Chapter 01
Summer had begun. I spent every day with Uncle Steve, while Jenny started working at the hospital alongside Dr. Tim. She still took on translation work, but interpreted less and less. At their usual archery competition, Daniel beat the younger guy, climbing close to second place—which clearly pleased him.
The evening before the friends’ trip, both families gathered for dinner at Uncle Steve’s house. My sister and Ruby joined us too, since Brad was away for a few days. The little girl sat comfortably in her high chair, trying to eat with her hands. Iris and Amber took turns feeding her—Amber helping, Iris practicing her future mom skills.
“Looking forward to the vacation, sweetheart?” Dad asked Jenny.
“Yes,” my girlfriend said. “Though we still haven’t figured out where the trap is.”
“Sorry I couldn’t help,” Adam said. Dad nodded.
“At least what you asked for is ready,” Amber smiled at Jenny, who nodded. “Once you’ve flown off, I’ll put it in the shop window—they’ll love it.”
“So, some skimpy outfit,” I muttered. My sister just grinned and shrugged.
“How’s the new shop assistant working out?” Mom asked Amber, steering the topic elsewhere.
As far as I knew, Tina had moved over at the end of exams, same as us.
“Tina was a great choice,” Amber said. “She’s conscientious and gets along well with Oliver.”
“How’s she managing preschool?” Mom asked Jenny. “She wouldn’t re-enroll the little one just for a few months.”
“No,” my girlfriend replied. “They made a schedule for the little girl until the vacation. Tina either takes her to someone else’s place each day or spends several days there in a row. She spends time with Paul, Susy, the Tashiros, and her grandparents too. Tina agreed that once we’re back, Paul can send Lotte to a day camp. It’s an art camp, and since the little girl is really excited about it, Tina allowed Paul to pay for it. They drop her off in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon, so it doesn’t interfere with Tina’s work, and Paul can pick her up if needed.”
“What about Bernadette?” I asked.
“As expected, Bernadette’s scared of Jane,” Amber smiled. Jenny just nodded. “That quiet nature of hers can be unsettling, so Bernadette really values herself over there. She has no idea when your girlfriend’s angry or happy, so she does everything. Tina said Bernadette thinks Jane could fire her at any moment.”
“I won’t fire her,” Jenny said quickly. “Some of the seamstresses there, like Mona, check in on the shop occasionally. If Bernadette closes during business hours, they call her to reopen.”
“I assume they call you too,” Dad said to my girlfriend, who nodded.
“Bernadette doesn’t know that—but it hasn’t happened yet,” Jenny replied. “Excuse me.”
Her phone rang from her room. She got up and answered it inside, not bothering to close the door. Clearly, she had no secrets. After a few words, I couldn’t understand what she was saying—but I recognized Japanese.
“What does Paul want from her tonight?” I asked Daniel, who was quietly eating.
“That’s not Paul,” Dany said calmly. “You’re in trouble, Jay.” He grinned.
“What happened?” Adam asked curiously.
“They found a hotel based on the photos and now know where you’re flying tomorrow morning,” Dany translated with a grin.
“Dany,” Mickey said. “I thought we were keeping quiet about this.”
“You’re right—we are,” Dany said. “That was the last time I’ll translate any of my siblings’ calls for you. Though I think Jane will tell you herself.”
Jenny came out of her room, grabbed a summer sweater, and had her car keys in hand.
“Is something wrong, sweetheart?” Julie asked her daughter.
“I need to go shopping with the girls,” Jenny said calmly. “Mayoko called to say they found the hotel and the services we were looking for. Starting tomorrow, Jay and the boys are exiling us to an uninhabited tropical island. Dad, your card still works, right?” she asked her stepfather.
“Of course,” Adam smiled. “You don’t spend enough to max it out.”
“This time will be different,” Jenny said. “We need to buy half the store, though we don’t even know what to get.”
“Ask one—or several—young male shop assistants,” Iris said. “If you smile nicely, they always help.”
“Good idea,” Jenny said. “Time to flirt.”
“If they compliment you, just smile and say nothing,” Amber teased. “Then they’ll help.”
“Don’t ruin it with a single sentence,” Daniel added with a grin.
