Jesi's Anchor of Hope

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"Jesi’s Anchor of Hope"

The early morning sun streamed through the window above Jesi’s desk. She held a letter in her hand that could affect the rest of her life. She was afraid to open it. Jesi held a degree in business and with the help of her uncle, she had a chance at a position with an import-export company. They had offices in Florida and California. She requested California since she lived in Las Vegas and was terrified of flying. The only thing that scared her more were
boats and water. She smiled as she thought, “I'm trying for a job with imports and exports and I can't stand the thought of a boat, no matter how
large it is." She knew big boats sank just like little ones did.

Her Uncle Bob had told her, “You don’t have to drive the boat. You'll work out of the office. Jim Kelly promised me you'd work in California.
I didn’t tell him your fear of the water, but I think he knows."

Suddenly she grasped the phone and dialed Uncle Bob’s number. When he said hello, she was in tears. His heart almost stopped.

“What’s wrong, darling?”

“I’m afraid to open my letter from I&E,” she sobbed.

“You scared me, sugar,” Uncle Bob said. “I was there the day Jim had the letter mailed. It's good news, I promise. I want you to box up and pack all your personal things. Your Aunt Kay and I will be there in a few hours. Put the letter away until we get there and open it then. You're all the family we have now, and we'd like to be there and share the news with you. There's one little part I need to tell you about, but it'll
be fine. Jim understands. He knows we lost your mom and dad a few years ago.

“You have every right to be afraid of ships, Jesi. You'll be living in California in a few days. Your Aunt Kay and I will help you find an apartment. You can stay with us as long as you like."

“Thank you for being there for me,” Jesi said.

“We'll always be here for you. You're the daughter we never had,”he insisted. “I love you, and we'll see you in a few hours."

“I love you too and please hurry, but be careful.”

A few hours later Uncle Bob and Aunt Kay parked their oversized pickup in front
of Jesi’s apartment. They hardly had time to get out of the truck before Jesi was in the uncle's arms. He was the only dad she had now. She talked to her mom and dad each day in her prayers but today, she needed a daddy to hold
her. She felt so safe when he was around her, and she loved him very much.

Aunt Kay had her turn with all the hugs and kisses. “Have you eaten regular meals? Do you get enough sleep? Do you need money?” Aunt Kay
asked.

Jesi hugged her again. “Yes...yes...and no, Mommy,” she said with a loving smile.

“You must not eat. You can’t weigh much over 100 lbs.”

“I promise I eat. Then I workout just so the scales will not read over 125."

“I know,” said Aunt Kay. “That’s why you have so many offers from all the model agencies."

“Models have to travel on planes and ships and Jesi is a big chicken,” replied Jesi.

Uncle Bob took her hand. "Please sit down, sugar. Open your letter and read what it says. Don’t make a decision just to please Aunt Kay and me. Jim Kelly and I were in the war together and he thinks he owes me for carrying him
out of a war zone. Only by the grace of God did we get out of there alive. He first agreed to give you a job just because of me. When he checked your grades and your resume, he knew then he needed you. There's one thing in the letter that might be a problem. If it is, just say no to Jim and find another job here
in California.

"You have every right to be afraid of ships. That awful night when you were only six years old, your mom died with you in her arms on that ship. Your dad had to pull you away from her or you'd have drowned with her. You watched as he
put you in a lifeboat with a total stranger, then jumped out of that lifeboat to make room for you. He gave you and the other mothers and kids a chance to live. Darling, your daddy and you could have been saved, but he put three
mothers and three kids in with you. He told them your name was Jesi and to get you to California with Bob and Kay Alexander. He hugged and kissed you...."

Jesi finished the story. “He said, 'I love you, my precious child.' He handed me to one of the ladies and jumped from the boat," she muttered with her eyes closed tightly. “The other ladies begged him to hold to the side of the raft and he did for a while. The waves got bigger and bigger. Daddy patted my hand one last time and said to us all, 'I have to turn loose before I
capsize the lifeboat. Don't drink the water. Someone will pick you up when it’s daylight.' His last words were I love you. He turned loose and disappeared in the darkness."

She slowly opened her teary eyes and clutched Uncle Bob and Aunt Kay’s hands tighter. “They need me on the ship, don't they?”

