Gap Year Project

by Kim O'Cain

  “Nash, why are you here?” asked Ranger Jefferies. “To serve my country and my fellow Americans and to create a nation of pride, prosperity, and security, Sir,” replied Nash without any hesitation. “Right you are, Nash.” And then it was Ashlyn’s turn. Ranger Jefferies could smell the “I don’t want to be here” vibe from miles away and with a smug expression stepped directly in front of Ashlyn just inches from her—almost eye-to-eye.

  “Why are you here, Waters?” barked Ranger Jefferies.

  Ashlyn blinked for what felt like minutes but was just nanoseconds and replied, “To serve my country and my fellow Americans and to create a nation of pride, prosperity, and security.”

  “Sir,” hissed Ranger Jefferies. “You will address me as Sir, understood?”

  “Yes, yes, Sir,” replied Ashlyn.

  She had passed her first test. Not with flying colors but enough to feel as if she was solidly part of the team. Ashlyn was an audio learner and could easily remember conversations, music lyrics, and movie lines—mostly useless stuff. But today it turned out to be a blessing. Thank God that Nash got it right and that she was paying attention.

  After four more inspections, Ranger Jefferies ordered them to lunch single-file like elementary school kids. This was seriously a blow to her ego as an adult launching into the “real” world. But at least she wouldn’t have to talk to anyone and could still relish the feeling of pride at getting her first encounter with her unit leader right.

  “So, what’s your story? Why are you here?” asked Nash in a direct, no nonsense way as they entered the cafeteria.

  “Oh hi. I’m Ashlyn,” and she extended her hand to Nash who only looked at it as if it was diseased. “Oh. Okay. I guess we’re gonna be bunkmates. It’s nice to meet you,” Ashlyn said uneasily as she retracted her hand and put it into her pocket.

  “No, really, what’s your story?” asked Nash again.

  “Well, I was drafted, and I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to deal with this place for a year. What about you? Why did you volunteer?” asked Ashlyn.

  “Who said I volunteered? It was a deal my parole officer made with the judge. I came here instead of another year of juvie,” said Nash matter-of-factly.

  Ashlyn tried to recover from her shock at learning that her bunkmate was a convict. She closed her gapping mouth as quickly as she could, so she didn’t offend her new roomie. Ashlyn had never met anyone that had been in prison. She knew a few family friends that had been investigated for fraud, but all charges were dropped. Whether they were innocent or not, she really didn’t know. But she couldn’t think of anything to say. Was it kosher to ask why she had been in prison? Was she safe sleeping two feet below this convict? What could she possibly have in common with this person? Could she ask for a transfer? But what if she got stuck with Campbell or Bethany?

  “Oh. Okay. Right,” was all Ashlyn could muster as she squeamishly looked around but not directly at Nash. She couldn’t muster the courage to look her in the eye.

  “Ha. Never met someone like me, huh? Well, I’m not going to kill you in your sleep if that’s what you’re thinking, unless you really piss me off. Then you better watch out, Blondie. Wow, you should see your face!” replied Nash sneeringly. She turned around and starting walking ahead of Ashlyn.

  What just happened? How the heck did I get this crazy person as my bunkmate? Please let this nightmare end.

  She would be around Nash for duty and meals and sleeping. She would have to deal with her twenty-four hours every day. This could go very badly.

  “I am happy. I am healthy. I am here to help,” kept going through her mind as she walked dismally to the food counter.

  She looked at the line of army green jumpsuits ushering trays of who knows what food to long circa 1970’s orange formica tables. As she reached the food counter, she realized it wasn’t as bad as she had thought. They offered a pretty decent menu of options—vegetarian, too. There was a fresh looking mixed green salad, baked chicken, brown rice, black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, and cheddar cheese popovers. Her spirits lifted a little as she read a sign on the top of the counter, “Thanks to your fellow team members, everything served here is grown organically onsite. Allergy accommodations can be made. See the medical office for assistance.”

