The Cay 1-6

When was the Hato torpedoed?

3:00 AM April 6, 1942

What happened to Phillip as he went into the water?

As Phillip went into the water, he recalls seeing his mother, but then his next memory was being hit in the head from something from above. He passed out. The next thing he knew is that he awoke several hours later on a raft. The man that was beside him told him that he had been hit on the head and that he had to haul him aboard the liferaft.

What hopeful thing happened toward noon on the third day that Phillip and Timothy were on the raft?

On the 3rd day that Timothy and Phillip were on the raft, a ray of hope came their way. Timothy heard a motor sound off in the distance. The author described Timothy as lighting a torch, holding it in the air, and screaming toward the sound of the aircraft stating, "Look down here!"

How was the fort different on this visit from before?

On this visit to the fort, it looked different from the visits before. Phillip describes the fort as similar to a storybook before the war, but now, he stated that there were soldiers with real rifles, men with binoculars keeping watch, and an overall tense feeling.

How did Phillip feel once he realized his condition? What did he do?

Once Phillip realized he was blind, he became very upset. According to the text on page 46, Phillip began to crawl, screaming for his mother and father.

The pain went away from Phillip's head, but what happened that was worse?

Once the pain went away from Phillip's head, he realized something way worse happened. He was blind. According to the text, when he woke up, he thought it was night because all he saw was black. He shouted, "I'm blind, I'm blind."

How did Phillip and his mother get separated?

Phillip and his mother got separated after the Hato was torpedoed. Passengers were being put into the liferafts. Phillip recalled seeing his mother being helped into the raft by a sailor. Phillip remembers feeling himself being put into the boat. Then the passengers of the lifeboats ended up in the water when the Hato shifted and prevented the lifeboats from being lowered. Although Phillip saw his mother in the water, he was unable to get to her. His last memory was being hit from something above him.

What did Phillip ask Timothy to tell him? What did Timothy do?

Phillip asked Timothy to describe the ocean to him. Timothy did by saying that there was miles of ocean water surrounding them. He went into detail in order to get Phillip to picture what he was seeing through his eyes.

Phillip didn't want to leave Curacao and thought about hiding. Why didn't he hide?

Phillip decided not to hide because he was afraid of causing his father trouble. He knew that his father would worry. He told his father that he wanted to stay with him, but his father finally stated that he thought it would be best for Phillip to return with his mom.

What caused Phillip to fall off the raft and fall in the water with the sharks?

Phillip fell off of the raft and into the water with the sharks when Timothy shouted that he spotted land. Phillip jumped up, and in his excitement, he lost his balance and fell overboard.

What kept Phillip awake most of the night?

Phillip was awake most of the night because he was concerned about his mother's desire to return to Virginia. The author mentioned that Phillip felt saddened about the thoughts of leaving the island. Phillip was also concerned that his friend, Henrik, would think he and his mother were cowardly for leaving.

What effect did the sinking of the Tern have on Phillip?

Phillip was saddened by the sinking of the Tern. He thought to himself, "I was no longer excited about the war; I had begun to understand that it meant death and destruction."

What did Philip do that he wasn't supposed to do?

Phillip went down to the old fort in Punda after his mom specifically told him to stay home. She told him to stay home because she was worried about his safety since the war had begun.

What did Phillip wonder?

Phillip wondered if he would ever see a bird again. He began to think about this after Timothy described the booby bird that he saw.

Where did Philip's father work?

Phillip's father worked for a refinery. Phillip's mother did not want to go to Curacao. His father stated that he was needed for the war effort. Royal Dutch Shell borrowed him from his American company because he was an expert in refineries and gasoline production.

What happened to Phillip's mother?

Since Phillip and his mother were separated in the water, Phillip was not 100% certain about what happened to his mom. Timothy tried to ease his mind by telling him that he believed that Phillip's mom was safe and sound on another raft.

Identify Stew.

Stew Cat is the cook's cat that jumped aboard the raft. Timothy didn't have the heart to throw him off.

