Chapter 9: Maybe It's Because I'm an Islander

Same as Chapter 8.

The rest of the day consisted of the two families following her all around the island and occasionally asking questions, though the latter mostly applied to the younger generation. While Mark and Katrina were much more curious and willing to learn about what their children had done for three months, Paul and Lorraine seemingly wanted no part in this. Even though they loved the outdoors, it would have been much more preferable for them if they had just been allowed to explore at their own pace.

The crew traveled all over the place on foot, exploring the rainforest that provided some much-needed shade, as well as a suitable habitat for various wild monkeys and lemurs, reptiles and birds of all sizes, sugar gliders, and even the occasional wild boar. Many of the trees contained tropical fruits, including several that the Sterlings (Rosemary notwithstanding) had never even heard of before, though Kendra and Kendall were quick to sample them, quickly finding a few new favorites among the bunch. There was also a rather lumpy layer of rock on the floor in parts of this jungle, presumably from a prior eruption, and Justine could've sworn she saw a lump shaped like a human somewhere.

Furthermore, they walked right past the volcano, which was named Mt. Jones, before Danielle pointed to a cluster of dark rocks offshore, dubbed the Isle of Thugs, or Isla de los Delincuentes. They explored the pink sand beach on the side of the island opposite from whence they arrived, occupied by dozens of friendly sea lions and cave-ridden rock-faces. Finally, the tour ended in the center of Isla de Exilio, home to a large, natural clearing in the jungle, occupied by a sprawling, multi-level civilization made of repurposed plane, ship, and even submarine wreckages. A few guards and tour guides walked around, and various tourists busied themselves exploring the various residences on the ground and in the canopy. Other than that, the town appeared to be completely uninhabited now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Shipwreck Village, the capital of this island!" Danielle bellowed.

"Creative, isn't it?" Junior asked the gang.

"No kidding," Mark and Katrina spoke in unison.

"Well when you're stuck on an island for who knows how long, you kinda' have to be creative." Zeke shrugged.

"This village was founded in 2027 by Captain Jerry Jones, who accidentally discovered the island when his cruise ship crashed on it, which would later be used as both his residence and as Town Hall," Danielle explained, pointing to a massive ocean liner wreckage at one end of the clearing. "Since then, various other vehicles crashed here and the population grew, easily cementing itself as the most diverse in all the world."

As their tour guide spoke, the two families looked around town. Justine and Junior were especially excited to check the place out, immediately noticing the old Simmons-owned private jet that had acted as their residence during their stay here. The bonfires that once occupied the town square and street corners were replaced with charcoal grills and solar-powered stoves and griddles, selling mainland carnival snacks like popcorn, Chicago dogs, Frito pie, and funnel-cake instead of the blend of airplane food and freshly-caught wildlife that the twins recalled eating. At least they were also serving homemade smoothies and chocolate bars made from the locally-grown crops, so there was that.

---

Once the tour ended, everyone was free to explore the town of their own volition, which prompted them all to split up. Junior took his wife and daughter on a small tour of his own, explaining how he and his sister had to live for an entire summer and showing them around his old shelter, pleased to see that the bizarre place he once knew hadn't changed too much. Meanwhile Justine explored the many rooms of the ocean liner wreckage and was still able to pick up some carnal odors from several years ago. The smells that come from losing one's virginity. All the while, Zeke tagged along with his own parents, trying desperately to get them to loosen up much like he had.

The group reconvened at a series of tables under a palm-leaf roof, enjoying a cheap but still moderately healthy lunch as they chatted amongst themselves. However, it wasn't long before a tall, middle-aged man in a sailor suit with an Admiral cap and dark gray mustache showed up, the mere presence of his shadow being enough to alert everyone.

"Ah, I thought I saw some familiar faces roaming around," he spoke in a Canadian dialect, his voice throaty but gentle as he took up an unoccupied seat.

"C-Captain Jones, is that really you?!" Junior nearly spat out his red banana smoothie.

"With more years and less hair, but yeah, still in the flesh," Jones replied.

"Nice to see you again. I take it you're doing well?" Justine asked, biting into a palm-smoked hot dog.

"Yep. I live comfortably on Marco Island, and I'm mostly retired now. Still doesn't stop me from visiting this place every now and again. Nostalgia's a b***h," Jones explained. "It's nice to see you two have matured since your last visit."

"Though then again, how much does one really mature between eighteen and twenty-seven?" Junior pondered.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." Jones' eyes casually shifted towards Primrose. "Ah, and it seems growing up hasn't been the only thing keeping you busy."

"Nope," Rosemary giggled.

"...and it looks as though you're already preparing for another," Jones remarked with a smirk, eyeing her gut hanging out of her front-tied gingham shirt.

"Excuse me?" Rosemary asked.

"Don't worry, he talks that way to everyone," Justine said. "Welp, it sure was nice to see you again. Take care."

"Same to you, gang. Tell Mandy I said hi." Jones adjusted his admiral cap as he stood up.

"That guy doesn't seem too bad," Mark said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. Outta everyone who coulda' possibly looked after you two for an entire summer, I'm glad it was him," Katrina added.

"No kidding," Junior replied.

---

After everyone had finished eating, they all prepared to head back to the mainland. Traveling back to Kicksburg took just as long as traveling down to the island, and by the same they arrived, it was time for dinner. The reception of that day's trip once again appeared to be mixed. Even ignoring Junior and Justine's opinions, nobody else seemed to be overtly ecstatic about the experience. Rosemary was happy to get a proper glimpse into her husband's backstory, though Primrose was too young to understand or appreciate any of it. Zeke enjoyed the trip for what it was, but it was little more than a welcome change of pace in his eyes. Kendra and Kendall were eager to spend some time in nature, but seemed far more excited to learn about new species as opposed to the history behind the island itself.

And of course Lorraine and Paul remained as unmoved as always. To them, seeing a tourist attraction was an urban thing, and anything they deemed too urban would be something they'd refuse to do under any other circumstances. Junior came to this realization on the way home. It wasn't too often when he would piece together a plan that had a critical oversight, but whenever he did, it always made him upset. Because of such an oversight, the first thing he did upon entering the bedroom that night was face-palm as loudly as possible, not caring in the slightest if it messed up his glasses.