Page 45 of Wilderness Daddy

“Here,” I say and toss my brother the keys to my truck. “Take care of her.”

“If you think I’m going to be joy-riding in it, you’re nuts.” He curls his lip at my truck and I laugh because my vehicle is definitely not a joy-ride for someone like Grant Steed, who drives a sports car. Grant’s face gets serious and he heads for me with his arms outstretched.

“Take care of yourself, bro. Be safe.”

“You know I will.” I hug him tight, giving him a couple hard slaps on the back.

“And don’t worry if you get eaten by a cougar, I’ll step up to the plate and marry Miss Takahashi.” His teasing grin, all gleaming white teeth, is contagious, but inside my stomach rolls at the thought. My lizard brain is clawing at my skull. She’s mine. Kari is mine. Mine to hold, guide, and love. Mine to spank, fuck, and pleasure.

“Dude, you couldn’t handle any of the Takahashis, especially Akari.” I clap him a little harder than necessary on the back one last time and put my wool hat on. “See you in a week, bro.”

“See ya.”

The melancholy in my brother’s voice hits me in the gut, but I keep walking. I need to find a spot and make shelter for the night before finding food. My life’s suddenly become basic but nowhere near simple.

* * *

I make camp near asmall lake. It’s far enough up and back into the trees that I’ll be protected from the wind but still close enough for easy access. There’s a lot to do before nightfall, but I wander to a sunny spot where the trees are sparse and sit. With the position of the sun, I can tell it’s midafternoon. The warmest part of the day.

My shelter needs to be built, a fire started, and I could use some food for later, but it’s the quiet I crave for the moment. Removing my coat, I pull the breakfast sandwich out of its pocket. Eating slowly, I enjoy the last easy food I’ll get for a long time and bask in the sun. It’s a fairly warm spring afternoon but the temperature will drop soon.

Closing my eyes, I listen. The air draws into and out of my lungs, my stomach gurgles and I swallow. There’s the birds chirping and the rustling of trees and small forest critters. A nearby brook burbles and I let my shoulders, neck, and mind relax, but I can’t let go fully like I normally would. Usually being one with nature unwinds me. I’ve done this hundreds of times, but today something’s different. Something’s missing.

Akari.

More than anything I want to share this with her.

I clip my action cam onto the branch of an evergreen tree. I get sap on my fingers, making them sticky, but I wipe it on my pants and begin the video. Introducing myself first, I chatter about my location and what I’ve brought with me from Steed Wilderness Outpost. After my introduction, I clip the cam to my coat so I can continue talking about survival techniques and why I chose the area I did for my camp. I gather wood and work while I talk. I take a while finding and gathering branches that will make up my bed.

“You’ll see the location I’ve chosen has several large fallen logs, they’ll make things easier for me.” I drag one of the logs so it’s parallel with the other. “By placing these two logs together and laying several two-inch-thick branches across them, I make a bed off the ground. It’ll keep the dampness away and provide a small bit of comfort. Some of these small trees I was able to push down, others I used my hatchet.” I hold up the hatchet, taking another opportunity to explain why I chose it instead of some of the other brands on the market. “If you can get away with pushing the dead trees over, do so. It’ll help you conserve energy. Out here, energy is currency.”

I build my cot, chopping triangular cuts into the large logs to keep the smaller branches that make up the sleeping surface from shifting around. I lean branches and small trees at an angle to cover my sleeping area and use the emergency blanket to create a half roof of sorts.

“You’ll notice I put the reflective side down. This is so when I build my fire it will reflect heat back down at me.” I look to the area where I’ve dug out the dirt for my fire pit. “I’m going to collect some things to make my bed more comfortable and then start my fire.” I keep the camera running but lose the commentary. Taking out my canteen, I drink the rest of the water from home. Grant can edit the boring stuff or speed it up. Keeping it running means I won’t miss wildlife or have to recreate any teaching moments as they happen. It’ll keep things natural too.

When I head down to the lake to collect reeds, I watch for duck nests. My eyes are always scanning for anything of use. But my mind is on Akari.

“So there’s this girl...” I say aloud. As I collect reeds, cedar bark, and spruce bows to insulate my bed, I tell my imaginary audience about Akari. When I find birch bark I peel it from the trees and place it in my pocket to keep it dry. It’ll make great tinder for my fire.

By the time my bed is complete and my fire’s lit, I can no longer deny it; I’m falling in love with Akari Takahashi.

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