"Y-you do-don't ha-have to, I kn-kn-know it's k-kind of o-odd. It's j-just th-this tr-tradition w-w-we h-have." He shrugs his shoulders as he lifts the tent bag into the trunk, looking down at me with a smile.
The fresh snow fall from a few days ago had offered what would probably be the last chance this winter for Nathan and his cousins to continue their snow-camping tradition.
"L-last ch-chance to b-back ou-out."
I poke him teasingly in the ribs, where I know he's ticklish, and try not to laugh at his squirming. "Nathan, it will be fun, don't worry. I want to go as long as you want me there."
Our thick winter coats make our hug feel even warmer than usual, caged in by the warmth of the crinkling fabric.
I couldn't help but laugh when Nathan met me at the door, bundled up to the maximum in his snow pants and jacket. His jaw was hidden behind a scarf, while his glove-clad hands hung out of his pockets. He looked like a marsh-mellow. He still does.
I can't say I look any better though. I had to dig my heavy-duty winter jacket out of my closet, and searching for snow pants effectively took me half an hour in the hallway closet.
But, it would all be worth it, once we meet up with Peyton, Mia and Antonio at their house. I've never been camping in the winter before, but from the way Nathan described their annual camping trip, it sounds like so much fun.
"I feel like an oompa loompa in this thing." My voice is muffled into his chest, and it only makes the statement sound funnier, so much so that Nathan laughs out loud.
"H-hey, y-you're m-my o-o-oompa l-lo-loompa."
"Are you guys done there?" Enzo peaks his head over the back seat of the van, raising his eyebrow at our current state.
"Y-yeah, j-ju-just ab-about."
. . . . .
"Emma! It's been way too long!" Peyton and Mia launch themselves at me the second I'm out of the van, squishing me in a bear hug that makes it hard to breathe.
"We've been bugging Nathan to bring you around again." Mia winks at him as he pulls our camping supplies out of the trunk, smiling as his blush darkens.
"I've missed you guys too."
"This is going to be such a fun camping trip!" Clapping her hands, Mia skips to pester Matteo and Enzo about when we're leaving, the pompom of her hat bouncing as she goes.
"I hope you don't mind cold nights," Antonio nudges my elbow with his, gesturing up towards the rolling hills of forests far back in the property; somewhere among the trees is where our campsite awaits, and untouched blanket of snow unsettled between a series of pines (or so I've been told).
"Oh I'm ready, as ready as I'll ever be."
"She'll be okay," Matteo hoists a full hiker's backpack over his shoulder, walking by me with a smirk, "she has Nathan to keep her warm."
"W-what?" Nathan turns around so fast he whacks his elbow off the van door, his cheeks coloring pink as he blushes.
"È probabile che Nathan ci ucciderebbe se qualcun altro avesse cercato di tenerla al caldo." Enzo bumps Nathan's shoulder as he walk by him, grinning at our matching flushed faces.
"Ti colpirò." Nathan's eyes narrow as he watches his brother walk off, face clouded with a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, "non lo vedrai arrivare."
"Boys, quit arguing. Can we leave already?" Peyton impatiently bounces on her feet, looking like a bundle of energy in her snow suit.
After Antonio transfers the heavier items onto a long wooden sled, we begin our long journey back through the fields, our eyes set on the forest before us.
The snow crunches under boot, absorbing the impact of our footfalls as we leave our mark on the landscape. A part of me almost feels bad for marring the silky smooth, untouched blanket of snow, but the other part is too excited; too energized at the prospect of our bonfire, of setting up camp, roasting hot dogs.
When we reach the base of the hills that roll through the woods, the hike itself grows more difficult. Here, the snow banks are uneven and thick, seeing as the wind can't reach the ground through the trees enough to flatten it out. I take one wrong step, and find my leg up to the knee in snow.
Nathan's chuckle resounds behind me as he watches me struggle, until he finally pities me enough to lean over and lift me out. His arms stay loose around my waist, as if to ensure I'm stable before letting go.
"H-ha-having s-so-so-some tr-tro-troubles?" His breath comes out in little puff, tickling the flushed skin of my cheeks.
"Just a few. I look on at the others, already scaling the next hill with their long legs, working together to hoist up the sled. "This is clearly an activity better suited for tall people."
He really laughs then, reaching down to take my hand as he guides me forward.
