter anymore, nobody cared then, it doesn’t mean anything. Not anymore.” “I’m sorry Ahnah, really I am.” “This is your time, enjoy what it brings you.” Henson nodded and walked away. Tasha walked over to his aunt. “You told him?” Ahnah nodded her head. “Someone had to know, I didn’t want those men to be forgotten.” “Your sled is prepared as asked,” said Tasha. “Must you go? I wish you wouldn’t.” “I must Tasha, it is my time.” Ahnah smiled, “So much like your mother and father, they live in you. They would have been proud of you.” She stood at the back of the sled. “Good bye Tasha, take care of yourself and the band.” She cracked the whip and the dogs, barking and straining pulled the sled away taking Ahnah into the distance, into the white, into nothingness. Robert Peary returned to civilization and announced his triumph to the world. Something he thought would be so easy wasn’t to be. Dr. Frederick Cook contested Peary’s claim to the North Pole with his own, saying he had arrived there a year before on April 21, 1908. Both claims were criticized, the decision finally falling in Peary’s favor. He was given a number of awards and a Rear Admiral’s pension in the United States Navy. He died February 20, 1920 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Frederick Cook maintained his was the rightful claim to the Pole and was involved in a number of somewhat questionable claims and deals and served a term in prison. He died August 5, 1940. Matthew Henson returned to the United States and was largely forgotten by many concerning his important role in Peary’s expedition. He worked as a clerk in a Federal Customs House in New York and in 1944, congress awarded him a duplicate silver medal that was awarded to Peary. He was honored by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. He died in 1955. Today, the claims are considered doubtful, but what if a whaling ship and her crew…?  

About The Author

Joseph Fick was born and grew up in northern Illinois in the United States. At the age of 17 he joined the U.S. Navy where he was trained as a Marine Engineer. He is at present an English teacher, residing in Japan with his wife and children. NORTH is his first novel.