AN ALTERNATIVE ENDING

I imagined a different ending for the Island, then i wrote one. The beginning of this episode is from the story, then my part comes. 

AN ALTERNATIVE ENDING

"Shall we go?" Murugan repeated. But Will held up his hand for silence. The girl puppet had moved to the center of thestage and was singing: "Thought is the brain's three milliards Of cells from the inside out. Billions of games of billiards Marked up as Faith and Doubt. "My Faith, but their collisions; My logic, their enzymes; Their pink epinephrin, my visions; Their white epinephrin, my crimes. "Since I am the felt arrangement Often to the ninth times three, Each atom in its estrangement Must yet be prophetic of me."

 Losing all patience, Murugan caught hold of Will's arm and gave him a savage pinch. "Are you coming?" he shouted.

 Will turned on him angrily. "What the devil do you think you're doing, you little fool?" He jerked his arm out of the boy's grasp. Intimidated, Murugan changed his tone. "I just wanted to know if you were ready to come to my mother's."

"I'm not ready," Will answered, "because I'm not going." "Not going?"

 Murugan cried in a tone of incredulous amazement. "But she expects you, she . . ." "Tell your mother I'm very sorry, but I have a prior engagement. With someone who's dying" Will added. "But this is frightfully important."

"So is dying." Murugan lowered his voice. "Something's happening," hewhispered. "I can't hear you," Will shouted through the confused noises of the crowd. Murugan glanced about him apprehensively, then risked a somewhat louder whisper. "Something's happening, something tremendous."

“What is it?” Will asked. “If you don’t tell me, i’m not coming.”

 Murugan looked around, he seemed stressed and excited at the same time. He leaned over Will’s ear. “They’re coming,” he said.

“Who?”

  A very happy expression appeared on his face. “I am 18 now.”

 Will couldn’t understand. “Happy birthday! Who is coming, Murugan? What is going on?”

 Murugan pulled him into the corner. “Colonel Dipa. His men. They are coming. Tonight, this night, everything is going to change. Everything i’ve ever dream will come true.”

 His eyes were shining like a crazy person. At this point, Will finally understood that everything will collapse… Unless he does not do anything.

 Think, Will, think! At first, this island meant only money for him. But then, he started to know people, the rules and he loved them. Now, Murugan is going to ruin everything. Maybe, thought Will, this is destiny. he came here to stop him.

“So, you are the Raja now, right?” Will planned something in his mind and started to take action before he gives up.

“Yes, that’s me,” said Murugan, proudly.

“Yet you have never tried the pills which your all people use. Is that normal? What kind of a ruler would not do something his people do?”

 Murugan’s happiness disappered. “What are you saying?”

“This is not something I say.” Will looked around as if the person who said this was around. “But people… People talks, Murugan. They were talking, are talking and will talk until they die. You cannot stop this, even though you are the Raja. But you can take away what they are talking about.”

“Are they calling me a coward?” His face blushed. “Who? Tell me and I...”

“It does not matter. Somebody else will always talk.”

“You think I should try the drugs?”

 Bingo. Will knew he was about to convince him. “I am only a journalist, your majesty. I don’t know anything about rule. But I’ve done hundreds of news about rulers. If a ruler does not try what his people try, then people do not respect him. Yes, you can change Pala. You can be the man who makes Pala perfect. Yet the world remembers you as a ruler who could not earn the respect of his people.”

 The color of Murugan’s face popped. “But they are drugs… They are evil- And, and what if my mother-“

 Will rolled his eyes. “You are Raja. You can do whatever you want to do. Plus, you don’t even want to try them. You want to be a good Raja and this is the way to be a good one.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it seems like you are not going to try them, so-“

“What? Now?”

“Think that as the very first thing you do as Raja for your country.”

 Murugan closed his eyes. That was the turning point for Pala. Will knew that he might not change his decision despite he tries the drugs. But the moksha-medicine has changed Will, and they could do the same for Murugan too. Hopefully.

“No,” said Murugan. “I won’t use this demonic drugs. I will forbid them.”

“Sure you can,” said Will. He tried not to show his frustration. “You should do that right now. Or you can do that tomorrow, after Colonel Dipa comes. But hey, does he know that everybody use drugs here? And does he know that you don’t?”

