A magical journey

Chapter 1: The happy family life

It is the month of June and Pachino Bay sparkles under the tropical sun. Amidst the lush vegetation, on the flanks of Mount Molenko, on the island of Jeibb, 50 miles off the Bay, the city of Harb seems to bustle with activity. People of all ages are flocking to the city streets in celebration of Manja Day. It is the beginning of spring, and farmers often rouse up festivities at the first signs of vegetation. Throughout the city, sidewalks are lined with vendors displaying stands of all sorts of edibles, from produce to home baked goods. Despite the fact that Harb city is mostly comprised of wealthy and highly influential families, the festivities are one of the several occasions when folks of many walks come together. Although most folks could afford more expensive housing, most habitations on the island are rather modest and resemble holiday homes. However, on the Southern tip of Harb, stands a large majestic mansion, believed to have been home to a senator in the later part of the 1950’s. Since then, it was purchased by the local governor, Governor Charkell. The five acre property is impeccably manicured and is the talk of visitors and locals alike. The magnificent three story building, sits on one acre of the land, situated on the northern tip of the estate. On the southern tip, a wild crop of vegetables and exotic plants reach from behind a stone wall surrounding the property. A high iron gate in the center of the wall keeps trespassers out. The building, sporting many large windows and balconies, faces away from the bay. On his days off, the governor enjoys sitting on his balcony to greet the ships as they sail in and out of the harbour. To this purpose he uses a ship horn which he salvaged from an old schooner he once owned. Governor Charkell, an avid sailor, has always been fond of the sea and other outdoor adventures. Therefore, it was no surprise to his family when he announced that he would purchase this particular home because of its panoramic view of the bay. On the weekends or other holidays, the governor often takes his family out on his 65 foot yacht to other surrounding islands. Besides sailing, the governor also enjoys horse back riding, so a large part of the property is reserved for housing and maintaining half a dozen horses for the pleasure of the family. The Charkell's are a very sociable family and frequently open their home and their hearts to entertaining guests. The two children, Jack and John often invite their friends and so Andrea, the governor’s wife, always prepares a wide variety of foods and beverages for whomever may arrive. The Charkell home is an exciting place to be. It is constantly full of life, parties, luncheons and family gatherings. On the rare occasion that nobody is visiting, the children play in the gardens, watch their favourite program on the wide screen television or simply relax.

One summer afternoon, little Johnny is thoughtlessly nibbling on a drinking straw, as he lounges in a hammock on the back patio, while watching and listening to the song of the ocean nearby. Soon after, he gently pushes his foot off the ground to enable the hammock to sway peacefully in the cool summer air as he pages through his favourite comic book. Several minutes later Johnny is dozing off to sleep, but he is, suddenly, startled back to his senses: “Hey Johnny, come eat your hot dogs so we can go sailing,” calls his mother. At that, Johnny, delighted at the prospect of going sailing, shoots up and rushes inside to eat. Pulling up a stool around the table, Johnny begins to spark a conversation with his brother Jack. “Hey, when we get to the beach, I am going to build a large, sand castle. Will you help me?” asked Johnny
“Sand castles are for children I am going surfing,” claims Jack
“Wow, Can you take me with?” cries Johnny
“No! You’re to small to face the waters,” exclaimed Jack
“Can I ask Mitch to join us then mom?” mumbles Johnny
“Sure, if his mother will let him.” she replies.
Great! At that he runs off to phone his friend. As lunch is just about over, Andrea calls Gladys, the family housekeeper, to clear the dishes. Jack helps to take the cutlery to the kitchen and wipe the table as Andrea begins preparing a picnic basket for the trip. About an hour later, the doorbell rings, Johnny's friend Mitch is being dropped off. At that, Andrea calls the boys to help her take the goodies down to the dock, slightly across the way. Once, the preparations are made and the yacht fully loaded, Johnny rushes upstairs to see that his father is ready to make the voyage. Moments later, they are all sailing out of the port.

