Gap Year Project

by Kim O'Cain

  There were rows of long wooden picnic tables and benches. Every table had a folded piece of paper in the middle with the name of a unit handwritten in red Sharpie. Around the edges of the tables hung tall, black, metal poles with lights strung across giving the area a party-like atmosphere. Behind the tables, with the forest not far in the distance, was a large stage with a podium, speakers, and several flag posts in the middle with no flags. On one side stood the US flag and the other the GYP flag both of which waved in the gentle wind.

  Ashlyn and Trish sat in silence next to each other facing the stage as the master of ceremonies, a young stocky man with a shaved head and a clipboard in hand, welcomed the crowd and asked everyone to be seated quickly so dinner could be served, and the activities could start.

  Blake and Kate sat directly across from her and Trish. She blushed just looking at him. She couldn’t help herself. Her chemical reaction to this guy was off the charts. Luckily or unluckily, Ashlyn wasn’t sure which was better at this point, Blake was looking intently at Kate and engrossed in a conversation about a hunting trip she went on with her brother just before coming to GYP

  Let it go, Ashlyn. He’s clearly not the right guy for you. You’ve got nothing in common, except you are both in the same physical location, she thought to herself.

  She would ignore him. She would look through him. She would act as though he never existed. Yes, that’s what she would do, and then she would not ever think of him as Blue Eyes again. And then she impulsively looked at him and studied his face, his thick dark hair, his lips that turned into a lopsided smile—darn he was hot.

  Without warning, people came running from all directions, yelling and waving flags with unit emblems embroidered on them. They ran around the long tables of new recruits shouting slogans that Ashlyn couldn’t quite make out. Clearly the initiation had begun.

  The Junior Rangers or JRs as they were called, served the new recruits dinner: BBQ chicken, cornbread, potato salad, and blueberry cobbler.

  Ashlyn was starving and dug into her meal as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Everyone else followed suit. It was quiet, except for the occasional cough or someone asking for the BBQ sauce. Once again Ashlyn was thankful for the quiet and hoped it would last until the activities began. The food was surprisingly delicious. One small thing to be grateful for this day. “It’s the little things in life that make you happy” or so she read on Pinterest boards. Maybe it was true. She’d never really thought of it before.

  “So, Ashlyn, how was your first hike?” asked Kate, with a smear of BBQ sauce on her check.

  “Well, it was certainly one I’ll never forget. I hope I never see a bear again. I got my once in a lifetime bear story,” replied Ashlyn with the best smile she could muster.

  “Pretty crazy to see a bear on your first hike. Most people will never see one. It was such a cute little cub. His coat was like the color of caramel. I hope we don’t run into him again any time soon,” said Kate, looking at Blake who took his napkin and wiped the BBQ sauce from her cheek making her blush.

  Ashlyn shuttered at the intimate display of affection and quickly looked down at her food. “I, I, I didn’t actually see the cub. I, I wanted to, but then you told me I could get mauled by his mom and, well, I changed my mind. No more bears for me.”

  “No need to be so dramatic, Waters, we wouldn’t have let anything happen to you. Maybe you should hold the bear spray next time we hike and stick close to me and Kate. You’ve got a lot to learn, Miss New York City,” said Blake with his lopsided grin, sneering at Ashlyn as if she was a second grader trying to take a high school entrance exam.

  His condescension towards her and obvious affection for Kate infuriated Ashlyn. How dare he talk to ME that way. He’s a total jerk. I’ll never give him a minute of my time again, thought Ashlyn as she quickly turned to Trish to rescue her from this horrible moment.

  Trish was engrossed in her dinner and didn’t notice the conversation going on next to her. Ashlyn tried clearing her throat to get her attention but with no response. Ashlyn was left eating in silence and trying very hard not to look at Blake and Kate who had begun a quiet and easy conversation.

