Blog 11- Ironic, Isn't It?

My crew and I were aboard our naval ship, when, far off on the horizon, I saw smoke. I really didn't know what it was. I thought it could have been another naval ship that had been bombed, so I took my time making my way over there, in case the attacker had stuck around. But as we grew closer I realized that it wasn't another ship, it was an island; it was an island that was on fire. But how does an island just randomly catch on fire? There had been a lightning storm a few days ago but any fire that it would have created would have gone out by now. I decided to take my search further and go to the small island.

I got there and there seemed to be inexpertly built huts, and the remains of a camp fire on the beach. But there was no one around. Perhaps they had started the fire in the jungle and were killed by it before they could run away. I heard a faint cry of, "Heave!" And then far off I head a quiet ululation. Perhaps not. Just then a dirty little boy run came running and screaming out of the jungle carrying a long stick. He had a swollen face with scratches all over. His whole body was bruised and he had a very deep wound in his ribs and on his head was a tangle of messy blond hair and twigs. Next ran out another little boy, this one with red hair which was tied back. His face was painted with something and he was carrying what seemed to be a spear. I could visualize that he had been chasing the blond haired boy with that spear. He seemed to be very nervous and quickly placed the remains of a black cap on his head. Then some other littluns who seemed to be no older than 6 came cowering out of the jungle.

I greeted the first boy who came running out, and greeted me back very quietly. I asked if there were any adults, any grown-ups on the island. The boy shook his head no.

"We saw your smoke. What have you been doing? Having a war of something?"

The boy nodded. A war. These little boys were having a war.

"Nobody killed, I hope? Any dead bodies?"

"Only two. And they've gone."

I was shocked. Two boys killed! What insanity!

One of them littluns came up to me.

"I'm... I'm..."

The poor little boy couldn't even remember his own name! I told them that we'd take them off now, and asked how many of them there were. Of course, they didn't know how many. I asked who was the boss around there, and the first boy I'd seen said that he was. That little boy in the back with the red hair and the black cap started to walk forward to say that he was, but then changed his mind. Perhaps he didn't want to take responsibility for what had happened there on that island. I elaborated on my disappointment in them. Those British boys should have been able to put on a better show than that! But then the boy who claimed to be the boss began sobbing, and then all the other boys followed. They all wept and cried. I turned around to give them time to pull themselves together and began thinking of what I had just heard. Boys killing each other and creating war. How horrible! How stupid! Then I caught sight of my own ship. The one that is used for creating wars and killing people.

Ironic, isn't it?