It is a glorious afternoon, without a single cloud in the sky; the warm, radiant rays of the sun prance swiftly and gracefully about the bay. The seagulls are hovering over head in search of food. The slight westerly winds push the yacht peacefully through the clear blue waters as governor Charkell stands at the wheel and mans it. Jack, an amateur seaman himself, has always been with his father at sea, and so sits up and navigates the way. Andrea lies out on the dock for a tan, while keeping her husband company. Often they joke and reminisce about days of old. Andrea recalls the days in which John, her husband, had taken her to sea for the first time. How he had proposed to her, 17 years ago, near the isle of Romanica, thought at the time to have been the holiday destination of young lovebirds. John likewise chats about his childhood and how he used to sail with his father. Grandpa Charkell is believed to have been the noblest and most tactful sailor of all. When John was just a little boy, his father had frequently taken his family sailing all over the country. Very seldom did they ever see dry land. The ocean is a second home for John and so he passed that lifestyle on to his family.

Through all of this, little Johnny and Mitch were relaxing down below chatting up a storm and planning all they would do once they reach the island. Two hours had passed, and Jack cries out, " land, the island, dad, I see the island!" At that, the ship is overwhelmed with cries of joy and excitement as the children rush to the rails and anticipated their arrival. Several minutes later, the captain manages to drop anchor at Logger lagoon, five hundred yards off the island of Kural. Once the ship is securely anchored, Andrea and John Charkell gather the children in an orderly manner and take the dingy across to the beach. No sooner does the dingy reach the beach; than the children begin yelling and running out onto the sand. Johnny and Mitch immediately rush a few yards inland and start playing with their buckets and spades in the fine, golden sand. Without hesitation, the family begins to put up umbrellas and make themselves comfortable for the day. At around three o'clock, under the shade of a few palm trees, the family gathers for a picnic of hamburgers, juice and a variety of snacks ranging from chips and chocolates to fruits and baked goods. Once, the picnic is over and the leftovers neatly packed away, Jack and his father go surfing a few miles out, while Andrea lies tanning and reading a romance novel, as the two little boys continue to play in the warm sand nearby. Soon the boys grow tired of building castles, so they run off and try to explore the surroundings.

Walking close to the edge of the sea, the two children let out shrieks of joy as the cool water brushes soothingly up against their feet. Daringly smiling at each other, they decide to go in deeper to see what it feels like to waist deep. Chasing after the waves, they slowly and imperceptibly wander about two miles up the beach swimming, and playing. Minutes later, they swam back to shore and continue exploring through the sand. Miles away from where they had started the boys come across a small, narrow, dark cave. Filled with excitement they decide to enter and find out what lies within. As they slowly and quietly creep in, their feet begin to sink into the muddy water around them. With no fear or hesitation they persist and go deeper and deeper inside. They come across many shells of all shapes and sizes, and so they begin to collect a few to take back with them. In addition they find many small mud skippers and numerous critters of the sea. Enticed by their discoveries the boys are overwhelmed. Despite all that they saw, the children are ready for more and continue to explore deeper and deeper still. Several hours had past and Johnny and Mitch have not yet returned.

