The Island
 by: Hankster

© 2010-2011 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 2 
 

On the morning they awoke on the island, Victor claimed it for England, staked his claim to the land, and named the island Eden .  Their first order of business was to relieve themselves.  Since they had no digging tools, they decided to use the ocean as a loo.  Their clothes had been torn badly by the raging waters so they removed what was left of them while they attended to their toilet.  Their tatters were almost dry, but they left them on the beach to dry completely.  Jon had no shame in front of his brother-in-law, but Vic seemed to be reticent about letting Jon see him naked.

They waded into the ocean.  The first thing they agreed to do was to gargle and rinse their mouths with the salt water.  They reasoned that it would afford some degree of dental hygiene.  Then they defecated and peed in the water.  The water was tepid and small waves broke against their bodies.  It was so pleasant, they stayed in the water for quite some time.

“I’ve never swum naked before,” Jon observed.  “I really like the way the water caresses my body, especially my balls and cock.”  Vic scowled at Jon’s crude language and that caused Jon to break out laughing. 

“You might try saying penis and testicles.” Vic scolded.

“Why are you being so prissy?” Jon asked.  “We are the only two people on earth, as far as I’m concerned, and we are apt to be so for the foreseeable future, or maybe forever.”

“Don’t say that.  I’m sure they are searching for us,” Vic said without much conviction in his voice.  Jon did not answer.  They waded out of the water.

On the beach, Vic put on his tattered rags, but Jon decided to abandon his clothing.  They took a deep breath and walked from the beach into the thick island foliage.  There they discovered many trees bearing fruit they did not recognize.  They had no idea if the fruit was edible or not. 

“Look,” Jon yelled and pointed up to one of the trees.  A small yellow bird was pecking at the fruit high up on the tree.  “I guess it’s safe to eat from the trees that the birds feed on,” Jon noted.  With that, he removed one of the fruits from the tree and bit into it.  His face lit up with pleasure.  “It’s delicious,” he said and offered a bite to Vic who ate it avariciously.  Vic hadn’t realized how hungry he was, until now. 

Continuing their explorations they came across a coconut tree.  At least they were familiar with this fruit.  Vic found a large stone and used it to crack open the coconut.  They carefully drank the milk and then ate the meat.

“Well,” Vic said, “I never really savored a vegetarian diet, but at least we won’t starve to death, and I have been told that it is quite a healthy way of life.”

“Next, I think, we should set up a shelter to protect us from the elements,” Jon said, being practical for a change. 

“There are plenty of stones and rocks lying about,” Vic noted.  “Perhaps we can pile them up and build a small shelter.  I think we should seek a little clearing not too far from the beach.  We want to stay close to shore in order to attract any passing ships.”

They found a small, suitable clearing just where the beach met the jungle.  It took them almost two days to amass enough stones to build the shelter.  They went about their labors very scientifically, positioning the stones so that they seemed to fit together.  The stones seemed to lock together and they were confident the shelter would not move and come crashing down around them.

The shelter had three sides, and they built it high enough so that they could both stand upright inside of it.  Also it was long enough and wide enough that they could both lie down comfortably together.  They found many fallen branches and twigs and built a thatch like roof.  Vic finally gave up his clothing, and they used both their ripped garments to line the floor of their shelter.  They were really proud of what they had accomplished.

At the end of their second day on the island, they sat on the beach in front of their shelter and watched the sun set.  When the beach was finally bathed in darkness, they walked into their new home.  They had bathed themselves clean in the ocean, and they were well fed, thanks to the abundant vegetation on the island.  Jon was fine with his nudity, but Vic was decidedly uncomfortable.  They lay down side by side in the shelter.  They were both ready for sleep.  Building the shelter had been hard labor for the two young men.

Somehow the intimacy of the situation kept them both from falling asleep.  For Vic it was a gnawing fear of what could happen.  For Jon, it was the desire for something to happen between them.  They lay in silence, avoiding touching each other, for a very long time.

Finally Vic’s curiosity got the best of him.  He turned on his side facing Jon.  “I need to ask you something,” he said.  “The night we washed up on shore, you slept very close to me and you kept whispering my brother Martin’s name.  Can you tell me if there is any significance in that?”

Vic was met with an eerie silence.

“I’m sorry I asked,” he said.  “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll tell you,” Jon finally answered, “but when we are rescued, you must promise me that you will take my story to your grave.”

After another long silence, and after conquering his fear of what he was about to hear, Vic answered, “I swear on my word as a gentleman.”

 “Do you remember the day of my last birthday?” Jon asked.  Not waiting for an answer, he continued, “It would be more appropriate to ask if you remember the night of my last birthday party?” 

“Very well, indeed,” Vic answered.  “Why do you ask?”

“Please be patient,” Jon admonished.  “We have nothing but time on our hands, and I can narrate my story slowly.”

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry.  Please continue.”

To be continued...

Posted: 12/31/10