Unexpected Guest, Chapter 10
The flight back to the US had been uneventful and the guys arrived home in time to unpack in the afternoon. Dalton offered to treat for dinner out somewhere since the fridge was pretty bare.
"I need to share some of my new-found wealth!" he grinned.
"You should conserve it for your education and not spend too much on me," Shel countered. "Oops, there I go sounding like a parent. I'm sorry."
"Hey, you know that the support money from my grandma and uncles is more than I'll need for my college expenses. Since you haven't allowed me to pay rent, I really need to help more with the food bills. How `bout I drive my car and go past the drive-up ATM to put this check into my account on the way? I'll get some cash at the same time."
"That's a good idea, and if you don't mind, we should stop for groceries after we eat. It's always best to shop on a full tummy!"
They settled on a locally-owned Italian eatery which had delicious food, large servings, and reasonable prices. Shelby was still anxious about spending Dalton's money, but they could make another meal of the leftover if they didn't stuff themselves.
Dalton was delighted to be able to treat for dinner. He knew that Shel didn't mind supporting him, but that situation made him feel like a free-loader despite what Shelby said.
Before they'd finished eating, they saw their friend Wally come in accompanied by another guy whom he introduced as Lew. The new arrivals got seated at a booth across from them and the four chatted a bit.
Dalton shared the fact that his relatives were contributing to his college expenses. Wally congratulated him on his good fortune.
After the bill was settled and they were on their way to the car, Dalton asked something that had popped into his mind.
"Do you think Wally's gay?"
"I don't know; did something set off your gaydar?"
"Not overtly, but it seems like we always see him in the company of other men instead of women."
"You could say that about us too," Shel grinned.
"My point exactly, my dear Watson!"
Dalton was scheduled to work Saturday and Sunday. Before his windfall good fortune, he had planned to put in all the hours he could and make as much money as possible during the rest of summer. Now he didn't have to.
While he didn't want to slack off and be fiscally irresponsible, he was considering altering his plans a bit so that he could spend more time with Shel before the fall semester began. He knew they would have precious few chances once school was in full swing.
During a break on Saturday, Dalton broached the subject with Mr. Fagan, the manager.
"I'd like to take a few more vacation days before school starts again, if you can spare me."
"Okay, I can go with that. I know that things run smoother when you're here, but Herman and Ethan can be counted on too. You've often filled in for people who haven't shown up, so I can certainly return the favor by letting you have time off since I've hired a larger staff who can do the job."
"If there are a lot of guys wanting to work, I hope I won't jeopardize my job by being gone!"
"Never! I know who I can count on. Any number of the new hires won't last for more than a few weeks if things go as they usually do."
"I talked to Mr. Fagan today about more vacation days this summer, unpaid, of course," Dalton told Shelby when he got home at 10:00 p.m.
"And?"
"He's fine with it. In fact he can spare me tomorrow and Monday. Then I can take off more days a week or so later. Maybe we could go somewhere that's not too expensive."
"We don't have a lot of time to plan for tomorrow, but we could camp somewhere for a couple of days if you'd like. That wouldn't cost much and there are several places within a fifty mile radius. Wisconsin and Minnesota aren't a long drive either. We might try somewhere a bit further away when you can get a full week."
"But we don't have a bunch of equipment."
"I have a small tent and a Coleman burner that attaches to the top of a propane cylinder. Here's a thought, I could try to find a cabin on a lake nearby for tomorrow and Monday. We won't need much other than food and a few clothes. We can rent a canoe or one of those little things that you pedal. If we like canoeing, we could even buy one, or a double kayak."
There were fewer commercial campgrounds than there had been in the era when Shelby was young and most of the accommodations at state parks required quite a bit of advanced notice. There was no way the guys could be sure of reservations for Sunday and Monday. The primitive sites were on a first come, first served basis and they could simply show up and take their chances.
In the end, they settled on using the rudimentary equipment Shelby had and go to a lake not far away. They'd have to purchase a sleeping bag for Dalton later, but if they opened Shelby's bag and took along a sheet and a comforter to put over them they could make-do on their first camping experience together.
"We probably better go to bed soon so we'll be rested for our trip," Shelby grinned.