  “I hope that everyone enjoyed their dinner. Let’s begin the Gathering. Okay, team leaders join me on the stage for the Task Master Competition. Each unit will be given a Task Master list and will be required to complete four tasks. The unit leaders will organize their members into appropriate smaller groups based on skills and experience. You have until 9:00 p.m. to finish. Once you’ve completed a task, you must place one of your unit’s flags in the designated post on the stage. The unit that masters the most tasks by 9:00 wins the Gathering and holds the GYP Orick Masters Championship for a year.

  The champions get first pick for their unit field trip, first servings at dinner for the next quarter, two extra days off, and a $100 credit at the commissary,” said the master of ceremony.

  This got a huge roar of approval and clapping. Trish finally made eye contact with Ashlyn, and they both screamed and clapped at the thought of winning two extra days off.

  Blake and Kate smiled happily and pumped their fists as they set off for the stage. They were handed a thick sealed manila envelope. Kate tore it open and quickly scanned the list. There were four neatly folded flags with the Birch emblem embroidered on them along with the Task Master list.

  She handed the list to Blake who nodded and gave his lopsided smile. They talked for a few minutes and then made notes on the pages before returning to the table.

  “Okay, we’ve got two hours to win this championship, and I know that we’ve got the skills, experience, and commitment to do it. We’ll split up into teams and kick butt. We’ve so got this in the bag,” said Blake with conviction.

  Kate continued, “The tasks are (1) build a shelter for three with the items from your packs and what you find within one yard of the parade grounds, (2) retrieve one of the GYP banners from any post on site and hang it across the stage, (3) place one of your flags on the Milton Bridge flag post, and (4) find the GYP mascot and bring it to the stage.”

  The mascot was a bronze bald eagle with its wings spread open and its talons holding a banner with the inscription GYP—Service, Honor, Pride. It was a life size replica, three-foot-tall, with a wing span of six feet, and was about eighty pounds heavy.

  “Blake and I have decided on the groups. Blake will lead the shelter group. Saleem, Matt, Trish and Ashlyn, you’re on shelter, too,” said Kate.

  And Ashlyn too. She really didn’t just say that? Ashlyn zoned out on the rest of Kate’s orders. Seriously?! I’m stuck working with Blake—that jerk. Nature jail with warden Blake and his crony Saleem. When will this roller coaster day end? At least Matt is with me. I’m hoping that’s a good thing thought Ashlyn as she looked at Matt who was scanning the unit for his group members.

  The other groups quickly formed, and the leaders were already making plans when Blake walked back from talking to Kate about the overall strategy. Kate was assigned to the Milton Bridge group since she knew the park so well.

  Blake looked confident, as if he was made for this role as team leader of the shelter group. He laid out his strategy quickly, assigning roles for each of them.

  “Trish, you start unpacking everyone’s packs. Get all the rope, cords, knives, and emergency blankets you can find and bring them to the edge of the forest to the bench in front of that sequoia tree. Unbundle all the rope.

  Matt, Saleem, and I will go get fallen limbs and branches. Trish meet us when you’re done and start collecting brush or material we can use to cover the structure.

  And, Ashlyn, just wait by the bench. We’ve got the rest covered. I’ll tell you when to get the flag, and you can just sprint to the finish line and make sure it gets on the stage first. Now go,” ordered Blake.

  Everyone jumped up to get going except Ashlyn. She was once again infuriated by his condescension.

  “Are you kidding me, Blake? You just assumed that I can’t build this
thing because I’ve never hiked or that I’m from the “Big City?” Well, I’ve been helping build things since I could walk. For your information, Mr. I Know Everything About Everybody, I would be taking my first architecture classes this fall if I hadn’t been drafted. My family has designed and built some of the biggest, most sought-after buildings in the world. And yes, I’ve been helping my dad, my uncles and my grandfather actually create and build things since before you could even hold a gun. Have you ever built a twenty-three-story mixed-use building on an island with no running water, no sewer, and no electricity? Well, Buddy, I have. I will not sit here and wait while you bungle up a simple lean-to. Don’t ever underestimate me again. Understood?” yelled Ashlyn flushed, her heart pounding and her fists in balls. She had to look up as Blake towered over her by at least a foot.

