The winds were so strong I was hurled from the craft into the raging sea. I managed, however, to climb my way back into my boat just as it crashed into the rocks. I was knocked unconscious.
Hours or perhaps a day later, I do not know, I awoke on an island, on a extremely white sandy beach. I did not know at the time, how could I, that I had landed on a mystical magical island. A magical island, seems even ridiculous to say, I know. I laugh now when I recant the story, but I swear every word is true.
Like I said, I had wrecked my boat on the rocks, got knocked unconscious, and when I woke up I was on a beautiful sandy beach. The sun beat down on me from a cloudless sky, crystal clear waves lapped at my legs as I lie in the sand, trying to clear my head.
I tried to stand, made it half way up and fell back down onto the sand. My head was spinning, a concussion, I feared. I looked around in hopes of seeing signs of my wrecked boat, there were none, it was nowhere to be seen. “Where did it go?” I puzzled, but did not have a single clue. Nor did I have a notion as to where I was or how I got there.
Looking down the beach, I discovered I was totally alone, not a creature of any kind was stirring on the beach or in the water. I thought, “it's Gilligan's Island, only without the skipper, Mary Ann, Ginger, the professor or the Howells, I was Gilligan of course. No, it was more like Tom Hanks in “Castaway,” I thought in retrospect.
I was still pondering about that absurd notion when I noticed sand being kicked up a ways down the beach. It was a very curious sight because there seemed to be nothing that would cause such an event to occur. I watched for several minutes with great curiosity.
I returned my attention to the ocean and watching the surf rolling in and out on the beautiful sandy beach. The water was so blue and clear, the sand was so white, it was all and all a very nice day not withstanding I seemed to be marooned on an island, my boat wrecked and missing.
Returning my gaze once again to the beach, I noticed with great amazement two claws were sticking out of where the sand was being thrown about. A twinge of excitement went through me, for some unknown reason, I was not alone on the island. I watched with great interest as the claws dug out of the sand and a head appeared of what seemed to me to be an extremely large crab, perhaps a foot and a half in width.
I saw his eyes, they looked almost intelligent, if the eyes of a crab can indeed look intelligent. He finished digging himself out and to my amazement, headed down the beach toward me. Maybe I should have been frightened, but I was happy, really overjoyed to see any form of life
I took a knee and watched the crab as he approached me, moving toward me seemingly with great purpose. I was fascinated by the creature, he looked somehow friendly, if you can imagine a giant crab looking friendly.
He stopped in front of me and eyed me curiously, “and who might you be, sir? I don't believe I've seen you in these parts before.”
I was so taken aback, my mouth opened, but I could not utter a word. The mere fact that a giant crab was talking to me had me speechless.
“What's wrong, cat got your tongue?” he said, and actually laughed. A crab laughing, that was really something.
“I'm... I'm, Henry Handover,” I mumbled, wondering if I should shake his claw, the whole introduction seemed so formal.
“You act as if you've never met a crab before. I'm Carmine, I'm very glad to meet you, Henry Handover.
“Carmine? Are you Italian?” I said, knowing it was an absurd question.
“No, I'm a crab, and what are you?”
“”I'm a man, a very lost man,” I said, actually pleading my case to a talking crab. “What is this place called?”
“I don't know what you call it, it has no name,” The crab replied.
“Every place in the world has as name. What is this place called?”
“This place is not in your world, my friend. And it has no name. It is where we are, and that is all. And you Henry, are here.”
“That's just it. I don't know how I got here. I crashed my boat on some rocks and was knocked unconscious and I woke up here, wherever here is,” I said, hoping Carmine would understand and could help me.
“Oh, I see,” he said, “that is very odd indeed. We don't get many visitors here.”
Carmine studied me for a moment, and was just about to say something really profound, when he was interrupted by the flutter of wings and the thud of a giant seagull landing with a splat in the sand. The bird dusted himself off and looked at me curiously and then at Carmine with a quizzical expression on his beak.
Anticipating what the bird was going to ask Carmine said in advance, “ he is a man, and his name is Henry Handover, and he is lost after his boat crashed on some rocks and he was knocked unconscious, and he doesn't know how he came to be here.”
“Do tell,” the sea gull said. “Well hello Henry Handover, I'm Samuel, I'm very happy to meet you.”
“Pleased to meet you, Samuel,” I said, not surprised so much now to be talking to a seagull
“I met a man one time, can't recall his name. Don't remember how he came to be here though, or what happened to him. I was very young then, and didn't understand about such matters,” Samuel said wearing a serious look.
“I like your island and all, don't get me wrong, but I really need to find my way home,” I said, looking at a seagull hoping he could give me some insight as to how could get home.
“Carmine,” Samuel replied, “do you remember what happened to that man that was here, it was years ago?”
“No, that was way before my time, Samuel, but I know who might know if anybody would.”
“Of course, Samantha. She's the oldest creature on the island. She would know,” Samuel said, flapping his wings in delight.
“Samantha?” I asked.
“She's a seal, she lives down the beach a little ways. Would you like to meet her?” Carmine said, in his usual graceful manner.