  At least she could enjoy the food. She opted for the salad, beans, sweet potatoes, and the popover. Seating was assigned by the single file line, so she was forced to sit next to Nash. Ashlyn sat in silence just focusing on the tastiness of the food and trying to block out everything else around her. But that didn’t last long enough.

  “So, Waters, have you figured out how you’re gonna handle this place for 365 days?” asked Nash with a mouth full of food—which was one of Ashlyn’s biggest pet peeves.

  Without looking up from her plate, Ashlyn said “Well, I guess I’m going to take it minute by minute and try not to screw up too badly. What about you? What’s your game plan?”

  “Oh, I think I’ll just relax, kick-back, and let you do the work for me. How about that, Blondie?”

  Ashlyn turned bright red at the threat. Or was it a threat? She didn’t really know anything about this person. Was she just playing her? Ashlyn thought it best to stand her ground.

  “Look, Nash, I didn’t sign-up for this. I’ll do what I have to, so I can get out of here. But I will never do your work or anyone else’s. Got it?” Ashlyn replied, feeling strong and courageous enough to ask, “Why were you in prison?”

  Trish looked down at her plate and didn’t respond right away. Her face showed no expression. Then she slowly looked up and said, “Okay. No need for dramatics, Blondie. Just feeling you out. And I got caught selling pot to some kids near my home in Texas. No big deal, right? I can’t believe I got busted. Some stupid kid saw me and reported it. Now someone else is selling pot to those kids. Anyway, I’m almost done—just one year to go.”

  “I’m just gonna keep my head down and do my work. I don’t need any more trouble. But if trouble comes to me, I’m not backing down either.”

  “Let’s be clear on another thing. My name is not Blondie. Call me Ashlyn. What’s your name?” asked Ashlyn, feeling as if she had won this round.

  “Well, Blondie. You can call me Trish.”

  “Trish. Let’s agree to not cause each other trouble. Okay?”

  “You got it, Blondie,” replied Trish and quickly went back to eating in silence.

  Ashlyn took a breath of relief that this first encounter was headed in the right direction. She was very curious about Trish and her story. Selling drugs to middle school kids was crazy. How did she get into that? She’d known kids that tried stuff, but they got it from their parents’ stash. She couldn’t imagine someone her own age choosing to sell something so toxic and damaging to younger kids. On one hand she was glad Trish got caught and was paying for it, but on the other hand she was going to have to deal with her for one entire year. Maybe it would be better not to know anymore. Besides, she had enough of her own challenges to figure out without worrying about someone else’s issues.

  Ashlyn finished her lunch in peace and filed out single-file back to the area in front of Yurt B for the next order of the day. As they gathered, she noticed that all the Birch women were in one area and the men in another.

  For the second time since she had arrived, Ashlyn took in the scenery around her and was in awe once again of the beauty. Trees in every direction. Not just trees but giant two hundred feet tall cones of dark green in front of a pale blue cloudless sky. The sound of incessant highway traffic broke through, but she realized seconds later that it was the wind rustling the leaves of thousands of trees, not rush hour traffic. And birds sang and chirped and squawked. Even though it was summer, the weather was crisp and cool, and she was glad she had a long-sleeve jumper and boots to keep her comfortable.

  She couldn’t help but feel like she had been dropped off on another planet. There was soft green grass beneath her feet, not stained concrete
splattered with discarded gum and spilled coffee. Fresh air with a faint scent of Christmas trees filled the air, not smog with the putrid smell of musky steam rising from the underground bowels of the bustling subway. And space. Just lots of open space. It felt alien but welcoming.

  She closed her eyes letting the sun touch her upturned face and took a deep breath. It was only a second, but it felt like a lifetime of calm. That was strange. She’d never felt that before being outside.

  “Now you will be assigned your duties. You will be part of this team for the next year,” barked Ranger Jefferies so rudely disturbing Ashlyn’s private moment.

  It turned out that Birch Unit was responsible for taking care of the forest trees, maintaining existing trails used by the foresters and the public at the adjacent national park, as well as building new trails for public access.

  This sounded like a lot of hard work but surrounded by these magnificent giants, maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as she first thought.