Jenny waved and closed the door behind her.
“You’re going to starve,” Adam laughed. Dad nodded with a smile.
“I doubt it,” I said. “They have no idea what to do on a place like that.”
“They’ll learn fast,” Amber said. “And then you’re doomed.”
“I’ll tell her to pack her bow,” Mickey said. “Could be useful on an island like that.”
“Remind me to give her a few new arrowheads before we head home,” Daniel said to the table.
“Got it—we won’t forget,” Adam said kindly. “And I’ll cancel the wedding.”
“What? Why?” the moms asked in unison.
“Because the girls will either break the groom or let him starve.” The adults burst out laughing.
“Very funny,” I muttered.
“I don’t think you thought this through,” my sister said.
“I think we did,” I said. “We’ll handle everything on that island—even if we forget something at home.”
On departure day, we gathered at the airport as planned. Dad drove Brian and me—each of us had one bag, nothing more. Jenny’s tote had been with me for days. I packed it in my bag—it really did contain swimsuit tops and T-shirts.
“Was your wife really mad last night?” I asked Brian in the car.
“Very,” my friend grinned. “She’s been sleeping at her parents’ for a few days, but last night she called during dinner and yelled. Plus, she realized that when she switches to Japanese, I don’t always pay attention—so last night I understood every word. She said for this stunt, we should expect the worst revenge imaginable.”
“Jenny didn’t say a word,” I noted. “She just ignored me and went shopping. Didn’t even call—just texted that she’d see me at the airport.”
“That’s even more annoying,” Brian said. I nodded.
“It’s awful,” I said. “If she called and yelled, at least I’d know she was mad.”
By the time we reached the airport, some of our friends were already there. Tina, teary-eyed, was saying goodbye to her daughter. Her parents stood off to the side with Paul’s parents, Susy, and Aaron, surrounded by a few bags.
“Tina,” Paul said gently, standing beside her. “They’ll be fine—but we have to go.”
“I’ll call you every day,” Tina said to her daughter, who seemed more composed than her mom.
The little girl left with her grandparents and Paul’s parents. At a nearby counter, the adults checked in their luggage.
“If no flights are delayed, we’ll land a bit earlier than they do,” Paul smiled at me. “It wasn’t easy to arrange, but I managed.”
“Where are they going?” I asked.
“Not far—the flight’s less than an hour,” Susy said, stepping up. “We found a reasonably priced, kid-friendly hotel with lots of pools and a beach.”
Daryl and Diane arrived too. Diane had a mountain of suitcases.
“Seriously?” Aaron laughed. “We’re not going for a month. Susy packed exactly what she did last year.” He wrapped his arm around his girlfriend.
“You said we could bring anything,” Diane said. “So I packed whatever came to mind—but I didn’t exceed the weight limit.”
“Well, Daryl,” I laughed. “Good luck.”
“You’ll need it more,” Brian said, patting my shoulder and pointing behind me.
My girlfriend arrived with Mayoko and nearly her entire family. Only Iris and Daniel hadn’t come. Adam had a duffel bag, Uncle Steve and Mickey were dragging bright pink-and-black suitcases. Dad was pulling a dark green suitcase that matched Mayoko’s handbag. All the girls wore jeans and T-shirts with hiking or athletic shoes.
“Babe,” I stepped up and kissed her forehead. “What is all this?”
“We bought a few things yesterday,” she smiled. “And this is how it fit.”
“I told her to pack her bow,” Mickey said proudly.
“And I did,” Jenny smiled, ruffling her now nearly same-height brother’s hair.
“Nice pink luggage set,” Brian laughed, gesturing at the bags.
“She got it from me for Christmas,” Adam said seriously. “We gave it in advance for the honeymoon.”
“It’s beautiful—great choice,” Brian said quickly, flustered. The lawyer laughed.
“Just because I don’t like my daughter’s suitcase doesn’t mean you can’t stay with me as my intern,” Adam said. “Anyway, Janie picked it.”
“I really do like it,” Jenny smiled. “It’s easy to spot among the bags—and Messyhair loves my girly side.” She ruffled my hair.
“I really do,” I said gently, lost in her eyes—until Dad’s throat-clearing pulled me back.