Samuel nodded his head in approval.
“Of course!” I yelled, excitedly. “Let's go!”
We started down the beach, me, a giant crab, and a seagull, leaving an odd group of footprints in the beautiful white sand. The sky was still blue and the rays of the sun were warm and pleasant as we made our way down the beach to talk to a seal named Samantha.
They asked me what it was like in my world, I'll have to admit I told a little lie, and said it was beautiful and peaceful. A talking crab and seagull from a magical island didn't need to know about our problems.
“They say Samantha is a hundred years old,” Samuel said, “but I don't know, I've never asked, it is impolite after all, to ask a lady's age.”
I looked at Samuel curiously. “A seal lives to be a hundred years old?”
“It is not uncommon here, Henry. I knew a seagull who claimed to be two hundred, but he could have been exaggerating.,” Carmine interjected.
We walked what must have been two hundred yards down the beautiful beach in the warm sunshine next to the clear aqua-blue water to some rocks that were being lapped by the incoming tide.
“Samantha!” Carmine yelled, looking around expecting to see her.
“Samantha!!” Samuel joined in.
Then there she was, Samantha, an aging seal. She might have been a hundred, I couldn't tell but she was quite old. “What are you boys yelling about? I'm not deaf you know. I might be old, but I'm not deaf.” She looked at me, sort of laughed and coughed, “Well I'll be, a man. I haven't seen a man in a long, long time.”
Samuel did the introduction. “This is Henry Handover. His boat crashed in a storm and he ended up here. He's lost and wants to go home.”
“Oh, dear, another one,” Samantha said, shaking her head.
“Hi, good to meet you Samantha, what do you mean, another one?”
“Where do I begin?” she said.
“At the beginning would be a good place,” Carmine laughingly said.
“Don't be a wisenheimer, Carmine. You know what I meant.”
“Go o
n, Samantha, Carmine please don't interrupt,” Samuel said, giving him a condescending glare
She began. One day, many, many years ago, I was heading to the water for my morning constitutional and also I was very hungry and in the mood for seafood.
“As always,” Carmine interjected.
“Carmine!” Samuel screamed this time.
“Anyway..., I was going for my morning swim when I saw a strange creature lying in the sand being pummeled by the incoming surf. I'll have to admit I was quite startled. I thought the creature was dead at first, then he began to move around. I was afraid, but I was curious. He was strange looking, but seemed to be harmless enough. He tried to get up but fell back down. He tried again, with the same result. But on the third try, he managed to get up and stand,a little wobbly at first, then more steady.” Samantha stopped like the telling of the story was totally exhausting her.
“And then what happened?” I said, impatient to hear the rest of the story.
Samantha took a deep breath. “Well, I was staring at him so hard, he became aware of my gaze and boldly asked me what the heck I was looking at. I said,why, you. I've never seen a creature like you before. What are you and where did you come from?” She took another deep breath and rested for a long moment.
“Get on with it Sam,” Samuel said, this time.
“I'm getting to it. Anyway, he said he was a man from a place called earth and his boat had crashed against some rocks in a terrible storm, he was knocked out cold and came to here. Just like you young man.” She said looking at me compassionately. “So that's my story.”
“A very nice story,” Carmine said.
“Yes, very nice,” Samuel agreed.
I on the other hand was left a little wanting by the ending of her tale.”But... But how did he get off of the island?”
“Oh, oh, yes, I forgot that part. Well let me see, it was a long time ago. Oh yes, there is an old tale that a storm happens once a year at the stroke of midnight on the first day of August, that lasts for only five minutes, and in the eye of that storm creatures from a world called earth somehow ended up here. And the only way to get back to earth was to go back through that same eye So that's what I told him he must do. I didn't know for sure if it would work, but it was worth a try.”
“That's ridiculous,” Carmine said.
“Yes, that's quite a whopper of a tale even for you, Samantha,” Samuel agreed.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “So did it work, and how did the man get back through the eye of the storm?”
“Well, that's the tricky part, you see. We were at first at a loss as to how to get the man I into the eye of the storm. I recommended swimming, which is as natural as breathing to me, but he said he didn't swim very well, so that was out. We pondered on that for a while, let me tell you. Finally we came up with the idea of building a boat, and that's what we did.”
I was listening very intently to Samantha's story, after all we were talking about my life and my future. “So did it work? Was he able to make it into the eye of the storm?”
About then, and by then nothing could surprise me, a dolphin appeared in the water seemingly from nowhere. He looked at the group of us curiously. “What in the world is going on here, Samantha?”
“I was just telling this man, his name is Henry Handover, Henry this is Danny,” she pointed a flipper over in my general direction, “and Carmine and Samuel about the man that came to the island and how we built a boat that he used to enter the eye of the storm and get back home.”
“Hello, Danny, nice to meet you,” I said.
He nodded at me, swam around in a circle, and came back to same spot.”Oh yes, I remember that night like it was yesterday, though it was a long time ago. We all helped build the boat. It wasn't a very nice boat, mind you, but it did float, that was the important thing. Finally the big night came. We had one shot at it, if we missed he would have to wait another year.”