"I-I-I'll h-help y-yo-you th-then. W-walk in m-my f-foo-footprints." I follow his steps with some difficulty, occasionally even having to jump to make up for his long strides.
When we reach the hill, he gives me a leg up to start my climb up the steep, snow cloaked side, and climbs up behind me to spot me if I slip up.
He doesn't grow impatient with how long it takes me to work my way up, or with the breaks I take in between.
Only when I struggle with pulling myself up to the flat top of the hill does he step in, offering to push my leg up from behind to give me some leverage.
"Do you mind?" I'm practically panting in the cold air, and I can feel the sweat shining on my forehead despite the frigid temperature. At this point, I'm more than open to receiving some help.
"O-on th-th-three." He braces his palm against the back of my calf, trying to get as good of a grip as possible over my snow pants.
"O-one...t-tw-two...th-three." I land on my back at the top of the hill, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as Nathan pulls himself up beside me, making the act look effortless, as if he does it everyday.
"You-you ok-ok-okay?"
Trying to save my breath, I nod, and he helps me to my feet so we can start after the others, who, thankfully, have chosen a path that winds across the flat, forested outcrop we're on, rather than requiring we climb again.
When Matteo suggests we take a break, I'm all too willing to comply, easily dropping down to rest on the snow.
Peyton passes out granola bars from her bag, and we eat in silence as we replenish our energy. It makes me feel better to see that Enzo is sweating just as much as I am, as well as to see Peyton and Mia complaining about their legs being sore. At least it's not just me.
"We aren't that far, maybe another half an hour? We'll be there by noon." Antonio wipes the snow off his pants as he stands up, and reaches down to grab the pull-string attached to the sled.
It's a silent cue for the rest of us to get up, and get ready to move. We walk in a clump as Antonio and Enzo lead, comforted by the sound of the wind overhead and the swishing of our coats as they brush against each other.
When I'm not panting of exhaustion, I admit that the forest itself is very wondrous under the spell of winter; almost surreal. The trees tower high into the sky line like toy soldiers, standing guard against the frigid breeze that shakes their branches. The sky is so clouded over that it makes it hard to tell where the horizon ends and it begins; it's like looking into a sea of clouds.
Although no animals are visible, their presence in the forest doesn't go unnoticed. I can make out gentle paw prints in the snow, and every once in a while, a bird's song rings out, accompanied by a burst of movement as they fly off. Although a part of me was worried about the more...wild animals that inhabit the country side, Nathan had assured me that they tended to avoid people, especially since there was going to be so many of us.
I can tell when we reach our campsite; the clearing is encased with towering, snow capped pine trees and evergreens, allowing a perfect view of the wooden platforms raised up out of the snow. The four platforms are perfectly sized to fit our tents, and form a loose circle around the stone fire-pit that's built up to my knees. In between each platform is a thick wood pole, presumably used to tie the shade over the tents.
Enzo steps forward to dust the snow off the edge of the fire-pit, his breaths coming out in little clouds as he turns back to face us.
"Alright, let's get to work. There's still a lot to be done before night fall," he brushes his long arms over the closest wooden platform to dust the snow off, and drops one of the tent bags on the worn wood.
"Peyton and I can start setting up the tents." Mia sets them off in the direction of the firs bag, and together they start digging through it to lay out the tent poles.
"I'll start with the tents on the other sides."
"Nathan want to help me with the shades?" Antonio has already started unfolding the tarps to set up over the tents when he beckons him over, clearly in need of his taller stature to reach the nails pre-hammered into the posts.
"Want to help me out on firewood duty?" Matteo nudges my elbow with his as we trudge off into the bush, pausing to look under the low hanging branches of evergreens in search of semi-dry wood for our fire.
By the time we make it back to camp, the tents are all set up, an array of colors across the white snow as Nathan finishes tying the last tarp down.
We pile the wood in a make shift teepee before lighting crumbled paper balls underneath, watching the wood catch from the old embers beneath.
It feels as if that now, more than ever, that the camping trip has officially begun.
Authors Note:
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays! Seasons Greetings! Feliz Navidad! Faliz Natal! Buon Natale! Joyeux Noel! Fröhliche Weihnachten! καλά Χριστούγεννα!
Regardless how you say it, I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season ^-^
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and are continuing to enjoy the story. If anyone has any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to message me and let me know ^-^
Merry Christmas!
-Lefty