“It’s definitely unique,” Tina laughed. “Good thing Lotte didn’t see it—she’d want one too.”
“Say your goodbyes,” Paul said, nodding toward the open check-in counters. “We can drop off our luggage and head out.”
“I’ll call once we’re there,” Jenny told her parents and Mickey.
“I doubt you will,” Adam smiled. “But that’s okay.”
We said goodbye and lined up to check our bags.
“Messyhair,” Jenny leaned into me with exaggerated sweetness. “Could you fit one more tote in your bag?”
“Sorry, Babe,” I said seriously. “My bag’s full.” I lied.
“Then I’ll have to leave my bikini bottoms behind,” she said.
“Fooled me once, not again,” I smiled.
Jenny walked over to the girls and chatted with each of them.
“Paul,” Tina said, “could you fit my sweater? I brought it for the flight, but I don’t want to catch a cold—and I can’t zip my carry-on properly.”
“Sure,” Paul smiled. “I’ve got room. Hand it over.”
Tina gave him the sweater, and Jenny pulled the tote from her suitcase and slipped it into the space Tina had freed up.
“Amateur,” Brian grinned at Paul. Our friend just shrugged.
“I really fell for it,” he admitted, but Tina rewarded the gesture with a quick kiss.
“Still not used to the challenges of having a steady girlfriend,” Aaron noted—though he backed off immediately when Paul shot him a look.
“Just like you’re still afraid of me,” Paul laughed. “I should’ve brought Akiko.”
We dropped off our bags and passed through security with ease.
“We’re not sitting together,” I said once we were in the waiting area. “We’re in pairs and trios. Who wants to sit with their boyfriend?”
“No one,” Jenny smiled. “We girls want to sit near each other.”
“As you wish,” Brian said. “Jay, I think we’ll be fine together.”
“And we three,” Daryl said with a grin.
“Tina, want to sit with me?” Diane asked. “We know each other the least.”
“Gladly,” Tina smiled.
Before boarding, we’d already been caught by the girls about our destination, but they weren’t surprised.
“As you all probably know,” Mayoko said, “Susy and I found the hotel yesterday. You cleverly cropped the side wings out of the photo and showed it from an unusual angle, but we found it and pieced together the full plan.”
“Yeah,” Daryl said dryly, “I heard about it. I had to crash on my parents’ couch because my wife hid my room key.”
“You still didn’t pay enough,” Diane said. “I spent half the night packing.”
“I haven’t decided yet if there will be a wedding,” Jenny teased, running her fingers through my hair. By then I knew she wasn’t angry anymore.
“Let there be one,” Mayoko said with a smile. “The bachelorette party will be revenge enough.”
“I think there shouldn’t be a bachelorette party,” I remarked.
“Sorry, Jay,” Susy said, “this is our thing.”
Everyone got their tickets and sat according to plan. Jenny, Mayoko, and Susy were seated far from us—at one end of the plane. Tina and Diane were in front of us, and Paul’s group was on the opposite side.
The flight with Brian flew by. He showed me a photo of Frankie’s new girlfriend, who he proudly posed beside. She was about Jenny’s height, curvy, with short brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. She was stylish and knew what suited her—even if she didn’t have a perfect figure.
“Where did he meet her?” I asked.
“At a basketball game,” my friend grinned. “Just before the third quarter started, Anne was ahead of Frankie in line and started digging for change. Frankie paid for her drink so he could get his own before the game resumed. Before the final quarter, Anne had a message put on the scoreboard saying she’d return the money if her benefactor came down to the court. Frankie went—though he said he was super nervous.”
“I doubt Frankie would ask her out just for that,” I said.
“You’re right,” Brian said. “She told him she could either give the money back in coins or treat him to dessert after the game. My brother chose dessert, and they agreed to meet outside after the match.”
“Smart choice,” I laughed.
“I praised him too,” Brian said. “She’s really sweet and caring. Loves basketball, works as a secretary. Doesn’t seem like the flirty type—and Frankie’s been really happy since they got together.”
“That’s what matters,” I said cheerfully.