  Blake’s emotion went from shock to amusement at her passion and conviction. With his lopsided smile he replied, “Well, Waters, I guess I was wrong. Make no mistake. I intend to win. If you’re sure, then by all means, lead the way.”

  Ashlyn wanted to punch him in the gut for his snarky remark. She turned and lead the men to the forest at the edge of the parade grounds. She hated it when people made assumptions about her—dumb blond, rich daddy’s girl, selfish snob.

  It was so hard for her not to take it personally. It was something she really tried hard not to do. She knew deep down that people said these things out of fear, jealousy and maybe even self-hate. But he didn’t know anything about her, and she was going to make him eat his words.

  “We know we have rope, knives, emergency blankets, and axes. We can make a teepee-like shelter and use the blankets and leaves as the skin. We’ll need some tall branches to be able to fit three people inside,” rattled off Ashlyn before entering the majestic redwood forest.

  The sheer grandeur of the redwood forest was indescribable. It was like being a flea in the middle of a circle of adult humans. Trunks of cinnamon colored bark, soft and fibrous to the touch, shot up from the ground reaching into the sky some two to three hundred feet with the first branches starting at seventy or more feet from where they stood. The forest floor was a bed of tiny cones and shredded spongy red bark littered everywhere that muffled nearly every sound except the occasional Steller’s Jay bird and the gentle rustling of the leaves on the trees. The last bit of sunlight danced through the trees as it tried to make its way to the ground to spread its light to the young saplings struggling to grow and beat out the competition of hundreds of other saplings.

  Fallen trees, broken limbs, hollowed out trees that you’d swear were dead, but had bright green leaves reaching high into the skylight, were found in every direction. It was like entering another planet. One where you couldn’t help but take a deep breath and just be in the moment.

  “Hey, Matt, help me with these branches. These are perfect for the shelter. I am so digging this competition. You know I plan on being an engineer. I figured GYP would give me some engineering skills plus two years of paid tuition for community college back home. That made this a no brainer for me,” said Saleem, a slender guy with green eyes and a crew cut.

  “Where’s back home?” asked Matt, who was moving some smaller branches to get to the longer ones underneath.

  “Salem, Mass,” replied Saleem, who collected the smaller branches with leaves to use for the shelter.

  “Cool. I’ve always wanted to go there. Is there a bunch of witchy stuff? I bet Halloween is crazy. Seems like a creepy place to live,” replied Matt.

  “I hate when people ask that. It IS a cool place to live. No, it’s not creepy. Yes, there is a lot of history and some of it includes witches. And yes, Halloween is awesome. So, you should visit and see for yourself.”

  “Don’t get so defensive. No offense, man. I think it’s cool. What kinda name is Saleem?” asked Matt, as he continued to work on extracting logs.

  “Sorry, bro. It’s annoying you know, every time I introduce myself, everyone has the same reaction. It’s Muslim. I’m Muslim,” replied Saleem, looking away.

  Trish noticed the awkward exchange. “Here are the axes and some knives. Everything else is by the bench. I’m going back to guard it. Some guy keeps coming close by and scouting stuff out. I don’t want anything to go missing or someone will have to pay.” She threw the tools and rope to the ground and ran back to her post.

  “I wouldn’t mess with her,” said Matt. “That girl’s got guns. Did you see her arms? Waters, what’s her story?”

  “She was drafted like me. She just wants to mind her own business and get out of here just like me,” Ashlyn replied. She wasn’t comfortable saying anything about Trish being on parole. That was Trish’s story. And if she wanted others to know about it, she should be the one to tell them.

  “Guess we shouldn’t mess with either of you,” said Saleem with a grin and a wink at Matt.

  “That’s right. We are strong, independent women that just want to get on with our lives. This is just a layover. No offense, but I can’t really see why anyone would volunteer to do this,” replied Ashlyn.

  “Well, unlike you, most of us HAVE to work for a living. Not to mention that we want to do something to help our country instead of raping the system like some people. And no need to respond. You don’t fit in here, Drafter,” replied Blake with complete disdain.

