The Boat

Kerem ran his hand over the huge stone with the hole in the top. It spoke to him somehow. In his mind, he saw it in the deep, troubled waters, helping to anchor a great ship.

The drogue stone was taller than Kerem. There were others like it too, and Kerem and his friends had often played around the ancient relics.

The existence of the huge anchor stones, was the reason why Kerem and many in his village believed the old, old stories. Stories about a massive boat. A boat which had safely carried a handful of people and a load of animals above the flood.

"Tell me again, Dede," Kerem would beg his grandfather, whilst the sheep grazed nearby. "Tell me again about the boat."

***

Kerem's grandfather, claimed to know where the remains of the ancient craft lay, and one day he took Kerem to the site. It was a hard trek for the elderly gentleman, but he was determined to pass on his knowledge.

As Kerem peered at the  rocks, and grass before him, he struggled with disappointment. "Where is the boat Dede?"

"Look carefully, Kerem. Do you not see the shape of a boat?"

Kerem shook his head. "No." He left the site feeling disappointed, and  he wondered whether the men from far away who had come to visit the site had felt disappointed too.

***

One day, as Kerem was leading the family's sheep to new pasture, the ground beneath his feet began to move. An earthquake! This one was worse than any he'd felt before. Quickly, he led the sheep away from the grove of small trees and out into the open. The animals huddled around him as the tremor continued. Kerem was glad that he wasn't near the mountain or any boulders. Eventually, the shaking stopped, and his own shaking subsided too. He led the poor sheep back to his village, where his mother received him with tears of relief. Everyone was safe and accounted for.

***

A short while later, Kerem took the sheep to new grazing once more. As he walked away from the village, he remembered the plentiful grass at the boat site, and decided to go there. For Kerem, it was a pleasant walk, although he missed his grandfather's company. Kerem looked ahead towards the curious formation. What he saw brought a shout to his lips. "The boat! I see it!" He ran, leaving his sheep to follow at their own pace.

Above him, towered what could only be a definite boat shape. "The earthquake must have done this!" He laughed. "Good came out of that bad shaking."

***

Later, as Kerem entered his small home, he went immediately to his grandfather. "Dede! the boat. I saw the boat. The earthquake helped me see the boat!"

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Dede: More informal term for Grandfather in Turkey.

If you would like to know more about Noah's ark and the site referenced in the story, here is an interesting video: 

Holy Land Site Noah's Ark Video

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Story copyright: Alison Lawrence