Gilligan's Island the Reunion

Chapter Two

Sixteen years ago...

Gilligan watched in horror as the balloon slowly lifted off from the island with the jungle boy inside. No, no, no he thought as he raced to the balloon as quickly as his legs could carry him. Skipper yelled at him to stop but he ignored him. He could not allow the balloon to leave the island with the boy in it. He had to stop it.

He quickly grabbed the thick vines that hung from the basket that the boy was in hoping to pull the balloon down to the island. He tried to pull it only to find himself lifting off the ground.

"Gilligan let go." The Skipper yelled.

No Gilligan thought as he desperately hung onto the vine. I just need to get into the basket. Once I am in the basket I'll land the balloon and get the boy out and then send it off with the letter like we planned.

Skipper continued to order him to let go but Gilligan ignored him as he tried to climb the rope. Just like the rope climb in gym class he thought. You were always good at the rope climb. Just a few more inches and you will be in the basket. His mouth went dry as the balloon continued to lift higher, his heart pounded in his chest and his hands began to sweat.

"You're going to get yourself killed." Skipper yelled.

Don't care Gilligan thought. I'll never forgive myself if anything happened to the boy. I will never be able to look myself in the mirror if he crashes into the ocean or lands one of the other island with the headhunters and the witch doctors.

I won't let him his thought interrupted by his hand slipping from the vine. "No!" He screamed as he felt himself begin to fall. He desperately tried to grasp the vines again but a wind took them from his grasps. He let out a series of expletives which he was sure would have turned Mrs. Howell's ears bright red.

He then hit the ground and let out a cry of pain.

"Gilligan." Skipper yelled as he and the girls ran to him. He helped him to his feet and scornfully said "What were you thinking. You could have been killed."

"I'm sorry." Gilligan said. Not to the Skipper of course. This was one of the first times that he did not care that he was upset with him. It was to the jungle boy as he watched him slowly float over the lagoon towards the ocean. "I'm so sorry."

The Skipper then said something that he never imagined he would hear from his lips in a million years. "It's not your fault Gilligan." Gilligan blinked at him in surprise. He questioned if he had him right. He looked at the girls and Mrs. Howell who were stunned too.

He was sure he was going to be blamed for this. That the Skipper would have unleashed his unholy wrath upon him for not keeping a better eye on the boy. That he would be scolded by the group for screwing up again.

But there were no lectures, no blame, no accusatory looks. Mary Anne just hugged him as they silently watched the balloon float off into the distance.

"Godspeed, my boy." Mister Howell said somberly. Gilligan looked into his eyes and saw that they too were filled with fear and anxiety.

The balloon soon disappeared from the island and the Professor softly said "Come on Gilligan let' get you checked out."

"Okay." He said as he allowed Professor Hinkley to lead him away.

"You think he will be okay?"

"I don't know." The Professor said. "I hope so."

Gilligan looked back one more time and thought I pray so.

"I floated in that balloon for two days before I landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier." The former jungle boy whose name was Kurt told them. His wife Anna sat on a couch beside him while he and Mary Anne sat on the couch across from them. "I was dehydrated, starved and sun burned." The two winced. The news had reported his discovery but not the condition he was found in. "I was barely conscience when the sailors pulled me out of the basket. I kept saying one word over and over again." Kurt then smiled. "Gilligan."