“Just for a few days, darling,” replied Uncle Bob. "I&E owns a smaller freighter that serves as a directors' meeting ship. The California and
Florida directors get together once a year for their meeting on this ship. They're to meet up with a larger vessel in a few days. The Florida directors will board that vessel, and you and all the rest will return here to California. There's an open board seat on the California board, and Jim has requested that you fill that position. They'll all meet you and then it will be final. Jim promised that if you do this just this time, next year the meeting will take place here in California and the ship will be docked."

“I have to do this; I have to get this nightmare behind me,” Jesi sighed.

A few days later when Jesi was all settled in, the phone rang. It was Jim Kelly. He asked her to meet him at 8:00 A.M. the following morning and he'd introduce her to everyone, then they'd start their short trip.

Uncle Bob and Aunt Kay were up early the next morning. They drove Jesi to the shipyard and said their goodbyes. When Jim Kelly saw her, he knew she was all Bob Alexander had said she was. Jim approached her, took her hand and kissed
the back of it.

“I know a step-mom and dad who are very proud of you,” he told her.


“They're the only mom and dad I've known for the last twenty years,” Jesi proudly stated. "They sent me all the way through graduate
school, and I love them very much.”

Jim showed all three of them through the ship Jesi would call home for the next few days. Bob hugged and kissed his little girl and said, “Mom and I have something for you."

He handed her a little box. She opened it up and gasped. It was a gold bracelet with a small anchor as a charm. Dad snapped it on her and said, “We'll be waiting here on the dock for your return."

They watched her disappear from sight. Mom wiped away a little tear from her eyes. “She's scared to death, Bob. Why are we letting her go?"

“She's not a little girl anymore. As much as it hurts, we have to trust she'll be safe from harm." They started the lonely trip home.

Jim escorted Jesi to the rear of the ship. She had already requested if it'd be okay for her to call the front of the boat the front and the rear of the boat the rear.

“This back section of the ship," Jim told her, "is reserved for the all the executives onboard. Not only are the sleeping quarters here, but also the executive dining room. With your permission, I'd like for you to stay in the
chairman of the board’s private quarters. He'll take a room in the rear of the ship. This room is in the center of the ship and you may feel a little safer there. Bob explained to me what happened to you when you were only six years old. If there was any way out of this voyage, we'd have canceled it."

Jim walked her to the door, inserted a card and the door slid open. The beauty of this room almost took her breath away. He showed her the phone and said, “You'll be all alone, so you call wherever you like if you get lonesome.
The last thing I need to show you may relax you, if you feel frightened."

There was a door in the sleeping quarters. Jim opened it and inside was a lifeboat. “I'm sure you won’t need this, but if something was to
happen, open this door and jump inside. On your right is a cord. Pull this cord, lay flat and hold on. In seconds, you'll find yourself a safe distance from the ship. There's a survival kit aboard and a homing device. There's a thousand-to-one shot of anything happening to this ship but if it did, a plane would find this lifeboat in a few hours."

After this short tour, Jim and Jesi returned to the other guests. Jesi turned to Mr. Kelly. “You're the chairman of the board and that was your room you just gave me.”

He dropped his head, then he looked up into Jesi’s eyes. “Bob and Kay are the best friends I have in this world. I owe him my life. You're more important to them than all their possessions. They thought you may feel safer
in the center of the ship and I agreed with them. I promised I'd return you
home safely, or I would not return at all.

"Will you be my guest for dinner tonight? Then I'll see that you're safe,secure and alone behind locked doors. Just remember, you can talk to anyone on this ship from that room. If there's any sign of trouble onboard, you'll be the first to know, trust me."

Jesi and Jim returned to the dinner party that evening. Everyone onboard just loved Jesi to pieces. She was such a joy to be around. After dinner that evening, Jim walked her back to her room. He said his goodnights, then returned
to the rooms at the rear of the ship. Jesi soon fell asleep and rested just fine. It was not as bad as she had expected it to be. The next day would be a full day of meetings and she looked forward to the challenge that lay before
her.

Early the next morning Jesi was awake and up and ready for her first full day on the job. She had it all figured out. One more day and night with the entire Florida group, then they'd meet up with the big ship and they'd board her. The
California group would then head home. She wondered how far she was from California now. Their ship never stopped. It moved forward twenty-four hours a day.

She missed mom and dad so much. She could remember when Uncle Bob told her if she didn’t like calling them mom and dad, they would understand. Each of them made it a point never let her forget her real mom and dad. Uncle Bob had loved his little brother very much. Jesi told them every day they were not only her aunt and uncle but also her mommy and daddy now, and she'd never forget that.