  Ashlyn wanted to smack him, as well as Matt and Saleem who both nodded with agreement without looking at her. Her reality, while not theirs, was no less important and filled with its own struggles.

  “Yeah, I can see how making a shelter out of sticks and leaves and leading a group of strangers to repair hiking trails and pick up trash is really preparing you for a future career. You’ll be the best nature jail warden that ever lived! Your parents must be so proud!” yelled Ashlyn, as she overcompensated at pulling a large limb from a pile of broken branches and fell on her butt.

  “May I help you?” offered Blake, as he bowed to her, causing Matt and Saleem to double over with laughter.

  “Stop it! You know nothing about me. I don’t ever need your help!”

  She immediately felt like a complete jerk. She shouldn’t have said any of that. It was disrespectful and not even true. She was sure she would need their help one day. Ashlyn knew she would never survive this year without the assistance of her team members. Now she had alienated them and made a fool of herself. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut? That was another issue she was trying to work on but was clearly not mastering it.

  Her entire life had been planned out for her before she was even born. She didn’t get to decide what high school to go to or with whom she would hang out with at school. Those decisions were made by her parents. Her life revolved around theirs. Even college and the partnership with her dad had been decided without her input.

  She had tried a few times to push the boundaries by asking to apply to UC Santa Barbara. She really wanted to go to college at the beach. But her parents—really her dad, had put an immediate stop to it. He wouldn’t even discuss it.

  Deep down, Ashlyn wasn’t all that thrilled to take over the family business. She wanted to make her parents proud and happy. But the thought of heading an international corporation and living up to the standard of creating award-winning, awe-inspiring buildings was daunting. It was amazing to see her dad’s ideas come to life and to know that she was in some small way a part of that. And while she loved the special attention she got working side-by-side with her dad on the occasional project, she didn’t love designing buildings.

  The older she got, the more she wanted freedom and choices. The rest of the recruits may have to pay for their freedom by doing manual labor in order to choose a career, where to live, and whom to marry, but they had the choice. Ashlyn never had the choice. So, life wasn’t necessarily fair for anyone.

  They began hauling the logs to the parade ground to assemble their shelter. Trish stood watch as they began to erect the shelter near the bench.

  “There’s a pile of brush tha
t needs to be hauled up here. Can you get it?” Blake asked Trish.

  “No, I’ll go get it,” replied Ashlyn. She just needed a few minutes to herself.

  As she reached the pile, she could hear laughter. No doubt they were talking about her and retelling the story to Trish who seemed to get a very big kick out of it. Her laugh was the loudest of all.

  Ashlyn thought, “Great. Now, I have to face her too. Please let the ground just suck me up, so I won’t be a disappointment to myself or my team anymore.”

  But Ashlyn was also very competitive and decided to put all her energy into making sure they won. She certainly wanted as many days as possible away from here and these people.

  Ashlyn quickly found the brush and returned with the bundle, determined to put the incident behind her and focus on the task at hand.

  “Ok. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I’m sorry, Blake. Um, look, I really want to win this, and I know you do too. Let’s just start over, okay?” asked Ashlyn, calmly looking straight into Blake’s baby blue eyes. That tingle once again spread throughout her body. She wasn’t going to be able to let him go that easily after all.

  “Okay, Waters. Let’s shake on it,” replied Blake, with a genuine smile looking directly back at her.

  There it was, that bolt of energy from head to toe as if she had touched an electrical outlet. The hair on her head stood up, and chills ran down her arms and back.

  How could he have this effect on her? Did he feel it too? She really hoped he did. But from the sudden retrieval of his hand and quick turn-around to grab the last log, she knew he didn’t. He wasn’t the least bit interested. That hurt even worse than what he said earlier. Words have power and so do actions.

  For the hundredth time that day Ashlyn wanted to cry and run away—back home to the safety of her home, parents, and friends. Only it wouldn’t be the same. Her friends were off on their last epic vacation before starting college. Her parents were going to Barcelona for the month with friends, on an art tour of Picasso and Gaudi.