"I was hoping you could help me wash off the sweat from my long day at the store," Dalton licked his lips.
"I'm sure we'll sleep better if we do that first. Do you want to reenact the show we saw at le Stock?"
"Oui, merci!"
They emerged from the shower before the warm water ran out, both feeling clean, satiated, and relaxed."
The young men arrived at Kent Lake about 11:00 on Sunday with several bottles of drinking water and a cooler filled with food. In addition, they had a few dried entrees and some cans of stew, all of which didn't need refrigeration. They were oversupplied, but whatever they didn't use could be saved for another outing.
It was an excellent time to find a good camping spot because a number of campers were packing up to leave in addition to those who had already gone home to prepare for the upcoming workweek.
Because it was a state facility, they had to buy a seasonal camping permit. The price for residents wasn't too high and would give them access to any state park until next spring when they'd have to renew.
The guys chose a site which was somewhat shaded by a stand of young trees. Shel picked it out, checking carefully for a place that would be comfortable, but also relatively safe. He said that tall, ageing trees would be more susceptible to lightning and strong winds. He didn't want anything falling on them in case of a storm. Dalton was impressed with how he thought things through.
"How do you know all of those things?"
"When I was a boy of about 13, a kid my age was killed near Council Bluffs when a tree fell on his tent during a storm. It made me aware of checking everything out before setting up camp."
Erecting the tent didn't take long. It was intended to be a one-man operation, but it went faster with two. Dalton teased that they could have simply brought a sheet of canvas and have lain on their backs in opposite directions. Their hardons could have served as polls.
Shel loved the joking camaraderie. It made him feel like he was 18 again.
The next order of business was eating lunch. When it was over, they went back to the office to see about renting a canoe. The process was simple. In a bit, they were carrying their canoe, life jackets, and paddles along with towels, bottled water, sun lotion and other necessities down to the water's edge where they put in.
Dalton had never canoed before and was rather nervous about messing up and capsizing the craft. With Shelby's patient instruction, he soon got the hang of the basics. Shel demonstrated how to dip the blade in a manner that was nearly noiseless and very efficient.
"I love learning how to get the most out of each stroke!" Dalton smirked.
"If you prove to be as proficient with a paddle as you are with your talented hands, I'm sure you'll do fine with stroking," Shel continued the innuendo.
"I'm sure I will with a good teacher like you."
They made a game of their suggestive repartee and had to adjust their swimwear a couple of times as they paddled along.
Shel charted their course around the edge of the lake so that Dalton wouldn't feel overwhelmed if they did tip over. The farther they went, the more comfortable Dalton became. Before long, he was eager to leave the shore to explore a few of the little islands which were about 100 yards from the current shoreline.
The "islands" were actually sections of land that had been cut off from the normal shoreline by unusually high rainfalls in June. As such, they were covered with vegetation, including a few small trees.
Traffic on the lake dwindled appreciably as the afternoon wore on. It seemed to the guys like they were in their own little paradise as they pulled the canoe out of the water onto one of those small land-forms.
They spread their beach towels out on a dry area which was in full sun and lay on them, holding hands.
"This is like the Garden of Eden!" Dalton sighed.
"Ah, the tranquility when the world was young," Shel agreed. "Back when it was just the animals and Adam and Steve!"
"Hey, much as I like your version of the story, you have to have an Eve in there somewhere or the rest of human kind wouldn't exist."
"Do you seriously believe we all descended from one pair of humans? That would involve incest, and lead to all kinds of genetic deformities."
"I know," Dalton agreed. "I've thought about the whole creation versus evolution thing and I've come to the conclusion that the Genesis story is an attempt to give meaning to the unknowable. To me, it's how people tried to get their heads around the idea that some power greater than themselves was responsible for all that exists. I guess it's like cause and effect. If something IS, then something had to make it come into being."
"You sound like Descartes," Shel nodded.
"Yeah, I guess his philosophy has had an impact on what I believe. I can't accept the idea that the universe came about in a period of six 24-hour days because physical evidence doesn't support it. But I can believe that a Being could have caused it to come about over millennia. Doesn't the same Bible say that a day in the eyes of the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day?"