The next day was a busy one and before Jesi realized it, it was time for bed and her second night of her voyage. She knew the next morning would end her trip. She'd say goodbye to all her new friends, then the Florida group would
turn and start back toward home. She dressed for bed and picked up her phone to call home. She thought for a minute, then lay it back down and decided she'd wait and call the next day. She wanted to make sure mom and dad didn’t
think she was homesick, even though she was.

At 5:00 A.M the next morning Jesi was awakened by a blast that rocked the whole ship. It threw her from her bed. It was like the time when she was six years old, but she was all alone this time. Lights flashed in her room. Doors that
she didn’t know even existed slid closed in the walls. A recorded voice played, “Proceed to the lifeboat.” It played over and over. Jesi
closed her eyes and prayed, “Please God, not again. Please, make it go away.”

Then something told her get in the lifeboat. She opened the door and lay flat on her back in the boat. She saw the cord Jim told her about. She pulled it and closed her eyes. She lay there half-naked, but she clung with her nails to the
netting around the boat. Suddenly, it was as if she was on a roller coaster.She was going so fast through this tube it almost took her breath away.

Then she felt cold water around her. It was so cold, but she just couldn’t let go or open her eyes. She prayed it was one of the nightmares
she used to have and that Uncle Bob would take her in his arms and gently hold and rock her and say, “It’s a dream, precious. Daddy's here and
you'll be fine."

She waited and waited, but she didn’t hear his voice. She was screaming, “Daddy, where are you?" Then she realized this wasn't a dream. It was happening. She dug into the netting of the raft more and more. There was total darkness, and the water was so cold. Jesi finally blacked out, but her hands never relaxed.

A short time later, Jesi regained consciousness. She couldn’t figure out where she was. She was laying in sand with the raft over her. Her bracelet and little anchor had tangled in the netting around the raft. She was so scared.
She finally got her arm free and stood up. The survival kit was still hooked to the raft, so she grabbed it and ran up the beach. She left the raft in the water. She fell on her face: cold, hungry and half-naked. She wanted so much to die right then. What will I do? Jesi cried herself to sleep laying there in the warm, dry sand.

A short while later she was awakened by the sound of the waves against the rocks. In a few minutes, she realized God hadn’t answer her prayers. She was still very much alive. She sat up, found the survival kit and opened it. She found a can of water and drank it. Next, she found a sealed pack that contained crackers. She ate them. There was also flint and a straight razor. A little strap for sharpening it lay beside the razor. She threw them down and
started to cry again. She didn’t know how to build a fire, even if she had a flint rock. The razor could be used as a knife, but she had nothing to cut.

Then Jesi remembered the homing device in the raft. She looked back toward the water but to her dismay, it was gone. She forgot to pull the raft out of the water and the tide had gone out, taking the raft with it. Now if they found the
raft, it'd be empty. Once again, she fell to her knees and started to cry.

Soon she lay face-down in the sand. She wanted the death angel to come get her. Jesi cried herself to sleep again. When she awoke the next time, the beach was in darkness. She was cold and scared. She tried to roll up into a ball, but the night air still took its toll on her. By some miracle of God, she went once
again fell asleep.

When she woke up again, she felt heat. It was daylight, but the heat she felt was not from the sun. Slowly, she looked around. She rose to find a fire burning near her. Jesi looked all around, but there was no sign of life anywhere. She called out, but didn’t hear a sound. Then she noticed a half shell by the fire, which looked like it had something to eat on it. It smelled so good. Slowly, she tasted it, then gulped it down. It was delicious. Next to the shell there was a gourd with the top off. Inside, she found fresh water. Jesi then called out again. No one answered and no one was in sight.

“Please, come out. You're scaring me,” she shouted.

There were no tracks or any sign of life. She rose to her feet and walked a short way up the beach. She saw some birds and monkeys in the trees, but they ran from her. Jesi shouted for help until her shouts turned to tears.

***

Back in California that same morning, Bob and Kay received a call from the Coast Guard. They requested them to come to the shipyard immediately. They'd explain when they arrived. Aunt Kay couldn’t hold back her tears.
“Something bad has happened to our little girl,” she cried.

Uncle Bob put his arms around her and insisted she was wrong. “Our little girl has to be safe,” he muttered.

Both held each other, trying to convince themselves all was okay. They slowly made the drive to the shipyard where they saw news cameras and people everywhere. As they parked the carand waited for more information they turned to each other and again broke down in tears. The last time they had been surrounded by a branch of the military service was when Bob and Jim Alexander returned from the service. The
families of the soldiers were standing on the pier that day. They couldn’t get out of the car.They just sat and held each other and their
hearts broke.