  “Ladies, you will elect a team leader. The men will also elect a team leader. The leader will be responsible for communicating orders for the team and reporting to me twice a day. As a team leader, you will be in charge of motivating your members to successfully complete the assigned tasks on time and to the best of their ability. You will be in charge of their care and needs during work hours, along with your supervising ranger and act as their liaison during off-hours. This is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. I suggest you choose well because you don’t get to choose again. Understood?” asked Jefferies, making eye contact with each woman before walking to the men’s group.

  “Yes, Sir!”

  The women formed a circle, and there was a moment of quiet as they all looked at each other questionably as to what to do next.

  “Blondie, why don’t you be our team leader?” said Trish, pointing at Ashlyn who was standing across from her.

  Everyone looked at Ashlyn expectantly. She turned bright red and looked down at the ground. She was fuming mad. She wanted to kick the curls out of Trish’s hair for putting her on the spot like that. How dare she do that to her. Ashlyn felt mortified at being singled out.

  Another woman spoke up eagerly after Ashlyn didn’t respond, “I’d like to be our team leader. I’m Kate Havens. I grew up twenty minutes from this park and know every trail like the back of my hand. I was a volunteer ranger in high school and led over fifty group hikes. I am CPR certified and want to be an arborist when I finish GYP, so I hope that you’ll vote for me. Thank you.”

  “Well, can anyone beat that?” asked a tall lanky brown-haired girl with a badge that read Gonzalez.

  “Anyone? No one else? Okay, Havens, looks like you’re our team leader. Congrats! So now what?” asked a short pale girl named Reeds.

  “I’ll go get our orders. Thank you! I promise to be honest, supportive, and hard working. I’ve got your back. Thanks—really. This is so awesome. Thanks,” squealed Kate, as she turned and nearly ran to report to Jefferies.

  Ashlyn looked at Trish and sent her mental daggers. Trish just shrugged her shoulders as if to say whatever. But Ashlyn wasn’t going to be able to let this go so easily. Trish had humiliated her in front of the people that she was forced to live with for another year.

  “Well, Blondie, guess you’re off the hook. Don’t worry. I’m sure there’ll be other ways you can show off your skills. But, it looks like we got the best leader in this whole place,” piped up Trish sneeringly. “I can’t believe anyone is that eager to be the leader. Seriously, she needs to get out more.”

  “Well, no one else wanted the job. I certainly don’t want it. Working in the woods isn’t exactly what I signed up for. I’ve only hiked a few times when I was on vacation in Maui when I was twelve,” said Rosalie Gonzalez, the lanky girl standing next to Trish.

  “I’m sure it can’t be that hard. I mean aren’t the trails already all done? Probably trash duty is what it is. How boring. I was hoping for the Green Gardener team,” replied Sally Flanagan, a tan girl with thick dark wavy hair and bright white teeth.

  The girls began to break off into small groups and talk about what they thought or hoped their duties would be over the next few months. Ashlyn was still pissed at Trish and just stood by herself not really listening to the conversations around her. She couldn’t stop playing the scene in her head. Just three hundred sixty-four and a half days until this is all over, she thought to herself.

  Chapter 7. Birchers Unite

  Kate returned with a huge smile and a binder containing instructions for trail maintenance and building. Birch Unit would be under the direct supervision of a team supervisor named Chuck Watson. Chuck had twenty-six years of experience as a forest ranger and ten of those years at Redwood National Park. This was his second year supervising the team. It was a job he thoroughly enjoyed. He was passionate about teaching and being in nature and found it to be the perfect fit.

  Chuck had high hopes for this team. It was a diverse mix of young people from across the country, from Waters with no street lights to the biggest city. He was always amazed at how the teams evolved over the course of the year, usually excited yet uneasy for the first few months, then gradually forming a tight bond that lasted well beyond the year-long program. Many team members came back to volunteer or work for GYP He was one of them.

  The Birch Unit would consist of women and men. This bit of news certainly perked up the girls because (1) they wouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting and (2) they would hopefully have some good eye-candy.

