Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2015 18:19:39 +0000
From: David Lee <dlee169@hotmail.com>
Subject: Unexpected Guest, Chapter 10

Unexpected Guest, Chapter 10

The flight back to the US had been uneventful and the guys arrived home in
time to unpack in the afternoon.  Dalton offered to treat for dinner out
somewhere since the fridge was pretty bare.

"I need to share some of my new-found wealth!" he grinned.

"You should conserve it for your education and not spend too much on me,"
Shel countered.  "Oops, there I go sounding like a parent.  I'm sorry."

"Hey, you know that the support money from my grandma and uncles is more
than I'll need for my college expenses.  Since you haven't allowed me to
pay rent, I really need to help more with the food bills.  How `bout I
drive my car and go past the drive-up ATM to put this check into my account
on the way?  I'll get some cash at the same time."

"That's a good idea, and if you don't mind, we should stop for groceries
after we eat.  It's always best to shop on a full tummy!"

They settled on a locally-owned Italian eatery which had delicious food,
large servings, and reasonable prices.  Shelby was still anxious about
spending Dalton's money, but they could make another meal of the leftover
if they didn't stuff themselves.

Dalton was delighted to be able to treat for dinner.  He knew that Shel
didn't mind supporting him, but that situation made him feel like a
free-loader despite what Shelby said.

Before they'd finished eating, they saw their friend Wally come in
accompanied by another guy whom he introduced as Lew.  The new arrivals got
seated at a booth across from them and the four chatted a bit.

Dalton shared the fact that his relatives were contributing to his college
expenses.  Wally congratulated him on his good fortune.

----------

After the bill was settled and they were on their way to the car, Dalton
asked something that had popped into his mind.

"Do you think Wally's gay?"

"I don't know; did something set off your gaydar?"

"Not overtly, but it seems like we always see him in the company of other
men instead of women."

"You could say that about us too," Shel grinned.

"My point exactly, my dear Watson!"

----------

Dalton was scheduled to work Saturday and Sunday.  Before his windfall good
fortune, he had planned to put in all the hours he could and make as much
money as possible during the rest of summer.  Now he didn't have to.

While he didn't want to slack off and be fiscally irresponsible, he was
considering altering his plans a bit so that he could spend more time with
Shel before the fall semester began.  He knew they would have precious few
chances once school was in full swing.

During a break on Saturday, Dalton broached the subject with Mr. Fagan, the
manager.

"I'd like to take a few more vacation days before school starts again, if
you can spare me."

"Okay, I can go with that.  I know that things run smoother when you're
here, but Herman and Ethan can be counted on too.  You've often filled in
for people who haven't shown up, so I can certainly return the favor by
letting you have time off since I've hired a larger staff who can do the
job."

"If there are a lot of guys wanting to work, I hope I won't jeopardize my
job by being gone!"

"Never!  I know who I can count on.  Any number of the new hires won't last
for more than a few weeks if things go as they usually do."

----------

"I talked to Mr.  Fagan today about more vacation days this summer, unpaid,
of course," Dalton told Shelby when he got home at 10:00 p.m.

"And?"

"He's fine with it.  In fact he can spare me tomorrow and Monday.  Then I
can take off more days a week or so later.  Maybe we could go somewhere
that's not too expensive."

"We don't have a lot of time to plan for tomorrow, but we could camp
somewhere for a couple of days if you'd like.  That wouldn't cost much and
there are several places within a fifty mile radius.  Wisconsin and
Minnesota aren't a long drive either.  We might try somewhere a bit further
away when you can get a full week."

"But we don't have a bunch of equipment."

"I have a small tent and a Coleman burner that attaches to the top of a
propane cylinder.  Here's a thought, I could try to find a cabin on a lake
nearby for tomorrow and Monday.  We won't need much other than food and a
few clothes.  We can rent a canoe or one of those little things that you
pedal.  If we like canoeing, we could even buy one, or a double kayak."

There were fewer commercial campgrounds than there had been in the era when
Shelby was young and most of the accommodations at state parks required
quite a bit of advanced notice.  There was no way the guys could be sure of
reservations for Sunday and Monday.  The primitive sites were on a first
come, first served basis and they could simply show up and take their
chances.

In the end, they settled on using the rudimentary equipment Shelby had and
go to a lake not far away.  They'd have to purchase a sleeping bag for
Dalton later, but if they opened Shelby's bag and took along a sheet and a
comforter to put over them they could make-do on their first camping
experience together.