In minutes, two Coast Guard officers were beside the car. Martha Kelly was between them. She opened the door and reached out to Kay and Bob.
“They’re gone,” she sobbed.

Immediately, everyone was out of the car, trying to console each other. The two officers just held all three until someone brought three chairs.

“We're so sorry,” replied one officer. In a few minutes, a small,covered trailer pulled up next to them and stopped. The officers opened the
door and helped all three inside. “This is more comfortable and private,” he told them.

“What happened?" Bob asked. “I've seen trailers like this and a group of officers like you one other time. This means someone isn’t
coming home." The officers knelt in front of the three of them and took their hands in theirs.

“My name is Officer Jenkins and this is Senior Officer Black. Yesterday morning around 5:00 A.M. a cargo liner named The Slayer lost radar from her little sister ship, Endeavor. Both of these ships belong to I&E Transfer. They couldn't make radio contact either, so they rushed to the location where they had last seen them. They found debris and an oil slick.
There was no sign of survivors. The Coast Guard was notified and later that day, we found the center hull of the ship. It was flooded but intact. The lifeboat had been launched. We were told this was the private quarters of Mr.
Kelly."

Officer Black held tighter to Martha as she closed her eyes and shivered.“Did you find Jesi?"

“All her personal things were in the executive quarters,” he replied. “We've reason to believe she was there alone, because all Jim
Kelly’s personal things were removed. We believe she launched the lifeboat. We've a plane searching for it and were informed just an hour ago that it was found empty. There was a terrible storm, and there's no way anyone
could have survived the open sea in such a small boat. An explosion destroyed the ship, not the weather. We're trying to piece everything together and find out what caused the explosion. We'll know in a few days."

Officer Black held tighter to Kay and Martha. Bob stared into space with a glassy-eyed look. Officer Jenkins put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m
sorry, sir."

“Oh Father in Heaven, did she scream out for daddy to hold her? Did she
suffer or go quickly into the arms of Jesus? Father, Jim did all he could for her, even gave his life. He promised me if she didn’t return home, he wouldn't either. He paid his debt; if I could have only convinced him that what
I did for him was free. I have to believe my little girl is alive. So please, God, care and watch over her until I can return her home to us. Amen."

The soft sound of weeping was the only sound that came from the trailer for the next few minutes. Bob was the first to speak. “Are there any islands close by, sir?"

“There are some five miles away, but there's no way anyone could survive on them,” replied Officer Jenkins. “At any given time there could
be five feet of water over them, then they'll lift out of the water and be dry for a few hours. This happens over and over. There are miles and miles of flood lands. Our chopper flew over a short distance but returned."

“What if I searched every inch of the islands for her?" Bob asked.

“A search like that would take months. There's not a big enough fuel tank on a chopper to search for a long time. This will call for a ship with a landing pad and enough fuel onboard to search for months. You'd need a crew to
maintain the vessel, plus the chopper. The Coast Guard doesn't have the means and manpower to launch a search like that." Bob dropped his head in disappointment.

“I&E does,” replied Martha. “I have the ship, the chopper, and the manpower. Jim Kelly put Jessi in his private quarters just so she'd be
safe. From what I can tell, the end of the ship where Jim slept was totally destroyed. I think he'd want us to search for her. There's a possibility she's still alive, even if it's a very slim one. We'll search as long as it takes."

***

Back at the island, Jesi fell once more on her knees. “Why are you keeping me alive, Lord?" she asked, as she looked into Heaven. “This is the second time you spared me from death. Please let me die, or show me why I should live. I can’t stand the thought of being all alone." She noticed her gold bracelet with the little anchor dangling.

“My little Anchor of Hope. Mom and Dad gave you to me. If you had only let go while we were in the raft, we'd be in the arms of Jesus and my first mom and dad now. Oh God! I'm caught between two worlds. Please be with me, I'm
terrified of being all alone. I’m not alone, am I? Who's feeding me? I’m so tired and hungry." She put her hands over her face and gently lay
on the sand. Once again, she cried herself to sleep.

