Entry 6, November 10, 1509 Sorry I couldn’t write for so long the truth is nothing has really been going on. We are still in Hispaniola. Ovando and Pizzzaro have opened plantations on the island which cat has to work on. I am now 16, Catalina is 17, and Aribela is 14 which means she has spent half of her life on this voyage. Each year on any of our birthdays Ari would fix something up and we would light a stick on fire and the birthday girl would blow it out. Catalina gets a day of work from the plantations on her birthdays. I am now happy that i don’t need to work in the blazing heat granted I need to scavenge for food and Cat gets free meals but I like cooking.During these years i have discovered my love for building things which has come in handy as Ari and I now have a nice little hut to sleep in. There has been talk of leaving Hispaniola to sail elsewhere, maybe home in Spain, maybe to another island. Cat worries that the ship will depart soon. I have obviously grown since 7 years ago so Aribela and I no longer both fit in our barrel. Catalina thinks that we should try to blend me in with the soldiers. I think about Hector every night as I stare at the stars. He is 11 now. I wonder if he remembers me. I have many fond memories of him. Maybe when I get home I can find him. I miss him dearly. It’s getting late. I must sleep now. Goodnight Entry 7, November 13, 1509 We are at sea. I have found a neighboring barrel Ari is in our home barrel. Mine is slightly larger as I am older. I still visit Aribela in her barrel. I actually spend more time in her barrel than mine. It seems smaller than I remembered from when I was nine years old. For context Pizzaro has decided to leave Hispaniola along with a man named Alonso de ojeda to find more riches and continue their quest of Christianity. I have been using my newly acquired building skills to make ‘rooms’ in Aribela and I’s barrels. Now we each have a living area, a sleeping area and a restroom (a bucket and a basin of water). The ship reeks of dead animals, grown men who haven’t showered in a few months, spoiled food, and horse manure. It's disgusting. I hear someone coming goodnight. Entry 8, November 14, 1509 I figured I should give you a look on what a day on the ship looks like so here it is. I wake up in my barrel around 7AM (I constructed a sundial teeheehee) and go to visit Aribela in her barrel At 8AM the sailors finish their morning meal and Ari and I go to find some leftovers for breakfast (the pancakes are amazing) After that Ari and I either hang out in her barrel or wander around looking for cat (she’s busy at this time normally but sometimes she isn’t) During lunch (around 12PM) Catalina comes in the barrel and shares some of her food with us (she hoards the Mac and cheese haha) After lunch Aribela and I just relax (I’ve been trying to attach our two barrels and add a door using only a knife and some wooden screws) Evening meal passes for the sailors and at around 8PM Cat drops some food into our barrels and we eat At around 10PM the sailors are all asleep and Aribela Catalina and I go onto the deck and stargaze I fall asleep at around 11 PM after using the bucket. And that's my day unfortunately nothing has really been going on. I don't even know where we are going. Hopefully we will make it out alive. Entry 9, December 23, 1509 I'M SO EXCITED CHRISTMAS IS TOMORROW I CAN'T WAIT. I know that I’m sixteen and should stop being so excited because I know Santa isn't real but I still adore the holiday. The girls and I have decided to do a secret santa with each other and put presents for each other under a makeshift tree I’m almost finished with. I just drew my slip of paper from the hat I’m going to stick it here with some tack ___________________________________________________ \ / /. CATALINA. \ \_________________________________________________/ As you can see I got Cat but what should I get her???. I know she loves to read so I’m going to find her a book. She already has The knights of the round table. I’m going to go write my own story for her. I need to start writing goodnight. Entry 10, December 26,1509 Ari and I have discovered a secret deck on the ship completely empty but no one knew about it. We updated Cat and moved our barrels there. We might spend new years out there however the crew is getting suspicious I mean whispering from supposedly empty barrel. I’m glad we found the secret deck so there is less chance of being found. Goodnight.
