For Those in Peril

FOR THOSE IN PERIL ON THE SEA



Huw and Ifor grew up together in Mumbles, West Wales. They went to the same school and when they were called upon to do national service, they joined the South Wales Borderers. Each married girls from the same street and when children came along, they were just one big happy family.

The phone rang in Huw's house - it was Ifor. “I've got bad news - Mam's dead.” Huw winced, but the old lady had been ill for a long time and her demise was expected. “I’m sorry, Ifor,” he said. “She was a lovely woman and she lived a good life. I feel as if it's my mam who’s gone." Ifor muttered his thanks and then gave details of the funeral service and cremation which had been arranged for the following Saturday.
Ifor's dad served in the merchant navy during the second world war; his ship was hit by a torpedo while sailing to Russia in one of the Arctic convoys and he was lost along with the rest of the crew. “Mam told me she wanted to join Dad when her time came and have her ashes scattered in the sea," said Ifor. Huw’s eyes opened wide: “How are we going to get them up to the Arctic? That'll be an expensive business.” “No, not the Arctic,” said Ifor, “There’s no need to go that far, Swansea Bay will do.” Ifor went on to say he had asked the coxswain of the Mumbles lifeboat if he could help but had ruled that out when told how much it would cost. Huw said that a neighbour of his had a boat and he offered to speak to him about using it.
The following day, Huw saw Ifor and told him it was all arranged; the boat would be ready in Swansea harbour at 2 o’clock the following Tuesday afternoon. “I told him there would be four of us - that’s you, me, Uncle Will (Mam's brother) and the preacher. With Dai, who owns the boat, there'll be five altogether."

The day after the service in Morriston Crematorium, the funeral director delivered a brown plastic pot containing Mam’s ashes. It was placed reverently on the sideboard in Ifor and Janice's front room.
Uncle Will came for lunch on the day the ashes were due to be consigned to the deep and he went with Ifor to pick up the vicar. Going down the hill towards the sea, Uncle Will could see that the waves in Swansea Bay were being blown into ‘white horses’. “I hope you’ve got a nice big boat for us, Ifor,” he said. “Don’t you worry, Uncle Will," his nephew replied. "Huw's sorted it out. We'll be alright, don’t you fear.”
When they got out of the car near the harbour wall, they saw Huw talking to a man wearing a blue peaked-cap. He was introduced to the others as Dai - the boat owner. After a round of hand shakes, Dai pointed towards some stone steps and said: "If you'd like to follow me, we'll get started." He led the way down to the water where a small boat was tied to an iron ring on the side of the wall.
The Reverend Rufus Llewellyn took hold of Ifor's arm and said: "You're not serious about going to sea in that small boat are you?"
Ifor was in a difficult position. He was as surprised as the vicar about the size of the boat but he knew that if he showed any sign of anxiety the final farewell to Mam might have to be called off. A chain reaction had set in though and Uncle Will voiced his concern as well about setting out on a voyage in a vessel not much bigger than a bath tub. "I can't swim," he said, hoping that the absence of sufficient life jackets would rule him out. Ifor asserted his authority at this point and before the uneasy passengers could voice more objections, he grabbed them by their coat collars and dragged them aboard. As soon as everyone was sitting down, Dai started the engine and headed for the open sea

If the Reverend Llewellyn and Uncle Will thought it was choppy inside the harbour, it was mild compared with the conditions they met when they nosed their way into Swansea Bay. They had not gone more than 30 yards from the end of the harbour wall when Uncle Will yelled: "Drop the pot in here, Ifor, before we all get drowned!" Ifor clung to the pot containing his mother's ashes, to which he had prudently tied a house brick, and replied: "No, Uncle Will. If I drop her in here, she might float back. We've got to go a bit further." Even Huw became anxious, but Dai had plenty of confidence in his boat and increased speed until they were bouncing over the waves. "Right," said Ifor after they had travelled about half a mile, "this is far enough."
The Reverend Llewellyn delivered the oration from the sitting position and when he came to the bit about 'committing her ashes to the deep, Ifor dropped the brick and plastic pot over the side. Uncle Will was sick just as the charred remains of his sister disappeared beneath the waves and he pleaded with Dai to turn the boat around and head back to the harbour.
But the ceremony was not over. Ifor withdrew from his pocket five sheets of paper upon which were printed the words of the mariners' hymn - 'For Those In Peril On The Sea'. Ifor, a powerful baritone, lead the singing with support from Dai in the stern singing the bass part. Uncle Will and the vicar identified themselves completely with the sentiment of the verse but were quite unable to utter a sound as the boat bucked and rolled and gave every indication of following Mam's ashes to the bottom.

Janice was waiting at home for her husband and the others to return from their sea trip. "Where's the pot then, Ifor?" she asked. "I left the ashes in it as the wind was blowing so hard. It's at the bottom of Swansea Bay now," said Ifor. "Oh, there's silly," she pouted, "It looked nice on the sideboard. We could have had some daffodils in it in a few week's time. Mam would have liked that." "Well, it's too late," said Ifor, "besides, I don't think Uncle Will would like to be reminded of what he's gone through today every time he comes to see us."
Uncle Will had partly recovered and was half way through his second sour cream scone. "You're right there, Ifor," he said, "and don't have any ideas when I die about sending what's left of me to join your mam. One trip out there is quite enough for me."