Suddenly overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty of their whereabouts the rest of the Charkell family begin to hunt for them. Back in the cave, Johnny and Mitch stumble upon a large, white shell, which appears to be in the shape of a spiral with a small opening through the center. Astonished by its beauty, the boys gather around and begin analyzing it. As they approach, the shell appears to have a radiant glow about it. With precaution and hesitation, Johnny reaches out to pick it up. Moments later, he lets out a blood curdling shriek and immediately drops the shell, as it begins to skip around in the palm of his hand, in a manner, much like that of a cricket. Not sure of what to expect, Mitch jumps up and hides behind Johnny in an attempt to feel safe. To their complete amazement, a tiny, yellow tailed snail comes crawling out from underneath. Breathing a sigh of relief, the boys laugh. Regaining their composure, Mitch tries to catch the snail, but before he could it disappears beneath the muddy waters. Having sighted yet another shell, this one three inches in diameter at the base and spiraling up to a point, four inches from the base, Johnny is fascinated by its glistening array of colours. Reaching out again, he picks it up and places it close to his hear. He could hear the crashing of waves against the seashore. A few moments pass, the boys rise, place the shell into their sand pale and proceed through the cave. Coming to an abrupt halt, the children are overcome with fear as a loud, piercing cry fills the air. Too afraid to move or utter a sound, they clasp each other and freeze in their tracks. Seconds later, a deafening silence fills the cave. No sooner did the boys gain courage to continue, Johnny let out another blood curdling scream as he felt something fuzzy graze against his skin. Overwhelmed with fear Mitch exclaims: "let's get out of here."
"Stop being a baby," replies Johnny.
"Come on, it is getting late and we need to go home," cried Mitch.
"No, we have come this far, let's see what else we can find," shouted Johnny.
Refusing to go any further, Mitch decides to head back alone. Determined to explore, Johnny persists on. As the pathway draws narrower and narrower, Johnny is only more determined to go on. No longer able to see but two meters ahead, Johnny walks more carefully and starts to feel his way around. Darkness had set in, and Johnny is now completely reliant upon his senses to progress along the way. He takes baby steps, to proceed because protrusions from either side of the cave are periodically scrapping his knees. As he slowly places his right foot slightly ahead, he could feel the ground crumbling beneath it. He tried to step back but the ground there too is giving way. Overcome with fear, Johnny manages to grab on to a long, hard protrusion on the side of the cave. He could feel the blood rushing to his head. Heart racing he breaks into a sweat. Thoughts are flashing though his mind as Johnny becomes aware of how serious his situation has become. It is a hole, possibly a very deep one, and he is falling. Hanging on for dear life, he cries out for help. With nobody around to respond to his misfortune, Johnny clings on tighter and prays that someone would find him. Fear stricken, he is frozen stiff as silence fills the cave once again, Johnny hears hissing of what sounds much like a snake. Three minutes had past and still no one in sight. Johnny, now growing tired starts to loose his grip but manages to cling on a little while longer.

Suddenly, a bright light fills the cave, and so Johnny again cries for help. Following the echo of his cries, the light draws closer and closer. It is Jack. Relieved to see his brother alive, Jack shouts, “Johnny, he is here, come quickly!" At this his father rushes through and is relieved but afraid to find his son hanging within meters of a cobra pit. Enraged by the danger Johnny has put himself in, John is silent. With his eyes fixated on the fragile, fearful being clasping a thick flaky protrusion for dear life, John slowly and tactfully moves closer and closer to reach him. Hunched low for stability and legs slightly parted, John creeps toward the pit. Using the narrow enclosure of the cave to support his wide, muscular frame, he reaches out and gently but briskly grabs his son and embraces him tightly. Speechless, the men walk slowly out of the cave. Completely astounded by the events of the day, the family takes the dingy back to the ship, and heads for home.

Several hours later, as the sun is about setting, the children are asleep in the cabin down below. John and Andrea are up on the dock discussing the events of the day. Recalling, the dangers that Johnny had faced back in the cave, they agree never to allow him out of their sight again. Tears begin to fill their eyes at the thought of possibly losing their son. Watching the calm waters as the stillness of the night begin to set in, John embraces his wife, and assures her that he will talk to their son once they reach land.

