Good Morning Campers

I awake to the sounds of birds singing morning songs high above me. A thin beam of light pierces through the crack in the tarp under which I am concealed, blinding me for a moment as I open my eyes. I stretch slightly and then realize that I have no idea where I am or what harm may come if I am discovered. I listen for a moment, hearing no response to the rustling that I made as I stretched. My muscles ache from being curled around the tire, but I am now too afraid to try to relieve the ache. I am aware of the scent of oil on the rags under my head, as well, but even this will not convince me to move again and risk being discovered.

I lie here listening to the silence, waiting for some sign of William's whereabouts. I strain my ears and only hear the rustling of the wind through the trees. It seems I am listening to this relative silence for an eternity when it is interrupted. I jump slightly as a noise erupts from within the cab of the truck. It takes me a moment to recognize the garbled mix of static and sound as a CB radio.

"William...William...I know you're on vacation, but if you could please pick up."

The person on the other end waits, and so do I. My wait is rewarded more swiftly this time as I hear William's footsteps crackling through dry grasses. He is mumbling something under his breath. As he pulls open the door, the voice begins again.

"William...If you are there, please respond."

"I'm here. What do you want?"

William's voice doesn't have a hint of his normal good nature. In fact, I don't believe I have ever heard him angry, but the tone of his voice is close. I find myself scrunching down as much as I can, trying to melt into the truck bed.

"Well, we wanted to let you know..."

"Know what?" William says impatiently as if he expects them to tell him what his name is.

"Bellabooo has disappeared. Neesa mentioned that you seemed to be quite fond..."

"What do you mean, she has disappeared?" Impatience can be quickly replaced by worry.

"She wasn't in her room this morning."

"She was there before I left last night. Have you checked the library?"

"Well, Leda is the one who noticed she was missing, so I assumed..."

"How in the..."

In his frustration, William pounds his fist against the roof of his truck. Surprised by the force of his blow, my body jerks noticeably. The tarp crumples, and suddenly, I can see a lot more of the sky above me. I can also see William's anguished face as it turns toward the sound. His anger fades to a look of relief and then to a look bordering on anger again as he looks into my eyes.

"You know what. I think I know where she is."

"Oh good, I'll send someone to look as soon as you tell me," the voice on the other end says excitedly.

"Apparently, she is camping with me."

"Oh..."

The radio goes quiet and does not come back to life. The person on the other end has decided the issue is resolved or become too busy to worry about my location. I, however, have nothing to do but worry about my location. I half-close my eyes and bite my lip, waiting for the explosion to come.

He leans back into the cab of the truck to replace the mike before turning his attention back to me. I cower a little as he reaches out his hands and places them gently under my arms, pulling me up and out of the truck bed. He holds me close to his chest for a moment and then sets me on the ground, looking down at me a little disapprovingly.

"Imagine meeting you here," he says as a smile plays along his lips.

"I wanted to know what you were up to," I say shyly.

"Well, I was just going camping. I thought you were asleep when I looked in. Looks like you have the makings of a secret operative."

"Really? You think so?" I say, flattered.

"Maybe, but you don't have the hair for it," he replies.

"Huh?" I say, reaching up to feel the tangles that have overtaken me in my sleep.

Grinning, he gently runs his fingers through my hair to dislodge the tangles. Finishing that, he offers me his hand, "I suppose I should feed you breakfast. Lucky for you I just caught some."

I follow him around the truck to where a small fire is already blazing in front of his tent. A couple of fish sit on a rock, waiting to be cooked. I try to disguise my distaste as he lets them slowly cook over the open flames. I can tell he sees through my pretense, and is even amused by the way I gingerly take the one he offers me, trying not to burn my fingers. He also hands me a large, oval leaf to use as a plate. I set the leaf on my lap and drop the fish onto it.

I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he gingerly peels the skin away and tears off a piece of meat which he blows on gently before popping it in his mouth. I imitate him, finding the flavor of the fresh fish to be surprisingly delicious. I also find that I am quite hungry as I carefully dislodge more meat from the delicate bones, carefully avoiding the head. Having one dead, glassy eye watching me as I eat is a little disturbing, but my hunger helps me ignore this fact. As I finish the last bite, I look to William for input on what to do with the remains of my meal. He tosses his own remnants into the fire and I follow suit.

"Well, now, I believe you owe me a fish, young lady. Care to learn how to live off the land?" He asks with a smile.

"Okay," I say, taking the pole that he offers me and following his lead down to a babbling stream nearby.

As he teaches me to cast a lure and wait for a bite, I find myself completely taken in by the peace of this place. If only such a place still existed that I could call home. Then I wouldn't feel a slight tug at my heart that I can not share it with my family. Being here where the silence wraps around us when the lesson is through and I await my first catch, however, leaves me with hope for this world.