The day I discovered the island of Fof

One afternoon, five summers ago, I launched my boat from the rocky beach near my home on the coast. The sun was shining when I rowed out onto the bay, but the weather in Maine changes quickly and suddenly the fog rolled in. I couldn’t see five feet in front of me. I didn’t know which way to row, so I drifted through the mist, listening closely. I think I heard the breath of a whale. I know I heard a fog horn in the distance. A gull cried, then waves lapped against the shore. Soon I came to a sandy beach lined with tall trees and landed my boat.

I was greeted by a group of furry people. They walked on two legs, their faces and hands were human-like, but they were covered from head to toe in thick colorful fur. They stood about four feet tall and had big smiles on their faces, so I wasn’t frightened. And maybe because I was calm and smiled back, they weren’t scared either. They said I was on the special secret island of Fof, and they were the Fofers (rhymes with gophers)

I met many Fofers. A red Fofer named Otamo and one of her best friends, Ping, a gentle four-legged purple Peaceball, led me on an island tour. We walked through the Fofer Forest to a pine tree with branches like a ladder all the way to the top. Ping took a nap, while Otamo and I climbed higher and higher, until we found a nice limb to sit on. The fog had cleared and I could see the whole island. Otamo pointed to the Rollercoaster Road, the Fofers’ favorite place to ride bikes. At the foot of Big-Big Hill was Icy Pond, where the Fofers swim in the summer and skate in the winter. All across the island there were tall trees, fields of wildflowers and little Fofer houses made of earth, sticks and stones. There were Fofers hiking, gardening, swimming, dancing, bike riding and playing games. Birds sang while a Fofer band made happy music.

   We climbed down the tree and walked to a meadow with a million flowers in all different shapes and colors. We ate blueberries and raspberries right off the bushes and watched hundreds of birds and bugs flying. At Rocky Beach we peered into tide pools with periwinkles, sea urchins, limpets and barnacles.

   Late in the afternoon, we walked to Zuri’s house for a tea party with eight Fofers and three Peaceballs. We shared chamomile tea, ate lemon balm cookies and more berries. (Fofers and Peaceballs love to eat berries.) Otamo sang story-songs about her island adventures.

   When the sun was low in the sky, it was time to leave the special secret island of Fof. My family would worry if I didn’t return before dark. Since I discovered Fof in the fog, I didn’t know which way to row. But Otamo told me to let the current carry me home. And it did.

   The special secret island of Fof is not on any map. I’ve searched by rowboat a hundred times and haven’t found it again. So I created The Fofer Show to share this magical world.

                                                                             -Shana Barry