going home

Just an utterly fantastic story!

GOING HOME

A man was standing on the dock as my boat pulled up. I looked around at what seemed to be a nice island. I put my backpack on and gathered my other belongings.

As I began to step off the boat, the Captain asked me “ Are you sure this is where you want to get off? I mean this is not the best place for anyone. Not to mention I've heard some aren't the easiest people to get along with.”

I turned around smiled, then replied “yep, I'm sure! This is where I want to be..... you see my dear captain- I'm home!”

The Captain shook his head, then started his boat once again and sped off. It seemed like whatever these people had was contagious. But I knew differently, for I was one of them. Although I had been taken away when I was a tiny baby. My dad had fallen in love with my mother, in which I came about.

He thought if he took me away, that I could be spared from my genetic disposition that ran through my family. But as I grew up my father began to notice that what ran through my genes could not be removed; no matter what part of the world we lived.

One day he came to have “the talk” with me, at least that's what I assumed. Instead of having a sex talk, he stammered about family, and how he took me from my mother in hopes I wouldn't end up like them.

I asked him bluntly “ so is my mother still alive? And where can I find her, and the rest of my family?”

My father shook his head and said “ I don't know, here is the co-ordinates for their Island. It's not on any map, since they don't want many outsiders showing up!”

I looked down at the paper he'd handed me, and read a bunch of numbers. So many thoughts swirled around inside my head. I was dumbfounded by this news, and began to wonder ' Is my real mother still alive?'

I looked up at my dad and saw him slowly put his head down. He acted like my family was something to be ashamed of. So I turned and walked away. I couldn't imagine what was so bad about my family that he took me away.

I immediately set about on this voyage to where my true family lived- some place called “ Utter Island.”

What seemed to take a long time was relatively short. After handing the co-ordinates to the only boat captain who was allowed to transport people to this obscure island., we set sail and headed out. The air was crisp and clean, the sky was a brilliant blue; except over one island. A dark ominous cloud hung over like a death shroud. Yet where I was heading looked bright and cheery. I wondered why my father was so eager to leave this place with me in tow.

Now I was standing on the dock with all my worldly belongings. The man who had been waiting looked me up and down, and then began to smile.

“hi” I said.

The man spoke slowly saying “ yep yer one of us, welcome home son!”

I stammered “ Uh.... huh..... how can you tell? I mean I look like any other young man my age.”

“ Oh you'll soon find out why!” the man replied.

“ Can I ask something strange or at least I am curious about” I asked the man.

“ Sure, no question is absurd. Oh by the way I'm Utterly Astonished” the man replied happily.

“Well Utterly, my dad called me John Wayne. But I now know he changed it in hopes of saving me some embarrassment. He never did tell me much, just said he was sorry and handed me a piece of paper with some numbers on it. And well here I am, back home where I should have been all along!” I stated as I raised my hands up in the air.

Utterly laughed, and again said “Well welcome home John. We'll call you that until we figure out what your mommy named you. Now you had a question......what'd you want to ask?”

“Well I don't know about you, but I'm innately curious about everything. This Island is so bright, and seems like a happy place. As we were coming up I noticed another Island, it was a gloomy looking place. It had what seemed like an ominous dark cloud hanging over it........ why” I asked with an almost morbid feeling.

Utterly began to shake his head up and down, then grimly replied “ yeah its a sad Island, lots of crazy people, not to mention things going on over there. The natives used to call it, something that translates into ' shudder', we just call it Shutter Island. And don't worry John, none of those crazies ever get off the Island!”

“ well that's good to know” John said as he looked in the direction he thought that Island was in.

Utterly put his arm over my shoulders and said “ Come on meet the rest of our clan.

I picked up my bags, and we walked down the dock toward what looked like a small community. I looked all around as we headed for the main house. People were walking here and there seeming to be busy with the daily chores. One odd man strode up, he was acting all strange.

Utterly stopped, and remarked “ might as well get this introduction over with first. John, this here is Utterly Obnoxious- he's a little touched in the head. And well being family, it didn't seem right to send him to the crazy island. We just sort of tolerate his strange ways. U.O., we call him that for he don't like his last name. Anyways U.O., this here's Utterly Absurd' long lost son. His daddy took him away when he was a mere babe. We still got to find out his birth name, so for now we'll call him John.

U.O. looked all crazy, his eyes wandered as he stood there, then all of the sudden he marched

away. John started laughing and remembered some of his father's friends were like that. So he knew about being tolerant of one's odd behavior.

I turned to Utterly, and asked “ so my mother's real name is Utterly Absurd?”

“ Yep, she's inside with some of the other Utterly clan. Come on let's go inside and meet your family” Utterly said.

“Okay” I reluctantly replied.

As Utterly opened the door, he let me walk in and all eyes turned toward me. A smile soon came over Utterly Absurd' face. She slowly got up from the chair she'd been sitting in, and walked up to the young man.

Then she looked at Utterly, and asked him “ Are you sure this is my baby?” It's been so long since his father walked out of my life, taking my precious child with him. I thought I'd never get to see him again. But now he's come home, back to his rightful family.”

Utterly replied “ yes this is your long lost child. His father named him John, John Wayne. Do you recall what you gave him for a birth name? Although it may take him awhile to get used to his new name.”

Utterly Absurd looked at the floor, then she replied sweetly “ Yes I remember quite well! Given the circumstances, with his father being an outsider I was reluctant about keeping the baby. So I named him Utterly Reluctant; but he has grown up to be as handsome as his father was. So if he wants to change it, I'd be willing to allow him that choice.”

John now spoke while looking at his mother saying “ I would be honored to keep the name. Not because of why you gave me such a name, but frankly I am a little reluctant to new things. So from now on I will be called “Utterly Reluctant!”

John, err Utterly Reluctant gave his mother a big hug, and kissed her cheek. Then looked around at his new family and smiled.

Utterly Astonished came up, and said “ First we will feast, and feed that skinny body of yours. Let you rest then tomorrow you can meet all the other Utterly Clan.”

His mother took him to the table she'd been sitting at , they both sat down. Soon more food than he could ever imagine was passed around. The hustle and bustle of this small Island was more that he'd ever expected. His dad made out like his mothers family were crazy. What he found was totally the opposite, they were all kind hearted people, his people. I sat for hours with my new family, smiling

and laughing all night!

Author's Note

just thought this site could use a humorous story!

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This was witty and fun, I enjoyed it quite a bit...it reminds me of the great writers with great senses of humor...like Mark Twain or Rudyard Kipling or a story told by Will Rogers...great light-hearted, fun read.

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good story. I like the positive ending. Sometime what we may think as odd. Elsewhere is the norm. A excellent story. Thank you for sharing.
Coyote