A FATEFUL TRIP

A FATEFUL TRIP

The man wore an Air Force uniform and appeared to be mad. What was even more surprising as that the man's uniform was clean as if he'd just been sitting in an office on an Air Force base somewhere, and wasn't a castaway like himself. Concerned that he might have amnesia, the Professor decided to introduce himself first.

"Welcome to our island. I'm Professor Roy Hinkley. I assume you were in an aircraft that got thrown off course…Major Nelson," the Professor had noticed the man's name and rank.

"You could say that." Major Nelson seemed calmer but still upset. He looked up at the sky. "Jeannie!"

"I'm sorry, Master, I had trouble finding you. These tropical islands are very small." The Professor would have responded to the young woman's comment, but he had fainted dead away upon seeing her appear out of thin air. "Oh, my," Jeannie said, looking down at him with concern. "Who is he, Master?"

"If I'm right, he's one of about seven people who are stranded on this island. Jeannie, help me with him, please. I told you this was a bad idea."

"But you said how much you needed a vacation. And Major Healey agreed, so…I decided to grant your wish."

"But it wasn't a real wish, Jeanie," Anthony Nelson said as he and Jeannie carried the Professor off the beach. "For goodness' sake, what if this island had man-eating cannibals on it?"

"Oh, I was very careful about that, Master. They are on the next island."

Xxxxx

Back in the castaway's small "Village," Major Nelson and Jeannie were getting to know their new hosts. Genie at first astonished and then amused them with her powers while Nelson and the Professor discussed ways of getting off the island.

"Of course we've been trying for the past several years, but something always interfered with our plans," he said.

"Yeah, our 'Little Buddy,'" a man Nelson had recognized as Jonas Grumby, whom everyone here called "Skipper" added.

His first mate, Gilligan, shrugged sheepishly. "Well, I do kind of goof off sometimes. But wow, after seeing what Genie can do…we'll be home in no time, right, Professor?"

"I certainly hope so," the Professor replied. To Major Nelson, he said, "We've been following your space missions on our radio."

"Indeed, they're quite impressive," Eunice Wentworth Howell, better known as "Lovey," added.

"Yes, by George; if we were back home I'd buy the space program and make you our top man!" her husband Thurston chortled.

"Well, that's very kind of you," Nelson replied.

"I hope I can get my acting career restarted," Ginger Grant purred. "A year outside of the movies can be like a lifetime." She batted her eyelashes at Nelson.

"Jeannie…" Nelson warned as Jeannie's eyes narrowed with jealousy.

"Well, all I want to do is see my family again," Mary Ann Summers, who had impressed Nelson as being the perhaps most normal and down to earth of the castaways, said. "One thing I really miss here are home-grown crops."

"Yeah, it's too bad we don't have any of those super vegetable seeds we found once left," Gilligan sighed. "Those peas and carrots were the best."

"Yeah, until we literally had to wash our mouths out with soap because they were radioactive," the Skipper reminded him.

As they talked, Nelson found some of their experiences on the island to be almost as strange as his had been. Finally, everybody had their belongings packed and they were all standing in a group as they took one last look around their soon-to-be former "Home."

Nelson nodded at Jeannie. "Okay, Jeannie. Take us back to civilization. And no mistakes this time!"

"Yes, Master." Jeannie folded her arms and nodded…

Xxxxx

"Hey, where were you guys!" Roger Healey nearly hugged them when Nelson and Jeannie reappeared in Major Nelson's office back in Florida. "I've been going nuts trying to come up with excuses for Doctor Bellows!" He looked at Nelson's shoes. "Where'd you get all that sand?"

"It's a long story, Roger." Nelson looked around. "Jeannie, you were able to bring the castaways back, weren't you?"

"Yes, Master, but I thought it would be too crowded in here, so I sent them to California instead…"

Xxxxx

The Professor and the others were still trying to get their bearings as they looked around.

"Where are we, Professor?" Mary Ann asked.

"It appears to be a mansion of some sort." The Professor looked up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. "Whoever lives here is apparently quite wealthy."

"Balderdash!" Thurston Howell fumed. "I've got closets that are bigger than this entire room!"

"Who's making all that racket?" An elderly woman entered the room and peered at them through her old-fashioned spectacles. "Well, well, howdy strangers! I didn't know we were having company." The woman called to someone in another room: "Jed! Jethro! Get the Fancy Eatin' Table ready! We're gonna have us some guests for dinner!" She looked back at the castaways. "I hope you folks don't mind Possum Stew." She then withdrew, presumably to the "Fancy Eatin' Room."

The Skipper looked at the Professor. "Did that woman say…Possum Stew?"

"Indeed she did." The Professor frowned as an unfamiliar odor began wafting in from one of the nearby rooms. "Well, we are home…although it appears tastes back home may have changed more than we realized. Shall we join our hosts?"

"I hope they have carrots," Gilligan said. "I love carrots!"

The Skipper groaned. Some things never changed…

THE END