Abel's Island

Gower stays with Abel for one month before making plans to cross the river. Abel asks if he can tow a rope across the water for his escape, but Gower fears they need a long line “thousands of lily pads long” (89) and that it might snag on something. Gower claims he isn’t as strong as he once was, but he promises to go for help as soon as he crosses. He is forgetful and has already forgotten his promise to contact Amanda, so Abel reminds Gower that she is his wife.

Abel asks Gower to pose so he can create a statue to add to his collection. Gower asks him about his occupation, and Abel confesses to having never worked until he was marooned on the island. His inheritance from his mother has sustained him, and he isn’t sure what his job should be. Gower shares about his large family, which includes great-grandchildren, and Abel recounts how and why he fell in love with Amanda. Gower appears to fall asleep at times, and he also uses his tongue to catch flies. Abel is at once astonished and shocked by the behavior. When the statue is complete, Abel shows it to Gower, who exclaims, “It’s more me than what I see in the mirror. It’s what I see when I imagine how I look. It’s a work of art, that’s what it is!” (92). Gower tells Abel that he should take up sculpting as his profession. 

Once Gower observes that the water is safe to cross, he prepares to leave, but Abel begs him to stay. Gower misses his family and worries that they need him, but Abel claims, “I’m your family” (94). Reminding him that he is a mouse and not his kin, Gower promises he won’t forget Abel and will contact Amanda as soon as he arrives home. Abel watches as Gower sinks into the water and swims easily through the current. He returns to his camp and tearily considers his condition. Abel climbs the birch branch and gazes at his star for comfort.

After several weeks of waiting, Abel fears that Gower has forgotten about him. He distracts himself with his art and enjoys the warm summer days, but thoughts of Amanda and returning home fill his mind daily. Abel begins painting. He uses the pages from his novel as his canvas and crushed flower petals for colored paint. He resumes making signal fires and sending Amanda messages on the water.

The dry summer weather means the river is down, and Abel observes from the height of the birch limb that it may be a good time to cross. After bidding farewell to his statues and the log that has been his home, Abel, wearing Amanda’s scarf, wades into the water. He looks back at the island and thanks it for allowing him to live there for a year.

Abel swims with all his might, and he finds that a year on the island has made him much stronger than he was previously. When he tires, he allows the current to carry him and rests on a rock before continuing. Abel finally reaches the solid ground on the other side and, exhausted but exhilarated, he lies on the ground in celebration of his success. However, soon his mind is plagued with doubts, and he worries what life with be like when he returns home. He considers that Amanda has begun a new life without him and wonders what his purpose is in returning. From a new vantage point, Abel surveys his island and commits its beauty to memory. He thinks that if he survived this far, then he must have a purpose in life. When it begins to rain, he takes shelter under a rock and falls asleep. Abel awakens later to find a cat staring him down.

The cat snatches Abel up in her mouth. He is certain she intends to eat him, yet he remains calm, thinking that this couldn’t possibly be the end of him after all he had endured over the last year. When the cat drops him, Abel plays dead, but when she swipes her paw, he takes off running and a chase ensues. Abel climbs a branch for safety, but the cat follows him up the tree. Abel doesn’t fault the cat for hunting him since he knows it is her instinct, and he resolves to fight back. When the cat lunges toward him, Abel bends the branch, flinging the cat to the ground. Abel sleeps in the tree for safety and resumes his journey the next morning. He begins to see familiar landmarks, such as Mt. Eunice, and knows that he is close to home.

Abel arrives back at the spot where it all began, the site of their picnic and the cave where they took shelter in the storm. The area shows signs of hurricane damage. Doubts once again fill Abel’s mind as he worries about how Amanda will receive his return. He especially doesn’t want anyone to see him in his tattered, filthy clothes. Once he reaches the edge of his city, Mossville, he watches from afar as the people go about their business. He sees Amanda sitting on a park bench but resists the urge to run to her. Instead, he secretly makes his way to his house and uses his keys to enter. After leaving Amanda’s scarf on the entryway table, Abel cleans himself, dresses in his finest clothing (though it feels unfamiliar), and reclines on the couch in the living room. Amanda returns and rushes to him, exuberantly crying, “Abel! Oh, dear Abel!” (117). Abel simply responds that he has returned her scarf.