Happy Birthday

 I stepped into the local hometown store that morning. I did not know right from wrong. I was only 8 years old. Maybe I did know right from wrong. I for sure could not have understood it. 

  I walked past the candy bin and I could not resist myself. I slipped a candy bar that cost five cents into my pocket.

 Before I knew it the owner of the store had me by the shoulders. He then took me into the back office and began to lecture me.

 He told me I could not be doing this again,  he was not going to allow it.
It was at that moment he picked up the phone and called 911. Within minutes the police arrived with their sirens ablaze. 

 When they entered the store with their guns drawn they told me it was time to place my hands behind my back. That I was not going anywhere.

 They told me I would never be a good role model for the other children in our community. I was placed under arrest and taken to jail.

 I sat in jail for months before I was taken before the judge. I think I was almost ready to turn 9 if I remember. The judge looked at me and told me that I would never be a productive member of society.

  It was people like me that made him sick. He was ready to give me my sentence.

 The courtroom became silent as he said to me with a stern voice." I hereby sentence you to 75 years in prison. Your crime of not understanding consequences is going to cost you.

 Not only am I going to send you to prison your crime deserves a special kind of prison!"

 "You will be in a solitary prison. We  built a prison in the center of the Bermuda Triangle where you will never have an opportunity to escape. We are going to add a Mote just in case,  full of alligators and crocodiles!"

 He said the fencing around my prison alone was one hundred times as powerful as the biggest lightning bolt ever recorded.
He went on to say I would have no chance of parole. 

 Before he sent me back to jail to gather my belongings I could hear the helicopter landing on the roof of the Court house. The helicopter was there to transport me to my prison.

 The judge had one final thing to tell me. He said since I was a child that they will be feeding me only ice cream until I turned 17. 

 He let me  know that everyday a chopper would fly over my prison and drop me one cup of ice cream.

 I was whisked away to the helicopter. I was completely wrapped in shackles, balls,  and chains. Before we lift off the top of the courthouse they provided me with a parachute.

 It was not even safe for a helicopter to be close to my prison. I could only be delivered by way way of parachute.

 It was a moonless night around 2 a.m. when the helicopter hovered above my prison and they shoved me out. I landed on the  freezing cold roof of that prison to begin my sentence.

 Here I am almost 9 years old in the center of the Bermuda Triangle. In a prison that was escape-proof. The following morning just as the judge had told me. 

 A cup of ice cream came  drifting down to the prison. It was a not just a cup of ice cream. It was the little cup that has a little wooden spoon included. Far from the true measurement of a cup of ice cream.

 I was not allowed to have books, television, phone calls, or letters from the outside. Cut off from the world.

 In that prison the only thing that kept me from losing my mind was my imagination. I let my imagination turn into a thinking process.

 To occupy my time because I had no books or a TV. I started to study the stars. I started to study the winds and  the tides.

  I was documenting when moon would be full.The only thing I had to study was my environment.

 When I grow a little bit older I started to realize that the ice cream was really sticky. Almost like glue if you left it out overnight.

 I figured out that the cups containing my ice cream and I have thousands  had to be waterproof because they held ice cream.

 The little Wooden Spoons that came with my ice cream are very light and  have a curvature about them. Could it be possible I thought to my self. Whether it could be done or not I had to attempt an escape.

 I knew when the winds would be just right and the tide was at its highest.  I knew when the full moon would give me the best light.

 I knew when the alligators and crocodiles would be napping. A plan for me to escape was born.

 I gathered all of my ice cream cups. Many of them contained little rolled up ice cream balls that were stickier than Super Glue.

 I took all the ice cream cups to the roof of this prison that was meant to be escape proof.

 I then made multiple trips up and down flights of stairs retrieving the little wooden spoons that I had saved up over the years.

 My attempt to escape is becoming a reality.

 I sat on that rooftop for hours gluing thousands of ice cream cups together with the little sticky balls of ice cream.