  The team was instructed to meet Chuck at the Hollow Tree Trail. Luckily, Kate was in charge and immediately set them on the course to the trailhead. Ashlyn noticed that the other groups were pulling out maps to get their bearings and locate their meet-up spots, and she was thankful that she hadn’t been picked as the team leader.

  Chuck was waiting at the trailhead in his dark olive-green jumpsuit, ranger hat, boots, and a tool belt with a hammer and rope dangling from the side. He was handsome with tanned weathered skin, a few strands of grey hair peeking out of dirty blond hair cropped close to his head. He had a nice smile and a dimple. He stood resting on a wooden trailhead pole as if he was at a barstool at his favorite pub—very casual, relaxed and confident.

  “Welcome, Birchers. You made it and faster than most groups. Well done. While we wait for the gentlemen, let’s introduce ourselves. I’ll start.

  I’m Ranger Chuck Watson. Please call me Chuck. Don’t call me sir unless Jefferies is around. I’m your team supervisor, but I’m really here as your coach. Your team leaders will be giving you specific instructions. Ah, I see the men are arriving,” said Chuck, as he stood and motioned the rest of the team to join.

  “Excellent. Now we are a complete team. I’m Chuck Watson. Just call me Chuck. Let’s start with introductions. Say your name, where you’re from, why you are here, and your favorite pastime. Let’s start with you,” Chuck pointed to a tall skinny guy with auburn hair and a full beard.

  In all, there were twenty members of the Birchers divided evenly between men and women of every size, shape, and culture. It was the epitome of a micro-melting pot.

  “Hi. I’m Osama Bashir from Owensboro, Kentucky. I was drafted. Otherwise I would be starting my freshmen year at Penn, studying pre-med. I’m a gamer.”

  “Nice to meet you, Osama. Let’s go to the right,” said Chuck.

  “I’m Robert Fischer from Chicago. I’m here because I want to learn some new skills before I apply to college. I have no idea what I want to study. I’m hoping to figure it out before next year. And I love baseball—go Cubs!” which received a cheer from several men and woman on the team.

  “I’m Trish Nash. I was volunteered. And I wrestle.”

  At this Ashlyn inhaled sharply, thinking holy cow, Trish really could beat her up if she wanted.

  Without skipping a beat, the next person continued, “Hey. I’m Lizzie Wong from Brooklyn. My parents said they wouldn’t pay for college unless I volunteered. So here I
am missing out on my favorite thing—shopping.”

  Ashlyn focused on Lizzie when she said Brooklyn. She just might find a real friend—someone who understood New York and loved shopping. Ashlyn couldn’t wait to talk to her.

  Ashlyn was still looking at Lizzie when the next person started their introduction.

  A deep twangy yet melodic voice made her look and listen. “Hi. I’m Blake Kane. I’m from Union Grove, AL. I feel it’s my duty to help my country and volunteer my time and skills. I hunt, hike, and canoe. I’m the team leader for the men. Glad to be here.”

  Her heart started racing, her face and ears turned red, her palms started to sweat as she thought no, you’re not Blake whatever. You’re Blue Eyes. You’re my Blue Eyes. Oh no, he can’t see me like this—in this ugly jumper with no makeup. What was he doing here?

  Ashlyn was still completely flustered when it was her turn to introduce herself and the person next to her had to nudge her.

  “Oh. Hi. I’m Ashlyn. Uh, Ashlyn Waters.”

  “Where are you from, Ashlyn Waters?” asked Chuck.

  “Manhattan.” Lizzie waved at her, but Ashlyn was still too dazed to reciprocate.

  “Why are you here, Mrs. Waters?” asked Chuck slightly annoyed.

  “I was gapped,” replied Ashlyn.

  “And what do you like to do?” Chuck asked losing all patience.

  “Uhh. Shopping?” Ashlyn replied, as if she wasn’t sure, which was totally not like her. She was always very clear about who she was and what she liked—Ashlyn Waters of the Waters family who loved shopping and hanging out with her friends.

  As she said this, she looked directly into Blake’s crystal blue eyes hoping he recognized her. What she saw was him rolling his eyes in disapproval.