Trouble Finishes the Story

I was thinking about Luna Gloaming’s Facebook post about getting a little bored with walking around the neighborhood during this stay-at-home period. Thankfully, the desert around my casita offers delightful variety, including wildlife, so it is always stimulating. It was even more so this morning as I found Trouble walking too just after sunrise. We walked together for about an hour and a half. She decided how the story of the woman on the river trip ended. And, in her mind, the “woman” became a teenager. I should have seen that coming and how the story evolved in the mind of a 14-year-old. Here’s Trouble’s take on what happened after the “girl” put her swimsuit back on and joined her river group.

“The Girl”

The girl didn’t understand why at least a few of the other people on her river trip didn’t shuck their swimsuits to sun and skinny dip. She had seen Sparks’ group, naked on the rocks and it seemed the thing to do. The girl endured the humiliating walk back to the boats. No one spoke to her.

As the group was getting back on their boats, one of the guides, Sam (Trouble gave him a name), asked her to walk down the beach for a talk. The girl thought she was in serious trouble, but Sam simply told her if she wanted to sunbathe or swim naked, to let him know and he’ll let her stay at a pool or waterfall a few minutes longer than the rest of the people. He would give her 10 minutes or so to herself and anyone who wanted to stay with her.

“Who would want to stay?” the girl asked, “these people must hate me now.”

“No, not all,” Sam said. He told her that this was not uncommon and not to worry. He pointed to another girl, Sally, who was on the trip. The girl had met Sally two days earlier, but Sally was super quiet, never talked to anyone but her parents who were also on the trip. “I’m going to take you and Sally on my boat for the next couple of days, you’ll see.”

As the days passed and the girl got to know Sally, they talked and talked, sometimes long into the night as they began camping together, away from the group. And as they became good friends, they both opened up and became more confident. And, at pools and waterfalls, they would linger, as Sam had promised and sunned and swam naked, if only for a few moments. And, toward the end of the trip, Sam would join them.

The End

After I heard the story, I asked why Trouble had named Sam and Sally, but not the girl? Trouble said to finish the story, she had to become the girl in her imagination.

After our walk, we went to my casita and made biscuits, gravy, and fried eggs. I called her mom and aunt to join us, but they had already eaten. So, I had Trouble all to myself most of the morning. It was joyful. What a great kid.