I listened intently, wondering if all the stories would ever end and they would finally tell me what happened. Did he get off the island?”
Danny continued. “At five minutes to midnight exactly we launched the boat. The man was rowing like the dickens. After five minutes at the stroke of midnight the storm came. We could see the eye, it was coming in with the tide. He rowed frantically as the eye kept coming in and then poof, he was gone. We assumed he made it home, but we never found out for sure, and we never saw him again. And now you are here, Henry, oh my goodness. I guess we'd better start building a boat.”
We spent our days building and our nights sitting around a camp fire. They would ask me about what life was like on earth and I would tell them again, painting a rosy picture of the truth. Carmine and Samuel said there were only a few creatures on their island that had the ability to speak, but they didn't know why, it was just that way, and always had been.
The big day finally came. I was so excited about going home but sad in a way about leaving the new friends I had made on the island. They were true friends who had gone out of their way to help a stranger from a strange world and asked nothing in return.
They were all there to see me off that night and wish me a safe journey home. Carmine, Samuel, Samantha, and even Danny came to say goodbye and help launch the boat. It wasn't much but I hoped it was good enough. It had to be because I only had one shot at it. If I didn't make it, I would have to wait another whole year to try again. As much as I loved the island and my new friends, I still needed to go home, to get on with my life.
Carmine said handing me something that he had clutched in claw. “This is from us, good luck on your journey.” It was a sea shell with the words “Good Luck Henry” inscribed beautifully on it.
“You didn't have to give me anything.” I said wiping back a tear.
“You are our friend, Henry handover, and we love and help our friends Good luck, and have a safe voyage.” I believe I saw Carmine shed a tear, if indeed a crab can shed a tear.
I put the shell in my pocket to keep it safe. We pushed the boat into the surf. By then it was five 'til twelve, time to go. Not one for long goodbyes, I waved and began paddling frantically. I had five minutes to row and at midnight the storm was starting to blow up, I could see the eye coming. I paddled towards it as fast and hard as I could.
Then something miraculous happened. Suddenly I was in my own boat, in San Diego bay, the sky was blue and the water was calm and clear. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the sea shell, I read the inscription and smiled. I put it back like it was a precious diamond. I already missed Carmine and Samuel and I knew I would never see them again.
Sometimes I sit and wonder if I really went to the magical island or if it was just a dream. My boat was undamaged and there was no report of a storm that day. But then I look at the sea shell and I know I was really there and it was truly magical.
The White Steed
A white winged horse took flight, its wings stirring the cold morning air. Such a magical steed, breath white hot as it glided out of sight. In a dream I saw him, two maybe three times, it had to mean something. I thought of nothing else as I went about my day, the steed always in the back of my mind.
The thought of the magical winged creature brought great joy to my day. It obsessed me to the point of being unhealthy. I woke up one night to find an elf of some kind in my bedroom. The air had turned frosty, my breath visible in the frigid air as I stammered, “Who are you?”
He gave me a hard look, an evil glare and at first ignored my question, but stood staring at me.
“Who are you, God damn it,” I yelled.
He laughed. “Oh, you know who I am.”
I looked at him curiously. You would think I would be afraid, a strange elf or hobbit or what ever the hell he was, standing in my bedroom. But I wasn't. I was defiant, demanding. “What do you want?” I growled.
Again with the same casual attitude he said, “Oh, you know what I want.”
I pleaded ignorance, but he persisted.
“But how,” I asked.
The gnome said, “Take my hand and come with me.”
I did and we were immediately transported into a magical land. Fantastic creatures I had never seen before floated by, not noticing me, a stranger in their land. I did not understand, but later I would. I yearned for the white steed and to take a ride on him would be paradise.
I held his dwarf-like hand as we continued our journey, at the end would be the creature of my dreams. And then I saw him, standing splendid. He must have been fifteen feet tall from the bottom of his front hooves to the top of his mane.
To my surprise he spoke with great culture. “Thanks for coming. I have something very important to talk to you about. Gnome, leave us.”
The hobbit left without a word.
The steed continued, “I know you don't know of such things being a mortal, but our world is at war with a planet far away that wishes to destroy us.”
I stood dismayed. All I could think was, “what could I do?”
The winged white one answered my question. “You have been chosen to lead a great army and on my back you will ride into battle and we will defeat the great enemy.”
“Lead a great army, I am no soldier,” I said pleadingly.
“In time, you will learn. You were handpicked for the job because of your character and moral strength. You are not aware of it, but you were transformed the moment you entered our world. Come I will take you for your first ride.”
I looked at the mighty steed, there was no saddle or anything to facilitate my climbing on his mighty back. “But how?”
“Just run and jump on. I said you were transformed. You must trust me.”
I still did not believe, but the countenance in the great one's eyes inspired the trust I needed. I ran and in one great leap, miraculously, I was on the white mount's back and we were off on my first ride.
Simply Shorts Too Page 4