After the flight ended, we disembarked comfortably. After passport control, we waited for our luggage. Jenny’s bags were easy to spot—only the duffel-style one took some hunting.
“I think that’s a tent,” Paul said quietly beside me as I pulled the dark blue bag off the conveyor belt.
“She said she’d get one,” I grinned. “I’m more curious who’s going to set it up.”
“Definitely not me,” Paul smiled. I nodded.
Outside the airport, a minibus was already waiting to take us to the hotel. We loaded everything in, everyone found their partner with a glance, and we set off.
“We’ll arrive before dinner,” I said once we were on the bus. “Tonight’s free time for everyone.”
“Perfect,” Mayoko said. “I think we’ll have plenty to do.”
“I agree,” my girlfriend smiled.
When the minibus stopped in front of the hotel, the girls stepped out, looking around. The building was exactly like the photos—just taken from a different angle, as Mayoko had mentioned. It was tall and domed, with many floors and two side wings we’d deliberately cropped out of our pictures. In front of the hotel was a huge circular parking lot, surrounded by flowers, with an abstract-shaped fountain in the center. Cars either parked along the edge or stopped in front of the hotel, circled the fountain, and returned to the city. From the building, you couldn’t see the water behind it—just emptiness hinted at its presence.
We went inside; the staff would handle the luggage.
The hotel’s interior was massive, with waiting sofas and small bar counters with tables near the wings. It was packed—couples and families relaxing everywhere. There were several play areas for kids, all bustling. Our friends sat at one of the sofas while Paul and I checked in and confirmed all the details.
“All set,” I said when we returned.
Seeing we’d gathered, a tall, slim young man in uniform approached.
“Good evening, my name is Chris,” he introduced himself. “If everyone’s ready, please follow me—we’ve prepared everything.”
He walked through the lobby toward the beach and stopped at the edge of a fishing pier, where a small boat waited.
“You really found the right hotel,” Jenny noted. Mayoko nodded.
“How long is the ride?” Diane asked.
“No more than fifteen minutes,” the guy said. “Your bags are already there.”
We boarded. Chris sat with us in the cabin, and the boat set off. The ride really didn’t take long.
“Where are we going?” Jenny asked curiously.
“Sorry, I can only give details after we dock,” he said seriously. The girls started whispering.
“Good thing they don’t share a common foreign language,” Brian grinned.
The boat docked at an island, and we had to climb a few rocks. Chris got out and helped each of us off one by one. For now, we couldn’t see much, but I hoped the island matched what we’d imagined from the description.
Once everyone was off, it was clear this rock was the island’s highest point. We couldn’t see through the tropical forest, only the beautiful clear water and the dense greenery in the center. The ocean-facing side of the rock was steep, but the inland side sloped gently enough to descend safely.
“We’ve arrived,” Chris said. “Enjoy your stay.”
“What?” Diane asked, clearly disappointed. “That’s it?”
“Yes,” Chris smiled. “Your bags are waiting on the other side of the island. As per the contract, we’ll deliver a set amount of raw food each evening to your lodging. If you need to contact the hotel, please light a fire on one of the rocks on the far side—we’ll come immediately.”
“Anything else?” my girlfriend asked, clearly wanting to end the conversation and head to the other side.
“There’s no signal for your phones, but we placed an emergency phone on top of one of the suitcases.”
“Can we call outside the hotel?” Tina asked. “I want to call Lotte every night.” She glanced around.
“Of course, but those calls will be added to your bill,” Chris said.
“Leave that to me, Paul,” Tina told her boyfriend. “I promised Lotte I’d call her every day.”
“We’ll sort it out, Titi,” Paul smiled.
“We’ll have to call Diane’s parents too,” Daryl added. “Don’t worry—we guys will handle the bill.”
“I’ll bankrupt you with calls,” Diane teased.
“We’ll come up with a better plan,” Mayoko said. “Let’s look around first.”
“No outlets, no showers, nothing?” Diane asked, increasingly disheartened.
“Afraid not,” Chris said calmly. He’d probably heard this before. “But there’s nothing dangerous on the island. You can fish if you want—though I wouldn’t recommend the lake. Any other questions?”
“No,” several of us said at once.
