The Island From Hell

Chapter 7

When Moxxie said that he wasn't an outdoors man, he wasn't lying. He was only on the island for five minutes and he was already having rough time. The extreme heat, the pollen from the plants, the mud, and the mosquitoes were driving him mad.

"Ow!" He said swatting the tenth mosquito that had flown on to his arm. "Damn parasites! They're everywhere!"

"Oh Moxxie, I know you're not used to these conditions." Millie said wiping away the dead bug and applying ointment to the spot. "But give it time. Soon you'll see how much you can benefit from being out in nature. After all, don't you ever get tired of just reading about biology and looking at pictures of it? Don't you ever want to experience it first hand?"

"I'm just not cut out for first hand experience." Moxxie said. "Like your parents always said, I'm too much of a city boy."

"That might be the only thing the three of us agree on. In regards to you that is. Everything else they said about you, I know for sure that they're wrong."

"Really? What do they say?"

"Oh...Um...Nothing. Nothing important."

"Oh you don't have to lie to me Millie. I've always known how your parents really felt about me. They think I'm a weakling. A wimp. Someone who can't protect or support you and the kids. Someone who can't be a real man."

"But they're wrong to think that."

"Are they really though?" Moxxie sighed insecurely.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well honey, when we first got married I was so sure that I could prove them wrong. That I could be the man they wanted you to be with. But now, with all our money problems and the fact that we're facing eviction-"

"Moxxie we're doing just fine. You're a good provider, a wonderful father, and a devoted husband. Sure we have a few problems but who doesn't? Even Jesus didn't live a life without struggle."

"But Millie we can't even afford to send one of our children to college."

"Not now but eventually we'll be able to give our children everything they need. Also I don't have to be a stay at home mom. I can work too and I can have one my brothers watch the kids. Cletus would be happy to help. He always liked you, you know? You taught him how to read."

"But I promised your parents that if they gave me their blessing, I'd see to it you'd never have to lift a finger."

"That's noble dear but let's be realistic, I'm always lifting my fingers. I'm a mother, remember?"

"I just...I just wish that I could be the man you deserve."

"You are. You're more than that. You're ten times the better man than who my parents wanted me to marry."

"You mean Striker?" Moxxie nearly snarled. "Now there's someone they definitely wanted for a son in-law. He was tall, dark, strong, manly-"

"He was also a bully and trigger-happy lunatic. Not to mention jealous, overbearing, controlling, and apparently foreign to the concept of no."

To elaborate, Striker was a former farm hand who worked for Millie's parents and he was her unofficial ex boyfriend. Unofficial meaning that Millie never actually dated him in the first place. But her parents and Striker himself declared that she was his woman. Striker also had a nasty habit of chasing away any potential competition, back then no other boy could get within one foot of Millie without incurring the bully's wrath. The only boy who had the courage to get close to her was, you guessed it, Moxxie.

It was about twelve years ago, the Ritter family was having a gator infestation so they called up the nearest expert on reptilian behavior, which was Edward Hamiliton at the time. Edward came down to lend a hand and he brought his assistant and son with him. The very instant Maximus Alexander Hamiliton laid eyes on Mildred Betty Jo Ritter, it was love at first sight. There she was just running around the fields, playing with the pigs and sheep with a big smile on her face. It was the most beautiful vision Moxxie had ever seen.