Later Jessi woke to the smell of food once more. When she opened her eyes, there was the strange-looking food on the half shells. There was also the gourd of water. She drank and ate till it was all gone. This time, about twenty feet
away, she noticed another half shell of food. It was a trail. Something or somebody was leading her. Jesi wasn’t afraid anymore. She was going to find out who, or what, was feeding her. This had gone on for days now. There'd
be a fire at night and food in the morning. This trail seemed to go on and on.

Soon she found a basket made of vines. Then, on the trail, she found fruit. She gathered it and put it in the basket. She felt like she had gone for miles when she saw something breathtaking. It was a small shelter made of trees and leaves. There was a pool of water beside it. When she got to it she put her toes in, and it was warm water. She waded out until she was waist-deep and bathed in the sweet warm water. She removed her thin, torn top and bottoms that had once been pajamas. Now, it was all she had. She started washing them out in the water. When she finished, she got out of the water and hung her clothes on a limb to dry.

She walked into the shelter. There was a fur-lined bed with a pitcher of water beside it. She drank, then laid down on the soft furs. She pulled them up around her chin and closed her eyes. That was the most comfortable she'd been
since she left home. The soft, warm fur against her bare skin felt so good. Once again, she was soon sound fast asleep.

When she wakened next time, it was dark. Not totally dark, because the moonlight sparkled off the pool of water beside her shelter. She lay there covered from head-to-toe. Jessi knew someone was there.

“I know you're here," she said. "Please, show yourself to me. If you want to help me, talk to me, please! I'll just call you Casper." She turned over in her bed. “Goodnight, Casper. Will you see me in the morning?" She was not afraid anymore. If whoever was feeding her wanted to hurt her, they would've already done so.

The sun and the smell of more food wakened her. Jesi ate her breakfast, then realized she was nude. She left her shelter to get her clothes off the limbs. They were gone. This time she got storming mad. She waded into the warm water
and had her morning bath.

“Bring my clothes back,” she insisted. “I know they're just strings, but they're all I have."

She finished her bath and walked back into her shelter. She pulled one of the furs off the bed and wrapped it around her, but it was too big and heavy to hold. She remembered the knife in her survival kit, but it was miles away. She
just sat there in the shelter.

In a loud voice she said, “I'm not going to walk around until you bring my things back."

A few hours later, a grape came through the window and fell in front of her. Jesi’s first thought was that it was raining grapes. Soon there was another and another.

“Ok, I get your message,” she said. “I'm up and outside. When I was in college, this look would have cost you a dollar."

She stood there and couldn't hear or see anything. Then she saw some clothes made of skins hanging on the limbs. They were beautiful. It was exactly the size and pattern of the PJs she had lost. She put on the bottoms and then the top. On one side of the bottoms, there was a soft vine that looked like a string. She laced them tight and tied them on the side. The bra she tied in the front. “This is one sexy outfit,” she muttered.

“Casper, I’m sorry for what I said. You took my old clothes for a pattern for my new outfit, didn’t you? You don’t have to pay me a dollar. That look was on me. Next time, ask me please. Will you go back and get my survival kit while I wash my shells?"

Jesi washed all she had in the warm water. She decided she wanted to look around her new neighborhood. She found fresh running, cool water behind her shelter. There were all kinds of fruit trees. Some she had never seen before.
When she returned to her shelter, she found her survival kit and the gourds that she was given the first day. She filled them with fresh water, then sat down.

“Casper, please come sit by me."

No one showed nor did she hear a sound, except for the normal sounds from the outside. When Jesi laid down that night, she had a plan. The next morning she would draw out who, or whatever, was taking care of her. It might take all day and night, but she'd do it.

Early the next morning, Jesi was up. She ste her prepared breakfast, then went out and got in the warm water and bathed. She walked out of the water and didn’t go ten feet before she slipped and fell. She didn’t move. She just lay there as if she were dead. Jessi lay there for hours without moving a muscle. She was not hurt or asleep. She thought that whatever was feeding and clothing her would not let her lay long without checking on her. She wanted so much to move, but she toughed it out.

Four hours had passed and Jessi was still laying half on her side, partially face-down. Then she felt something on her back. She could tell it was a hand. As much as she wanted to jump up and look, she didn’t. She lay still with her eyes closed. Very gently, the hand turned her over. She felt a gourd at her mouth and realized someone was giving her a drink. She felt them very gently rub her cheeks. Jessi couldn’t stand it anymore. Slowly, she opened her
eyes.

Now, the hands held her head in a lap. She could make out the image of a young man. He looked to be no older than she was. Jessi never made a sound. He looked as if he had muscles on top of muscles. He very gently touched her large firm
breast. Then he picked her up as if she weighed nothing. He carried her nude body back into the shelter and put her on the bed, then covered her up.

