Running From Bears: Chapter Three--The Big Idea

At roughly ten a.m. the same morning Andrew became aware of the sunlight streaming into his eyes from the window over the couch where he had conked out. He squinted and held a salute above his brow to bring the source of all the noise in the floor next to him into focus.1

Jason lay in a snoring lump next to Matt, who was fully occupied  with Xbox. Andrew got up to pee unnoticed. 2

He got in the shower and prepared to spend yet another day in front of the computer. By the time he finished, dressed, and brushed his teeth the smell of sizzling bacon permeated the apartment on the other side of the bathroom door. He thought his mother must have returned early. He raced into the kitchen to greet her.3

Disbelieving and a bit disappointed he found Jason instead.4

"Are you actually cooking?" Andrew checked his vision.5

"Yeah. So? Want some?" Jason offered.6

Chuckling, Andrew confessed, "I didn't know you could cook."7

"It's bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Doesn't exactly take a chef, you know. How many for you?"8

"Okay, this is more than a bribe. What's going on? You're being too nice. What's up?" Andrew toyed suspiciously.9

"I have an idea I want to bounce off you and Matt over breakfast, that's all," Jason answered honestly.10

Intrigued but still wary, Andrew remarked, "Must be some idea!"11

"Camping!" Matt squealed with delight, clapping his hands together. "Can we go fishing too? And swimming?"12

"I don't know, Jace. I think Mom will get pretty pissed if she finds out you took me and Matt up to Cookson Hills without an adult. Video shopping's one thing, but this could get dangerous."13

"I've got the .22 if we need protection. We'll keep a fire going so no animals will bother us anyway. Even if one gets curious, Tucker will sound off before they have a chance to surprise us. Come on. Are you chicken or something?" Jason prodded.14

"No..." he lied looking at little Matt. "I just don't think we should. What if something happens to him?"15

"What could happen? We've got the car. We'll take everything we need. Mom loaded us up with groceries before she left. Everybody knows how to swim and we'll only do it together. Come on! It'll be great!"16

"We're going to Alaska!" Matt chanted.17

"Is that where this hair-brained idea came from?"18

"Not exactly, but yeah, maybe," Jason admitted.19

"Hell-O! That was a moo-vee! Those kids almost died!" Andrew tried to persuade them.20

"We have to stay together like Mom said. You told me. Now are you coming with us or do you want to be the one to tell Matt we're not going camping in Alaska?" Jason challenged.21

"That's a dirty trick and you know it!" Andrew protested.22

"Worked though, huh?" teased Jason. 23

After breakfast, the three made an effort to restore the living room to its pristine state. Andrew unstuck a fresh trash bag from the Hefty box under the kitchen sink and shook it full of air.24

"We'll need this, Guys," he announced reentering the disaster area.25

"Definitely!" Jason agreed peering over the sea of popcorn kernels, chip bags, candy wrappers and dishes. "Matt, take the bedding back to our rooms. Let's get this place cleaned up."26

"Why do I have to do everything?" Matt countered feeling misused as usual.27

"You don't HAVE to do anything," Andrew cajoled. "You can sit here and play Xbox the rest of the day and tomorrow...or you can help us get ready for camping."28

Apparently Matt wanted to go very much. He not only made two trips to their sleeping quarters dragging blankets and pillows, but he took great pains to place them as neatly on their respective beds as a soon-to-be kindergartener could muster.29

While Matt was still struggling, getting his butt kicked by comforters, Jason and Andrew finished removing the last of the debris and eating utensils from the living room. Then they separated to wash dishes and vacuum. In the space of an hour all tasks were accomplished successfully leaving them with nothing to do but plan and pack for their adventure. 30

It was democratically decided that Jason would be in charge of gathering food. Matt was to obtain one complete set of clothing for each of them: one pair of jeans, one shirt, one pair of skivvies, and one pair of socks. Andrew's job was to collect necessities like shampoo, soap, toilet tissue, sleeping bags, pillows, mosquito repellent, his older brother's deodorant, and anything else he could fathom needing.31

In the midst of foraging through the pantry, Jason heard Matt in the living room moving things around rather loudly. Thinking he was shirking his duties to satisfy his game addiction he called to him.32

"Matt, if you're finished with everyone's clothes I could use a hand in the kitchen and Andrew probably needs help, too."33

"Just a minute. I'm still packing," came a nearly inaudible answer. It sounded labored and as though it had come from inside a trunk or some similar object. Curious and a bit fearful due to the previous little-kid antics he had witnessed in the past five years, Jason rounded the corner to see what dangerous activity Matt could be undertaking.34

On the sofa three stacks of clothes sat neatly separated by boy. All that was visible of Matt was his feet, legs, and part of his behind. The entertainment center had somehow swallowed up the rest of him.35

"I thought you were still packing!" Jason boomed, seemingly catching him red-handed.36

The unexpected nearness and sternness of his voice caused the little boy to jump involuntarily. "You scared me!!" Matt declared as he squirmed backwards out of the accessory-size cubbyhole beneath the larger one that housed the television. He sat back on his feet, his legs bent and knees together. His white-blond baby-fine hair was tousled. His cheeks were two big red roses, colored by wrestling to free the cords attached to the Xbox he held triumphantly in both hands.37

"We don't have time for Xbox. Let's get busy," Jason coached him.38

"I know," Matt answered matter-of-factly. He wrapped the power, monitor, and controller cords around the game system, walked past his brother and placed it next to the pile of smallest garments, then placed the pile on top of it. "What do you want me to do now?" he asked with a genuine spirit of cooperation.39

Matt moved toward the kitchen and turned around to stare at his brother in innocent expectation. Jason looked back and forth repeatedly between the sofa and the front hall where his littlest brother stood, pondering how to reason with one who seemingly possessed no reason nor reguard for it.40

Andrew burst through the front door, squeezing three sleeping bags together with both arms while carrying two fishing poles in his left hand and a tackle box in his right. His face was red and puffy underneath the dishwater blond locks that were plastered to it and the top of his head.41

"Man! It's hot out there! I'll get the cooler in the next load. We need to take plenty of cold drinks. HEY! Why are you guys just standing around?" Andrew demanded. He felt a little agitated at being stuck to rummage through the storage shed behind the building while the other two leisurely enjoyed the last few minutes of airconditioned comfort instead of contributing to their cause.42

Jason nodded toward the sofa without speaking. Andrew walked over to it and set down the camping supplies on the floor nearby. He looked at the Xbox hidden beneath Matt's clothes with his hands on his hips and thought for a moment. 43

"So what's your point?" Andrew asked eventually.44

"My point is..." Jason began.45

"The point is," Andrew interrupted, "if you tell him 'no' we'll have another fight on our hands. Just let him take it. He'll figure it out when the time comes." Having said all that needed to be said, he headed back outside to get the cooler and search for the tent.46