Chapter 4: The Camp

A day or two days passed, some of the girls lost their double barrels (Marie-Anne became Marie, Jo-Lene stayed Jo-Lene).

He attempted to help where he could, but when he played netball, he couldn’t help trying (badly) to dribble the ball. He introduced a small group to touch rugby – carefully avoiding playing himself; aware as he was that he was under the baleful eye of the man-eating alligator. She hadn’t seen Sandie go in or out of his room, but he was convinced she knew it had happened. Somehow, she seemed to know everything.

The nature walk was fun as he knew absolutely nothing about any of the animals or plants they saw. “That plant is one of the most narcotic plants in North America, the Native Americans used to smoke it to get high”

“Actually that is an introduced weed from Europe which spread from gardens. It is totally harmless”

“That’s roughly what I said. Anyway, have you smoked it? Well then, it might get you high, who can say?”

The girls quickly realised he knew nothing and started asking him questions deliberately “Ah yes, that bird is most unusual. It was much more common in the 1960s because it lays its eggs in bouffant hair styles, good job none of you have big hair. Except Angie.” Angie was Angela Peese-Martine-Browne; Daddy owned Michigan or something. She’d started by being Angela, Clive had called her Angie and she’d decided she kind of liked it. “You should check your hair thoroughly for eggs later Angie.” The younger girls thought him silly but funny, which was fine since they weren’t that interested in nature anyway.

Still, he enjoyed the walks; admitting to the leaders that he’d learnt a lot. He also learnt that some 11 year olds get tired. He ended up carrying one back on his shoulders. Another young female groin far too close to him. They followed a thirteen year old who walked with a natural wiggle that would have done credit to a catwalk. Melissa-Gaye, the girl on his shoulders, said “Clive, she’s really sexy isn’t she?” How do you answer that when the girl can hear you as well?

“Yes.” was all he said, and swore he saw her walk with more of a spring in her step.

“Harry?” Clive called “I hope I didn’t disrupt things too much. I actually learnt a lot.”

“Nah, your fine. There are always some who couldn’t give a fu-, a da-, who couldn’t care a lot about nature walks. It’s good to have a class clown to keep them amused. And you did carry the little 11 year old –”

“Melissa?”

“Yeah, she was teeny, tiny. No wonder she got tired, she must have been walking twice as fast as the others.”

Harry, Harriet VanDaemon (one of the old Dutch families), moaned “Actually, my feet hurt too. We walked quite a way. Oh, one thing. Seriously, do you know what to do if we see a bear?”

“Serious? Run like hell? Or even just very fast?”

“No, don’t turn your back. Bad move. Obviously sacrifice one of the young’uns by tripping them up, then run. No, not that either. Back away, facing them seems to be the current advice. ‘Course you might be backing your way over a cliff –”

“Or onto a rattlesnake. I thought as long as I was not the slowest at running away, I’d be okay?”

“Yeah, we don’t get them here. And no, we don’t leave our charges, no matter how tempting.” she laughed.

“So ... there really are bears?”

“Yeah. Look I know the largest wildlife you Brits have is a squirrel, but you don’t need to worry; they aren’t that common. They do sometimes wander past though.”

“Squirrels are mean critters! I got badly bitten by one once. I did! I was only five, it’s true and I should have let it have the peanut rather than holding on to it. Mum thought it would make a pretty picture. By the time she pressed the button, she got a picture of a screaming child with blood pouring out of his finger.”

Harry and he were both laughing at the image of the brave Englishman being bested by a squirrel; but they do have very sharp teeth.