“Then have a good evening. See you tomorrow night.” Chris returned to the boat, and with the captain, they untied it and headed back to the hotel.
“We’re supposed to climb down from here?” Diane asked.
“Yes,” my practical girlfriend said. “Let’s find a gentler slope.”
We walked around the rock. The guys eagerly took photos of themselves in the middle of nowhere.
“Here, this’ll work,” Susy said, pointing. “It’s like a staircase.”
“Nice one, sis,” Paul smiled at her.
We carefully climbed down and helped the girls too.
“No one should wander off alone,” Aaron said. “I don’t want to be searching for someone at night.”
“I get the hint,” my girlfriend laughed. “But fine—I won’t wander off alone.”
“No one,” I emphasized. “Aaron’s right—anyone could get lost here.”
Once we descended, we were already at the edge of the forest. Huge trees immediately provided shade.
“There’s banana and coconut,” Tina said, pointing at the trees. “We just have to get them.”
We didn’t walk far before reaching the lake Chris had mentioned.
“Please carry our stuff around,” Jenny said, starting to undress with the other girls. “We’re going to swim across, and whichever team reaches the other side first can ask the other team for a one-time favor.”
“No,” I said. “You’ll obviously get there first. Everyone in swim trunks—into the water,” I told the guys, who started undressing quickly.
The girls were ahead, handing their clothes to Tina and rushing into the water. Tina tied the clothes together like a big sack or net, slung it over her shoulder, added the shoes, and strolled along the shore.
“This won’t work,” I shouted to the guys. “You can’t swim with clothes.”
“The girls are right,” Paul said. “Leave everything—I’ll outrun Tina.”
As soon as he said it, Tina started running, and the girls began swimming furiously.
Paul had a serious disadvantage from gathering the clothes. It was easier for us to catch up, and we comfortably passed Mayoko and my girlfriend in the lead.
The lake was pleasantly cool. My feet didn’t touch the bottom, but it didn’t seem too deep.
“Jay!” I heard Susy’s voice behind me as I walked out onto the gently sloping, pebbled shore with the other guys. The girls were just leaving the lake’s center.
“My leg cramped!” Susy shouted in panic.
All four of us guys rushed back into the water. Paul ran nervously to the lake’s edge, and Tina circled around to reach the girls exiting the water.
By the time we got to Susy, she was calmly treading water.
“My brother’s not the only one who can show off in the water,” Susy said with a laugh.
“You promised me as a kid that you’d spare me from this in the future!” her brother shouted angrily.
“Sometimes I’m allowed to make an exception,” Susy laughed and swam past our surprised faces toward the shore.
We swam out. All the girls were already out, and we waited for Paul, who had stopped at the lake’s edge because of Susy.
“Well, swimming champions,” Jenny said, “you owe us a favor if we ask for it.”
“We’re not setting up a tent,” Paul said, still annoyed.
“No need,” Susy said cheerfully. “I’m fine—you can see that.”
“Don’t pull that stunt again,” Aaron said, clearly annoyed.
“I won’t,” Susy replied. “That was the last time.”
“She used to do that all the time when we were kids,” Paul said. “And I always pulled her out, just in case it really was her heart,” he told us while we put our shoes back on.
We continued walking through the forest. It started to rain—no point putting our clothes back on.
“There’s a tiny spring on the side of the lake,” Tina said. “On the opposite side from where I was walking, but it’s good for drinking and bathing. We’ll check it out properly tomorrow.”
After a few minutes’ walk, we reached the beach, where the four rocks we had to light a fire on were already visible. The beautiful blue water lapped at the base of the rocks, which were about twice as tall as we were. We looked around, and from the shore, all you could see was endless water and, slightly to the side, the shape of the hotel. We headed toward the hotel, where I quickly spotted my girlfriend’s bright suitcase.
“Great color,” Mayoko said. “You can spot it from anywhere.”
“That’s why I chose it,” my girlfriend said. “It’s different from the rest.”
We reached the luggage. We carefully placed the emergency phone from Diane’s suitcase on the clothes and started sorting the bags. We’d deal with the hotel’s cooler bags later.
“If you’re ready,” Jenny said to the girls, “let’s start with this.” She pointed to the tent.