"With that reasoning, you could probably write a statement of faith for a number of main-line churches. Did you know that we sometimes say, `We believe in God, who created and IS creating'?"
"I don't remember repeating that in a service, but it certainly fits! Wow, we've become quite introspective and philosophical out here by ourselves!"
"Being out in nature can do that to you, and I feel even closer to you as a result. We can discuss anything in the world. You have a deeper understanding of it all than I did the year I graduated from high school. You truly are my peer, and sometime my mentor."
Dalton rolled on his side facing Shelby and smiled radiantly. Then he drew their heads together and planted a kiss.
"Oh, I just remembered another reason I feel close to you," Shel grinned as they kissed again. "How `bout we take a dip to cool off and then move into the shade."
"Are you thinking of making out?"
"What gave you that idea?"
"Possibly it's the growing bulge in your trunks."
After making out for half an hour, they got into the canoe and paddled back to the dock. They would have loved to have gotten naked and brought their fooling around to its logical conclusion, but were afraid of getting caught. Shel had heard the tail-end of a story on the local TV station the night before about rangers from the DNR raiding a spot popularly called "bare-butt hill" where guys went to sun naked and maybe pick up a new friend. He didn't want to find himself on the sex offender list and lose his teaching license as a result.
They turned the canoe in at the office and headed to their tent where they grabbed clean shorts and towels on the way to the shower house. It was completely deserted, but there were still several tents and camping trailers around, so again, they couldn't fool around. However, once in their tent, it was no holds barred!
Cooking supper over the campfire and on the little propane burner was another new experience for Dalton. He loved it! Watching his lover's excitement made Shel smile too. He hoped they could do this again in the fall when the leaves were turning and there was a nip in the air. Maybe there would be time for a trip to a city like Chicago or Minneapolis as well. He wanted to show Dalton all the places he's missed in his growing up.
They tidied up after eating and then made a few s'mores. That was yet again something Dalton's parents had never done with him. Dalton might not have been neglected in the true sense of the word, but Shelby thought he's been experientially deprived. That came home to him when Dalton said that they would have to teach their kids how to do all this stuff someday. The mention of kids was another building block in their relationship, at least from Shel's point of view.
As darkness moved in, so did the mosquitoes! Not wanting to hose each other down with deet, and sleep with chemicals on their bodies, they got into the tent immediately after dousing the fire.
Having expected a warm night, Shel had brought an old queen sized sheet to put over them so they'd feel secure from the stray insect that might find its way in, but wouldn't make them too hot. That was how they slept until somewhere in the wee hours when they were awakened by a noisy thunderstorm.
Dalton awoke first after letting out a cry in his sleep. Evidently the pyrotechnics had triggered a nightmare.
"It's okay, Baby, we'll stay warm and dry," Shel said, pulling up the comforter.
"Oh, I was alone in the house and the furnace blew up and there were flames everywhere! Then a big pile of snow dropped on me. It was so real!"
Shelby nudged him on his side and wrapped his arms around him. Dalton stopped shaking as he calmed down in the comfort of his lover's embrace. Despite the dramatic weather, he fell back to sleep rather quickly.
Shel stayed awake for a bit longer, thinking about how lucky he was.
It was around 8:00 a.m. when the guys woke up again. Shel reached for his cell phone to check the forecast. As he feared, the forecast had changed, and rain was predicted for the next few days.
"I think we should get dressed and throw everything into the back of the SUV. We can clean it up and dry it out at home. If it's gonna rain the rest of the day and tomorrow, we might as well enjoy it from the comfort of our house."
"Just tell me what to do, and I'm on it as soon as I pee!" Dalton said. "I might have to brush my teeth too."
When they returned from their bathroom run, they began to break camp. All of the dry things went into the second row of seats. The tent got unceremoniously dumped in the very back on a sheet of black plastic that Shel kept to protect his vehicle's interior on such occasions.
The small town about seven miles from the lake had a McDonald's and a mom and pop's café. The guys chose the latter and chowed down on a breakfast of eggs, sausage, hash browns, and English muffins. They left feeling well-fed.
Once home, they set the tent up in the basement near the dehumidifier and stored the other items where Shelby kept his camping equipment.
