Red lights in the plane were flashing violently indicating some danger that was to come. My countenance was filled with terror as it came to my realization that the plane was about to touch the water. Reminiscing on the sagacious words by Rabindranath Tagore, "If it can be solved then there is no need to worry and if it can't be solved then worry is of no use". I tried to calm down. In just a few minutes our plane was about to land on water. A wave of terror radiated through the plane. The flight attendants tried to create a tranquil atmosphere however, the constant turbulences did not help the intense situation.
I felt the plane surging lower and lower until I knew that we had touched the water. The plane was filled with mixed emotions of trepidation, shock, and fear. The little children were giving out tumultuous screams. All of us were in our life jackets, praying for the best, and leaving our existence to destiny. A few intrepid people who knew how to swim jumped first into the water and started swimming. The others were reluctant to enter the rough water but knew that they had no other choice. It was pure chaos. After a while, we all got scattered in the colossal ocean.
I realized the evanescence of the enormous crowd of people in about twenty-five minutes of my swim in the choppy waves. Euphoria filled my veins on seeing a piece of green land and it propelled me to swim even faster. By the time I reached the patch of land, I was gasping for breath. I flicked my salt water-soaked hair away from my face and walked out of the ocean which was sparkling under the sun's rays. I threw myself against the hot sand on the seashore. I staggered up to the crooked fruit-bearing trees and I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my body. The feeling of hunger did not even strike me as I just wanted to find someone, anyone.
Water dripped down my clothes leaving a trail wherever I went and on walking a small distance, I saw an entirely deserted area with a tiny wooden cottage standing upright. Having no place to go, I timidly entered the cottage. The door opened with a loud creak and a shiver went down my spine. Inside the cottage, I saw an open door leading to a room. I walked towards it nervously and was startled to see an old man chopping wood.
He looked around 60 years old. He was rather neatly dressed in trousers and a t-shirt. His skin was wrinkled and circular glasses rested on the tip of his crooked nose. The color from the old man's face seemed to vanish when he saw me and his jaw dropped slightly in shock. He stood up clumsily and with a deep, sonorous voice, he asked me how I had reached such a desolated area. I could feel my heart pound as I recounted the entire experience. He listened intently to the story, his expression slowly changing from shock to bewilderment.
On finishing my narration, I asked the man what his name was and how he had reached this sequestered land. He stood expectant by this question and replied saying that his name was Joe and he was once a merchant who traded with distant lands. However, due to the perilous weather, he had reached this island where there resided not a single soul.
By serendipity, he had the quintessential materials required to construct a house. Joe explained to me how he had survived all these years doing everything himself. His story was inspiring. He lived all alone for so long and managed everything so well. After finishing his talk, Joe looked at me for a second and then immediately rushed to get something for me to ingest. He came with a plate of fruits and berries that I had never seen before. Joe understood what I was thinking and assured me that everything on the plate was edible.
Deprived of food, I gratefully accepted it and felt satisfied when I was done. I was extremely curious to know more about this secluded island and so every day I would step out of the cottage and explore the bounds of this stranded island and every day I found new, fascinating things and objects.
This very deserted, mysterious island that I had got stuck on 9 years ago is now called, 'Florida!'
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