A Captain's Duty

for me with Father Danielson, our current pastor. They said a prayer to give me some strength. That’s what drove Andrea—providing strength to me. She’s always been attuned to other people’s needs, not her own. It’s the Italian mother in her.
    But Andrea had her doubts. She would think, Why do I think I’m so special? Other friends have gone through divorces, or watched loved ones die, or lost their homes. I’ve always been lucky. Those were the questions she had for Father Privé, and for God. Because the alternative was too dreadful to contemplate: “I thought to myself, ‘What would I do if Rich died?’” she said. “‘How would I go on? How would my kids pull through losing their father?’” But deep in her heart, she still believed I was going to make it.
    She didn’t have answers for those questions. All she could think was We were planning to grow old together. And she tried to avoid thinking about being alone for the rest of her life.
     
    Andrea was desperate for news. At one point, she checked her e-mail and there was a message from Shane Murphy, my chief mate:
    Andrea—
    This is Shane Murphy, the chief mate of the Maersk Alabama. The last update I had on your husband was that he was still in good spirits but still detained. He will beat these guys. I know how strong he is. His will is stronger than any captain I haveever sailed with. I mean that. And the 19 men on this ship owe him our lives, and are thankful for him for every free breath we take. His attention to training and preparation is the very reason we had time to react the way we did. Additionally I was able to stay in contact with him over the radio and pass information secretly that led to us turning the tables. All I can say is to try and stay positive and have faith that we will get through this. The four men that have him are weak, and scared. There is no telling how long they will hold out, but I’m sure that Captain Phillips will outlast them.
    I hope you are holding up well under these trying circumstances…. There were several more armed pirate ships converging on the area, and the navy felt it best to get our crew out of there. I know that’s what your husband would have wanted, because that’s what he told me before we left. He would not let me come help him, he was adamant that he be the only one to go, and we are forever grateful to him for his sacrifice. Good luck and be strong.
    SHANE
    Andrea really appreciated his thinking of me when he’d just escaped being captured himself. And later, Shane even called her from the ship. He told her that the navy was asking them to leave the scene and sail for Kenya. “I want you to know that none of us want to leave Richard,” he said. Andrea told me she could hear in Shane’s voice how pained he was about that.
    “I’m glad you guys are okay,” she told him. “Just do what you need to do. If you have to go, just go.” It’s what I would have wanted, and Andrea knew that.
    Meanwhile, reporters and journalists were standing around in our driveway, freezing and stomping their feet to keep warm. Finally, Andrea, being the caregiver that she is, went out there and said, “Do any girls need to use the bathroom? If so, come on in. The boys will have to go up into the woods.” But the minute she stepped outside, people started rushing over, yelling, “I have a deadline. I have to get something in the paper.” And Andrea told them, “I’m just here to see if anyone needs to use the facilities. When I have something good to say, I’ll be more than happy to come out and tell everyone.”
    It was also happening at her mother’s end. When the press realized Andrea wouldn’t say anything, they looked for someone who would. Her good-natured mother, who lives in Richmond, Vermont, was inviting the TV journalists in out of the cold and telling them our whole life story over a cup of coffee, never imagining the details would appear in the newspaper. Andrea would see all these articles and reports that said, “After their first date, Andrea called her mother and said, ‘Mom, I’ve just met the man I’m going to marry.’” She couldn’t believe it—the night we met, Andrea didn’t call anybody. She knew who the stories were coming from. She called her mother up and was like, “Mom!” And her mom said, “Well, they were cold, so I just invited them in. And they started asking questions!”
    Matt Lauer called the house, his third try at an interview. Andrea