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Killdeer Dance

Page 14

by Ronn Fryer


  Doing her best to ignore Tina’s teasing, Olivia continued wiggling her toes in the water as if Ramona’s impending presence hardly affected her.

  Tina wasn’t buying it. With a sly, little wink replacing her usual smirk, she coaxed, “So what’s up Liv – vy?”

  Olivia’s attempt at a confused look failed miserably.

  “Don’t even act like you don’t know what I’m talking about!” Tina persisted.

  At that very moment, however, providence, saw fit to intercede. A van, pulling a trailer loaded with canoes, crunched over the gravel-lined entrance to the launch. Olivia turned abruptly, unsure if the arrival of the six girls was a reprieve, or a reason to panic.

  Chapter 27 – Shaky Start

  Planning the trip for a Tuesday, rather than on a busy weekend, turned out to be a really good idea. Even though the rental hands wasted no time backing up the trailer and depositing their three aluminum canoes along the bank, it still took the girls close to half an hour to transfer their gear, make last minute outhouse visits, and finally shove off. Thank goodness they had the ramp all to themselves. A busy Saturday with hordes of people and a dozen extra canoes vying for such a small space, would have been beyond crazy.

  The fog was steadily lifting, drastically increasing visibility; and, with it, Olivia’s guilt. She took her responsibility seriously, but keeping her job seemed about as likely as the girls entering the upcoming Canoe Marathon. Her schedule varied with conditions, and oddly enough, the fire danger was typically low in the summer. She’d more than make up hours as autumn approached, when the wind picked up and everyone would be burning leaves. In any event, she’d worry about it later. Right now she had to concentrate on helping Tina canoe-sit six, city girls. With a little luck, they might just keep them upright for the next twelve, river miles.

  Once everyone was situated, they were finally ready to begin their trip. The moment had been a long time coming and the girls were all excited. The water was amazingly clear and the river seemed inviting, even though the current was a bit unnerving. Beyond the obvious reasons, no one wanted to suffer the embarrassment of tipping over. Wading in to push off, they found the cold water invigorating. Getting dumped, however, would be noticeably less than pleasant.

  Stacy and Nicole slid into the river and automatically dug their paddles in on alternate sides. They slipped smoothly around the first deadheads and covered the seventy-five yards to the Rea Road Bridge, looking like a couple of pros. Reading the main flow of the river, they hugged the bank and maneuvered the passage between the bridge pilings impressively. It didn’t look as though they’d be a problem. Stacy, confident at the helm, seemed every bit as proficient as Tina.

  Courtney and Keisha’s start, however, was somewhere between comical and pathetic. Twenty feet beyond the little dock that jutted out beside the gravel launch, they were already sideways in the river, helplessly headed straight back to shore.

  Both girls were right handed and therefore started paddling on the right side, neither willing to acquiesce. The most basic understanding of physics would have highlighted the benefit of stroking on opposite sides, but common sense is hardly common and blaming each other did little to help coordinate their efforts.

  Stacy had paired the girls so each canoe had at least one experienced paddler. Courtney had only been in a canoe once as a little girl with her parents. Keisha, however, had been adamant about her ability, so it seemed a decent match. It wasn’t. In hindsight, Stacy would truly regret her decision.

  Jennifer and Ramona who’d been paired in the third canoe had yet to shove off. Ramona was a complete novice, but Jenny had actually gone down the Au Sable before. She was pretty confident with the canoe; they shouldn’t be a problem, especially with Ramona up front. Their biggest challenge, though, was the cooler. The big blue container, its contents jam packed with everyone’s lunch and drinks, was far too cumbersome to put inside. Legroom took precedence.

  The girls had tried limiting themselves to just one beach bag. That, of course, was easier said than done. It was just too hard to stuff extra clothes, towels, flip-flops, sunscreen, sunglasses and personals into a single tote. Besides, Jenny was not about to leave her camera equipment behind and Ramona never went anywhere without her journal, sketchbook and pencils. Even sitting on the life jackets, there really wasn’t room for the cooler. Besides, the extra weight would have created a real balancing act.

