A Beginner's Guide to the American West ✓

chapter eleven

e l e v e n

*

The sun is setting, sinking lower beyond the dusty mountains that glow a warm orange in the dying light of the day. I feel the same glow in the pit of my stomach, spreading throughout my body as I float in the lazy river. I’ve only had one beer, and I drank it on a full stomach, but it’s been a few weeks since I had a drink so its effects are already kicking in. The knots in my brain are loosening, aided by the gentle lapping of the water, and the leftover heat warms my cheeks.

This, I think, is what people mean when they talk about bliss. Right here. This moment. Floating in an iconic river six thousand miles from home, surrounded by new friends and the gentle strumming of Sam’s guitar. He’s perched on a rock, his feet in the water, playing his own medley of country songs as we chat and float.

Young-mi and Arjun are both on their second can of Bud. Carrie went the extra mile and bought a few canned gin and tonics, and even a plastic glass. The twins are on the shore with Adedayo, soaking up the last of the sun. The light may be fading, but the heat will stick around. The desert sand holds the warmth. So does the air.

It may be nearly ten o’clock at night, but I’m not remotely cold even with most of my body submerged. Next to me, Young-mi is idly treading water while lying on her back, jet black hair floating around her like a sombre halo. Every now and then it grazes my shoulder and makes me jump, because every time I forget it’s her hair and assume it’s an Arizonian river creature tickling me.

“I think I will stay here forever,” she says as she floats near me.

“Mmm. Me too. Shall we just let the river carry us?” She smiles and I call out, “Hey, Sam?”

“Yeah, bud?” He keeps playing the guitar, only halting his singing to respond.

“Where does this river end up?”

“Sea of Cortez, my friend!” he calls back. “If you floated all the way down this here river, you’d drift through Mexico and into the Gulf of California. Except you’d probably die on the way, so if you did reach the end, it’d be as a corpse.”

“Way to ruin the mood!” Arjun laughs. He sounds distant, then I feel the swish of the water as he slowly makes his way over. I look up, splashing when I lose my floating balance, to see that he has three cans in his hands. “Fancy another?”

I nod and watch as he cracks it open and puts it in my hand. I take a long, appreciative sip. It’s still relatively cool thanks to Young-mi’s genius idea to keep it in the river, and I relish in the sensation of the bubbles sliding down my throat. My muscles are loose and relaxed and all I care about right now is this. Basking in this moment, with Arjun floating next to me and Young-mi bobbing around on my other side.

I’m so full after our cookout, a mish-mash of everyone’s favourite camping food, that it’s a wonder I don’t sink. I stuffed myself on tender, juicy chicken and a pasta salad that Klara – I think – made, as well as a vegetarian hot dog courtesy of Brannan. After we’d somehow managed to polish off everything savoury, Carrie stuffed chocolate into bananas that she then wrapped in foil to cook over the fire.
Plus a beer, and soon a second one.

Maybe it’s the bubbles keeping me afloat. Maybe I’m buoyed by bliss.
Arjun drifts past me as I look over and I can’t help but notice the dark hair on his stomach that trails down below the waistband of his trunks. I tear my eyes away only to meet his gaze, and I clock his slightly raised eyebrows; the slightest quirk of his lips. He lifts his beer and taps it against mine.