Camp Wanapitei was Camp Juniper’s next destination, our lunch stop, after the bug-invested portage. It was right on Lake Temagami. Mom and Dad forced me to hike back to the beginning of the portage and pick up more supplies. Dad especially, because just like me, he took a tumble. He slipped on some rocks and fell, with a canoe! He wasn’t very happy afterwards, so he just barked orders for me to grab more supplies. Don’t worry, he wasn’t hurt, which was actually kind of a miracle.
Not wanting to upset him, I quickly nodded and stuffed the fallen artifacts from the dry bag back inside. I tucked it under my arm and started my expedition through the forest towards the beginning of the portage.
Ihaan was actually still there. It was amazing how fast he got around. Well of course, if he’s been alone in the wilderness for ten years, then he probably knows all the shortcuts in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. Right? I had one last conversation with him before the rest of Camp Juniper met him face-to-face. Remember, not here, but on Lake Temagami. Lake Temagami as in where Mom, Dad, Uncle Bart, Aunt Jessie, Aunt Lydia, Aunt Delia, Uncle Clement, Uncle Macon, and Uncle Harrison met him. This is the first part of this chapter.
Halfway to the beginning of the portage, I, supposedly alone in the forest, shooed hordes of mosquitoes away and shouted, “Shoo!”
They didn’t leave. I’m just so sweet. This was an absolute nightmare. I thought it was even worse than the Ghost of Ontario. The bugs at this portage were absolute menaces. However, as usual, Ihaan always came in and lifted my spirits.
From within in the forest, I heard his voice. “Are you having fun, Little Red?”
“Huh?!” I yelped. “Where did you…?!” I dropped my hands and jerked my head in the direction where his voice came from. There he was.
Mysterious Ihaan was in the forest, lying on his front on a wide tree branch, with Ro, and he was propping up his head. His legs stood up and waved behind him. He looked like he enjoyed my misery. “This has honestly been quite a show for me,” continued Ihaan, and his legs continued to wave. “You look like you have a great relationship with your family.”
I didn’t know if he knew Mom had broken his flute. “Oh shut up.” I said, not wanting to tell him, and I plopped down on the trail, crossing my arms. “You’re the one who refuses to climb down and meet them. The whole reason why they’re acting this way is because they don’t believe me when I say you exist!”
“Well, that’s not my problem.” Ihaan told me, and he lifted his hand, placing it on Ro’s back. He started to rub it. “Ro and I here never get in an argument. Right, Ro?” Ro nodded and cuddled up to him. “She’s my mother,” added the hermit.
I scoffed and tilted my head up to him, calling, “I see no resemblance, Ihaan. She’s a bird! You’re a boy! You don’t know what it’s like to be stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of adults, who completely ignore and hate you!”
Ihaan chuckled and removed his hand from Ro’s back. He propped up his head again and said, “Don’t say that, Little Red. Family is family. Arguments are no surprise. Your family loves you, Kylie. They just forget to say it. You’re the same way. Come on, admit it.”
I froze and lowered my head. Ihaan’s words were so true. I mean, how many teenagers say they love their parents and family members? Very few, that’s how many. I was one of those teenagers.
Shaking my head, I dropped the topic and next asked Ihaan, “Why are you following me?” Personally, I didn’t mind him following me; I just couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Ihaan looked a bit offended, but then he cracked a small smile and asked, “Is it not obvious? I like you, Kylie. Besides, Ro here wants to be your friend. I mean, I do too, and I hope we are, but…”
“Don’t worry, Ihaan.” I interrupted, and I stood up, shooing more mosquitoes away. “We are.”
“We are?!” Ihaan squeaked.
Smiling, I nodded.
Entire face brightening, Ihaan announced, “Yippee!” and he jumped up on his branch.
Startled, Ro hopped back a few feet.
Ihaan soon reached his hand into his quiver of arrows, and pulling one arrow out, he balanced it on his finger. To me, he explained, “I have witnessed lots of different people travel through these lakes, but none have been as interesting as you, Kylie. On guard!” Ihaan chucked his arrow, and I gasped, ducking. The arrow stabbed the ground behind me.
“Hey watch it, Ihaan!” I yelped, and I felt the back of my head to make sure is hadn’t been skewered.
“Oh, come on.” Ihaan spoke from his branch, and he plopped down on it again. “You worry too much, Kylie.” Legs dangling, he smiled at me.
Ro hopped to him again, and she tapped his gauntlet.
Ihaan peered down on her and picked her up. He hugged her to his chest.
Down below, I asked, “Ihaan, why don’t you come down? What if that branch breaks like the one back there? You’re going to hurt yourself one of these days.”
Ihaan shrugged, “I’m already hurt. Besides, I am mighty comfortable up here. I have fallen plenty of times, Little Red. Trust me.”