  Just before frustration took over, however, Jenny came up with a solution. There was a line attached to the rear of the canoe and the cooler was buoyant – problem solved. They’d simply tie the line to the cooler’s handle and let it drift lazily behind them. The only foreseeable mishap Jennifer could envision was the line slipping, so she made sure it was tied tightly as possible.

  Meanwhile, Tina and Olivia (who had actually shoved off first), held back, hovering stationary with their paddles fixed in the sand, until everyone had launched successfully. Teans knew the river better than anybody, it would be best for her to bring up the rear. Going down the Au Sable might not be white water rafting, but paddling back, against the current, was something accomplished only by hardcore racers and showoffs.

  Tina proved to be the perfect partner. Olivia agreed to sit in front, watching for logs; while her counterpart controlled the craft from the rear, mirroring the arrangement in Stacy’s canoe. Much more feminine than the perpetual ponytailed girl, Tina was still every bit of a badass with a paddle. Livvy, hardly a competitive spirit to begin with, had no desire to compete with Tina on any front, let alone on the river. Like Nicole, she was content to simply follow her friend’s lead, trying her best to please. Rather than feel subservient, they both considered their roles supportive; not only a sign of respect, but just plain good sense.

  Courtney and Keisha, however, didn’t seem to be aware of the benefits of cooperation. Before they even reached the bridge, the serenity of the morning was shattered as their craft slammed into the top of an exposed log.

  Chapter 28 – No We In Team

  By the time they’d made the second bend in the river the fog had all but dissipated. Only a few little wisps rose in the distance; and, as the sky began to clear, the Au Sable slowly unveiled her breathtaking beauty. Even the girls who’d experienced the river before felt an emotional rush. The gurgling sound of the rushing water provided a musical motif that caressed the soul. Flowing, coursing, the massive waterway pulsed with a life all its own. Riding the current and sliding past its steep overhanging banks was like passing through a mythical world – a magical forest, rich with kindred spirits of fin and fur.

  “Look,” Jenny squealed, “A fish!”

  Ramona stopped paddling and leaned quickly to the left, scanning the clear water for a glimpse. She tried to focus into the copper shadows, but smallmouths and sunken branches seemed interchangeable.

  “Did you see it?” Jenny asked.

  “I don’t know,” Ramona confessed, “Maybe.”

  Although Stacy and Nicole attempted to slow their pace, they were still a good thirty yards upstream. Even so, voices carried across the water and Jennifer and Ramona’s conversation was as clear as a watery bell. Courtney and Keisha’s canoe was further back, but their chatter was just as audible. The two had finally managed to coordinate their efforts enough to keep their craft pointed in the same direction. Every other thing, however, seemed to evolve into a slightly different version of the morning’s outhouse race.

  “You’re steering us into that tree!” Courtney screeched.

  “You’re in front,” Keisha countered, “you’re supposed to steer!”

  Along the first few miles of the river, fallen trees lined the banks, their branches playfully waving in rhythm with the current. Despite creating a big part of the Au Sable’s charm, they nevertheless posed a constant threat – capable of upending any and all canoeists inexperienced enough to avoid their grasp.

  In an attempt to help the two avert disaster, Stacy yelled, “Teamwork ladies!”

&
nbsp; Unfortunately, the concept completely escaped both girls. They were absolutely the furthest thing from a team. If anything, jealousy and arrogance had teamed up to create adversaries – perpetual combatants who brought out each other’s worst.

  The result was hardly a surprise. They ran straight into the outstretched arms of a massive snag. Their canoe helplessly lodged itself sideways against the largest limb – the force of the current holding them firm.

  The amazing thing was that they didn’t flip. Evidently the river had a sense of humor. It waited until the girls ran the gamut of efforts trying to disengage themselves – until they exhausted a list of accusations toward each other – and then, seemingly bored, let its current simply release them.

  As they finally cleared the tree, Keisha said, “Thank goodness I pushed us off before we tipped over.”

  “You?” Courtney squealed. “All you did was beat the thing senseless with your paddle. I was the one who got us free.”

  Meanwhile, Stacy, who had steered her craft to a sandbank along the inner shoreline, turned to Nicole and confided, “Okay, I’ve got to separate those two before they drown each other.”

