Kevin Allerston
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 13/05) - After being held hostage for a year and shuffled from continent to continent, Larry the ceramic garden gnome was returned home, safe and sound... and in style.

On Saturday night, a year after his abduction, he crashed a party at the home of Debbie Ross and Harry O'Keefe, pulling up in a white limousine. His return surprised the pair and their more than two dozen guests.

O'Keefe and Ross had been without their ceramic pointy-hatted friend since he was kidnapped during a house-party at their home on Finlayson on July 10, 2004.

"We're absolutely thrilled to have him back," said Ross.

While hostage, Larry has experienced more than many people do in a lifetime.

During his year-long absence Larry was spotted all over the world: drinking in Germany; waiting at a bus station in London, England; touring Australia, fishing in the United States and along Canada's coasts; not to mention getting crazy at a George Straight concert in Edmonton last summer. Maybe he just up and ran away.

"There's a whole bunch of things Larry has done that we could never dream of doing ourselves," Ross said.

Larry didn't return alone either; he brought company. Larry is now the father of twins: Lucy and Luke. His "girlfriend" took off.

Though it was a long, difficult year, Ross is just thankful the gnome is home safe and sound. "To whoever took him, I just want to say thank you for bringing him back safely."

Similar restraint was not shown by O'Keefe, who was understandably upset by the ordeal.

"Whoever it was, we'll getcha'. You can run, but you cannot hide forever," O'Keefe said.

Shortly after the kidnapping, the family received a ransom note demanding $10 in unmarked loonies in exchange for his safe return. However, they missed the deadline for the payment.

However, the kidnapper gave them a second chance, upping the ransom to $12.50, which was promptly paid. But still no Larry.

"While Larry was gone we received lots of letters and lots of pictures from him from around the world," Ross said.

Ross and O'Keefe built a house for him to make him feel welcome when he came back - an improvement, no doubt, over sleeping in the shed.

Now that Larry is back, the couple can reflect on the trials of the last 363 days. "The worst part was the not knowing. Not knowing where he was, if he was safe," O'Keefe said.

The family has a theory about the motive, too. They think he was taken be a jealous competitor in the lawn-ornament races they hold in their yard each summer. Larry won two years in a row, and they think somebody snatched him out of jealousy.

Even after a year without training, Larry won the yard race for the third year in a row.

Ross and O'Keefe had a feeling he would make it back for this year's party. They told their guests, "no gnome, no lobster."

Now all that's left is to figure out who orchestrated the kidnapping.

"Who do we know who has been to all those places?" O'Keefe pondered during the limo victory ride.