“What’s hurt?” I asked him. I meant to ask him this question before, but I never got to it. I guessed it was his ankle, but I wasn’t sure.
Before Ihaan could answer, I heard, “Kylie, what’s taking so long?” behind me. It wasn’t my mother this time who called for me; it was my dad.
At the sound of his voice, Ihaan set Ro down, and he swung his legs back over the branch. He crawled towards the tree’s trunk and reached for another branch. However, it happened so fast! I knew this was going to happen. Again, the branch he reached for broke under his hand, and he yelped, “Up!” Ihaan took a tumble. He fell through the tree’s branches and crashed into the forest’s floor. He landed face first in the dirt. Since Ro could fly, she just soared down to him and landed next to his head.
“Ihaan!” I yelled. Pulling his arrow out of the dirt, I started towards him.
I was forced to stop when from within the forest, I saw Ihaan lift his hand, and he announced, “I’m good!”
Ro got him out of there. With her bill, she grabbed Ihaan’s pant leg and dragged him towards a cluster of bushes.
Behind me, I heard Dad’s footsteps, but he hadn’t appeared yet. I knew he was coming, though.
Before they vanished in the cluster, Ihaan said one last thing to me: “Sorry, Little Red! I’ll see you later!” And just like that, he and Ro vanished, and Dad appeared on the trail.
“What are you doing, lass?” he asked me. “It’s time to move on.”
I quickly hid Ihaan’s arrow behind my back and said, “Nothing, Dad! I’m coming. I’m coming.”
Dad crossed his arms and admitted, “You know, you’ve been acting really weird lately, Kylie Wylie. I think that concussion is getting worse.”
“Concussion?” I asked. “What concussion, Dad? I don’t have a concussion!” This kept on getting worse and worse.
Dad added with, “Don’t worry, it’s all right,” and he took my arm. “I’ve brought a First Aid kit with me, so I’ll get you fixed right up at the end.”
“I don’t have a concussion!” I argued, and I pulled Ihaan’s arrow out from behind me. “I’m fine, Dad! I don’t need a doctor, but Ihaan does!” With that, I pointed the arrow’s point at Dad’s chin.
“Creminelli,” he spoke, and he pushed it away from me, “point that thing somewhere else, Kylie! Where did you get that?”
“It’s Ihaan’s!” I argued. “He’s here, Dad! I just had a conversation with him!”
Dad rubbed his face down, “Oh, for the love of…” and he pulled the arrow out of my hand. “Stop it, Kylie! When will you accept that there is not a hermit living here in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park?!”
“But there is!” I said, and I reached for the arrow. “There is, Daddy, and his name is Ihaan!”
Dad pulled the arrow away from my hand and tapped my head with the fletching. “That’s enough, Kylie!” He took my arm again. “We’re getting you a doctor! We need to get this head of yours taken care of!”
I opened my mouth to argue some more, but Dad zipped my lips shut and dragged me back in the direction of the portage’s end. I noticed that his clothes were dirty from the tumble he took. He was in a pretty bad mood. I’ll be honest, I was too.
While Dad and I marched away, Uncle Harrison appeared behind us, and he carried the last of our luggage. The conversation with Ihaan and argument with Dad was the last thing that happened on that insanely, buggy portage. From this point on, it was “Goodbye, Red Squirrel Lake!” and “Hello, Lake Temagami!”
To get to Camp Wanapitei and Lake Temagami, Camp Juniper first had to canoe through a beautiful, swampy river that I called The Narrows. The Narrows was basically a clear, narrow river that took us to Camp Wanapitei. I remember the area was absolutely gorgeous. Bright rays of sunshine skimmed the water and caused it to sparkle. Green lily pads and weeds swayed under them. I did feel safer here than Red Squirrel Lake. The Ghost of Ontario was behind us. Or was he?
Camp Juniper took their time through The Narrows, and quite honestly, I don’t blame them. The area was too wondrous to rush through. I wanted to stay there forever. It was so peaceful. It was almost like the Ghost of Ontario was just a myth. However, that changed instantly the second we hit Lake Temagami. For now, though, here are The Narrows.
Mom and Dad still didn’t put me back in the canoe with Uncle Bart; they still put me in the middle, and they still didn’t let me steer because apparently, I had a concussion. They said that once we made it to Camp Wanapitei, they were going to go see if a doctor was available. I mean, seriously? I did not need a doctor! Ihaan was the one who was hurt, not me! However, I didn’t argue. I just admired the scenery and didn’t say a word. Stupid adults. They don’t believe anything. I mean, even Uncle Bart didn’t believe me, and he saw Ihaan with his own two eyes! Geez! This week couldn’t get any worse, and it had only been two days!
