The passengers clambered up onto the deck and looked out… they seemed to have run aground on an island. They could see not a single sign of life out in the hundreds of miles of sea they could see from where they were standing. They lowered themselves on the lifeboats to the beach and looked around. There was plenty of fruit trees scattered around, and they also found a river to get fresh water from. Some of the ship’s technicians inspected the hull where it had dragged across the sand, and there seemed to be little damage, but it would not be able to be moved, and it did not seem to be in any immediate danger.
This was bad news to some of the stranded people, who were starting to get worried that their families and friends back home would not know what had happened to them. For all the rest of the world knew, they had disappeared off the face of the earth. Others were pleased and excited that something like this had happened to them. They had gone in search of an adventure, and they had certainly found it. While the passengers were reflecting on their thoughts about this momentous occasion, the captain was attempting to radio for help, but it seemed that the communication equipment had been irreparably damaged in the crash. It seemed that they were on their own
They were on their own with a ship full of supplies meant to last for 2 weeks of luxury. Would anyone look for them? What was this strange land they’d crashed into?
With careful rationing they still had some food left a month later, although all the fresh food went in the first few days. There was still no sign of rescue but the island was plentiful with fruit and the water around was teeming with fish. Nobody was going to starve.
Still three months later there was no sign of rescue, but there was another surprise. A young honeymooning couple announced that they were going to have a baby. This gave an extra urgency to getting rescued and, although it was a cause for celebration, there were also worries about complications so far away from medical resources.
Six months later, crew and passenger divisions had vanished and the new island community was thriving. It’s first big event was the birth of a baby girl. There had been no complications in the pregnancy and mother, daughter and father were delighted . So was everyone else and an ornate necklace of pearls and seashells that had been gathered over the months was presented to their newest citizen. It was the single most valuable thing they’d created on the island and it signified many things more than the birth of a child.
Two months after the presentation the necklace vanished. It seemed this new civilisation had brought something unpleasant … crime! The parents had taken it off their child to avoid her choking while asleep … but the next morning it was nowhere to be seen .
This was a shock to the small and trusting community. Who could have let them all down like this? And for what purpose? Accusations started to fly … and small groups of men and women started to hunt through public and private places to find where the thief had ‘stashed his loot’.
For 3 days the island was in turmoil. The peaceful trust was gone and finally it was found … in the cabin made by one of the youngest crew members. There sitting on a tree branch was the necklace, shining and swinging slightly in a breeze
The captain of the ship called the community together to seek opinions and ideas as to how this criminal should be dealt with. Some people suggested stoning him, others said he should become a servant to the community and some suggested he be banished to a far part of the island. Throughout this the young lad claimed innocence, but “that’s what thieves do”. As the scene started to get nasty, there was a voice sharply calling from the back ….. “Come and look at this”. Everybody turned round and saw what had been found. There was the red and blue bird, a parrot of some sort that had made its home with the people. It had just been seen taking more shells into the same cabin. This was the real ‘thief’. Everybody had jumped to conclusions and judged the teenager without thinking of possible reasons for his innocence,
This was a big lesson to everybody and one they would carry back to the real world when and if they returned.
This was the only real crisis over a period of 12 full moons. The ship, although still intact, was now little more than a reminder of the past. Everybody’s life was now completely natural. No electricity, no gas, no communications … but strangest of all, no stress and more smiles than anyone could remember from the days before the cruise.
To celebrate the 12th moon and the first year, the ship was the setting for a huge party. Unbelievably the ship’s petty officer had kept a case of champagne hidden for all this time. He had planned to sell it when the cruise had ended, as he did after taking a case during every cruise. The year on the island had taught him about real values and he said it was the ‘honourable thing’ to give it back to the people that had become his family.
From that day on, the ‘civilised world’ they had left became increasingly unattractive and the giant HELP signs that had been carved in the rocks were covered over.
Maybe this was a chance to have a ‘real life’, at least until interrupted by unwanted rescuers.
