"I envy them," said Leander.
"The guides?" replied King. An older man, if by months. Forehead wrinkles had just started to set in their permanent fashion on his tanned face.
"We slept like royalty and now they cook for us,” said the younger man. He watched as the pair of men who had guided them to this wooded peninsula of the river had set up the tables and stoves and cooler of food that had been in the back of the raft while they kayaked. "Did you see how they slept?"
"No, you saw how many cannonballs we took last night. I'm surprised you saw anything that wasn't doubled up. I can't believe I made it to my hammock. Where were their tents?"
"They didn't have them."
"Huh?"
"They slept on foam pads at the riverside."
"Not even a tarp?"
"They said the night looked clear."
"Huh."
The pair sat then, the river meandering its calm waters through the sands of the beach below them, birds cluttering about the smell of foods, and sunlight shining down through the trees.
"I want to do that,' started Leander again.
"Guide?"
"Sleep that soundly with nothing."
"You can."
"I don't think I could. I'm so scared I still set up my rain fly last night after I saw the guides sleeping under nothing."
"Better safe than sorry."
"Is it?"
Another respite of silence. The pair sipped on their coffee. King rubbed his temples in the way that becomes too familiar to those past a certain age who won't let up on a habit. Pain didn't subside in the massage, but it lessened, if for the moment. Leander still watched the pair of guides cooking before them. His skin crawled with the slight discomfort that his Midwest upbringing forced upon him to be working instead of waiting, but he fought it down. It wasn't just young men with wrinkles who got hangovers.
"You should do it then," said King. Leander jumped out of his stupor and looked at his friend.
"Guide?"
"Sleep like they do. But sure, guide if you want to."
"I don't think I could do that."
"It’s sleeping on the ground."
Leander looked at his friend, face still half tied in the knot that had formed when his friend pulled him from thought.
"You envy them, but it’s not hard to do as they do. It’s sleeping on the ground. All it takes is giving up your tarp and tent."
"I refused to pull off my rain fly last night when it was dry as bone."
"So that's your hurdle. If you want to guide, guide, if you want to sleep under the stars on a riverbank, do it. Don't let yourself get caught up in envy."
One guide called out: "Grub's ready!" and Leander and King stood up to get their food.
Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers and happy Thursday to everyone else! I hope everyone is doing well and wanted to thank you all so much for joining this little corner of the internet this year. I cannot believe the readership I have and am so thankful that you’re all here, reading the crap that I write every week. It means more to me than you can imagine.
Truly, love you all, I wish you all the best and hope to keep putting out words that you want to read. These handmade, homespun, AI-free, pieces of text wouldn’t be here without your support. Thank you.
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Max
Photo credit goes to my buddy Brad.