Chapter 2 of Norma's Handmade Banana Bar

Camping with Andre - June 29

Camping Trip - June 29th Prompt

Last night camping before heading home tomorrow morning.
How will you and Andre spend the day?

Enough of camping. Andre and I are headed to a motel for a few days. I need a few days with a roof over my head and a bed under my bones.

But first, I wanted to go for a hike. We stopped near a favorite area of mine for a hike yesterday. I was determined to reach a wilderness boundary on a path. The trailhead didn’t give us any mileage, so we didn’t really know how long this leg of the trail was, but off we went anyway.

Andre likes to hike, he’s my wild animal deterrent since you’re advised to make lots of noise while hiking in bear country. He sure does make a ruckus, screeching and hollering, pulling down branches when he tries to swing on them. I think he misses his home in the jungle.

As we crossed the last stream before the wilderness boundary, I got distracted by Andre. He made it look so simple. I tried to duplicate his hop, skip and jump. I took a step, slip, and a stumble. Into the stream I went with a crunch. My new glasses went flying I landed so hard. I feared a broken hip or shoulder or arm or collar bone. But as I stood in the cold water with my inappropriate footwear, note to self, always wear hiking boots, all worked well. Just a good gash on the bruised elbow, bruised knee and shin, and a rip in my shirt which now has blood on it.

“Juseopr?”

“No, nothing broken. Just mad. Time to turn around.”

“INflaesr over aklhtewl!”

“I’m sure it is just over there. But I’m headed back. You can find the boundary if you like. I want the car.”

Andre continued on, without even a look back. Not even an offer to carry my water bottle. Ungrateful little monkey.

I stumble over the rocks and limbs, putting pressure on the gash on my elbow. But everything works as it should. I dodged a bullet. I could be lying with a broken leg or worse, in a cold stream with a monkey as EMT. That thought keeps a smile on my face as I start the two miles back to the car.

Within a half mile Andre streaks by me, a mountain lion chasing him. I don’t even have the strength to be afraid. I’ll just keep on going down the path, pray everything will be okay once I reach the car.

Soon the road below is in sight. I hear some noises. Fearing a bloodbath, I make the last turn in the path before the trailhead with some caution.

Andre is standing in front of the cougar. They seem to be playing some sort of game. Andre says a word, the cougar makes a noise. Then they reverse and the cougar makes a noise and Andre says a word. Do animals play guessing games?

“What are you two doing?”

“Asdfn ash asdljf! CAnsk qowpue aospd?”

The two animals look at me, then at each other. I can tell they are in some sort of love-friendship relationship. Andre is holding the huge cat’s paw in his small monkey hand.

“That would be no! No! The big fat furry kitty cannot go home with us. No way. No discussion.”

Oh the looks I got. “Now don’t look at me that way, you two. The answer is still no. I won’t be guilted into this. I am hurting here. My feet hurt, my arm hurts, my leg hurts, my neck hurts. I just hiked four miles. I just want to get to a motel and lie down.”

We drove about ten miles to the nearest motel. It was a nice family-run place, not too many guests that night. Good thing, since I had to sneak in a monkey and a mountain lion.

W/C 639