Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Jameela was jawstruck looking at the camp. It was impressive. She had imagined the tents already set up but it seemed they would do the job. Somehow, the forest surrounding the area intensified the creepy look of the large building far ahead. It was where they would all be staying in case of a storm. It was safer, Jameela thought. Safe from animals or any wildlife creatures lurking about in the forest, which seemed to stretch on and on.

Jameela and Ibraheem walked together towards a small log cabin at a clearing ahead. “it’s quite warm no?” ibraheem interrupted the silence, taking up his shirt and tossing it on a small stone.

“It might rain.” Jameela replied, wiping off beads of sweat on her forehead. “This is supposed to be..?”

“I have no idea. Perhaps, a barn? It looks like one, right?”

Jameela eyed the rickety little cabin, which looked like it would dissemble at any time. “Perhaps. I think we better go back.” The cabin looked strange to her. It gave her the heepyjeebies. She’d rather not explore it.

Approaching the others, Jameela noticed that everyone had been assigned something to work on. Jameela took the backpacks from the bus and together with Ibraheem they shoved them into a trolley to the main house. “This is quite heavy.” She lamented.

“Hey, you could take just one. I’ll carry the rest in.”

“Aww. You’re too kind. But it’s okay.” She smiled. “I wouldn’t want that Graham to reprimand me. She whispered. He giggled, just Drew came to besides them, pushing his own large bag. “Drew, is that a real blackthorn stick?”

Blushing, he nodded.

“Lemme check it.” He handed it to her. “Wow.” She ran her hands along its polished, knobby shaft.

“I got it from Ireland.” Drew told her. Ibraheem shot up. “Really? I’ve been there before. With Anne. Where did you buy it?”

“Some gift shop near blarney castle.”

“Oh. I think we passed that place once. Never got to enter it though.”

“it’s splendid. I adored the blarney stone.”

Woah! Someone yelled excitedly, causing them to turn. Daniel. Jameela rolled her eyes. “Let’s get going, guys.”

Jameela marvelled at the inner structure of the house. It was huge. She wondered why they weren’t allowed to live inside. It would have been more fun. But well, that was what camping was all about right? Setting up the tents, living in the tents.

The inside was bathed in beige colour in contrast to the white painting on the outside. She thought it was incredible, and mysterious at the same time. It was obvious that the house was re-coloured recently. She walked around, to a huge sitting room. There were brown furniture and a small cream centre table in the middle. Walking straight, she entered a dining section with a large dining table. A kitchen was in another section, close to the dining table. The rooms were located on another part of the house, after walking out of the sitting room and following a small hallway.

The rooms were divided into four. Two for the girls and two for the boys. The girls' room was overlooking that of the boys. In each room, there were six bunk beds. Wide and spacious, with large windows. This should be where we should be sleeping, she huffed. Large bathrooms were designed inside the rooms. She walked to one of the windows, admiring the scenery. Large green trees overlooked the window. On the left side, she could see a wide expanse of a river. Jameela breathed in the natural air rushing in. She was about to leave the room, when she stopped. She squinted to make sure she was seeing right. Yeah. She was. Mariyam was standing by the river. Dangerously close. She had complained of a headache. Why was she outside now? Jameela asked herself, dumfounded.

She rushed back, keeping the last of the bags in the kitchen then went outside. The outer part of the house was huge. There was a swimming pool at the backyard, and a tennis court at the side of the pool. Archery equipment and other games items were all kept in the yard.

Walking back to the bus area, she overheard Graham and Daniel making fun of the new guide, Anna. “She sure is a hottie.” Graham laughed.

“Yeah. I’d do her anytime.” Daniel snorted.

“Ha. As if she would allow you.”

“She doesn’t need to know.” Then they both burst out laughing. Jameela froze, feeling nauseous. That was a sexist and violent comment. She shuddered to think what they meant by she didn’t need to know. Those chauvinists. She gritted her teeth, furious. Those animals. She arrived at the wide clearing just in time. Alessio stood in the middle, arms akimbo, “Let’s get organized here, students. Peyton, Jameela, Nina, Ade get the tents set up. Carrie, Adriana, Ryan, why don’t you and the twins go in search of some firewood?”

Everyone went in different directions to their assigned duties. Jameela looked around the clearing. They could set up a lot of tents here. She loved the scenery surrounding them. She inhaled, imagining waking up to this wonderful place. “Where do we set up the tents then?”

“Ibraheem. Weren’t you supposed to be setting up the kitchen items with Drew?”

“Yeah, well, Joe and Hanna are there now. Figured they needed no more help. Besides, too many cooks spoil the broth.” He smirked.

Jameela turned towards the sprawled tents lying on the ground. “I guess we can draw up some here,” she gestured to the wide left part of the clearing. The others had started setting some up behind her. “And pitch some at that side,” she nodded towards a level area closer to the lake.

“Isn’t that a bit far?”

“Well, everyone needs some space, right?”

“Ah, space, huh?” Nat, who had caught up the last part of the sentence, winked. She and Nina were holding up one of the tents, trying to find a perfect place for it.

Ibraheem looked amused as he pulled a plastic tube from one of the packs they had found there. “Let’s clear this first.” He suggested. Together, they brushed away twigs and pine cones littering the area. Then they rolled out the rolled up blue tent and spread it flat. They joined the fiberglass wands together, slid them in all four corners, inserted the tips onto eyelets at the top and bottom and lifted the roof. In less that five minutes, the tent was up. All that remained was to tie out the guy lines and stake it down.

“I’ll bring the hatchet.” Jameela ran off. She noticed that the others had nearly finished setting up the other tents. The rest had brought as many firewood as they could possible carry. Her eye caught Alessio’s. He was crouched down, his biceps poking from his white t-shirt, as he poured fuel from an aluminium bottle in the base of a primus stove. As she rummaged through the bag pack for the hatchet, her stomach growled. She couldn’t wait to eat something for the night. She had heard the menu for tonight was chips and fish and pudding for dessert. She hope it was chocolate. Nothing beat chocolate pudding as yummy as it was. She was already salivating.