Clever Magazine,Summer '08 "Island of Dreams " (www.clevermag.com)

Wanna read the latest from Clever Magazine?
Click here and return to the coverpage!

Island of Dreams

by Jonell Hoffman

The sun shone down upon the sand like a blazing fire sending rays in every direction at once. The heat was intense, but I had found shelter beneath a large palm located about twenty feet from the gulfs rushing waves tossing their foam upon the beach time and time again. The water was so blue it seemed almost black in its hue. When you stepped into the water, you were surprised by it’s coolness to your otherwise burning feet. You could actually see small fish swimming around in the clear depths, with various sea creatures reaching out to snatch themselves a quick meal. The shells were not just white, as I had pictured them, but various shades of pastel, each glistening with the movement of the water. More than once I had dropped a bit of bait tied to a vine to capture a passing fish for my supper.

This island was my island, one that belonged to no one in particular, one I had claimed for me alone. All my life I had struggled with the necessity to earn a living for my young son, and I made sure he had a good education and a future of comfort. I had endured abuse from every aspect of an office environment, and now I had found peace in a place where no one could interrupt my inner desires.

When the sun began to set over the peaceful waters, I decided to return to my tiny hut that I had built for myself from trees and vines found on the island, and that to my estimation met all my needs for the moment. It kept me dry from daily rainstorms, cool from the noonday sun, and was just the right size for my daily chores. I had fashioned bowls and utensils from driftwood found on the beaches that had washed up from some passing uprooted tree, and there were various objects thrown overboard cruise liners that I found suited my needs such as old deck chairs that I repaired, cooking pots and pans, and even books which I dried in the sun and read in my “leisure time”. Food was in abundance on the island. All one had to do was climb a tree and pick fruit, trap an occasional wild bird or rabbit, and there were some vegetables that grew wild. There were wild strawberries and blackberries, nuts from various trees; some of which mortal man had not even seen or named.

There was, however, a true blessing when one day a suitcase washed up on the beach, and there were clothes inside that just happened to fit me; well, perhaps they were a bit big, but I found vines for a belt and made them fit. My clothes I had on were beginning to shred a bit from overuse, and anything of value was welcomed.

Perhaps you ask how did you manage to come to this island? I would like to think it was fate, destiny, and even God’s plan in my life. While deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, a gale caught up with us, and our little fishing boat could not weather the storm. We were tossed overboard and left to battle waves as tall as a three-story building. Sounds like a made for TV movie, but it truly happened that way. My friends were lost at sea for neither man was a very good swimmer, and the waves had cascaded far above our heads causing even the best of swimmers to be pulled down deep in their deadly grasp.

Somehow I managed to survive and awoke one morning on the beach of this beautiful island. At first I thought perhaps I was dreaming in a stupor state in some hospital, but when I finally regained the use of my legs, I found God had been gracious enough to grant me a life I had been looking for since I was a young boy. There were no other inhabitants that I could find, and the island was indeed not that big, but it was everything I had fantasized about.

One day a ship passed by that was not so far out that I could not have signaled for their help, but as I built a pile of old tree limbs for a signal fire on the beach, I decided not to try and light the fire with the rocks I had found. Instead, I would remain just one more month at least until another ship passed by. Why not enjoy this heaven on earth experience? Probably one day I would have to return to a structured life and my family, but for now I was king of the island and master of my dreams.