Stranded on a Desert Island...
A rather inhibited engineer finallysplurged on a luxury cruise to
the Caribbean. It was the craziest thing he had ever
donein his life. Just as he was beginning to enjoy himself, a
hurricane roared upon the hugeship, capsizing it like a child's
toy. Somehow the engineer, desperately hanging on to alife
preserver, managed to wash ashore on a secluded island.
Outside of beautiful scenery, aspring-fed pool, bananas and
coconuts, there was little else. He lost all hope and forhours on
end and sat under the same palm tree. One day, after several months
had passed, agorgeous woman in a small rowboat appeared.
I'm from the other side of the island, she said.
Were you on the cruise ship, too?
Yes, I was, he answered. But where did you get
that rowboat?
Well, I whittled the oars from gum tree branches, wove the
reinforced gunnel from palm branches, and made the keel and stern
from a Eucalyptus tree.
But, what did you use for tools? asked the man, amazed.
There was a very unusual strata of alluvial rock exposed on
the south side of the island. I discovered that if I fired it to a
certain temperature in my kiln, it melted into forgeable ductile
iron. Anyhow, that'show I got the tools. But, enough of that,
she said. Where have you been living all thistime? I don't
see any shelter.
To be honest, I've just been sleepingon the beach, he
said.
Would you like to come to my place?the woman asked. The
engineer nodded dumbly. She expertly rowed them around to her side
ofthe island, and tied up the boat with a handsome strand of
hand-woven hemp topped with aneat back splice. They walked up a
winding stone walk she had laid and around a Palm tree.There stood
an exquisite bungalow painted in blue and white.
It's not much, but I call it home.Inside, she said,
Sit down please; would you like to have a drink?
No, thanks, said the man. One morecoconut juice
and I'll throw up!
It won't be coconut juice, the womanreplied. I
have a crude still out back, so we can have authentic Pina
Coladas.
Trying to hide his amazement, the manaccepted the drink, and they
sat down on her couch to talk. After they had exchangedstories, the
woman asked, Tell me, have you always had a beard?
No, the man replied, I was cleanshaven all of my
life until I ended up on this island.
Well if you'd like to shave, there's arazor upstairs in the
bathroom cabinet.
The man, no longer questioning anything, went upstairs to the
bathroom and shaved with an intricate bone-and-shell device honed
razor sharp. Next he showered -- not even attempting to fathom a
guess as to how she managed to get warm water into the bathroom --
and went back downstairs. He couldn't help but admire the
masterfully carved banister as he walked.
You look great, said the woman. I think I'll go
up and slip into something more comfortable.
As she did, the man continued to sip his Pina Colada. After a short
time, the woman, smelling faintly of gardenias, returned wearing a
revealing gown fashioned out of pounded palm fronds.
Tell me, she asked, We've both been out here for
a very long time with no companionship. You know what I mean.
Haven't you been lonely, too... isn't there something that you
really, really miss? Something that all men and woman need?
Something that would be really nice to have right now...?
Yes there is, the man replied, shucking off his
shyness. There is something I've wanted to do for so long.
But on this island all alone, it was just... well, it was
impossible.
Well, it's not impossible, anymore, the woman said.
The man, practically panting in excitement, said breathlessly:
You mean... you actually figured out some way we can CHECK
OUR EMAIL HERE?!