What words did Phillip use to describe Timothy?

Stubborn old man

Why did the Chinese crews on the tankers refuse to sail?

The Chinese crews on the tankers refused to sail without naval escorts because they were frightened of being hit by a torpedo. Phillip's mother tried convincing Phillip's father of this by telling him that even the people who are the most angry would be afraid to sail those ships too.

Where were the Enrights from? What were they doing in Curacao?

The Enrights were from Virginia. Philip's mother often talked about life back in Virginia and how much she missed it. Philip's dad was helping with the oil refinery during the war.

Identify SS Empire Tern

The SS Empire Tern was a big British tanker that was one of the few armed ships in the harbor. This ship was bringing fuel to the Royal Air Force. The author described the men on the ship as excited and the men, "...waved back holding up their fingers in a V for victory sign."

Identify the SS Hato

The SS Hato was a small Dutch freighter with a high bow and stern. Phillip had usually seen it in St. Anna Bay. The author referred to it as an "old tub".

Describe the man Phillip saw when he came to after being hit in the head going into the water.

The man Phillip saw when he came to after being hit in the head was a man named Timothy. The author described Timothy as a large, very old black man with gray hair. Phillip noted that Timothy's teeth seemed very white in contrast to his black skin. He also noticed a large scar on Timothy's back. Timothy's accent is different than how Phillip speaks. He is disciplined, caring, and protective of Phillip.

What "rare good luck" did Phillip and Timothy have?

Timothy and Phillip had the rare good luck of finding a large keg. Timothy mentioned that they were lucky that the water keg didn't bust. They were also able to find biscuits, chocolate, and dry matches.

Who was on the raft with Phillip?

Timothy and Stew Cat

What did Timothy say was bad luck?

Timothy considered Stew Cat bad luck. He stated that not only was the cat bad luck, but killing a cat was as well.

What did Timothy see that the raft was headed toward?

Timothy could see that the raft was headed toward the island (The Cay). Timothy told Phillip that they were about 2 miles away from the island.

Where was Timothy's home?

Timothy stated that his home was in Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas. Phillip asked Timothy where he was from and this is what Timothy told him.

How did Timothy and Phillip feel about leaving the raft?

Timothy thought it was a good idea to leave the raft and go ashore. He thought they would get help from the land. Phillip wanted to stay on the raft because he thought the Navy was still searching for them.

Timothy told Phillip they had something very important to do the next day. What was it?

Timothy told Phillip they had something very important to do the next day. He stated that they needed to stay alive. In the text, Timothy mentioned to Phillip that the next day would prove to be very long. The author leads us to believe the next day would be tough for survival.

Describe the parting of Phillip and his mother from his dad.

When Phillip and his mother left on the SS Hato, his dad seemed excited, but that didn't last long. When the whistle blew for the ship to set sail, his dad appeared nervous. He was described as saying goodbye through clenched teeth. The hug between father and son lasted longer than normal which would leave you to believe they were both very nervous. As the ship left the harbor, Phillip and his mom could see a "tall lonely figure" waving goodbye.

What was Phillip's reaction to his mother's telling him they were leaving the island to go home to Norfolk?

When Phillip's mom told him that they were leaving the island to go home, he described feeling hollow inside. The author described Phillip as feeling angry, even going so far as to accuse his mother of being a coward.

What did Timothy say about Phillip's condition?.

When Timothy realized that Phillip was blind, he tried to remain calm in order to keep Phillip from panicking. In the text, he told Phillip a story of another person he knew that was blinded after being hit on the head. He stated that his sight was better in 3 days.

What was different at the Queen Emma pontoon bridge?

When visiting the Queen Emma pontoon bridge, Phillip noticed that this visit felt different because there weren't as many people. Phillip stated that there weren't any people laughing and shouting the way they normally did. In a place that normally Phillip felt welcomed, he was now shooed away by an army officer.

What did the Negro man call Phillip?

Young Bahss