 I then focused my attention on the little Wooden Spoons. They were so much harder to work with but I had no choice I had to do it. 

 Everything had to be ready by the following night.

 It was with great excitement as sat  on my makeshift raft made from little ice cream cups. I knew the winds would be coming soon. The moon was full as ever and the tide at its highest peak.

 I could hear the the perfect gust of wind approaching. It was then I raised my homemade kite made from the little wooden spoons. I knew they would catch air from from their curvature.

 And just like that the strong warm Alantic breeze lifted me and my raft clear over the electric fence. Way out of reach of its electric  power.

 The crocodiles and alligators looked like little raisins as I waved goodbye. I cleared the moat by a mile.

 The breeze begin to subside and it sat me Gently onto the surface of the Alantic Ocean.  I was in the center of the  mysterious Bermuda Triangle.

 I was so happy and excited that I escaped the confines of my prison. I was so anxious to do it that I made a gigantic mistake.

 I did not take into account that my wooden spoons that were also going to double as my sail would instantly become waterlogged and unuseful. I did not even think enough to make a pair of rowing oars.

 I was adrift and all alone in one of the scariest places on Earth. Scientists cannot even figure out the Bermuda Triangle.

  To me it just became the end of me triangle.

 As I am floating and now very scared. I start to notice  little air bubbles coming from the floor of the sea rising up to my raft.

 Was it the giant man-eating sharks the judge spoke of? He told me of the monster squid that lurked in the sea. Snapping turtles as large as football stadiums were amoung the man eating creatures  in the triangle he had warned me of.

 The air bubbles  become more frequent. They were getting larger. They were getting closer. They started appearing more at the front of my raft!

 What kind of evil sea monster is about to consume me. I am petrified with fear.

 I watch the bubbles with great concern. I could tell whatever monster lurked below me was about to surface.

 I can now see a form of seaweed I've never seen before. It was the most beatiful golden seaweed I had ever seen..I watched the seaweed as it sparked in the Moonlight. It was dancing from the air bubbles beneath it.

 As it began to rise above the surface of the sea. I caught a glimpse of the most gorgeous emerald blue eyes anyone could ever dream of.

 Her smile was just as Majestic as her hair and her eyes. When she spoke to me her voice was soft and soothing like that of an angel.

 "Hello!" "My name is  Bubbles. I am the angelic mermaid of the sea. I have been watching you over the years. Actually I've been waiting for you!"

 "I would like to help you on your journey.".

 "The only thing you have to do is trust me. If you learn to trust me, I will be around for the rest of your life."

 I agreed with her. I told her that I will trust her with my life.

 Bubbles could swim like no other. She positioned herself behind my raft and off we went. Faster than a speed boat.

 Of course the East Coast would have been the closest place for us to go. Bubbles would have none of that.

 We traveled around the bottom of the nation to make it to the West Coast. Shek knew people will be looking for me.

 She told me that on the West Coast she knew of a sea and land dwelling shrimp named Charlie.

 She informed that Charlie knew the ragged and sharp shoreline better than anyone. He was going to be my guide on the next phase of my escape.
 

She continued to say that I had to believe in him even though he likes to drink and smoke a lot of pot.
Bubble and I grew very close on our journey together.

  It was almost time tell her farewell as we approach the west coast of our nation.

 I could see him from a nautical mile away. He was as bright as a firefly. I could see him zipping like a cheetah along the coastline. 

 Not only that I'm watching him zip out on the surface of the sea and go back to the store.

 "'Is that him?" I asked Bubbles. 

 

 With A giggle that only comes from Angelic mermaid she said ' yep that's him, looks like he's already had one too many!"

 Bubbles introduces me to this weird looking little shrimp. But before she did her and I said our farewell to one another.

 We made made plans to never lose Trust amoung us. "Anytime you ever need me, just find a body of water and I'll be there!" 

 

I cannot describe how enchanting the skin of an angelic mermaid feels. I had not felt it until we hugged.