“No, of course not!” This idea scared him. “He doesn’t know the drugs. Not really.”

“What would he do?”

“He would forbid them immediately.”

“And he would not try them at least for one time?”

 Will saw that he left him in a dilemma. He didn’t let him talk. “I should go. Lakshmi is about to die and there is nothing I can do for you-“

 Suddenly, “Let’s go to see Lakshmi,” said Murugan.

“What?” Will stunned.

“I am the ruler, as you say. It is my duty to visit a dying citizen.” He hesitated. “Then, maybe we can ask her daughter-in-law if she can give us some medicine. To you, of course. If she does not know that it is for me.”

“Yes, I think we can do that.” It was very hard for Will to not show his enthusiasm. Murugan was convinced finally. He used the word ‘medicine’ instead of ‘drugs’. Will started to trust his plan more.

 When they arrived at the hospital, Susila let them into Lakshmi’s room. Both Susila and Lakshmi were surprised to see Murugan. And Murugan stood there, not knowing what to do.

 After they left the room, Susila followed them. “Thank you for coming,” said respectfully. “We appreciated that.”

 Murugan shook his head, it was obvious that the only reason he came was the medicine. “I’ll be outside,” he said and went out.

“Weird,” Susila said. “How did you-“

“There is no time. You should give me some more medicine.”

“Medicine? Moksha-medicine? I can’t give you them whenever you want.”

“Not for me. I convinced Murugan to try them. If he doesn’t try, change his mind, Colonel Dipa will capture Pala. Tonight.”

 Susila didn’t get into panic but Will could see that she was tensed. “Are you sure?”

“%100.”

 For a couple seconds, she didn’t said anything. Will didn’t want to force her but this was the only option he could think of.

“Fine. I will give you the medicine.”

 Will took her hands between his hands. “They will change his mind. Just like they changed me.”

 Susila gripped his hands. “I sincerely hope so.”

                                                                       ***

 When Will tried the moksha-medicine, it was a inexplicable experience. But he could easily say that it was amazing. Something that he’s never lived before.

 It was not that good for Murugan. After a while, he started to cry.

“These medicines weren’t the devil,” He cried sobbingly. “I am. My mother is. And… Colonel Dipa. How could I-“

 If Murugan weren’t about to ruin the country, Will could be upset for him. Susila warned him that the medicine could make someone live heaven or hell, maybe both. It seemed like Murugan was went to hell.

“Everything I have done… I am about to do…” Murugan wiped his tears. “I can’t. I will call Colonel Dipa. I will stop him before it’s too late.”

 This time, Will didn’t stop himself. He smiled. “This is the right thing to do. The world will remember you as the man who saved Pala.” Will was not sure about that. He was not even sure that Murugan will rule Pala for a long time. But he was changing and people in Pala were really understanding to those who want to change.

“I have to go.” Murugan hugged Will. “Thank you. You are a member of our society. From now until our days end.”

“What about your mother?”

“She will kill me.” The old Murugan would say this with fear but the new one was about to smile. “She kept me away from all these for years. From the truth. Thr truth that moksha-medicine could show me. I grew up now. I am the Raja and she has to obey me. She could like that or not.”

 For the first time, Will saw a real director. Maybe, his internal sound said, maybe he can actually get through this.

“I’ll see you later then,” Will said.

 Murugan went off and Will stood on his own. His previous purpose was to mak them sell their oil, yet he made something that was exactly the opposite. For all that, he felt a relief he had never felt in his life. The night was young, so he decided to go to Susila. She deserved to know everything. About Will, Murugan, oil and whatever she wants to know.

                                                                       ***

 The day was born, people were on the streets. There was no incident during the night, so Will understood that Murugan made it.

 At ten o’clock, Will’s door knock. It was Murugan.

“Good morning, my friend,” he said with a big smile. “A beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“Good morning.” Will let him in. “How was your night?”

 Murugan sat on the couch. “Crazy. Crazily good. I thought that i will change the island but i am the one who has changed.”

“You mean-“

“Yes, Will. I talked to Colonel Dipa. I told him that Pala will not sell his oil. His soul. Nothing. Nada. They will not take anything from us.”