  Chapter 29 – Ink Envy

  Stacy shouted to Courtney and Keisha as they came drifting by, sideways. She had no choice but reassess the pairings and the sandy mini-beach was the perfect place to pull over and make the change. The girls did their best to comply but it wasn’t pretty. Their paddles flailed the water into a froth before they managed to break from the current and turn toward the bank.

  Despite another barrage of mutual accusations, they finally got their canoe to shore without capsizing. The water was barely more than knee-deep along this stretch, although tipping over could still have caused some real problems. Besides the obvious dunking, the list of possessions donated from novice canoeists was extensive throughout the river – the current invariably winning its cruel version of hide and seek.

  A minute later, Ramona and Jennifer gently slid their craft (with the cooler faithfully tagging along), between the two canoes already beached, demonstrating an admirable example of teamwork. Stacy hated to split the two up, but it seemed inevitable. Courtney and Keisha just couldn’t be left together. Impending disasters are only so patient.

  Stacy wasn’t about to sacrifice Nicole for a number of reasons, some selfish, others strictly pragmatic. She felt responsible for everyone’s safety and in case of a real emergency, she needed someone wo-manning the front of the canoe that she could absolutely count on.

  Even though Tina was the most experienced paddler, she wasn’t a likely candidate for separating either. Despite the bond they’d developed, she wasn’t actually one of the group. Stacy didn’t have any right to dictate to her or Olivia. The remaining choice, therefore, was pretty obvious. All the same, she just didn’t like it.

  Ramona and Jenny’s synchronicity stemmed from mutual respect. Of all the girls they probably talked the least, relying instead on intuition. Considering their personalities, it wasn’t a surprise. Poets typically spend a good deal of time in self-reflection, and Jenny seemed to be the embodiment of the Age of Aquarius. Two more harmonious spirits would be hard to imagine. Courtney and Keisha, unfortunately, shared no such afflictions.

  As Stacy uncapped her water bottle, she struggled with a tactful way of explaining her decision. Oh screw it, she thought. They’d simply have to deal. She tried considering skill levels for the final pairing – either Jenny and Kiki, or Jenny and Courtney. She even considered flipping a coin; but, since Jenny and Courtney were already cohabitating successfully in their tent, the most logical decision seemed a foregone.

  That decided, it was simply a matter of when to break the news. Rather than dampen the gaiety of the gathering though, she decided to wait until they were ready to depart. It wouldn’t take long to swap their gear.

  Tina and Olivia pulled up last, the Rebel gliding smoothly between the cattails. The yellow fiberglass shining brightly as the bow knifed into the sand. Contrasting against the azure water, it offered a brilliant color pallet, second only to Tina’s body art.

  Once she wedged her paddle into the sand (pushing the stern against the bank), the shapeliest cashier Ruthie’s was ever likely to employ, stepped out of the craft as gracefully as a swan and stretched, raising her arms skyward. After which, she casually pulled off her cover-up, exposing the delicate pastels of her floral ink to the emerging sunlight – not to mention a bevy of incredulous eyes.

  Submitting to all those sessions, refraining from the slightest movement as the machine hummed relentlessly, had most certainly not been in vain. Her sleek contour, resplendent against the picturesque river, was not missed by a single girl. There was, however, no conclusive evidence that at that very moment a young buck ran smackdab into a nearby tree; or, that a large, seemingly amorous trout, leaped high into the air, eyes wide and mouth agape. Sadly, Van Gogh never experienced a fraction of admiration for all his labors. Then again, he never had access to such a marvelous canvas.

  As Olivia stuffed her paddle into the bow crevice, she tentatively stood up in the classic Sawyer. Tina, securely entrenched on Terra Firma, smiled supportively, leaned over, and offered her hand.

  Livvy took it without hesitation. She wasn’t proud. Although basically a beginner, she’d done okay so far, but getting in and out of the canoe was tricky. Even partially beached, the canoe had a tendency to wobble. Olivia hardly relished the idea of doing a face-plant, likely smacking her shins of the aluminum gunnels in the process.

