In this next chapter I take you through Gilligan's childhood where he goes through a few nicknames. Please enjoy!
Updated 12/25/17
AUGUST 27, 1947
William, his brother and their friends were at Scott Park playing baseball. William was out in right field, his friend Skinny Mulligan was in the left, and his brother was protecting first base. Skinny's older brother, Sean was coming up to bat when William was distracted by a yellow bird that flew into a nearby tree. Then he heard everyone yelling at once.
"Billy, catch the ball," he heard someone yell.
"Willy, pay attention," called his brother.
"Billy," called several voices!
"Willy, watch your head," both Skinny and Danny called!
William looked up just in time to see the ball coming right at him. Before he realized what was happening he was on the ground holding his nose.
0o0o0o0
"William, what was so confusing about catching the ball," Bridget asked as Danny sat their brother down on the bench, pulled out his handkerchief and gave it to William to stop his bleeding nose?
"Because, everyone was calling me Billy and Willy all at one time," William answered, still holding his nose. "Billy doesn't even make any sense because there is no B in William. So why is it that people who are named William are called Billy?"
Danny looked at Bridget who just shrugged her shoulders.
"I honestly don't know," she answered reaching over Danny to ruffle his hair. "But maybe Dad might know when we ask him tonight. Now we should really be getting home for lunch."
William's nose had stopped bleeding by the time they got home and they explained what had happened as their mother, Ellen, cleaned William up for lunch.
"Well," Ellen replied as she finished with her youngest son and placed Danny's handkerchief in the wash. "I think the only thing that really matters is what you want to be called. As long as you hold yourself tall and say your name with pride nobody will mess with it. Now, what do you want to be called?"
"Willy," Willy said proudly, sitting up straight on the kitchen stool in between Danny and Bridget who both smiled.
"That's my boy," Ellen said as she ruffled his hair. "Now who wants peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?"
"Oh oh oh, me me me me me," Willy replied bouncing up and down on his stool.
As he bounced he caused the stool to topple sideways into Danny, whose hand knocked over the pitcher of lemonade. Ellen managed to catch the pitcher before it could hit the floor but the lemonade still spilled all over the floor. As this was happening the top of Danny's stool landed on the handle of a spatula, causing a pie Ellen had made earlier, to catapult into the air and land right in Bridget's face.
"Oops," Willy replied looking around apologetically. "Sorry!"
Everyone just broke out in laughter.
SEPTEMBER 7, 1947
It was the Sunday before Willy was to start kindergarten and he was super excited. He, Danny and Bridget were on their way back from the park. They were about to cross the street to their house when someone called out to them. They turned around and saw five boys in front of a huge tree in the front yard. Three of the boys looked to be around Willy's age and looked alike. One of them had a cast on his right arm and the other two each had a cast on one of their legs and were leaning on crutches and the last two appeared to be six month old twins that were in a crib.
"Can you help us," he asked?
"Sure what's wrong," Bridget asked as they approached?
"Well you see," he replies pointing up at the tree. "My sister climbed up the tree to get our kite but her hair got caught in the bark and now she can't get down. Can you help her?"
They all looked up to see a curly red haired girl in overalls whose hair was stuck in the bark. She waved down at them and they waved back.
"I can help," Willy replied and within seconds he had climb up the tree and helped her with her hair.
"Thank you Monkey Boy," she said.
"Your welcome Monkey Girl," Willy replied as they climb back down the tree.
"I'm Willy," he introduces himself. "And this is my sister Bridget and my brother Danny."
"Hi these are my brothers Fabian-Tomás, Farrell, and Farren, we're all quadruplets, my little brothers Flynn and Felix, and I'm Fionnuala Rose Flanagan," she replied. "My name is pretty long so you can call me Finley."
SEPTEMBER 28, 1953
11 year old Walter Stuckmeyer looked down at his new corrective shoe which was a tight, thick brown boot to help make his toes grow straight. Almost everybody laughed at him. The only ones who didn't laugh were his friends Willy, Finley, and Skinny. He looked up across the Tracy Elementary School playground as he heard Willy's contagious laugh from across the playground. The next thing he knew Willy and Finley ran up not looking winded at all while Skinny was trying to catch his breath.
"Hey Walter how's your foot today," Both Willy and Finley asked sitting down next to him as Skinny plopped down on the other side of them.
"It's all right," Walter replied shrugging. "It's only been a week but it'll take a while until anything happens."
"Don't worry," Willy replied patting him on the shoulder. "Before you know it your little piggies will be as straight as can be and then you can you run all the way to the market with them."
