What We Left Behind
No one could believe that a year had passed. They sat around a cozy campfire together on the beach. At least they were well, had plentiful food and good company, but the castaways were particularly sad that night. Mary Ann sighed, she felt so alone, yet so comfortable in the Professor's arms. Ginger sat on her other side, her head on Mary Ann's shoulder. The Howells sat together, but everyone could discern that their body language toward one another was anything but loving that night. Mary Ann thought that the Howell's were particularly close for a couple of their status. She'd always heard society-type people married for money, not for love, but Mr. and Mrs. Thurston Howell III changed her mind about this. The Skipper and Gilligan looked out into the waves, believing that their rightful place was under the rocky surf. Hadn't they'd ruined these people's lives?
"Maybe it would help if we talked about it." The Professor asserted.
"I don't think that's such a bad idea." Ginger added.
"Neither do I." Mary Ann admitted tearfully, the Professor's grip on her shoulder tightened at her sudden cry.
Being a man of action, Thurston Howell III decided to try it, rather than comment on the idea.
"Lovey, please, tell me what's really wrong?" He whispered. "Remember, you
can tell me anything." Mr. Howell urged his wife to speak up.
She'd hadn't been herself for days now, and he knew it was about something more than just being shipwrecked. Mrs. Howell closed her eyes. It wasn't as though Thurston would have a reason to remember this. He seldom recalled his own birthday.
"Thurston, it's our daughter's birthday."
"Which daughter?" Mrs. Howell sighed she was exasperated. He never remembered anything about their third and youngest child with whom she was especially close.
"Natalie." She replied, tears in her eyes.
"She's alright Lovey."
"I don't know that, she's only five just today."
"We have an five year old?"
Mrs. Howell rolled her eyes and refused to say anything more on the matter. The rest of the castaways were shocked to have heard the news that the couple had such a young child, and even more surprised to hear that Mr. Howell didn't even seem to realize it.
Mary Ann felt like she shouldn't have overheard that. Her eyes searched Mrs. Howell, who looked like she was going to fall apart crying any moment. The Howell's had never mentioned that they had children, except for that time Mrs. Howell had told the Japanese sailor that there was a Thurston Howell IV, and at that time Mary Ann thought she was making it up just to irritate him.
But now, she supposed that she hadn't been kidding. At this point, that creative part of Mary Ann took over, the part that liked to try to fill in the blanks. She wondered who Natalie Howell was, what her life was like now. Then her mind switched to her own life. Where would she be if she hadn't been shipwrecked?
Engaged to some simpleton high school classmate, who she didn't care for all that much. On that note, thank the Lord she'd been shipwrecked! She sighed, sinking deeper into the Professor's capable arms. He rested his head on top of hers. At her right, Mary Ann noticed Ginger snuggle up closer to her too. Things certainly had changed for the worse, for the better and for the weirder in the past year. She now had a crush on a professor and was best friends with a real life movie star. If she could write home right now, everyone would think she was faking!
The Skipper had found a little peace on the Island, but the guilt still weighed on his heart everyday. Gilligan missed civilization, especially his friend Skinny Muligan and like the Skipper, carried a heavy burden of guilt.
The Professor wanted to go home, but was secretly excited about his stranded state. The island was filled with so much promise for scientific research, innovation and dare he think…romance. There were two gorgeous women on the island who liked him…that would never happen back home.
And finally, there was Thurston Howell the III himself. He missed one thing: the smell of money! It wouldn't hurt to hear the hum of the Stock Exchange in the morning either. And as for his children? What did it matter. The older two, twins, a boy and a girl, were…well, however old they were, they were about to enter Harvard and that's all that mattered. And the younger one….she was five? Really? That came as a shock to him. He put his arm around Lovey's shoulder, she pulled away from him discretely.
On the other side of the beach, a beautiful blonde woman listened to the seven castaways. Without hearing many of their words, she could feel their pain. Despite it being her own anniversary, she was determined to be of a help.
"Jeannie, you've got to help those people." Her master, Tony urged. He was all about helping people in need. Usually he didn't like her to use her magic though.
"You read my mind Master Darling!" Jeannie squealed, crossed her arms and blinked.
"What did you do?" He asked, a little worried now. Jeannie's magic usually led to some kind of disaster.
"You shall see Master!" She smiled, "for now, lets go back to our picnic!" She urged, wanting to get back to the romantic dinner she'd blinked up. She, after all, was still excited that her Master had agreed to take her back to the island where he'd picked her up in her bottle, as an anniversary gift.
Further down the beach…just after Jeannie blinked…
"Where on earth are we?" The oldest of the three asked. Thurston Howell IV turned around looking everywhere for a clue of his whereabouts. How had he even gotten out of bed, and how were his sisters there? The calm pacific wind brushed his sun-kissed blonde hair softly as he looked up at the nights' sky. Wherever he was, it was sure pleasant. Thurston IV appreciated lifes' pleasantries. He was not his father.
He smiled, noticing that he was holding his young sister in his arms. "You can talk now Nat." He reminded gently placing the blonde headed girl her on her tiny feet.
He was amazed that his ever-quiet sister did not seem scared. In considering the last year he thought she was possibly just very quiet, inquisitive and very brave, not shy or anything.
In the past year, five-year-old Natalie and her sixteen-year-old twin siblings, Thurston and Madeline had been sent to live with their maternal grandmother. Mrs. Wentworth was a bitter old lady who hated their father, his memory, and his children. Madeline, who had the most contentious relationship with their grandmother, because she took after Thurston Howell the III in just about everyway possible, thought that she even hated Lovey, her own daughter. And above all, Grandmother Wentworth was not a Howell.
The past year had been difficult for the older Howell children who clung to the knowledge that they would soon have Harvard and their trust funds. But it been hell for the tiniest Howell who had been separated from her mother, whom she was very close to and then from her nanny, who her grandmother decided wasn't good enough and dismissed immediately.
In that time, tiny Natalie Howell, who'd just turned five, rarely spoke and only to her brother and sister. Madeline had promised herself that she wouldn't go to Harvard without taking Natalie with her. No matter what.
"I see smoke." Natalie blinked, tugging on her sister's skirt. And so the three kids, headed off in the direction of what they were sure was a campfire.