THE BIG ADVENTURE
CHAPTER ONE
Bill & Joe were returning from a call, heading back to Parker Center. It was slow going, traffic was at a standstill.
"Must be an accident up ahead somewhere," Bill comments.
"Yeah, that or road construction. Nothing we can do about it either way. Just hurry up and wait." Joe hates traffic congestion, it gets on his nerves. He can be an impatient man that is why Bill does most of the driving. If it were left up to Joe, they would end up with traffic citations all the time. Not that he is careless, just impatient.
"The boys are going on a camping trip this weekend with their Boy Scout troop." Bill says, trying to distract Joe with some conversation.
"Is that so? They like that stuff, I suppose." Joe lights a cigarette and tosses the match out the window.
"Do you like camping and fishing, Joe?" asks Bill.
"Me? I guess I never bothered to rate it. Never went. Not even in the army, we were always in a barracks"
"It's great," says Bill with enthusiasm. "There is nothing like it. Just man and nature. Fresh air, sunshine, peace and quiet like you've never known."
Peace and quiet, now that sounds good to Joe. One thing they don't have in their jobs is peace and quiet, and the last few days have been worse than usual.
"And the beauty Joe, I can't even describe it."
Bill sits there, remembering the trips he and his family had shared. Good times, really good times.
"You know what I'm thinking, Joe?"
Joe glances over at Bill, with a wary look on his face. He's heard this tone before, Bill has an idea, and when he does, they usually backfire on Joe.
"No Bill, I don't know, but I'm sure you'll tell me."
"I was just thinking, you and I should go on a camping trip."
"Together?"
"No, Joe, I'll go on one, you go on another" he says sarcastically. "Of course I mean together. Just take off and spend a couple days in the woods."
"In the woods? What are we going to do in the woods?" The turn of this conversation is making him a bit nervous, Joe's a city boy, born and bred.
"We'll relax, Joe, enjoy the quiet, soak up nature. It'll be great! I've got a canoe, lots of fishing gear, and a tent. I've even got sleeping bags. All you need to bring is your clothes."
Joe's not sure if the idea of soaking up anything sounds good, and a canoe? Some how he has never pictured himself in a canoe. He can see it now, the canoe upside down, and him in the lake.
"I'll even bring the food."
Aha, he thinks, I knew there would be a catch. Bill's food choices can be enough to make a grown man cry. At least this man.
"And you know how to work this canoe?" he asks doubtfully.
"Sure Joe, no problem. It's fun, you'll see. We'll fish and catch our dinner, cook over an open fire. Nothin' like it, believe me!"
"Well, maybe we could just go to a ball game. We both like that."
At least at the game all he has to do is watch Bill eat that stuff, he does not have to join him.
"Oh, we can go to a game any time, Joe, think of the crowds, thousands of people at those things. Now that's not peace and quiet like we deserve. On a fishing trip you can go for days and not see another soul."
Joe's not sure if that is a plus or not. But looking at all this traffic around him, he has to admit that the solitude is sounding pretty good. Knowing he'll probably live to regret this, he tells Bill,
"OK, camping it is. But I want to bring some steaks to grill." At least I'll have one edible meal, he thinks.
"And I have one condition for you, and you have to give me your word. You'll not bring up dating or marriage or anything female related. Leave that at home."
"No problem Joe, that's one thing we won't have to worry about, women in the woods."
Traffic finally starts to move and they head for the Center and lunch. Joe is already having second thoughts, and thinking, what have I gotten myself into this time?