As we canoed, I searched the sky for Ro, but I didn’t see her. No Ro meant no Ihaan. That kid knew how to get around. Holy smokes. I mean, if he was following in our footsteps, which he was, then wouldn’t you think he’d be behind us? Hm? It’s so strange. It’s almost like he’s…never mind. It’s still a little too early. I have to wait until the time is right.
We stayed in The Narrows for about an hour and half. One of the reasons why we stayed on them so long is because we didn’t rush them. We canoed, took pictures, and admired the scenery. Well, I searched for Ihaan the entire time. I didn’t see him at all. Wherever he was, he hid himself very well. Oh, I just wanted to prove to Camp Juniper that he was real. Why did he have to be so shy? The journey was long, yeah, but for once, it wasn’t too boring.
I merely watched the scenery instead of talking. I had to enjoy it while I could because the second we finally made it to Camp Wanapitei, it changed drastically. The day changed from peaceful and beautiful to cloudy and windy. It reminded me that the park was haunted.
The first thing we saw of Camp Wanapitei when we made it to the end of The Narrows was a bridge. It was made out of wood, and it stretched over the last section of The Narrows. A few people sauntered around on it, and a few more took pictures. On the other side of the bridge was a dock, and that was where we parked our canoes. However, it was the strangest thing. Back in The Narrows, the day was beautiful, with blue skies and calm water, but here, it clouded up, and the wind picked up.
Waves sloshed up against the sides of our canoes, and I grabbed hold of the side of mine, Mom, and Dad’s canoe, saying, “Oh snap! And I thought we lost the Ghost of Ontario!”
At the sound of you-know-what, Mom growled and glared at me again.
Dad pointed at the dock on the other side of the bridge and announced, “All right, Camp Juniper, that’s where we’ll get off and have lunch.”
The few people standing on the bridge waved at us, and everybody, except me, waved back.
I instead searched the area not only for Ro, but also to check out the camp. Just like The Narrows, counting out the waves and cloudy weather, it was quite nice. Clusters of cottages buried in trees surrounded us, and a few canoes rested on the bank of the river. Behind the dock was a lodge.
Camp Juniper canoed under the bridge, and I reached my hand up to touch the bottom of it, but I didn’t succeed. I wondered what this place looked like during winter. During wintertime, when nobody is around, I’m sure Ihaan explored this place. By the time Camp Juniper emerged from the other side of the bridge, my tummy was rumbling, and I reached for it. Oh, I was so hungry.
Dad led us to the dock and said, “Here we are, Camp Juniper. This is Camp Wanapitei. Are y’all hungry?”
“Yes!” Uncle Harrison suddenly shouted out. All of us glanced at him. Uncle Harrison blushed, “Oi,” and he nervously waved. “Sorry, Azul. That last portage just worked off my entire breakfast.”
“I understand, Little Harrison.” Dad explained. “Very well then.” He and Mom canoed up to the dock, and grabbing hold of it, he added with, “How about you get the food barrel out?”
“And what are you going to do?” asked Aunt Lydia.
Dad set his paddle down and picked up a few ropes. He climbed out of the canoe and hopped onto the dock, starting to tie it up. While he worked, he glanced at Aunt Lydia and answered, “I’m going to see if I can find a doctor for our daughter here.”
He offered his hand to me, and I asked, “Doctor?” I refused to take his hand. Instead, I simply crossed my arms and growled, “I don’t need a doctor, Dad! I don’t have a concussion!”
“You do too have a concussion, Kylie!” Mom snapped at me. “You must’ve hit your head when you went to the latrine last night! You think you met a hermit!”
Okay, I didn’t argue. I was so tired of arguing. I just decided to play along with Mom, even though I did meet a hermit. Uncrossing my arms, I nodded and sarcastically spoke, “You’re right, Mom.” I finally took Dad’s hand. “I’m sick. I couldn’t have met a mysterious hermit. Now that you mention it, I really don’t feel that well.” I was totally lying.
“Don’t worry, Kylie.” Dad said, and he pulled me onto the dock. “We’re going to get you a doctor.”
I noticed that my Uncle Bart was giving me a funny face.
“Thank you, Daddy.” I said, and I peered into the sky again. My jaw dropped. There she was! It was Ro! She soared in circles above Camp Wanapitei and shook her head. Usually when she soared in circles, it meant that something was wrong. I knew this the second I saw her. Ihaan needed my help. “Ro!” I shouted. Immediately, I shoved by Dad and knocked him down. Grabbing hold of the mysterious dry bag I found that he pulled out, I hurried towards Ro and held my hand out to her. “Ro!”
She heard me. Tilting down her head, she nodded at me and flew forward.
Behind, Dad yelled, “Kylie!” but I didn’t go back.
I followed Ro, and that was all I did the first ten minutes at Camp Wanapitei.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