"We probably better go to bed soon so we'll be rested for our trip," Shelby
grinned.

"I was hoping you could help me wash off the sweat from my long day at the
store," Dalton licked his lips.

"I'm sure we'll sleep better if we do that first.  Do you want to reenact
the show we saw at le Stock?"

"Oui, merci!"

They emerged from the shower before the warm water ran out, both feeling
clean, satiated, and relaxed."

----------

The young men arrived at Kent Lake about 11:00 on Sunday with several
bottles of drinking water and a cooler filled with food.  In addition, they
had a few dried entrees and some cans of stew, all of which didn't need
refrigeration.  They were oversupplied, but whatever they didn't use could
be saved for another outing.

It was an excellent time to find a good camping spot because a number of
campers were packing up to leave in addition to those who had already gone
home to prepare for the upcoming workweek.

Because it was a state facility, they had to buy a seasonal camping permit.
The price for residents wasn't too high and would give them access to any
state park until next spring when they'd have to renew.

The guys chose a site which was somewhat shaded by a stand of young trees.
Shel picked it out, checking carefully for a place that would be
comfortable, but also relatively safe.  He said that tall, ageing trees
would be more susceptible to lightning and strong winds.  He didn't want
anything falling on them in case of a storm.  Dalton was impressed with how
he thought things through.

"How do you know all of those things?"

"When I was a boy of about 13, a kid my age was killed near Council Bluffs
when a tree fell on his tent during a storm.  It made me aware of checking
everything out before setting up camp."

Erecting the tent didn't take long.  It was intended to be a one-man
operation, but it went faster with two.  Dalton teased that they could have
simply brought a sheet of canvas and have lain on their backs in opposite
directions.  Their hardons could have served as polls.

Shel loved the joking camaraderie.  It made him feel like he was 18 again.

The next order of business was eating lunch.  When it was over, they went
back to the office to see about renting a canoe.  The process was simple.
In a bit, they were carrying their canoe, life jackets, and paddles along
with towels, bottled water, sun lotion and other necessities down to the
water's edge where they put in.

Dalton had never canoed before and was rather nervous about messing up and
capsizing the craft.  With Shelby's patient instruction, he soon got the
hang of the basics.  Shel demonstrated how to dip the blade in a manner
that was nearly noiseless and very efficient.

"I love learning how to get the most out of each stroke!" Dalton smirked.

"If you prove to be as proficient with a paddle as you are with your
talented hands, I'm sure you'll do fine with stroking," Shel continued the
innuendo.

"I'm sure I will with a good teacher like you."

They made a game of their suggestive repartee and had to adjust their
swimwear a couple of times as they paddled along.

Shel charted their course around the edge of the lake so that Dalton
wouldn't feel overwhelmed if they did tip over.  The farther they went, the
more comfortable Dalton became.  Before long, he was eager to leave the
shore to explore a few of the little islands which were about 100 yards
from the current shoreline.

The "islands" were actually sections of land that had been cut off from the
normal shoreline by unusually high rainfalls in June.  As such, they were
covered with vegetation, including a few small trees.

Traffic on the lake dwindled appreciably as the afternoon wore on.  It
seemed to the guys like they were in their own little paradise as they
pulled the canoe out of the water onto one of those small land-forms.

They spread their beach towels out on a dry area which was in full sun and
lay on them, holding hands.

"This is like the Garden of Eden!" Dalton sighed.

"Ah, the tranquility when the world was young," Shel agreed.  "Back when it
was just the animals and Adam and Steve!"

"Hey, much as I like your version of the story, you have to have an Eve in
there somewhere or the rest of human kind wouldn't exist."

"Do you seriously believe we all descended from one pair of humans?  That
would involve incest, and lead to all kinds of genetic deformities."

"I know," Dalton agreed.  "I've thought about the whole creation versus
evolution thing and I've come to the conclusion that the Genesis story is
an attempt to give meaning to the unknowable.  To me, it's how people tried
to get their heads around the idea that some power greater than themselves
was responsible for all that exists.  I guess it's like cause and effect.
If something IS, then something had to make it come into being."

"You sound like Descartes," Shel nodded.

"Yeah, I guess his philosophy has had an impact on what I believe.  I can't
accept the idea that the universe came about in a period of six 24-hour
days because physical evidence doesn't support it.  But I can believe that
a Being could have caused it to come about over millennia.  Doesn't the
same Bible say that a day in the eyes of the Lord is as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as a day?"

