EXPECTATIONS

Expectations

Leaning against the window on the cheap commercial airliner my thoughts drifted over the last few days. I had flown home for my only daughter's wedding. Home was well without giving myself away, let's just say a small midwest town somewhere in the U.S.A. Despite what I had become over the years I valued my daughter and would do anything she asked. I guess that's an only child's privilege. I had left home for college years ago and except for my father’s funeral never returned. Without bragging I will tell you I was very smart. Smart in the financial scope of life and after moving to NYC I secured a low level job on Wall Street. My reputation as a savvy investor grew over the years and I moved up through various firms until finally becoming my own boss with wealthy people beating down my door for advice.

Now some of you may be thinking wait, this super wealthy guy is flying commercial from his daughters wedding, and no big fancy wedding at that ,something doesn't jive. You are right. His daughter, his ex-wife and his multitude of family and friends did not know how wealthy he actually was and that was part of his gig also his protection. This commercial flight would drop him off at Kennedy and awaiting him would be a non descript black car that would whisk him away to a private airfield in New Jersey where he would board his private jet and fly to his home in the Islands.

Opening the door of the car he settled into luxurious soft leather seats. In front of him was a small bar and as he reached to pour himself a shot of whiskey a hand reached over and placed it on his.

“Please, allow me.” purred the naked knock out blond. The only thing she had on were red stiletto shoes. “I thought you would never get back.” she said. Samantha not her real name, not that it mattered he forgot their names half the time there were so many of these women in his life.

“What can I say, business as usual.” mumbled Henry. He sat feeling the warmth of his whiskey start to warm his body. He continued to stare out the window. Samantha knew what was expected and without saying another word proceeded to do her job.

Upon boarding his private jet in Jersey Henry immediately proceeded to strip off his clothes and entered a private shower compartment. When he had finished he was met by another assistant who dried him off and helped him don his soft terry robe.

The flight wasn’t long just enough time to review all the data displayed on the bank of computers that filled the front half of the plane. What had he missed over these last few days. The usual the numbers up and down dependent on which of his investors he had told what to do, either sell or buy. It didn't much matter to him he made money either way.

He thought of his friends back in his hometown. None of them had an inkling as to what he was worth. As far as they were concerned he was like a local bank teller, nothing more.

Dulled by his drink he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke the plane had landed. Ahh home at last he thought.

The door of the plane opened and he breathed in the warm tropic air. Since the landing field was right in the middle of his estate in a tropical forest he didn't have far to go to .His friends were waiting for him at the entrance to his home.. Their hairy bodies were completely exposed as Henry liked them. They were so cuddly this way. They were his family and unlike his family they didn't bore him with meaningless and mindless chatter. Henry had made contact with this colony of monkeys after crashing his private airplane onto this island years ago. He was unconscious when the monkeys had found him. There was no-one with him on the airplane and this tribe took it upon themselves to nurse him back to health. There were no other humans on the Island . Henry had been reported missing and it was over five years before he was eventually found. During this time the monkeys taught him how to communicate with them. They were the first living creatures who Henry felt really cared for him. They pampered him, treating him as one of them. He was family and they didn't even ask for a loan.

As fate would have it there came a day when a small fishing boat with three men landed on the island. The monkeys all scattered , hiding in the trees. They never trusted humans as a rule because all they ever did was try and catch them put them in cages and take them back to the mainland . They had heard that terrible experiments were being done on them in labs around the world. Henry had never thought about that and at first wondered where they had all taken off to. No matter how he called they would not appear. The three men in the boat walked up the beach and stared at naked Henry.

After a few disorienting hours Henry was able to communicate to the men who he was and what had happened to him. He told them about the monkeys but they just looked at each other figuring no doubt that the man was whacked. They told him they thought they had heard of a plane crashing somewhere out there years ago but no-one had ever found any remains. The men convinced Henry to return with them to the mainland.

Upon connecting with his family and his business partners Henry resumed the life he had left ehind. He didn't talk about the monkeys anymore and if he did people would look at him like he was nuts. He sometimes looked back on it and wondered if maybe theywere right. He easily fell back into the swing of making money and put the monkey experience on the back burner. As the years rolled by he starting facing the fact that just the money was not enough to make him happy. In fact even after three wives he still wasn't happy. He was starting to think about the monkeys again. He remembered feeling loved and wanted just for himself. One day he made the decision to return to the island alone.

After flying to a nearby island he bought a small fishing boat packing enough food and clothing for a week. He even bought a stalk of bananas. He wasn't sure the monkeys would return without some bait. What if they didn't remember him ? He knew this island had been used as a resource for monkeys for one of the local research hospitals. They did all sorts of cruel experiments on them.

Upon landing on the island he set up a tent, with the bananas on the ground in front of the opening and waited' It was three days before a monkey finally showed up, pulling the tent open and seeing Henry for the first time in five years. Henry jumped up yelling "Barbara, Barbara." He recognized the monkey and called her name. The monkey jumped into Henrys arms and they hugged and petted each other. All the other monkeys came screeching and jumping up. They spent the next few days plaing in the jungle and scratching each other. This is what Henry had hoped for. He told them he had to leave for a few days but would return soon.

He returned with a construction crew that built him a mansion and a small airfield, The monkeys all looked on with awe from the jungle. When the work was completed Henry swore the team to secrecy and then paid them all handsomely so they would never have to work again then he sent them off his island.

This was Henry's refuge as the years passed. He brought no-one to his island. As years passed he accepted his life as normal never telling anyone on the mainland about the monkeys. He was never happier than when he was there.

Years passed and it was Henry's 80th. birthday. He made a big decision. He knew his daughter was not happy in her marriage. She had no children and her husband was a run around. She seemed to be always in her self made office but Henry never knew what she did. He just figured she was alot like him. He wanted to make her happy and decided to surprise her by taking her to his island. He wanted her to experience the love that he had felt all these years.

His daughter was a little hesitant knwing full well her father was a little eccentric. She had learned later in life that he was very wealthy and from time to time would visit him in his NY penthouse. She knew nothing of his monkeys.

She finally agreed to go with him for his birthday to his island. As they landed she saw thee monkeys running out of the jungle towards the plane. She started screaming and yelling to her father to get the plane back up and away from this insanity. As always Henry complied and with sadness returned to the mainland.

Until his dying day she never told Henry that she worked for a company securing monkeys for experimentation.