Next morning, Johnny is up at the crack of dawn. He is in the garden playing catch with Spike the family dog. Gladys had prepared a hearty breakfast of cereal, fruit and a variety of juices as she customarily does. Johnny helps Gladys set the table out on the patio, as the Charkell’s often enjoy eating outdoors especially in the summer months. Once everyone has eaten, John heads for his office where he files though papers and makes his routine calls. Several minutes later, he picks up his briefcase and heads out to run some errands. Jack and Johnny are playing with the horses in the stables. Saddling up, Johnny mounts Heart of Gold, a majestic, black stallion and begins to walk him briskly around the yard. Jack, aboard Child of God, another pure white stallion, follows along side him as the boys chat and joke around with each other. Spike, lags a few yards back. The warm summer sun, lights up the garden as a colourful array of flowers grow beautifully around the parameter of the property. Small hedges are dispersed randomly throughout the garden and are enclosed by a variety of dandelions, daffodils, and numerous other summer flowers. The Charkell garden is well maintained and no matter the season, a wide selection of plants, fruits and vegetables are always prospering there. Joseph, the gardener takes pride in the estate and constantly waters the grass and prunes the flowers. It is magnificent. Joseph had been working for the Charkell’s ever since they were married and so he cared for the land as if it were his own. The Charkell’s always take good care of their employees and so they work to their best potential. Once everything is taken care of in the yard, Joseph often plays with the children. He too rides the horses; pushes Johnny in the wheelbarrow as they chase Jack around the garden. He even plays ball with them. The children love Joseph and he loves them too. Once the boys have enough of riding they lead the horses back to their stable where they unsaddle them and give them some water to drink. Closing the stable doors, Johnny runs to his room to play with his pet hamster. Chuckles is running on his plastic wheel as Johnny barges in closing the door behind him. Johnny stands feverishly at the side of the cage as he watches and giggles to himself. As the cage door is jerked open, eyes fixed on Johnny’s every move, chuckles comes to a complete halt. Johnny reaches in gently stoking the hamster he lifts him out of the cage and places him on the floor to play. Andrea, a hard working homely woman, is outback tending to a vegetable patch on the Southeast side of the estate. Despite the fact that the land is permanently well manicured, she often takes brisk walks though the gardens watering the grass, pruning the roses, or simply admiring the scenery. Andrea has always been fond of nature and her mother, an avid gardener herself, taught her daughter all she knew about caring for the earth. To her, a moment in the open to experience and acknowledge God’s many creations sets her mind at ease and soothes her. Several hours later, Andrea gathers her gardening tools and heads inside to see what to prepare for lunch. Scrimmaging through the pantry and freezer, Andrea calls Gladys to help her boil a pot of water, she is to make spaghetti bolognase, boil some fresh vegetables and a salad of garden greens. Completely drained of energy, she decides to relax in front of the television for a few minutes. While channel surfing, the phone rings and Johnny enters the room, it is Aunt Mae. Andrea’s younger sister had arrived a few days ago from out of town and is calling to see if they could make plans to spend some time together. Andrea is very close to her only sister Mae and often confides in her. However, Philip, Mae’s husband was offered a job overseas and so Mae had to follow. Mae’s son Austin is very friendly with Johnny and so the sisters think it would be nice to see each other again and allow the children to play. After chatting and chatting they finally agree to meet the next day and take the children to the city park not very far away. There they could have a picnic, catch up with all the gossip and let the kids enjoy the fresh summer air. Putting the phone back on the hook, Andrea returns to the kitchen. Gladys had already started boiling the spaghetti and the vegetable and so, Andrea gathers some fresh greens to prepare a salad. Back in the room, Johnny had fed his goldfish and is relaxing on his bed. Head propped up against the headboard and a few pillows around, he is engrossed in a collection of short stories entitled “The Adventures of Johnny Black.” Rated as one of the best adventures of all time, it is comprised of a series of tales in which Johnny explores the wilderness and encounters many creatures. As Johnny is dozing off to sleep, Jack barges into the room and wakes him up to come and eat. Slowly stretching his body, Johnny begins to surface. Collecting his books, he places them back on the book shelf and heads inside to eat. Once lunch is over and the table cleared, John takes his family for a drive into town. Strolling arm in arm through the crowded, narrow streets, John and Andrea keep a close eye on the boys who walk slightly ahead. The couple stop to browse in several antique shops, for Andrea is an avid collector of old treasures which she proudly displays throughout the house. Likewise, she walks through rows of flowers on the roadside and into many florists’ shops to see if there is anything new and exiting in gardening. During the week, Andrea manages “Le Flore,” a small, glass house boutique on the west, upper class part of town. Seeing that Andrea has a great admiration for nature and specifically plants and flowers, John purchased the boutique in order to keep her occupied and busy when he is at work and the children are at school. Andrea, a family orientated woman and backbone of the family, hired Janet a young Mexican girl to help work at the shop so she can fetch the boys from school and spend some time with them. The Charkell’s are a wealthy family, and so Andrea often comes to the boutique to manage and oversee that everything is in order. Occasionally, she will work a few hours to pass the time or to meet people. John, on the other hand, looks for new guns and ammunition for when he goes out for practice rounds at the local gun range. John is an amateur gun handler; that is one of his hobbies. On the way home, the boys, tired of watching their parents shop, anticipate their arrival. As soon at the family car came to a stop, Johnny pops the button; the children jump out and rush into the yard. There they run frantically throughout the gardens in an effort to find something to occupy themselves with. While running and tumbling through the long, lush grass, the boys stumble across a small, injured squirrel. Without hesitation Johnny rushes closer to see what is wrong. Jack, a little wearier follows hesitantly. They notice that the vulnerable, fearful animal had a severely distorted leg. The bone is protruding through the flesh. Johnny reaches out to comfort it as Jack hurries back to alert his mother. In fear that the animal might attack her son, Andrea runs over to see what is happening. Johnny had picked up the squirrel placed it on his lap and was gently stoking it. In too much pain to move, the animal lays still. Once Andrea reaches the tree under which Johnny is sitting, she immediately clinches him by the arm and shouts for him to leave the sick creature alone. Refusing to obey, Johnny continues to stoke and care for it. Without making a comment, she stretches over Johnny’s shoulder, grabs the squirrel and places it back under the tree. “Come Johnny lets go, the animal is sick and we can not help it,” exclaimed Andrea. “But mommy, it is a baby, please can we take it to the vet?” cried Johnny. “No, it is all part of nature my child, creatures live and creatures die. There is nothing we can do about it, now lets go,” Said Andrea. At that, Johnny sprang to his feet. Marveled by his mother’s insensitivity and unable to fully comprehend the seriousness of the experience he hesitantly heads back inside to wash his hands.