"With that reasoning, you could probably write a statement of faith for a
number of main-line churches.  Did you know that we sometimes say, `We
believe in God, who created and IS creating'?"

"I don't remember repeating that in a service, but it certainly fits!  Wow,
we've become quite introspective and philosophical out here by ourselves!"

"Being out in nature can do that to you, and I feel even closer to you as a
result.  We can discuss anything in the world.  You have a deeper
understanding of it all than I did the year I graduated from high school.
You truly are my peer, and sometime my mentor."

Dalton rolled on his side facing Shelby and smiled radiantly.  Then he drew
their heads together and planted a kiss.

"Oh, I just remembered another reason I feel close to you," Shel grinned as
they kissed again.  "How `bout we take a dip to cool off and then move into
the shade."

"Are you thinking of making out?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Possibly it's the growing bulge in your trunks."

----------

After making out for half an hour, they got into the canoe and paddled back
to the dock.  They would have loved to have gotten naked and brought their
fooling around to its logical conclusion, but were afraid of getting
caught.  Shel had heard the tail-end of a story on the local TV station the
night before about rangers from the DNR raiding a spot popularly called
"bare-butt hill" where guys went to sun naked and maybe pick up a new
friend.  He didn't want to find himself on the sex offender list and lose
his teaching license as a result.

They turned the canoe in at the office and headed to their tent where they
grabbed clean shorts and towels on the way to the shower house.  It was
completely deserted, but there were still several tents and camping
trailers around, so again, they couldn't fool around.  However, once in
their tent, it was no holds barred!

----------

Cooking supper over the campfire and on the little propane burner was
another new experience for Dalton.  He loved it!  Watching his lover's
excitement made Shel smile too.  He hoped they could do this again in the
fall when the leaves were turning and there was a nip in the air.  Maybe
there would be time for a trip to a city like Chicago or Minneapolis as
well.  He wanted to show Dalton all the places he's missed in his growing
up.

They tidied up after eating and then made a few s'mores.  That was yet
again something Dalton's parents had never done with him.  Dalton might not
have been neglected in the true sense of the word, but Shelby thought he's
been experientially deprived.  That came home to him when Dalton said that
they would have to teach their kids how to do all this stuff someday.  The
mention of kids was another building block in their relationship, at least
from Shel's point of view.

As darkness moved in, so did the mosquitoes!  Not wanting to hose each
other down with deet, and sleep with chemicals on their bodies, they got
into the tent immediately after dousing the fire.

----------

Having expected a warm night, Shel had brought an old queen sized sheet to
put over them so they'd feel secure from the stray insect that might find
its way in, but wouldn't make them too hot.  That was how they slept until
somewhere in the wee hours when they were awakened by a noisy thunderstorm.

Dalton awoke first after letting out a cry in his sleep.  Evidently the
pyrotechnics had triggered a nightmare.

"It's okay, Baby, we'll stay warm and dry," Shel said, pulling up the
comforter.

"Oh, I was alone in the house and the furnace blew up and there were flames
everywhere!  Then a big pile of snow dropped on me. It was so real!"

Shelby nudged him on his side and wrapped his arms around him.  Dalton
stopped shaking as he calmed down in the comfort of his lover's embrace.
Despite the dramatic weather, he fell back to sleep rather quickly.

Shel stayed awake for a bit longer, thinking about how lucky he was.

----------

It was around 8:00 a.m. when the guys woke up again.  Shel reached for his
cell phone to check the forecast.  As he feared, the forecast had changed,
and rain was predicted for the next few days.

"I think we should get dressed and throw everything into the back of the
SUV.  We can clean it up and dry it out at home.  If it's gonna rain the
rest of the day and tomorrow, we might as well enjoy it from the comfort of
our house."

"Just tell me what to do, and I'm on it as soon as I pee!" Dalton said.  "I
might have to brush my teeth too."

When they returned from their bathroom run, they began to break camp.  All
of the dry things went into the second row of seats.  The tent got
unceremoniously dumped in the very back on a sheet of black plastic that
Shel kept to protect his vehicle's interior on such occasions.

The small town about seven miles from the lake had a McDonald's and a mom
and pop's café.  The guys chose the latter and chowed down on a
breakfast of eggs, sausage, hash browns, and English muffins.  They left
feeling well-fed.