"I'm sorry the weather didn't cooperate for your first camping experience," Shelby said sadly.
"Hey, it's not your fault, and besides, I had a blast!"
In the afternoon, the guys drove down to Sheels at the Coral Ridge Mall to check out camping supplies. They made a wish list of things they would like to acquire as they could afford them.
When they got home, they searched the web for similar gear to see what they could find that was comparable in quality for less money. There were a number of good deals which would allow them to stretch their dollars.
Their first purchase was a pair of self-inflating mats to soften the effect of sleeping on the ground. Their next was a pair of sleeping bags that zipped together into one big bag if they desired. After that, they chose a few convenience items to raise the level of their purchases enough to qualify for free shipping.
Dalton insisted on paying half of the bill. It was his way of showing that he intended to be in an equal partnership instead of a kept man. Shelby was impressed with his attitude.
Monday's weather was a bust as well. However, the guys spent the day searching the `net for other interesting things to do when it cleared up again. Dalton found information on a bike trail in Wisconsin which was fairly close to a navigable river and a decent campground.
After much discussion, they planned to begin their trip a week later, when Dalton could be off work again. In the mean time, he would be training a couple of high school kids to do the things he did at the store.
As soon as they came up with a tentative itinerary, they contacted a canoe outfitter to check on availability of equipment. The company had lots of canoes and kayaks, so they could be flexible and didn't need to reserve until fairly last minute.
They retired early enough to fool around a bit and still have plenty of rest before Dalton had to go into work early the next day.
It was just as well that they had to wait for a week, because Shelby got word on Tuesday that he would be switching rooms for the next school year. Another teacher took ill and had retire over the summer and so his schedule and location would both change. It was a good move because he would have a larger room which was closer to the entrance and the office, and he would also be taking on two sections of an upper-level course.
That latter fact was the best! He had felt like he was stagnating with freshman classes which were less challenging intellectually, and more prone to discipline problems. The courses he was taking to complete his master's degree would be put to use immediately. This new adventure would stimulate him and keep him from feeling like he was in a rut. Was it possible that the district actually took his needs into consideration? He was soon to find out.
"Mr. Stein, I'm pleased you could come in on a moment's notice," Dr. Hornsby said by way of greeting. "I knew you'd be here early to get a handle on the new schedule. I've been watching your progress. Obviously, you've been taking the course work which prepared you for this move."
"Thank you for noticing! I'm eager for a new challenge."
"Well, not only have you obtained the background, but your ability to deal well with students, even the less motivated types, hasn't gone unnoticed either. I know that some of my colleagues will keep loading their best young teachers with problem students once they show that they can help them succeed, but I feel that excellent teachers should be rewarded with being able to work with the cream of the crop as well. Otherwise, we tend to lose them to other professions because they burn out."
"I appreciate your outlook! It's great to be compensated for the hard work I'm putting into my education."
"Speaking of compensation, you know you'll have a significant raise in salary as well when you finish your degree. You are doing exactly the right things to advance."
Shelby found himself smiling and humming a happy tune as he began the process of moving his personal effects and some of his books to the new location.
He was even happier after lunch when a parent volunteer and two of his students from the year before came in to help him with the move. At that point, he became the director more than the laborer.
By mid afternoon, he had selected many of the books and other resources for his upper-level sections and had them organized for the first day of school. He would have to work up a new syllabus, but he could do that at home. The physical part of the move was complete.
To celebrate, he planned a special dinner to share with his lover.
Author's notes: A big thanks to those who emailed this past week: Mike D, Tony W, Wayne, Hotrod, Bill K, Geoff, Tom A, Jim L, Ott H, Don S, Mendy D, Richie W, Zero, Dick M, Paul R, Jim W, Max P, Walt S, Paul F, and Tracy F. As you can see, there are two new names. If you haven't been a regular reader, you might want to check for previous stories by clicking on the "Authors" button on the Nifty homepage and scrolling down to David Lee.
I may not get a new Christmas tale out this year, but there are a few from previous years that you might enjoy rereading.
It's the season of giving. I hope some of you will be able to donate a bit to help maintain the Nifty site.
David