“It’ll be easier to unpack afterward,” Susy said. “Let’s do it.”
“I’m filming this,” Brian grinned, sitting down with his camera to record the girls at work.
Jenny carefully pulled out a piece of paper from one of the suitcases and unpacked the tent parts from the sports bag. Each piece had a number either pinned or taped to it, and the paper was covered with illustrated instructions. The girls laid the pieces out side by side in numerical order and got to work. Under Jenny and Mayoko’s guidance, they assembled the tent more slowly than we did, but they got it done—the diagrams on the paper must have been very accurate. They stretched out the ropes, hammered in the stakes, and did everything right. It was a larger, blue-green tent with two sleeping compartments and a small vestibule. The tent was completely comfortable for all five girls, and it was pretty clear they hadn’t counted on us joining them.
“This isn’t your first time setting it up, is it?” I asked. “A few years ago, you couldn’t do it.”
“We practiced,” Jenny said. “I wrote the instructions myself—this is about the tenth version.”
“You practiced?” I asked.
“If you’d ever been in Uncle Steve’s backyard,” Mayoko said, “you’d have seen the tent standing. We set it up one last time early this morning before I got to Jane’s. That’s why we were late.”
“Iris suggested we practice so we’d be sure it would work,” my girlfriend added. “At first, Dany, Mickey, and Dad helped set it up. Then it was just us—me, Mayoko, and Susy.”
“Babe” I stepped closer to her. “You didn’t buy a tent just for this, did you?”
“No, it’s Jessica’s,” Jenny said. “I borrowed it along with a few other things, like I said. She and Matt go hiking a lot—they have tons of useful gear.”
The girls took out their air mattresses, inflated them, and neatly arranged them along with their sleeping bags inside the compartments. They brought some of their bags into the vestibule and left the rest outside.
“Now I see why it didn’t all fit in one suitcase,” Paul said. “It’s not heavy—just bulky.”
“If you’re okay with it, I’ll make a quick call,” Tina said. “Though Lotte might already be asleep.”
“Go ahead,” Paul said.
Tina stepped aside and dialed. We peeked into the cooler bags. Both had the same contents: eggs, meat, smoked cheese and fish, dried mushrooms, liver pâté, a bit of bread, rice, and similar items.
Tina finished her call. The girls were now unpacking Diane’s bag. They pulled out a few camp chairs and a table, which was easy to set up.
“That one’s Jessica’s too,” Jenny said. “It’s really light, and it’ll be enough just to sit on.”
“Guys,” Diane called out, “the tent is just for us. You’re not coming in, and don’t bring bugs in either. Not even into the vestibule.”
“Only with permission,” Susy added, “your partner’s permission.”
“We’re not really interested in your tent,” Brian said. “We’re fine under the open sky.”
“We should talk about dinner,” Aaron said.
“There’s not much to talk about,” his girlfriend replied. “One bag is ours, the other is yours.”
“Am I supposed to cook for all the guys?” he asked, surprised.
“We’re fine cooking for ourselves,” Jenny said, placing part of the cooler’s contents on a tray.
“Let me guess,” Paul smiled. “Diane’s bag is all comfort gear?”
“Yes,” Diane said. “I brought the cozy stuff—Jane and the others brought survival gear.”
“We packed half the night,” Jenny said. “And I’m sure we still forgot something.”
“Jay,” Aaron said. “I didn’t bring a pot big enough for everyone. Susy told me what she packed, so I didn’t prepare for a large batch.”
“Then make what you can,” I said. “We’ll split it and eat cold stuff. It’s enough for today—we’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.”
The girls clearly planned to cook. Diane pulled out a large pot with a stand, and the others gathered wood.
“How’s Lotte?” Paul asked his girlfriend, who had just returned from the woods with Jenny.
“Great,” Tina smiled. “They were having dinner, and her grandparents let her have a slice of cake.”
“Good,” Paul smiled.
We helped Aaron start the fire; it wasn’t easy with the soaked wood.
“Everything’s soaked, it won’t be easy to get a fire going,” Daryl called over to the girls, who were stacking the wood.
