Paradise Island

The sky was overcast. His ears boomed with deafening thunder. Lightning blinded his eyes. The fierce wind whipped his face red. The ship rocked on the turbulent and angry waves. It seemed like the end of the world was upon them and the rage of the ocean would surely consume the entire world. Only a fool would leave the safety of his home to sail these stormy waters.

But they would not, no, could not give up, Luke thought to himself. A lot was depending on their venture and they could not let it be in vain. Their father, the head of the village council, had assigned him and his brothers, Ben and Tristan, the job of finding them another place to settle. Life in the paradise like plains which have been home to their tribe for centuries had been made miserable by their rival tribe, the Kosobes. Winter was near which would make it harder for them to defend themselves and provide food for the villagers. It was time to find a new homeland where they could be safe from threats and live in peace and harmony.

Soaking wet, leaving a watery trail after himself, Luke ran down the ladder to the cabin where his brothers were planning their next move. As he entered the room, Ben looked up from the map, “where should we head next, brother? We have had no luck so far” he said gloomily, “we have been the world over and have nothing to show for it…. How will we show our faces to our father?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Ben. There are yet more places to visit,” Tristan replied.

 “The storm is worsening and is showing no sign of ending,” Luke spoke worriedly, “I don’t know if our dear ship, The Santa Maria, will hold up under it for long!”

A loud crash echoed around the room and the floor shook under their feet. The three brothers looked at each other with fright. The worst had happened. Without wasting a single more minute, they were out the door and dashing towards the starboard... a beam had fallen and taken down the mast.

The ship rocked on the enormous waves and water splashed over the sides and into the ship. The ship tossed them around and the last thing they could remember, before going under, was the roar of the ocean and the rumble of thunder.

The warm sun shone brightly on their faces rousing them from their sleep. They got up to lay on warm, grainy sand and cool ocean water lapping their feet… Ben got up first, brushing sand of his trousers, taking in the wondrous scene… lush green trees separated the tropical island and the wild jungle… two wonderlands on one island… Luke got up and helped Tristan stand up… “Is anyone of you hurt? Luke inquired.

 'My head got knocked hard during the storm. I may have a bruise. “I have a small gash on my hand but it doesn’t look too deep” said Ben.

 “I don’t seem to have any noticeable injury” said Tristan with a sigh of relief.

 “Where do you think we are? Have we died and gone to heaven?” uttered Luke, taking in the magnificent landscape.

 “OW!” cried Luke “why did you pinch me?”

 “Now you know you aren’t dead.” Ben said laughing.

 “How can you laugh at a time like this? Tristan reprimanded Ben 'we do not understand where we are or we can get back!”

 “Oh, take it easy, Tristan. We’ll find a way back home, surely.”

Luke walked to the water’s edge, taking in the vast expense of water, spread out before them, perfectly mirroring the sky above. A few feet ahead of them lay the remains of their faithful ship, damaged and ravaged by the merciless ocean. His heart sank at the sight. This ship had been their companion on many voyages and had always served them well but now it lay there defeated. He allowed himself a few moments of grief before hardening himself to face the obstacles they had yet to overcome. There were so many things to do.

“All right now. Let’s get to work. There are several jobs to be done. We need to find food, fresh water and a safe place to sleep. We also need to rummage what’s left of the ship to find anything that could be useful to us to survive a few days before we can get help,” Luke explained, taking charge. This is what he enjoyed doing best. He was the eldest and the responsible one.

“As you say captain! I’ll look for food and water…” Ben declared. He headed off into the trees right away.

“So I’ll look in the wreckage to find anything of value I can salvage. Surely there must be something.” Uttered Luke.

 “best of luck to you, Luke” said Tristan,' I’ll search for somewhere to take cover in. I will meet you back here in a while.”

Luke strode towards the wreckage. The deck of the ship had been destroyed, and the masts had all fallen and washed away into the sea. He went down the stairway to their cabin. Everything had been ravaged by the ocean and a good number of their valuables were lying on the bottom of the ocean or sodden. Suddenly something in the corner caught his eye. It was their chest of clothes. His heart had a sudden flare of joy. Could it really be that their clothing was undamaged? He rushed towards the chest and pulled the lid open. And there they were. Their clothes, although slightly damp, were fit to be used.

Luke pushed the chest out into the corridor and moved towards the galley. He opened the door to find most of the plates, glasses and other utensils lying broken on the floor. He spotted a pan, the kettle and a large pot which he picked up and kept aside with the chest. The closed drawers, he found some spoons a ladle and a large knife. Happy with his find, Luke briskly moved all the items out onto the beach. He opened the chest and hung all the damp clothes onto the branches of the closest trees. After this one done, he started collecting the wood for later.

Meanwhile, Ben had been successful in his search for fresh water. Five minutes walking through the trees, he had heard the unmistakable sound of gurgling water. He followed the sound and soon sound the bubbling stream. He hurried towards it, eager to wash his hands and face with the cool fresh water. Now that he had found fresh water he had to take care of food. He took his bearings and marked the trial as he walked looking for fruit trees and other edibles. Soon he came to a banana tree, laden with fruit. He climbed the tree and plucked the bananas carefully. A little ahead he came across a coconut tree. It took him a while to climb the tree and pick the coconuts. He had done a lot of tree climbing as a child and was skilled at it. He collected the bananas and coconuts he had picked collected from the trees and started walking swiftly towards the beach, his arms laden with nature’s bounty.