Walter stared at Skinny and Finley who just smiled and shrugged. Willy can be confusing at times but he always got the message across. At one point he was being called Silly Willy Gilly.
"Hey Silly Willy Gilly," they would sneer and call.
"Yeah, so what's up," he would just say and smile at them.
Once he had done that they would stop smiling, looked confused and answered him. They stopped calling him Silly Willy Gilly altogether and got caught up in his contagious laughter.
"Thanks, Willy," Walter replied smiling. "You always know how to cheer someone up."
"No problem," Willy replied sitting back on the bench and looking out at the playground.
"Hey, guys," called their friend and Finley's brother Fabian A.K.A. Fatso Flanagan. "Do you wanna play kickball? Walter you can be the catcher if you want."
"Yeah sure," Walter, Skinny, Finley and Willy replied.
They all gather around for a game of kickball. Once Willy was up to the plate they all backed up a little bit because knowing Willy they would probably end up with a bloody nose.
Billy Maguire pitched him the ball and Willy ran to it and kicked it high up into the air. It bounced off of a telephone poll, off of a school window, then off of the windshield of a car in the parking lot and then bounced towards a door that was opening and grazed the head of their History teacher, Mr. Bennett knocking off his toupee. Everyone froze waiting to see how he would react.
"Oh Will," he simply laughed as he touched the top of his shiny bald head.
Everyone in the schoolyard burst out laughing as the school bell rang.
JUNE 12, 1954
Will's 12th birthday was over a week away so he had gone into the den to ask his parents how he could ask Finley out on a date to the movies. Patrick and Ellen looked at each other and smiled.
"Well," Patrick replied pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Why don't we go fishing tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it."
"Okay," he replied excitedly and ran out of the room.
"He's growing up so fast isn't he," Ellen replied looking after him.
"He's not our little Willy anymore," says Patrick kissing her on the cheek. "Now he's our grown up Will."
0o0o0o0
Ellen woke up early the next morning and made a bunch of sandwiches and filled up a thermos with Apple juice for Patrick and Will to take along with them on their fishing trip. She could hear Will running around and laughing upstairs and heard him coming noisily down the stairs. She smiled as he came running into the kitchen and almost tripped. He sat down at the kitchen table as Patrick came into the kitchen and sat down next him and poured them some cereal. When they were down they washed their bowls and Ellen kissed Patrick goodbye and hugged Will goodbye and handed them the picnic basket. Once they were out the door Ellen reached under the counter, brought up another picnic basket and counted to three. A tired looking Bridget and Danny were walking into the kitchen when a crash came from outside.
"Oops," came Will's voice. He had run into the trash cans.
"Oh Will," Patrick chuckled.
Bridget and Danny smiled and rolled their eyes as Ellen smiled and met Patrick at the door and handed him the second picnic basket.
0o0o0o0
A few hours later Ellen watched from the living room window as Patrick and Will walked across the street. Will knocked on the door and Finley's father, Dr. Fergus Flanagan came to the door. He smiled after a couple of seconds and then called into the house. Finley came to the door and Will bowed. Finley smiled, curtsied, and nodded. Will bowed again and took her hand and kissed it. Patrick and Dr. Flanagan smiled and shook hands.
OCTOBER 31, 1954
"Will are you ready," Ellen called up the stairs.
It was Halloween and Ellen was waiting for Will to come down so they could head out to go trick or treating. Will had wanted to go as a Sailor this year so she had got all the material and made a Sailor suit for him. She gasped as he came running down the stairs.
"My goodness look at you," she exclaimed. "My mighty sailor-man."
"Awe thanks Mom," Will said blushing.
Patrick came into the living and took his picture and then they left to meet the Flanagan's so they could go trick-or-treating. Fatso was dressed as Frankenstein's monster, both Farrell and Farren were dressed as Doctors, Flynn and Felix were dressed as a dog and a cat, and Finley was dressed as a nurse. As soon as Will and Finley saw each other they smiled.
"Will my mighty sailor-man," Finley replied.
"Good evening Nurse Flanagan," Will replied bowing.
"May I Dr. Flanagan," Will asked?
"You may," Dr. Flanagan answered smiling.
"May I Finley," asked Will?
"You may," she replied smiling.
Will then dipped Finley down and kissed her on the lips. Patrick took their picture copying the picture they had seen in an old issue of Life magazine.
APRIL 23, 1955
Will and his parents froze on their couch as Dr. Flanagan told them that Finley was sick with a deadly disease. As he explained the few ways that they were going to combat this Will got up and sat next to Finley.
"It's okay Fionnuala Rose Flanagan," Will said after a while. "We'll get through this together. Just call me Dr. Will."
"Thanks Will," she whispers.