  Meanwhile, the girls who’d all gathered in front of Stacy’s canoe were risking serious eyestrain as they gazed, gaped and gawked at the adorned midriff of the girl helping Livvy out of the canoe.

  Discretion, however, began to frown on their extended voyeurism. Equal parts of admiration and incredulity had already pushed the limits of social etiquette. Then, although no one would have admitted to blatant overcompensation, sunscreen suddenly seemed to be applied more vigorously and their chatting became noticeably more animated.

  Changing the subject that wasn’t mentioned, Jennifer (silently rationalizing that she’d intended on giving her butterfly company all along), claimed to have seen a number of fish, some big as her paddle blade.

  Of all the times she tried to point them out, however, Ramona saw only one. Neither girl was adequately versed on fish identification (it may have been a bass, or salmon, perhaps), but it was a thrilling sight all the same – the river’s bounty, gliding all fat and shimmery.

  Eager to share (and deflect), Nicole chimed in, recalling the eagle she’d pointed out just before the previous bend. Although it had been a highpoint for the girls, the Nation’s symbol hardly seemed to share their excitement. Canoers were a daily sight, a minor nuisance on occasion; the sober ones merely a curiosity.

  Olivia had also watched it swoop over the treetops, flight-feathers spread wide, as if caressing the wind. Admiring its majesty, she wondered if it might be the same one she’d watched from the tower. It was certainly possible, although sightings of the big raptors were now fairly common. Their population had rebounded in recent years, especially along the Au Sable where tasty morsels swam in abundance.

  As the bird with the snowy crown had flown upriver, scouring the water for breakfast, Livvy instantly thought of her babies. Thankfully, they were safe at home in their laundry basket den. Even if the regal bird’s primary diet consisted of fish, they wouldn’t hesitate to vary their menu. Rabbits, muskrats, squirrels, and any number of other fury delicacies had best keep vigil skyward to avoid their talons.

  As soon as Tina had seen the eagle, she’d said, “Good thing your babies are safe.”

  Olivia, face scrunched in mock annoyance, had spun her head around, asking, “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  Offering a remarkable imitation of her friend’s expression, Teans quipped, “Duh – Livvy, you’re an open book.”

  Observing her friend’s demeanor around the girls, however, Tina seriously quest
ioned that notion. Sensing Livvy’s concern about the kits was easy, that hardly took a clairvoyant. But, despite how well Tina thought she knew her friend, it seemed that Olivia sometimes resembled more of a mystery novel.

  Still, not every girl was heavy into makeup or fashion. Neither Nicole nor Stacy seemed the least bit interested. Livvy did manage to buy some decent clothes, some Tina would have actually picked out herself. And, obsessing over her kits was hardly unique, every girl possessed the mothering gene. And, even if Olivia may have been somewhat of an enigma, she was nevertheless Tina’s friend – and friends, especially good ones, were all too rare.

  When Tina and Livvy joined the group, Stacy greeted them with a smile and a nod. Group dynamics might be unspoken, but they were clearly defined. If the leader accepted someone as a member, they were in – unconditionally, and Stacy totally accepted Tina and her friend. Still, that didn’t mean little issues couldn’t, or wouldn’t crop up.

  Even if she didn’t really get Olivia, Nicole liked her. The girl was obviously a little different, working in a fire tower and all, but whatever. Her feelings about Tina, however, were puzzling. She genuinely took to the newest member of their little group and she wasn’t really jealous of her – nothing she was willing to admit anyway. The compliments she gave the cashier were sincere. Despite the girl’s dead-end job as a clerk in a miniscule village, she was really interesting. Fascinating, actually. Those tattoos were absolutely amazing, and the girl definitely seemed to know who she was.

  Stacy, however, had been her best friend since forever. Even if Nikki did try a little too hard sometimes, that wasn’t a sin. Competing for Stacy’s attention was silly. Not that she did.

  Tina, however, didn’t seem to try at all – which only tended to enhance her charisma. Stacy was obviously drawn to the girl’s nonchalant confidence, which only tended to increase Nikki’s feelings of encroachment. Nevertheless, the girls were leaving in a three days, they’d probably never see Tina and her quiet little friend again, anyway.

 

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