The Mystery of Turtle Island
by
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Jerry studied them closely. One was a weasel-like person, older, how much older it was hard to tell. His hair was greasy black, hanging long from under a baseball cap. He seemed traditionally dirty, not just dirty with work grime, but dirty from habit. Jerry watched him. He wondered how that mind might work. Jerry wondered if different minds were like parts of a river, all going somewhere – brooks, creeks, backwaters, false channels, swamps. All were flowing to, or at least connected somehow to a great ocean. Even though they moved in different ways and through different channels, some of them quite strange, some of them moving so badly while others seemed to flow smoothly, they all seemed to have the same destination. But why did some minds work in such strange ways? Jerry couldn't understand. Why were Munnie and Lester so no-count? Jerry tended to stew about such things. More than anything, Jerry wanted to see – really see – how these things happened, really see how things worked. The weasel-person had a faint mustache, like a young boy who had never shaved but had developed a fine dark hair on his lip. His pale, almost colorless lips seemed to move without making a sound. Jerry never saw his eyes under the baseball cap, but he could feel them. Jerry watched those pallid lips move, but could catch no sound. It was one of those voices, Jerry figured, that only people standing near could hear. Apparently they did hear, and heed. The other three did what Weasel wanted, for some reason. Even Munnie, without hesitation. Munnie reminded Jerry of a huge, shaggy dog who obeys the commands from his master's silent whistle. Weasel's companion was rangy, a scarecrow. He moved with the actions of a praying mantis. Unlike crazy Lester, he never smiled. Jerry was used to Munnie and Lester, just a couple of local clowns. But these other two were something else. Jerry wasn't sure why they seemed familiar, but he disliked them from the moment he saw them. They were from somewhere far upriver, and their presence in Palatka disturbed Jerry's sense of balance. Jerry wished they had stayed in whatever dark swamp they came from.
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About the Book
The Mystery of Turtle Island
Through a frightful encounter with old family enemies, Jerry Marker, sixteen, finds the answers to troubling questions. He discovers that he cannot lean on an adult mentor, but must find his own light and walk alone. The paths to this insight, found in a time of terror, are understanding and compassion.
Florida's St. Johns River and the commercial fishermen who work its waters provide a vehicle for unique setting, characters, plot and symbolism. Indeed, the river becomes almost a fully participating character.
About the Author
I am a retired boat builder and commercial artist. In addition to adult fiction and non-fiction, I have written numerous juvenile short stories and articles. I have been published in Ranger Rick's Nature Magazine, Straight, Highlights for Children, Child Life, Children's Friend, and the American Junior Red Cross News. A story from the last was selected for the American Talking Book Edition. I currently write, read, and collect orchids and other plants.