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Chapter Sixteen

JACK

T he hike wasn’t nearly as miserable as I expected. I was sure we were all going to have to take turns carrying Norm. But all of the students seemed to thoroughly enjoy seeing the incredibly diverse flora and fauna the rainforest had to offer. It truly did feel as if we’d stepped into another world. Scarlet macaws with fiery red feathering stood out like flames in the sage green leaves of a bullhorn acacia. Lime green iguanas sat in a sort of lizard “coffee klatch” on the massive branch of a breadfruit tree. They stood perfectly still for their selfies as everyone took turns with their phones; everyone, that is, except Norman. But Evan kindly promised to send all the photos he took to Norman once he got a new phone. Spotting an eyelash viper didn’t send the group into a shrieking fit. The opposite in fact: They stopped to admire its camouflage as it rested near a rock. A red-bordered stink bug kept their attention for long enough that Ava had to finally prod them along, like a teacher asking her third graders to move away from the mummy exhibit at the museum. And the howler monkeys didn’t disappoint either. We paused to watch a pair playing in the feathery, mint green leaves of a Pentaclethra macroloba tree.

“I know the zoos all try to recreate habitats,” Milo said as he filmed the pair playing in the tree. (They seemed to know they were being filmed and really hammed it up.) “But there’s nothing like seeing the animals in their real worlds.”

Ava had stayed back to let the students do their usual photo thing.

“Oh look, honey, the kids are finally enjoying the vacation. Admittedly, the car ride was rough, and I was ready to turn it around several times, but now they understand why we made them suffer the journey,” I said.

Ava laughed. “I just wish they’d learn to enjoy it with their own eyes instead of through the phone lens.”

I elbowed Ava lightly. “I think Norm might be discovering the wonder of watching things with the naked eye.” Norman stood with the group but had no phone to filter the experience. He wore the biggest smile while the others furrowed their brows in concentration to make sure they got the best angle and shot.

A small cluster of gray clouds had moved in, giving us a short respite from the heat and also providing a light rain shower. The cooling mist kicked up a new burst of earthy, flowery smells from the surrounding landscape. Only Pam seemed to have a problem with the light refreshing rain because her sunblock dripped into her eyes.

“Let’s keep moving, everyone,” Ava said. “That way we’ll still have a few hours of daylight to set up camp and equipment. We might even have some time to explore.” Ava looked over at me. Her eyes were a brilliant green in her tanned face. “I just replayed that in my head and yeah, I get the ‘family on a vacation’ analogy now.”

The river split near the top of the trail, with the tributary wandering off into the landscape. It had rolled back in our direction, and now we were walking a narrow strip of land, maybe two hundred yards wide, with rushing water on both sides. The tributary was much smaller than the source river, but it was still fifty yards wide, and there were sections of rapids where the water splashed through rocks and dips.

Evan and Milo were out in front. They seemed to have the most energy or, maybe the best shoes, for a long, hot trek. Ava and I stayed at the rear like good parents to make sure none of our fledglings fell behind. Robyn, who’d been the real trooper and the most likable of the bunch, seemed to be having trouble with her shoes. It seemed she’d gone more for style than comfort in her shoe choice. She was limping but also trying not to look like she was in pain.

“Robyn, I think you’ve been stoic enough,” Ava said. “Let’s stop and apply a bandage to that heel.”

Robyn’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “How did you know it was my heel?” she asked.

“Because I’ve done the same half-tiptoe walk many times, and it always meant there was a blister on my heel.”

Ava ushered Robyn over to a fallen tree. She kicked the old trunk a few times to check for snakes or bullet ants and then motioned for Robyn to sit. A few minutes later, Robyn was back in the game, feeling much better with a bandage on the impending blister. Not long after the minor first aid stop, the crudely built suspension bridge came into view. Wooden poles on each side held a long parade of wooden planks, wire and netting to keep the crossers from falling into the river. The riverbanks were only four or five feet tall, so the bridge was fairly close to the water. The short distance to the river below put everyone’s minds at ease as we started across the very wobbly bridge. A few planks had fallen out, leaving a gap, but we managed to get across without incident. Even Norm didn’t seem to mind the unstableness of the bridge as it swung side to side with each of his steps.

We were a group of weary travelers by the time we hiked up the small hill to the camp. I stopped next to Ava as we surveyed the crude campsite and the three-sided shelters.

“Looks just like in the brochures,” I joked.

“Been in worse,” she said. Ava stepped forward. “All right, boys in the end two, and girls, we get the one closest to the food tent. You’ll want to do a quick search of your shelter and underneath the cots to make sure no unwanted visitors have moved in.”

Pam shook her head. Even after the scenic hike in, she was not a happy camper.

“I suggest you get settled in, maybe take a short rest. If you’re on food duty today, then meet me in the mess tent in an hour, so we can get dinner started. I’m sure everyone is hungry.” She smiled at the bedraggled group. “Don’t expect pizza or burgers. Meals are going to be pretty basic.” Ava turned to me. “I’ll let you guys decide who sleeps where.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, terrific. Seems I really got the raw end of the deal on this trip.”