“Maybe,” Diane said, “but I have a newspaper with dry pages. I brought it on the plane, but it’s more important to use it now.”
“And we found some branches,” Susy added, “that still had leaves on them, so they’re not quite as wet.”
“We’ll add a few things that catch fire easily,” Mayoko said. “My brother gave me some tips.”
We struggled a bit to get the fire going, but the girls used the newspaper and dry branches and managed to light it fairly easily. Aaron and the girls cooked something with supplies from the hotel while we waited hungrily. Mayoko did the cooking, Tina and Jenny arranged stones around the fire, and Diane and Susy stacked more wood on it.
“These will dry nicely and be good for tomorrow,” Mayoko said. The girls nodded.
The girls made some kind of rice with meat, just like Aaron, although our portion looked noticeably smaller. Brian and I divided up the bread and canned food and started eating.
“The portions aren’t very big,” Brian remarked. “Just one slice of bread each—no wonder if we lose weight.”
“What’s your plan for tomorrow?” Mayoko asked us as they were nearly finished cooking.
“We don’t have any plans yet,” I said. “Why, do you?”
“We do,” Jenny said. “Each team comes up with a task every day, and we pick a winner daily.”
“What’s the prize for the daily winning team?” Paul asked curiously.
“Your portions,” Tina said. “If it’s a tie, we split it like today.”
“Jay,” Aaron said, “we can’t agree to that.”
“But we will,” Brian said for me. “If we want to eat, we need their food. I’m hungry.”
“Me too,” I said, “and we want your cookware too—not just the portions.”
“So, the whole kitchen setup,” Paul added, “plates, pots, chairs, tables—everything. If we eat, we want to be comfortable.”
“Alright,” Susy said. “Then it’s settled. Think about the task until tomorrow.”
The girls finished cooking and sat down comfortably to eat. They had rice and meat, and Diane opened another bag full of snacks, canned goods, and bread.
“Did you bring any bread?” I asked, surprised.
“Obviously it’ll only last a few days, but today and tomorrow it’ll be a big help,” Tina said.
“We barely packed any clothes anyway,” Mayoko added. “No need for many outfits except for the last day.”
“Messyhair said I could go without a top if I wanted,” my girlfriend said seriously.
“What?” I looked up from spreading the bread. “I never gave you permission for that.”
“You didn’t put the bag with you, even though I said I might end up without clothes,” Jenny said seriously.
“Tina put it away, so you better wear your top,” I said firmly. “Your storefront photo is misleading enough as it is.”
“It really is,” Brian laughed. “I even asked my wife about it.”
“Good,” Jenny said proudly. “That was the point.”
The sun began to set. We let the fires burn and, after cleaning up, sat in pairs around the two fires. The girls washed everything at the lake while we folded their table and chairs and arranged our spot.
“I want to thank you for covering Lotte and my parents’ trip,” Tina said. “My daughter’s really happy.” She smiled.
“It was nothing,” Diane said. “Split among this many people, it wasn’t a burden.”
“We’re happy to do it every year,” Aaron said.
“Still, thank you,” Tina said.
“How’s your spot at the shop back home?” Mayoko asked, shifting the topic. “Do you like the new city?”
“Good, thanks,” Tina said. “There’s an older couple living next door, and their granddaughter is about Lotte’s age—so my daughter already has a friend.” She smiled.
“Paul,” Daryl said, “why do you call Tina ‘Titi’? Isn’t that kind of cheesy?”
“Maybe,” Paul laughed. “But that’s her name.”
“Well, it was for a while,” Tina corrected. “My parents always called me Tina and never referred to me as ‘Mom,’ so when Lotte started talking, she called me Titi. When I started working at Jane’s shop, she still used it. As she got older, she began calling me Mom, but my parents still use ‘Titi’ sometimes—and lately, so does Paul.”
“At least I don’t have to come up with a nickname,” Paul said with a smile.
It got dark, so the girls said goodnight and retreated to their tent. We pulled out our sleeping bags and lay down to sleep. It was a calm, pleasant night—though the thunderstorm during sleep was a bit unusual.
In the middle of the night, I woke up to loud shouting along with all the boys. Paul immediately switched on the flashlight beside him, and we headed toward the girls’ lit-up tent.