He fed her pieces of fruit. Jesi lay very quietly and just looked into his blue eyes. Then he found her bikini bottoms and put them on her, lacing up the side. He tied them in a very crude knot, but they held. He did the same with
her bra. Jesi noticed his outfit was just like hers. He wore a bra over his breast also. She took his hand and he didn’t pull away.

“Who are you?" she whispered. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but he struggled. Jesi noticed his teeth were as white as pearls and glistened like diamonds.

“Cas-per,” he whispered. He removed her hand and ran out of the shelter.

The next morning Jesi sat by the pool of water and called out to Casper. He never showed himself. Then she started to cry. She put her face in her hands and her heart broke. In a few minutes, she felt that soft touch on her hands.
She jumped up and went into Casper’s arms. It scared him at first, but he relaxed and softly pulled her warm body close to his. She felt his strong muscled breast press against her bare skin.

“Don’t be afraid,” she muttered.

Casper touched her tears with his fingers, then held her again. Jesi took each of his hands and started to make conservation with him. He didn’t
understand. He knew he was Casper and that was all. Then she realized all the words he knew was what she had shouted out to him.

She smiled and said, “Men don’t wear bras."

Slowly she unlaced his and let it fall to the ground. He tried to do the same with her bra. She clutched his hand and pulled it against her breast. “Not yet...later. I’m glad I'm a Tarzan fan.” She pointed to herself and said, “Jesi." She touched his chest and said, “Casper." He understood.

He touched her breast and said, “Jesi."

She grinned and said, “You aren’t suppose to touch them, big boy."


He touched them again and said, “Big Boy."

She got tickled by that. Casper tried to imitate her laugh. She laughed harder and so did he. Oh, it feels so good to laugh again, she thought.

That night she didn’t let Casper leave her. He slept beside her and she held him all night. For the first time in weeks, she felt so safe. It was just like she was a little girl at home again. No one could harm or scare her now.
Casper would protect her.

Early the next morning she was wakened by the smell of breakfast. She felt for Casper but he was gone. “Casper!" she shouted with a startled cry. Immediately, he was over her and had her in his arms.

“I thought it was a dream last night, and you didn't exist," she cried.

Very gently, he kissed away her tears. She looked into his eyes and kissed him on his lips. He pulled her slender body against his and Jessi felt muscles against her like she had never felt before. He released her and whispered,
“Jesi.” She then realized she was the first human he'd ever seen. He had put on a bra because she had one on.

She took his face in her hands and whispered, “I’m sorry."

She very gently kissed his lips again.

“I’m sorry,” stated Casper and he gently kissed her the same way.

“You're imitating me," she whispered. "Jesi, you're a shithead. Of course, he is. He knows no different," she told herself.

“Jesi is a shithead," replied Casper.

Jesi found that amusing and gently hit his mouth with two fingers.

“Bad word,” she scolded. Then she did it to herself the same way. He smiled and in a way, it was as if he understood. She took his face in her
hands once more. “I love you.”

Casper took her face very gently in his strong hands and whispered, “I love you."

She took his hands. “Breakfast is getting cold. Let’s eat.”

After breakfast, they washed the shells. “It’s bath time,” Jesi told him. She made him turn around. She held his back with one hand and
unlaced her bra and bottoms, then sat down in the warm water. “Casper,” she called. He turned to face her. She pointed to his
trunks and turned her back. He understood. He unlaced his trunks and stepped in and sat down up to his chin, just like her.

“Jesi,” he called.

She turned and grinned. “I love you. You're so gentle and catch on fast."


He grinned and touched her breast once more. She smacked his hand. “No!” she said in a stern voice. He knew he was being scolded and
his dropped his head. She realized she hurt his feelings, so she put her hands out to him.

She touched the rolls of muscles on his chest. He smacked her hands. “No!" he said.

She leaped into his arms. She held him tightly and he returned the hug. “School starts in thirty minutes,” she told him.

They finished their baths, then Jessi put her finger to his lips and gently
rubbed his teeth. “Clean, fresh,” she said. She put his finger to her teeth. “Dirty." Casper understood.

He picked up a gourd of water and led her a short distance to some vines. He pulled some off and put them in her mouth. She chewed on them. They tasted like mint. Casper chewed a mouthful also. Jesi swallowed the fresh-tasting leaves,
or tried to. She choked and gagged. Casper hit her back until she spit them out. When she got her breath back, Casper spit his out and took a drink, swished it around and spit it out. He handed her the water and motioned for her
to do the same.