"May I Dr. Flanagan," Will asks?
"You may," he answers sadly.
"May I Finley," asks Will?
"You may," she answers her voice cracking.
They pecked each other on the lips and hugged each other and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
APRIL 29, 1955
It was after work and Patrick was just getting out of his car when he heard something across the street. He looked over and noticed Ellen, Mrs. Flanagan, and Finley sitting on the stoop. Will was leaning against the railing while Dr. Flanagan was ruffling Will's hair.
"Will you clever boy!" Dr. Flanagan replied he replied and was getting into his car as Patrick was walking up.
Both Mrs. Flanagan and Finley sniffled as Ellen and Will handed them their handkerchiefs.
"What was that about?" Patrick asked as Finley began to sob. "What's wrong?"
"I'm pregnant!" Mrs. Flanagan managed to reply between sobs.
"Oh. . .um!" Patrick replied not sure how to respond. "So why did Dr. Flanagan have to rush off?"
"I gave him an idea on how to help Finley!" Will replied as both Mrs. Flanagan and Finley blew their noses.
"What was the idea?" Patrick asked curiously.
"Something about Finley trading blood with someone!" Will practically whispered.
"That's very clever Will!" Patrick replied as he pulled him and Finley into a hug.
"His our Clever Little Man!" Ellen whispered as she rubbed Mrs. Flanagan's shoulder.
SEPTEMBER 17, 1955
"MOM, MOM, MOM," Will shouted as he burst through the door.
"WHAT'S WRONG," Ellen gasped and shouted nearly dropping the vase she was carrying.
"I was voted president of the camera club," Will replied excitedly. "Look at the camera they gave me isn't it neat?
"That's wonderful Mr. Camera Club President," Ellen replied giving him a big hug and thinking of the tough year Will has had so far.
NOVEMBER 21, 1955
It was a few weeks after Finley had passed away and Walter, Skinny, and the entire 8th grade class were worried about Will. He had gone completely silent. He had become Silent Will. If they didn't do something soon he would be sent away. They had to come up with something and fast.
JUNE 22, 1957
It was the day after Will's 15th birthday and the Gilligan family, minus Bridget who was still in college, was spending the day at the Presque Isle State Park. William rode with his parents, Skinny and Walter while Danny drove his car with the Flanagan boys. Ellen picked up Patrick at the museum then drove to Dobbins Landing where they would ride the same water taxi Will was born on.
"John, it is so nice to see you again," Ellen called as they approached the water taxi.
"It's great to see you all too," he replied as he hugged Ellen, shook Patrick's and Danny's hands and ruffled Will's hair.
"Will, Will, Will," John replied shaking his head. "Will, every time I see you you've grown a foot."
"John it's only been a couple of week," Will replied smiling. "I've only grown like two inches."
Everyone laughed as they all got onto the the boat and Captain John started the boat and they took off.
"So John this is you very last day right," Patrick asked from behind the Captain's seat.
"Yep that's right," the old Captain replied. "It my time to retire. 7 years in the Navy then 30 years a Captain of this boat. Cora and are moving to Florida to help out our youngest daughter with her new baby."
"Congratulations, that sounds really nice," Patrick replied. "I wish the best of luck to you."
As this was happening Bridget came out from her hiding spot next to the Captain and walked up behind Will and covered his eyes.
"Surprise," Bridget whispered in his ear.
"Bridget, you made it," Will replied gasping.
He bounced up and hugged Bridget so suddenly that he knocked Danny's keys out his hand and into the bay.
"Oh no my keys," Danny shouted! "Captain, stop the boat I dropped my keys in the water."
"Don't worry I'll get them," Will replied and before anyone could do anything he took off his shoes and sock, took a deep breath and jumped into the water.
"WILL," everyone shouted as they all ran to the side of the boat as the Captain stopped the boat and got up to join them.
It was three minutes before anyone spoke.
"How long has it been," Ellen asked worriedly?
"Three and a half minutes," Captain John replied looking at his watch just as Will came to the surface.
"Found them," he replied proudly.
Patrick and the Captain pulled him back onto the boat and Ellen and Bridget covered him with a blanket. Danny patted on the back.
"Will, that was amazing," said Danny impressed. "Thank you."
"You'll make a great sailor one day Will," the Captain replied.
"Thanks John," Will said smiling.
"Maybe we should start calling you Will the Gill from now on," Danny said. "Am I right."
They all agreed and laughed as Captain John restarted the boat and continued on to the Park.
Well that is all I have for now I hope you like it. I have a chapter or two to go and maybe an epilogue. I'll work on it this week and post the next chapter this weekend.