 There was no farewell or good bye. It was "I look foward to seeing you again. You'll always be a part of my life!"

 I know had to believe in this shrimp. This guy was all smiles. He only was wearing a  pair of mix matched Sox. And glowing like  the brightest star in the sky.

 He told me he knew to best route to the top of the explosive volcano. That is where I'm suppost to meet my next friend.

 I told him I am supposed to believe in him and I asked him "can I do that?"

 " Well of curse ya can." I then had  to inquire what made him glow. "Well der boy, I'm lit up, doose ya wanna skerk one  wit me?

 "No thank you Charlie." And off we went up the volcano. We did not talk a lot because he was pretty hard to understand. 

 He was right though he knew what he was doing. It didn't take me long to believe in Charlie. Even though Charlie drank and smoked pot. He was good at ht he did.

 By the end of the day we are at the entrance to a cave near the top of this swelling volcano. He told that inde the cave was someone I've been missing for a long time.

 Not only that as he continued there is something in that cave that cave you've never had. "Go find it"!

 I approached the entrance to the cave. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Even though I'm on a volcano the air temperature is quite frigid.

 I holler into the cave. Is there anyone in this cave who's willing to help me?

 "Maybe" was the response I heard deep within the cave. I could not only hear it I could feel it as the warm air escaped from the cave.

"I'll be out in a minute" with him  speaking a whole season the air became really warm.. 

 I could hear him approaching the entrance of the cave. Only from the sounds of his foot steps. Boom boom boom boom.

 I peered into the cave and I could see the shiny ruby red eyeballs heading my way. As he exited the cave I was stunned by his appearance.

 "I am Jouster the unhappy none fire breathing flying dragon". We knew each other as children. He then said. "I've missed you".

 I never knew of a dragon that could not breathe fire. I also have never been happy I told him.

 He told me I already had trust in people and I believed in people. But I didn't  believe in myself. He said it was time for me to take flight. To become the truth.

 He told me to hop his back. And just like that together we became airborne. As he flew me around he was giving me great confidence and encouragement.

 I asked him why he could not breathe fire? His response was that it has not really been a joy watching me grow the way I was.

 He then

 said the only possible way he could breathe fire was if he was happy and could learn to laugh.

 I told Jouster of the prison setting into center of the Bermuda Triangle. I let him know that we would both be extremely happy if we could destroy that prison.

 He let out a little "hum". And when he did that for the first time smoke came from the corners of his mouth.

 I then reached under his belly and I gave him a little tickle. This time it was more than smoke. It was sparks that started started coming out.

 I knew he had what it took. I made a vow never to disappoint him.
We headed straight towards the Bermuda Triangle.

 With giant wings. Wings bigger than a C-130 cargo plane. It wasn't  before the prison was in sight.
I had to come up with something quick to make him laugh. 

 

It was almost Halloween so I took a chance. I knew he liked corny jokes from our child hood.

 I said, " Jouster why can ghost not have babies?" He said why? And when told him it was because ghost have hallow weenies I could feel the fire.

 I can feel his stomach rumbling around as he let out a ha ha ha.
Giants sparks are now flying past my legs and he could not quit laughing.

 We are now approaching the prison at a angle that is perfect. As he could not contain his laughter. A final Ha Ha is all it took.

 It was just not fire Jouster blew at that prison. It was a gigantic Fireball. We were both so happy when we watched that prison get blown to smithereens together.

 We are both believers in our environment. We both respect nature. We loved it. 

 The fireball was no ordinary Fireball. This Fireball contained seeds. Coral seeds to be exact.

 Now the prison will turn into a beautiful coral reef. A place of happiness, healing, and growth.

 And best of all Bubbles has her own palace built from happiness, teamwork, and love. She has a forever home!

This is for you Fav Cuz. Happy Birthday and thank you from the bottom of my heart for encouraging me, inspiring me, and believing  in me. Love you Brother.