“Real smart, swallow the toothpaste. Jesi is a shi...” She stopped before she said it.

“Shithead,” replied Casper, then grabbed his mouth before she could strike him.

Jesi laughed so hard it hurt. She couldn’t stop. Then Casper got tickled. He laughed like a monkey. This was even funnier, so she laughed harder and so did he. Tears on their of their cheeks, they finally got control of themselves. Then very passionately, Jesi kissed Casper’s lips. Her lips were fresh as mint, just like his. She released him. “Time for school to
start, my love."

Casper caught on very quickly. Using signs, he could put his words together and understand. After a few days, Jesi could carry on a conservation with her hands and words, if she didn’t use slang. Slang totally confused him. One morning when they awoke, and after they'd their baths and breakfast, Jesi looked at him very seriously “Where are your parents?" This word confused him. Then she took him by the hand and asked him to follow her.

A short distance up the trail, she saw a monkey in the trees. She had a baby chimp on her back. She pointed to the mother and said, “Parent." Then pointed at the little monkey and said, "Baby."

He repeated, “Parent.” Then pointed to the baby and said, “Baby.”

“Yes, very good,” replied Jesi. She touched him with her finger. “Casper. Parent." He shook his head and repeated after her, showing he
understood. She pointed all around. “Where's Casper’s parent?" He thought for a second, then took her by the hand and proceeded up the trail.

Soon they were at a grove of trees. There were big monkeys all around. Jesi realized they were apes. The males were a short distance from the females. They watched Jesi very closely. Casper pulled her next to him and made a growling
sound with his mouth. They went on about their business and looked away as if they didn’t see her.

Casper led Jesi into a little shelter. There were three female apes inside. One was very old, lying quietly. The second of the three was younger than the first, and the third even younger. “Parent,” replied Casper. He
pointed to all three. Jesi understood. She was in Casper’s childhood home. Before her were his
granny, mother and sister. They all cared for him like the monkey with the baby on its back. He led Jessi to the oldest and she sat up slowly. She parted and picked through Jessi’s hair. She was grooming her. One of the
other’s approached Casper and did the same.

This went on for several minutes. Then Jesi noticed an old suitcase sitting on a safe. She walked over to it and pointed at it. Casper opened it. It was full of ladies' clothes. They were dry-rotted, but neatly folded. She found a hair brush. She picked it up and ran it through her long, beautiful hair. The apes had removed most of the tangles, but this was even better. She handed it to Casper, then reached for it. “Jesi’s brush?” she asked him.


He understood. He handed it over and softly whispered, “Jesi’s brush."

Then she tried to open the safe door. It was locked. She turned the knob one way a few times, then back the other way. She heard a click. Surprisingly, she opened the big heavy door. It was full of papers. Jessi looked through them and to her surprise, the mystery was over. There were pictures of a pregnant woman standing by a very handsome man. He looked just like Casper.

Jesi showed Casper and he was confused. He pointed to the man and said, “Casper."

Jesi shook her head. “No darling, parent." In some other pictures there was a small baby. She looked at Casper and smiled. “Casper,” she
said. Other pictures were of the apes with the family. Jessi took out a little diary and started to read:

Today is June 31st, 1983. My name is Heather Poat and my husband is Kenny Poat. Three months ago our ship, loaded down with circus animals, wrecked on this island. Kenny and I tell each other it’s like Noah’s Ark. We have freed all the animals and with the help of God, may they survive. There's water and plenty of food here. I was very much pregnant when we landed here
three months ago. I have given birth to a son. His name is Bo Poat. I'm not doing well at all. There was some problem during childbirth and I know I won’t survive. All the deck hands were drowned. Kenny was injured in the
storm also, and he doesn’t look good at all.

Shelia is the tamest ape we have and she's with child also. We've trained her the best we could in the time we have to care for Bo. If you're reading this diary, please find him and take care of him if it’s not too late. Shelia
does have enough milk for her baby and Bo also. So far, she has accepted him and is very protective of him. With some harness and the help of the animals, we've put all we could in this safe. May God bless us and send someone to save Bo. God bless you, and tell Bo how much he was loved during the short time Kenny and I had with him.

Jesi put back the papers. “Bo,” she said, pointing at him.

He shook his head no. “Casper,” he insisted. Jesi just smiled.