Once home, they set the tent up in the basement near the dehumidifier and
stored the other items where Shelby kept his camping equipment.

"I'm sorry the weather didn't cooperate for your first camping experience,"
Shelby said sadly.

"Hey, it's not your fault, and besides, I had a blast!"

----------

In the afternoon, the guys drove down to Sheels at the Coral Ridge Mall to
check out camping supplies.  They made a wish list of things they would
like to acquire as they could afford them.

When they got home, they searched the web for similar gear to see what they
could find that was comparable in quality for less money.  There were a
number of good deals which would allow them to stretch their dollars.

Their first purchase was a pair of self-inflating mats to soften the effect
of sleeping on the ground.  Their next was a pair of sleeping bags that
zipped together into one big bag if they desired.  After that, they chose a
few convenience items to raise the level of their purchases enough to
qualify for free shipping.

Dalton insisted on paying half of the bill.  It was his way of showing that
he intended to be in an equal partnership instead of a kept man.  Shelby
was impressed with his attitude.

----------

Monday's weather was a bust as well.  However, the guys spent the day
searching the `net for other interesting things to do when it cleared up
again.  Dalton found information on a bike trail in Wisconsin which was
fairly close to a navigable river and a decent campground.

After much discussion, they planned to begin their trip a week later, when
Dalton could be off work again.  In the mean time, he would be training a
couple of high school kids to do the things he did at the store.

As soon as they came up with a tentative itinerary, they contacted a canoe
outfitter to check on availability of equipment.  The company had lots of
canoes and kayaks, so they could be flexible and didn't need to reserve
until fairly last minute.

They retired early enough to fool around a bit and still have plenty of
rest before Dalton had to go into work early the next day.

-----------

It was just as well that they had to wait for a week, because Shelby got
word on Tuesday that he would be switching rooms for the next school year.
Another teacher took ill and had retire over the summer and so his schedule
and location would both change.  It was a good move because he would have a
larger room which was closer to the entrance and the office, and he would
also be taking on two sections of an upper-level course.

That latter fact was the best!  He had felt like he was stagnating with
freshman classes which were less challenging intellectually, and more prone
to discipline problems.  The courses he was taking to complete his master's
degree would be put to use immediately.  This new adventure would stimulate
him and keep him from feeling like he was in a rut.  Was it possible that
the district actually took his needs into consideration?  He was soon to
find out.

"Mr. Stein, I'm pleased you could come in on a moment's notice,"
Dr. Hornsby said by way of greeting.  "I knew you'd be here early to get a
handle on the new schedule.  I've been watching your progress.  Obviously,
you've been taking the course work which prepared you for this move."

"Thank you for noticing!  I'm eager for a new challenge."

"Well, not only have you obtained the background, but your ability to deal
well with students, even the less motivated types, hasn't gone unnoticed
either.  I know that some of my colleagues will keep loading their best
young teachers with problem students once they show that they can help them
succeed, but I feel that excellent teachers should be rewarded with being
able to work with the cream of the crop as well.  Otherwise, we tend to
lose them to other professions because they burn out."

"I appreciate your outlook!  It's great to be compensated for the hard work
I'm putting into my education."

"Speaking of compensation, you know you'll have a significant raise in
salary as well when you finish your degree.  You are doing exactly the
right things to advance."

Shelby found himself smiling and humming a happy tune as he began the
process of moving his personal effects and some of his books to the new
location.

He was even happier after lunch when a parent volunteer and two of his
students from the year before came in to help him with the move.  At that
point, he became the director more than the laborer.

By mid afternoon, he had selected many of the books and other resources for
his upper-level sections and had them organized for the first day of
school.  He would have to work up a new syllabus, but he could do that at
home.  The physical part of the move was complete.

To celebrate, he planned a special dinner to share with his lover.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes: A big thanks to those who emailed this past week: Mike D,
Tony W, Wayne, Hotrod, Bill K, Geoff, Tom A, Jim L, Ott H, Don S, Mendy D,
Richie W, Zero, Dick M, Paul R, Jim W, Max P, Walt S, Paul F, and Tracy F.
As you can see, there are two new names.  If you haven't been a regular
reader, you might want to check for previous stories by clicking on the
"Authors" button on the Nifty homepage and scrolling down to David Lee.

I may not get a new Christmas tale out this year, but there are a few from
previous years that you might enjoy rereading.

It's the season of giving.  I hope some of you will be able to donate a bit
to help maintain the Nifty site.

David