Part 1: The Journey to Africa
Chapter 15
"Leaving England Behind"
It was over, Clayton was dead and his reign of terror was over. But the damage that he and his men had caused was excruciating and as Jane knelt down beside Tarzan, they knew that Kerchak was about to become a causality of this reckless invasion. As she watched Tarzan crawl over to the silverback ape who had tried to attack her when she first arrived in the jungle, Jane could not help but feel a little sense of sadness deep in her system. To Archimedes, it reminded him too much of the time that his dearest love, Mary, had died and never being able to seeing Jane grow into the beautiful woman that she had become.
After a few moments, the silverback ape drew his final breath and died and at that moment, Tarzan was now the leader of his gorilla family. Jane and Archimedes wanted to stay behind and console Tarzan over this loss, but they both knew that they had a life to return to and a little while later, they all made their way to the ship to be treated for any injuries that they had suffered during the attack. Clayton's men were brought into the brig and Captain Gerard made certain that they would all be tried to the fullest extent of the law upon their return to England.
After being checked out, Jane, still wearing her wet clothes, went to her stateroom and just sat in there, thinking about the time she had spent in the jungle and how she was now thinking about staying with Tarzan, but she knew that she had a life to lead and pursue back in England. As she continued to think a knock came at the door, and she got up to open it and Archimedes entered, having changed out of his wet clothes and into dry ones.
"Jane, dear," he asked. "You have been very quiet since we have returned to the ship. Is everything all right?"
"Daddy, I can't help but think," she said. "I want to stay here in the jungle and just be here with Tarzan. But, I have a life to lead back in England."
"I know, Jane," said Archimedes, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But, there are some things that are better left unfulfilled. It's like I said, you can return to Africa one day and you can be with Tarzan again, but I will not. You have your entire life ahead of you and you can take the memories of our time here and keep them in your heart forever."
Jane sighed heavily as she continued to stare out of the window overlooking the rain soaked jungle. Her father was trying to help her, but in the end she had to make the decision of whether or not she would continue to live her life here.
"Now, why don't you change out of those wet clothes?" suggested Archimedes. "We have a long day tomorrow and that I don't want you to catch cold for the journey home."
So, Archimedes left the stateroom and Jane changed out of her wet yellow shirt, green skirt and undergarments and placed on her pink nightgown as she slept that night, she continued to reflect on the time she had with Tarzan and his family.
At the same time, Tarzan, who had been treated for the gunshot wound he sustained in the fight with Clayton, was thinking the very same thing. He had always wanted a mate to share the rest of his life with and that he knew that Jane was the one for him. He had the opportunity to go back to England with her and Archimedes, but he would be leaving his jungle life behind. For they both knew that the time they would have tomorrow would initially be the last time they would have with each other.
The next morning, Jane woke up and put on her favorite yellow dress before joining her father and Tarzan for one last goodbye on the beach before they were to leave for England. It was fitting for Jane to wear her yellow dress on this day, as this was the outfit Jane wore when she first met Tarzan and that it would be the outfit she would wear when she would say goodbye to Tarzan. As they walked on the beach, Tarzan and Jane were both now starting to see the truth that this was it for both of them.
"London will seem so small compared to all this," Jane said sadly.
"I will miss you, Jane," said Tarzan. But, Captain Gerard, still needing to keep a tight schedule, had to call Jane over so that they could get started.
"Miss Porter!" he called.
"I know, I'm coming," she said and now, she realized that this was it. "Well, I suppose we should say goodbye."
She placed her hand out to Tarzan's and he did the same thing.
"Goodbye," he said and just like when they first met, they placed their hands together and Jane overcame herself with emotion and ran to the boat crying as Tarzan watched sadly.
"Goodbye, Tarzan," called Archimedes. "Goodbye." Even Archimedes too, was starting to feel sad for his daughter.
"Oh, I'm going to miss that boy," he said sadly.
Jane, now knowing that this part of her life was over, was putting one of her gloves on, when Archimedes placed his hand on hers.
"Jane, dear," he said. "I can't help feeling that you should stay."
"Daddy, please don't!" she cried. "We've been through all of this, I couldn't possibly-I-I belong in England with you, with people, and, oh!"
Jane watched as her glove blew off onto the shore as Tarzan picked up, seemingly the only thing of Jane that he now had left.
"But you love him," remarked Archimedes and Jane now began to realize that her father was now going to support this decision, even if it meant ending her relationship with Bobby back in England.
"Go on," he whispered and Jane smiled happily as she hugged her father and jumped off of the boat and into the water, her hair undoing itself from the bun that it was in. Despite her heavy yellow dress slowing her down, Jane swam as fast as she could and she leapt onto Tarzan and hugged and kissed him. Then, she noticed the glove that flung off her head.
Um, thank you, thanks for getting my glove," she said sheepishly and at that moment, her fate was sealed.
"Thank you," she said again and the jungle man pulled her into a kiss, now confirming his suspicions about having Jane with him as his mate. Unfortunately for them, in a very awkward twist, all of Tarzan's gorilla family and Tantor were watching them kiss and make out. Jane chuckled as Tarzan brought her to his family.
Watching from a distance, Archimedes was also deciding to stay as well, realizing that he knew that he also wanted to spend the rest of his life with the gorillas just as much as his daughter.
"What am I doing?" he asked himself and then turned towards a very confused Captain Gerard. "Captain, tell them you never found us, eh? After all, people get lost in the jungle every day! Toodle pip."
He took off his tie and jumped into the water to join his daughter who was now being inducted as a member of Tarzan's gorilla family and then she made the call that brought her into the family.
"Ooh-ooh-ee-eh-ooh," she hooted and the gorillas cheered as Tarzan got on Tantor's back and brought her on with him as Archimedes got onto the shore and met up with them, thus starting their life together.
But, of course, there is more to this tale than what you already know...
END OF PART 1
