Cheers, Varun.
Message in the Bottle - Version 2
By: Varunesh Kumar
Josh always
felt out of place in this world. Even though his mother was his real mother, he
felt she was clueless as to who he was. He lived with his mum, his step-dad and
his two step sisters, Jane and Carly. All his life he thought his the man
living with him was his father but then his mother told him half the truth. At
16, he found out his father was actually his step-father. In 2012, at the age of 17, he
started university and moved out of his mother’s home to settle down in a
share-house in Glenelg with a group of guys from his school.
When he was
not at University or working at Hungry Jacks, he was walking along Glenelg
beach, taking in the sun and listening to the birds talking to each other and
the ocean quietly lapping the shore. To Josh, it seemed like the beach was the
only place he belonged. The only place he could call home and feel like he
belonged. At the beach he was transported to another universe, even another
time, where things are different. People can speak in a language that is
foreign without learning another language. You could understand each other by
thought or feelings, not even needing words to communicate. That is how he felt
near the ocean. He could almost hear the ocean whispering to him, the birds
calling his name and telling him secrets no human could.
His mother
never really communicated with him. After the revelation, he had asked her so
many times who his real father was. His mother could only muster those three
words He used to use on them when he didn’t want to say anything.
“I don’t know”, she’d say.
Well, what was his name then? You
should have gotten his name at least!” frustration boiled out through his vocal
cords.
“John, I think. That’s the name
he gave me.”
“Where’s he from?”
“I don’t know”
“What does he do?”
“I don’t know. I never asked.”
The
conversation reminded him of others he’d had before except with roles reversed.
It frustrated him. The beach was where he could calm himself down and think. Where
does he belong? Who is he? He always wished that someone would appear and just
tell him what he was. Who he was. Where he belonged.
One day as he
was walking along the same old trodden path along the beach, he noticed a
bottle. It was just an ordinary bottle so it shouldn’t have caught his
attention. In the middle of winter, bottles get left on the beach every day.
What caught his attention was not that it was a bottle. What he noticed was
that it was completely clean of any dirt and grime, like it was placed there
just moments ago. More importantly, what made him notice it was that the bottle
was the label. Clear as anything it read: FOR JOSH PHILIPS. It could have been
for any Josh Philips. On the other hand, he was the only Josh Philips who
walked along this track of beach almost every day.
He looked
around; fear in his eyes, trying to find the person that put the bottle there. Finding
no one, he then gingerly took the bottle in his hands and unscrewed the lid. Carefully
slid out this note miraculously addressed to him. He opened it and read the
words on the page in disbelief.
“Josh, meet me here at 5pm to
meet your father. John”
So many
thoughts ran through his head all at once, it made him dizzy. His mother had
told him his real father’s name was John. Was this real? Was he really going to
meet his father? And if he was then why this whole game with bottles and notes?
Why doesn’t he just show up and meet the son he abandoned so many years ago?
Josh had half
a mind not to come the next day, but curiosity got the better of him. At 5pm
the next day, he found himself back at the same spot where the bottle was
found. He waited for an hour wondering where his father was, getting angrier by
the minute. Then suddenly he heard his voice.
“Josh?”
He turned and saw a 30-something
looking man coming his way.He seemed too young to be his father. Could be his older brother since he looked like an older version of himself.
“Hey, John right?”
“Yes. Guess it’s too early to
expect you to say dad,” he laughed softly.
“What’s your last name?” Josh
asked.
“I can’t tell you that.” He
replied.
“Why not?”
“Because I am not from around
here. You may not understand if I told you.”
“Why’d you leave?”
“I had to. I only had a short
amount of time here and I was called back.”
“Like in the army.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Why didn’t you call?”
“Well there weren’t necessarily
any ways of communicating with you from where I was. That’s why I had to ask a
friend to bring the bottle with the note along to beach and put it at this spot
today.”
“Why?”
“I said I can’t tell you! You
remember when they say, ‘It’s a matter of national security’ in the movies? Well
this is one of those times. All I wanted to do was meet you and let you know
that I am your real father. I can't stay long. I am only here for the day and my transport is leaving in an hour so I will have to meet it on time to leave.
“But you just got here. We haven’t even spent
time together, let alone talked about anything. You haven’t answered any of my
questions. This is insane!" he screamed, frustration boiling out of his veins.
I have to leave but you will meet me in 6 months. I may look a bit different but it will be me. Now
I have to leave. I have to go back to meet at the rendezvous point...” He turned to start
walking away.
"Please come back! Why can't you stay? I need an explanation!”
Josh began
running after this man who claimed to be his father. John picked up his pace.
Almost at lightning speed, he disappeared into the distance before Josh could
see where he went. Josh came to a panting halt crying, beating his head and
shouting out towards John while swaying like a drunk man, disoriented and
alone.
Then for a
second time in the same day, he noticed something in the sand. A thin black
piece black metal. He picked it up. It looked very much like an Iphone but
thinner and larger with no buttons whatsoever on it. He tapped the screen and
suddenly a light came on. As the light settled and the screen cleared he could
see what looked like an ID badge. John’s picture was on it, looking much
younger than the man he saw.
Underneath the picture were his details.
Name: John Bristol Philips
DOB: 11/07/2014
Occupation: Theoretical
Physicist, Multi-Dimensional Crimes Dept., ASIO.
Year of Issue: 2035
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