“I’m filming this,” Brian grinned as we unzipped the vestibule.
My girlfriend, Diane, and Tina stood quietly in the farthest corner of the tent, wearing shorts and T-shirts, trying to stay silent. Mayoko and Susy were examining some kind of animals, figuring out how to get them outside the tent using some cloth. Even they didn’t dare to touch them.
“We’re accepting help,” my girlfriend said matter-of-factly when she saw us. “Please get the crabs out.”
“We’ll use the help,” my girlfriend said matter-of-factly when she saw us. “Please put the crabs outside.”
The girls ran out of the tent, and we went inside and gently took the little crabs outside. They were cute little creatures. I had already heard from Uncle Steve where to hold them without getting hurt, and Aaron guessed where they wouldn’t be injured either. We showed each other the right spots to hold them and even posed with them for a few photos. A whole little family had wandered into the girls’ tent. We had a great time while putting the crabs outside, and the girls waited for us in our spot.
“If you’d been interested,” Daryl started, “I would have told you that your tent is close to the water at high tide, which could explain the curious animals showing up in your cabin.”
“If you wanted to help,” Diane said angrily, “you would’ve told us.”
“Don’t argue over this,” Jenny said, reacting to Diane’s tone. “I’m actually thinking of giving up on the competition now.”
“No way,” Diane replied. “Maybe this isn’t our dream vacation, but the guys could use a lesson too. It’s really not worth fighting over.”
“So, are we good?” Daryl asked cautiously.
“We’re good,” Diane snuggled up to him.
“Let’s pick up the tent and move it further in,” Jenny said. “Then we can sleep peacefully.”
Susy held the light while the others pulled out the stakes on all four sides.
“On three, we lift and move it,” Mayoko said. We sat back down, smiling, to watch the show.
Brian and Paul documented everything, turning on every available light so the video would be clear. Aaron and Daryl quickly built a fire to add more light.
“Babe,” I said to Jenny,”just so you know, you’ll have to lift the tent over the bags in the vestibule, and you’ll need to carry the gear out of the cabin too.”
She nodded. “You’re right. Let’s pack up quickly.”
The girls hurried to unpack; luckily, their things were mostly in suitcases, so they just had to lift those out of the tent.
“Okay, on three,” Mayoko said again after everyone was back in position.
“Should we help?” Paul asked quietly. “They’re not even holding the tent steady by themselves. If one of them trips, they’ll fall together like a house of cards.”
“Well,” Brian grinned, “it’s obvious they haven’t practiced this.”
“Ladies,” I called out, “want some help?”
“For free?” Jenny asked as they tried to steady the wobbly tent, preparing to move it on three.
“For half your bread,” Brian said. “You’ll need it for breakfast.”
“No thanks,” Jenny said. “Count, Susy.”
Susy counted to three, and the girls took a step. Since they hadn’t agreed on exactly where or how far to step, some simply stepped backward while others moved sideways as well. As usual, my girlfriend wasn’t very coordinated — she didn’t fall, but the tent slipped out of her hands, and the other girls couldn’t compensate for it either. The tent collapsed onto the sand; Tina, caught by the momentum, sat down beside the tent, while the others managed to keep their balance. Brian caught everything on camera, and we didn’t even try to stifle our laughter. After laughing, Paul nodded toward the girls, I nodded back, and I stood up with my friends following suit.
“Let this be a gesture of goodwill,” I said with my most charming smile. “We’ll help—for free. No strings attached.”
“Really?” Diane asked, surprised.
“Really,” Daryl said kindly. “We are on vacation, after all.”
“Alright, grab it,” I said, cutting off the budding flirtation. “We should get some sleep.”
We grabbed the tent at knee height—no one held a flashlight, we didn’t need one.
“On three, step toward six o’clock, one arm’s length,” I said. Everyone knew that unit—it was a favorite of Coach Stein during swim practice.
I counted to three, we stepped back a few paces, and set the tent down.
“There you go,” I smiled.
“Thanks, Messyhair,” Jenny said with a smile and kissed me gently.
Each girl thanked her partner for the help. They repacked and retreated to their tent. We lay back down to sleep.
