"It's getting dark," Mary Ann observed, "maybe we can stop paddling now."
Gilligan set down his paddles with relief. They'd done their best that day, trying to make what progress they could without wearing themselves out. They had a long journey ahead of them, even if it was just to the shipping lanes rather than Hawaii.
They'd taken a break for lunch and had napped in turn. Mary Ann had found it surprisingly easy to drop off, the boat gently rocking her. She was sure it would be even easier at night.
Sometimes they'd talked but it was hard to think of much to say, when they saw each other every day and there were none of the other castaways as buffers or subjects. Also, she felt more self-conscious around Gilligan now that he was her husband, even more so since the marriage was not yet consummated and might not be for weeks. He had tried to get her to sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," but she felt too silly. Mostly they saved their energy for the canoe.
At first, the scenery was lovely and it was wonderful to see their island from a distance, a rare sight indeed. But it made her feel homesick after awhile, even if they were just that much closer to Kansas. Well, not as the crow flies, since the island was southeast of Hawaii and so their course was northwest. But she was closer to getting back to Kansas.
She remembered a dream she had soon after the shipwreck. She was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. The Skipper was the Lion, blustering but sometimes scared. The Professor was the Tin Man, inventive and brave but needing a heart. And Gilligan was the Scarecrow, clumsy but smarter than he or anyone realized. Mrs. Howell was Glinda, scatter-brained but powerful. Mr. Howell was the Wizard, putting on a show but a fraud underneath it all. And Ginger, although becoming her best friend in real life, was the Wicked Witch. When Mary Ann woke, she half expected to see Uncle George and Aunt Martha kneeling beside her bed at home.
Returning to Kansas wasn't as simple as clicking her heels together and saying, "There's no place like home." Even when Gilligan had three magic wishes, it hadn't been simple. That it was now up to her, her and Gilligan, was intimidating of course, but also exciting. She was proud of herself just for trying.
When they reached the open sea, with no land in sight in any direction, not even one of the neighboring islands where the natives lived, she felt a different kind of loneliness. It was as if she and Gilligan were the last two people on earth. She had to keep reminding herself that life was going on, much as normal, back on their island, just as she had had to remind herself while on the island that the United States and the whole rest of the world still existed. She wished they'd been able to take along the radio, but of course the others would need it back on the island, so they'd know when she and Gilligan were rescued.
Now, for the first time in a very long time, she was seeing the sunset over an unfamiliar landscape, or rather seascape. The sunsets on the farm were obvious, with that clear, smooth horizon. On the island, depending on where she was, the sun might disappear into the ocean, or behind trees and/or hills.
She again faced a clear, almost smooth horizon, but the green was very different than grass. And there were no buildings or fences or anything to break it up. Instead, the reds and oranges, and after awhile purples, of the sky bled into the bottle-green of the gentle waves. It was gorgeous but a little frightening. She wished that they could dock on a little island for the night, feel a little more rooted.
They couldn't even anchor the canoe because an anchor would've been too heavy and they were out in waters that were too deep. They would just have to drift at night and hope that they wouldn't get too far off course. Gilligan had suggested he paddle at night, but that was just as likely to get them off course, with no landmarks to guide them. Yes, there were the stars, but what about the cloudy nights? She thought it was better that they both paddle in the daytime, and use the nights for well earned sleep.
She didn't think any of their nights in the canoe would be spent as honeymoon nights should be spent, not after the disappointment of her wedding night. If it hadn't happened on land, it probably wouldn't happen at sea, especially not when so many of their muscles ached. They would probably snuggle—it would be hard to avoid that in such a narrow space—but that would be it.
"Are you hungry?"
Gilligan nodded. She knew it was a foolish question. Of course he was hungry. When was Gilligan not hungry? Sometimes he ate more than even the Skipper, although he was still almost as skinny as the day they landed on the island. And he had been working up an appetite, as she had.
The Professor had found some canned food for them to take, but she decided to save that for last. It was more urgent to eat the food that would spoil in the next few days or weeks. So that meant the fruits and vegetables mostly.
"Do you mind salad for dinner?" That was what they had had for lunch.
"That's fine. But maybe tomorrow I'll start catching fish, even though we'll have to eat it raw."
She nodded. That would at least put more variety in their diet.
It didn't take long to prepare the dinner, a fruit salad and a vegetable salad, especially since it was for only two people. It was strange to think that she would no longer be making meals for groups. Even on the farm, she had helped her aunt cook for the family and all the farmhands. She would miss it, but maybe she and Gilligan would have a big family. She didn't feel ready to ask him if he wanted children. Maybe once their marriage was consummated, she could bring it up.
After dinner, which they ate without croutons or dressing because the Professor had dismissed those as luxury items, Gilligan offered to do the dishes, which in this case meant scraping them off into the sea. He almost dunked them, but she reminded him that they'd have no easy way to remove the salty taste. (They would need to save the soap for themselves and their clothes.)
She didn't think they'd need to worry about germs from the dishes, if it was just the two of them. And if either of them got sick, well, the other was bound to catch it in anyway in that small space. She obviously hoped they would both stay well. The first aid kit was very no-frills, and the last thing she wanted was to be sick or to take care of a sick person in the middle of the ocean.
She unrolled her bedroll. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm very tired."
"OK. You get some rest, Mary Ann, and I'll stay up and keep watch through the night."
"Gilligan, don't be silly. You need to rest just as much as I do."
"Well, OK, I'll rest, but I won't sleep, just in case."
"Gilligan, we need to talk."
"Talk? But I thought you were going to sleep."
"That's what I want to talk about." They needed to clear the air on this, now, before things got even more confused between them.
"About sleep?"
"About sleeping together. Not sleeping together, but sleeping together"
"Huh?"
She sighed. "Gilligan, I don't know what the Skipper or your father or anyone has told you, but sleeping in the same room with your wife is perfectly normal."
"But we're not in a room. We're in a canoe."
"It's the same idea. You see, well, there are certain things that married people do together, which we don't have to do yet, and they probably wouldn't be very comfortable in a canoe anyway."
"What certain things?"
Blushing, she said, "Things they do without clothes."
"Naked?" His voice broke like he was half his age.
"Yes. And that's what drains your energy. Not sleeping next to someone."
"Oh. So we just have to keep our clothes on and we'll be OK?"
She was too embarrassed to explain further, and maybe this was enough for the first talk. "That's right. So please, Gilligan, lie down next to me and cuddle me."
"With our clothes on?"
"Yes."
"Great! I'd love to do that. Could we kiss, too?"
She smiled. "Yes, we can kiss, too."
He unrolled his bedroll and they used it as a top layer, with her roll as the bottom layer. She could still feel the planks of the canoe underneath but it felt nice to have protection against the night breezes. And Gilligan, despite his thin body, radiated warmth, so it was wonderful to have him hold her close.
She knew this might lead to more, no matter how tired and achy they were, but she thought it would be silly to try and avoid touching each other in this little space. And if it did lead to more, well, that would hardly be a disaster.
"Mmm, Mary Ann, you're so soft."
"Thank you, Gilligan."
"Your body. And also your lips."
He kissed her and she kissed back. It was a long kiss and it occurred to her that no one could interrupt them. For perhaps the only time in their lives, they were completely alone. A part of her wished they could drift forever, although of course they'd run out of food. But she couldn't help hoping they wouldn't be rescued the first week.
"Goodnight, Mary Ann," he said when the kiss ended. Then he turned his back to her.
She was surprised at the abruptness, but maybe he was right. Perhaps this should be their goodnight kiss. They would have another long day of paddling tomorrow.
"Goodnight, Gilligan."