Tristan had had a harder time completing his task than his brothers. He had been looking diligently for the right spot to make shelter. It seemed to Tristan that he had spent forever looking a place to make a tent or find a suitable cave. He was about to lose hope when he spotted a hill up ahead. As he drew near to it, he noticed that there was a cave, partially hidden from view. Thick bushes in front of the cave made it easy to miss. He quickly moved the bushes aside and entered the cave. It was spacious and airy. It would serve their purpose. He spent some time removing rocks and stones from the cave floor. When he satisfied with his work, he starting marching back to the beach.

When Ben reached meeting place, the sun was setting casting an orange glow over the water… he found Luke in starting a fire in the tepee of tinder, dry leave and small pieces of wood that he had already assembled. Soon a small fire had started, which grew with the kindling it devoured. Luke started adding larger pieces to the fire to satisfy its hunger for more. Before long, it had grown into a raging fire, warming their tired, fatigued bodies and wary homesick souls. As they stared into the fire, contemplating all that had happened to them, Tristan appeared through the trees, relief clear on his face. With his arrival, the gloom that had settled over Luke and Ben lifted.

“It seems you have good news for us, Tristan.”

“Yes I do, Luke. I have found us the perfect place to stay, considering our circumstances. There is a cave, ten minutes’ walk from here. It would provide us refuge from rain and any wild animals that might lurk around. I almost didn’t see it. It was hidden behind thick bushes.”

“I have something to show for my efforts too. I have found our chest of clothes in good condition. Moreover I found a pot, pan, the kettle and a large knife in the galley. The broken pieces of wood can be used for kindling.”

“That’s fantastic news. Now let’s eat and drink first. I picked some coconuts and bananas.” Said Ben, “and then let’s collect some water from the stream I found nearby. It needs to be boiled before we drink it.” He explained.

After consuming the bananas under less than a minute, the three of them collected the salvaged pot, pan and kettle with fresh water from the stream. They would need water for drinking and washing.

Ben carried the kettle full of water to the fire and suspended over the fire to bring to a boil. Once it cools down, it can be consumed for drinking tomorrow.

Tristan and Luke carried the filled pot and pan to the cave. Tristan leading tube way. After depositing their load, they left to collect leaves for bedding. Once they had prepared the cave to suit their comfort, they joined Ben by the fireside. They sat there a while talking and discussing their predicament. When the water was boiled, they doused the fire and headed towards the cave.

As they lay down on the bed of leaves, they wondered how they would get any sleep but sleep over took them before they could have another thought.

Sunlight filtered through the narrow opening of the cave showing the start of a new day. The twittering and chirping of birds and the sounds of animals going about their day filled the cave. Luke woke up first. His brain taking a moment to remember where he was. Though he knew that their situation was grim, his heart was filled with an unshakable optimism. He stretched and prepared himself for the long day ahead.

He shook his brothers awake, their eyes barely opened before he allotted them their duties for the day.

“Ben, you are in charge of our meals for the day. We’ll have the remaining fruits for our breakfast. However it would be wonderful to have a cooked meal for lunch and dinner. Try to hunt down something for us.”

“Tristan, you and I will try to make a smoke signal in case there is a ship nearby which can rescue us.”

“Hold your horses, Luke. At least let us open our eyes first!” Ben exclaimed.

“All right. All right. I am sorry. Let’s have some breakfast”

As soon as all the leftover fruit had been consumed. Ben left for his task. First, he thought to himself, I’ll search for some herbs and vegetables. Then I’ll hunt a rabbit to make rabbit stew. With his mind focused on his plan, Ben set off to complete his job.

While Ben was off completing his assignment. Luke and Tristan discussed how they would be rescued.

“I think we should make a bonfire on the beach. It would signal alert passing ships that we need help.” Suggested Tristan

“You are right, brother! We should set it up promptly. We would require plenty of tinder, tree branches and logs, wet leaves and sticks. The wood I saved from the wreckage can also be used.”

“Then let’s not waste any more time!” Tristan said standing up. He held out his hand to pull Luke up. Both of them left together to collect the firewood.

By the time Luke and Tristan made it to the beach, their arms full of kindling, Ben had already set out the rabbit soup to cook.

Ben, Luke and Tristan worked together to build an enormous fire. They lay down the dry leaves on twigs on the bottom. The tree branches went next. They made a wide circle of stones around the bonfire to contain it. Tristan created a spark by rubbing two stones together thus igniting a fire. Luke added more wood to increase the fire. The brothers watched the fire grow, hoping some good soul would spot it and come to their rescue.

Shortly, their meal was ready, and the brothers tucked into the hearty soup. “I have been thinking…” Tristan started “wouldn’t this island be a beautiful place to resettle in? It has everything we were been looking for!”

“You are right!” Luke exclaimed, this island is a beautiful, fertile land, rich in natural resources.

“Father would be delighted!” declared Ben.

The brothers were overjoyed with this delivery and they were eager to reach their tribe. Although they kept the bonfire burning, they were unlucky. For five days, there was no sign of any human being other than them.

Early on the sixth day, they heard a long horn coming from the distance. Luke, who was minding the fire that day, immediately stood up. He covered the fire with a wet blanket and he removed it to send up a white puff of smoke. He did it a few times until he saw the ship move towards the beach. He shouted with joy and ran into the trees to inform his brothers.

 This was it. At long last, they were finally going home.