***

Back in California, Martha had everything set up for Jessi's search. She had the ship loaded with enough supplies to last a crew of twelve for six months. “If it needs to be longer, we'll re-stock our ship from out on the
water,” she said.

Two days later, the captain announced they were at the sight of the explosion. One chopper lifted off with Bob onboard. They flew over the wetlands and
hovered for a short while. It looked as if the island was dry and not underwater.

The helicopter was equipped with pontoons, so they set it down. In a few minutes, they noticed the water starting to surround them. They lifted off and searched the rest of the day. They returned disappointed. This continued for
weeks. Then one day Bob noticed something strange about the water. As they approached the islands, he saw a channel they had never noticed before. From high in the air you could see it plainly, but it twisted and turned and was
hard to track. They lowered the chopper in the channel. Bob found a piece of netting from the life raft. He knew the raft had been there. Could it be possible Jesi was in the raft when it was drawn into the channel?

They returned to the ship. Bob had a plan. He wondered what would happen if a boat, or raft, entered the island at the time when the channel was at its strongest flow. He removed a lifeboat from their ship and tied 120 lbs of
weight in it. The next morning Bob and Kay, along with Martha, boarded the chopper. They hovered high over the channel. When they spotted a strong movement in the channel, they lowered and launched the lifeboat. It took off
like a snake, making its way thru the island.

They followed it further than they had ever been before. Soon they saw before them a beautiful island with sandy beaches and trees of every kind. The lifeboat washed right up on the beach. They landed and jumped from the chopper.
They didn't see anyone, but soon they heard Kay scream. Bob rushed to her.

“Tracks! Tracks!" she shouted. She clutched a piece of Jesi’s pajamas in her hand.

“She's been here,” Kay cried. “We gave her these pajamas last Christmas." They saw where Casper had built the first fire for Jesi. Tears of
joy overflowed. They continued to follow the trail that Casper led Jessi on when he took her deeper onto the island. In the distance they saw the most beautiful sight in the world...their little girl.

She had a very attractive young man by the hand and was running toward them as fast as she could run. She was pulling Casper. Soon she went into her daddy's arms. Kay and Martha joined in on the hug. All were crying and asking questions
at the same time. Casper had backed away a few feet and looked on in amazement. Suddenly, they realized he was watching and wondering what was going on. Jesi held out her hand for him to join them.

“Mom, Dad, Martha, this is Bo Poat. He saved my life. If not for him, I would not have survived.”

Kay put her arms around him. “Thank God for you, Bo,” she cried. "I'm Jesi’s mom and this is her dad. This other lady is called Martha. She's the one that helped us find you. If not for her, no one would have looked for more than a few days."

Bob took his hand and said, “We're so glad to meet you, Bo. How can we ever repay you for what you've done?"

Bo smiled and looked at Jesi for encouragement. She nodded for him to speak. “Please, sir, call me Casper."

Jesi went into his arms. “I'm so proud of you, darling. Oh, how I love you.” Jesi and Bo showed her folks their camp. She explained everything
that had happened over the last three months. She could hardly believe it had been that long. All were shocked when Jesi explained that she was the first human Casper had ever remembered seeing.

Casper looked at Bob. “Are all girls as beaut...as pretty as Jesi?”

“No, son. Your Jesi is as pretty as they come. There's none as beautiful as she. Now, can we make plans for the five of us to leave here?"

“Yes, Dad, but first we're concerned about Casper’s family. He has a mom and sister and grandmother here who aren't in the best of health. I need to stay until Casper is ready to leave. We plan on being married as soon as we
can."

Kay smiled. “Guess what, kids? I'm a Justice of Peace. If you can talk your mom and dad into being witnesses, I can marry you today."

Jesi was overcome with joy. She had explained marriage to Casper. Jessi’s smiles turned to a frown.

“We don’t have a ring,” she sadly spoke.

Kay pulled off her diamond wedding band. “Jim would want you to have this, sweetheart. Will you accept it?"

“I'd be honored,” she replied. She unclipped the little anchor from her bracelet.

“Dad, can you clip this to the top of my wedding band? This is my little Anchor of Hope. Now I understand. God kept me alive to save Casper from this island. He kept Casper alive to save me. Mom, Dad, Kay, he used you three to bring it all together. Thank you, Father in Heaven." Then she turned to Casper. "Come with me, Mr. Poat. Mrs. Poat has plans for you this evening after the wedding.”

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