 Murugan has taken on a new personality. A better version of himself. No, not himself. He was like a new guy. A guy which Will hasn’t met before.

“What did you see, Murugan?” asked Will. “What did moksha-medicine show you?”

“It was horrible, Will. It was a light, a light from my heart. Darkness. The darkness which i’ve always known that it was here. A darkness which i didn’t know how to pull out of me. And I saw how this dark light is going to destroy me. Us. Pala.”

“You are telling some terrible things…”

“Yes, yes. And it brought me to my senses. If I wouldn’t see them, I was going to do what my mother told me. What does she know? She’s never tried moksha-medicine before. She was dragging me into a cliff without knowing.”

“What did she do when she find out what you’ve done?”

 His face shaded. “She was furious. She was going to go to Doctor Robert. You know, she thought that he was the one who made me try the medicine. I convinced her that he didn’t do anything. But it wasn’t enough. She begged me to call Dipa again, tell him I changed my mind on more time. I told her that she couldn’t see the truth. Not fully. I wanted her to try medicine just for once.”

“Did she?” asked Will, whether he knew she didn’t.

“No. She shouted at me. She said that I am no longer his son.”

“Oh. I am truly sorry, Murugan.” Will was lying. If there is some good thing that could ever happen to Murugan, that was it. His mother was the worst thing in his life.

“No problem, Will. I know she doesn’t understand. I don’t blame her. I was like her, yesterday. She will see the truth one day. Maybe when she comes back, I can convince her.”

“Did she go somewhere?”

“Yes. When she didn’t accept to try the pills, I send her away from Pala.”

“You- What?” Will was so surprised that he couldn’t find anything to say.

 Murugan didn’t even move a hair. “I am the Raja. I saw what makes Pala Pala is the moksha-medicine. If my mother cannot she this, then she has to leave. Even though she is my mother. Every citizen should use them regularly. The oil will not save us. The moksha-medicine will.”

 Will could tell that there is something wrong with him. Something new. Medicine changed him for the better, that was certain, but there were something which is not entirely good.

 Tomorrow’s problem, thought Will. At least he saved the day.

“I want to thank you again, Will. You showed me the way. Pala is grateful.”

“I am glad to be helpful.”

“Yes, you were. If you want to go back to your life, you can. But if you’d like to stay, it would make me happier. You can be more helpful for us. Your great mind could make big difference.”

 Will knew he wants to stay. And now, when he saved Pala from a disaster, he felt like he deserves to be here. The left part of his life, there were nothing which was waiting him. His mother and sister would be fine without him.

 But here, there could be a new disaster in any minute. Colonel Dipa and Rani could do something to capture the island or Murugan could do something even more crazy under the influence of the medicine. Will could stay here to keep under control everything. Let this utopia stays as a utopia. Finally, he felt like he found his purpose.

                                                                       ***

“Thank you,” said Susila. They were in Lakshmi’s funeral. “If you wouldn’t be here to stop them, we wouldn’t be doing this funeral. Pala would be dead with Lakshmi.”

 Will took her arm. “Let’s see everything I’ve done as a way I thank you all.”

“Why?”

“You’ve made me a better person.”

“A better person was inside you. We’ve just get him out.”

“And I did the same for Murugan.”

“You did a very good job. Yet I don’t think he will rule Pala for a long time.”

“But he changed. He is trying to do what Pala’s people do.”

“I know. If he can continue, if he can actually maintain this, maybe he can have a chance. Pala can have a chance.”

Will felt tired. “You don’t think we saved the island.”

“You saved the island. But not for the eternity. Rani will come back. She will try to take back his son. She will do whatever it takes. I know that. I would do anything for my kids.”

“Anything?”

“Anything,” she said without hesitation. “Don’t be sad. We do things we can to make things right. If everything will collapse, we will be ready to accept that. But it is a good day. Pala didn’t fall. We are alive and fine. We should focus on that.”

“There is still light,” said Will.

“There is still light,” Susila approved. “And we will do everything to keep it here.”

 “Attention,” chanted a bird. “Attention!”

                                                           -THE END-