Return to Sender

The boat pulls over and upward onto the rocky shore and is finally still after the hours and days we spent swaying out at sea. I let Murphy, my guide, get out of the boat first before I hop out and we pull the boat completely onto shore. The island of Tum-way-Bouy looks about as interesting as pigeons in the city, filled with rocks and large trees and bushes so thick it is hard to imagine anything is beyond them.

“This the right place?” I ask. Murphy looks my way and smiles.

“Doesn’t look like much. It’s right over here.” He points off to the right where there is a thick gathering of bushes. He takes his large knife out of its sheath and heads over to the bushes and starts to hack away and make his way through. After about twenty minutes or so he blows his whistle, his signal for me to join him. I make my way through the path he has made and when I catch up to him, there it is, the Gudungan River, the river of wishes. It is so beautiful. I can see through the water straight through to the bottom where mounds of gold and silver coins cover its floor. Murphy takes a gold coin from his pocket and hands it to me. I take it and close my eyes.

“I wish for Abigail to be healed.” I say, throwing the coin. It falls to the bottom of the river, joining the rest of the coins.

“You feel alright?” Murphy asks. I nod my head yes so we start making our way back through the path. I wobble as I start to feel weak. Murphy supports me and we make it out of the path but I collapse there. Suddenly my body becomes emaciated. It becomes hard to breathe and I feel heavy inside, as tumors press against my organs. Murphy rocks me back and forth.

“Don’t let her know,” I say.

“I will only tell her you love her,” he says and it is the last thing I hear.