Soon, summer is drawing to an end and so Andrea begins to prepare her boys for the upcoming academic year. She takes them to the local office mart to purchase school supplies. Jack, now entering the 5th grade is excited to see his old friends again and enjoy his final year in elementary school. With graduation just around the corner, Jack anticipates the experience of middle school. Now, as the upper classmen of the school, Jack and his classmates are in charge and are conspiring to take full advantage of it. Johnny on the other hand, now entering the 3rd grade, is also excited to see his friends but dreads having his brother pick on him or order him around. At school, Johnny is a very hard working student. In class he is always one of the first to answer questions and sometimes suggests or initiates activities that stimulate learning. In Miss Mary’s English class, for example, Johnny suggested the class play a game much like a spelling bee to learn their vocabulary words; the winner won a toy or a chocolate. The children were highly motivated and had a lot of fun. The teachers love Johnny and are pleased to have him in their class. At faculty meetings or parent teacher conferences Johnny is often the topic on conversation. Despite his desire to excel academically, Johnny is also active and enjoys playing with his friends. He is very popular and is frequently the center of attraction. No matter what he does the other children are eager to follow.

It is very long, I got a little carried away . However if you took the time to read the entire entry I do appreciate it. Thanks you. What do you think? Please feel free to give me a review. Honest opinions or suggestions are welcome..