Trey spent the next two days getting stuff together for the trip. By Tuesday afternoon, he was completely packed. His parents hadn’t even started.
“You guys better pack,” he urged them.
“We will,” said Dad. But he made no move to get up from his desk.
Trey sighed. This was nothing new. He knew exactly what was going to happen. His parents would start packing after all the kids were in bed, and spend half the night looking for things they should have been looking for during the day, while it was still light out. Then they’d be so tired, that they’d wake up late the next day, delaying their start time. Then, once “everything” was packed. They’d rush into the house ten more times to get things they’d forgotten to pack, or do things they’d forgotten to do, while everyone else was sitting in the camper waiting. Then, if they were lucky, they’d get started within an hour of their official departure time, and only have to return to the house once to do that “one last thing” they’d forgotten to do. Unfortunately, that “one last thing” was different every time, or Trey would just do it himself.
“When are you going to learn not to procrastinate?” Trey wondered aloud.
“You know, that’s a good point,” replied Dad. “In fact, I think I’ll make that my New Year’s resolution for next year.”
“A lot of good that’ll do us this year,” muttered Trey as he walked away. Dad remained seated at the desk, working on whatever he was doing.
Sure enough, by the time Trey went to bed, his dad was just barely getting his suitcase out of the garage. He wished his parents a “good night,” and wondered just how much sleep they’d get. He hoped they’d get more than last time, when Dad had started dozing off behind the wheel, and almost took them off-roading.
##
He knocked on his parents’ bedroom door. When Mom answered he said, “Everyone’s going to be here in forty-five minutes, and we haven’t even started packing the camper.”
“Go wake up the others,” she instructed. “I’ll wake Dad and get breakfast started.”
Trey knocked on Amber’s door first. On the third knock she finally opened the door, looking like a bed-head. “It’s past time to get up,” he informed her. “If you wake up Liz, I’ll start loading the camper.”
“Why do you always get the easy job?” she asked wryly. She was only exaggerating a little. Liz loved to sleep, and would probably sleep to noon if they let her.
Trey got right to work packing the loads of luggage into the camper. He got the entryway cleared out before sitting down to scarf down his bowl of cereal. As he ate, Trey went through his mental checklist of last minute preparations – things his parents would think about after everyone was already in the truck.
He also tried to spur the others along, so that they’d be ready by 8:00 – but to no avail. His sisters seemed to think that doing their hair and makeup was more important than being ready on time. He didn’t get it. Who were they trying to impress anyway? Especially since they were on their way to go camping with no one but relatives around for miles and miles.
At 8:01, the doorbell rang. It was Uncle Arthur. “Sorry we’re late,” he said. “Are you guys about ready?”
“We’re still eating breakfast,” called out Dad, even though he was the only one still eating.
“We’re getting there,” said Trey. “Come on in.”
“Well, everyone else is still in the camper, and I don’t want to waste time having everyone climb in and out,” Uncle Arthur said hesitantly.
“Do you really think Uncle Darrell will be here on time?” asked Trey.
“Considering he’s already late…” said Arthur looking at his watch, “No. But I can hope can’t I?”
“You’re one of those people who look at the glass as ten percent full, aren’t you?” ribbed Trey.
Within a couple of minutes, Uncle Arthur’s entire family was out of the camper, milling about and talking with Trey’s sisters, while he and his parents worked. They were already fifteen minutes late, so Trey hurried. He figured the best way to get all the things out to the camper quickly would be to make fewer trips. Therefore, he tried to carry the camp stove in both hands, cling to two sleeping bags with his fingers, and carry both camp lanterns on top.
But as he walked down the driveway, he stepped on a seedpod and lost his balance momentarily. He quickly regained it, but the lanterns were already slipping off the stove, and he had no hands to grab them with! He tried to pull the stove toward him in an effort to trap the lanterns between the stove and his body…but to no avail. The lanterns crashed to the ground and shattered to pieces with a terrifying CRACK!
Trey stopped dead in his tracks, and all talk from the visiting relatives ceased. He looked up to see all eyes focused on him.
“What happened?” screamed Mom, racing out of the house.
“Looks like you were carrying too much,” said Dad, studying the scene.
Trey gulped and nodded his head. He didn’t know if he was in trouble or not.
“That was a bad break,” sighed Dad after a moment. “Well, accidents happen, but that doesn’t mean we’re exempt from the consequences. Start cleaning up the glass, and make sure nobody steps around here until every single shard is gone. You’re going to have to bring the vacuum out and suck them all up so no barefooted kids cut their feet.”
Trey nodded and, after putting the stove and sleeping bags inside the camper, got right to work. By 8:20, the other families had arrived – even Uncle Darrell. Trey’s parents decided that they needed to buy a new pair of lanterns, but the others didn’t want to wait.
“You guys go ahead,” suggested Dad. “We’ll try and catch up.”
Trey sighed. The three boys had looked forward to traveling together. Now he’d be traveling alone. He was disappointed but, since it was his fault, he was in no position to complain. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t try.
“Can’t I go with them?” begged Trey, as the others were piling into the vehicles.
“No, we still need your help,” said Dad.
Trey grumbled softly, and told his cousins goodbye. After they’d driven off, he trudged back into the house to wait. Knowing his dad’s shopping habits, he knew they’d be waiting for a while.
##
Dad finally returned from the store with the new lanterns at about 9:45.
“What took you so long?” complained Trey.
“Well, I had to go to a couple of stores to find the right lanterns at the right price,” Dad explained. “But I shopped around until I was sure I was getting a good deal.”
“You went back and bought them from the first place you went to,” said Trey knowingly.
“Well, yeah, but I didn’t know they had the best price until I had checked a couple of other stores,” said Dad defensively.
Trey just shook his head and wished they had listened to him and laid all their stuff out the day before. Then he wouldn’t have been forced to rush, and he wouldn’t have broken the lamps.
But now he just wanted to get on the road as soon as possible, so they could get to the reunion at a decent hour. He didn’t want to miss out on any of the fun, so he pleaded and cajoled his mom and sisters into taking their places in the camper – despite their protests that Dad wouldn’t be ready for a while yet.
They were right. They all ended up waiting another fifteen minutes as Dad triple-checked everything to make sure that they weren't forgetting anything. Mom was tired, after staying up half the night packing, so she asked who wanted to take her place up in the cab. Trey immediately volunteered. He sometimes got carsick in the camper.
“Do we have everything?” Dad asked, once he finally climbed into the cab next to Trey.
“Yes!” answered Trey emphatically.
“I better check with the girls,” Dad suggested reaching to open the window in the partition between the cab and the shell.
“I already did,” Trey informed him.
“Good. Well, let’s hit the road then,” said Dad cheerfully.
Trey wasn’t nearly so cheerful after the long delay. They pulled out of the driveway at 10:24 – almost two and a half hours behind schedule, and two hours behind the others. Any hopes Trey had of catching up with them had long since vanished.
They got all the way to Baseline Street before Mom knocked on the partition window. Trey opened it and she asked if someone had locked the back door. Trey assured her that he had. Then Dad remembered that he’d forgotten to grab extra film for the camera. Trey produced the three extra rolls of film he’d astutely thought to pack.
“Did you check to make sure all the lights were off?” Mom asked.
“Yep, and the curling irons are turned off too,” he announced, pleased with himself.
“Well, good. It looks like we remembered everything then,” said Dad, taking some of the credit himself. The light turned and he started across the intersection. “I guess I don’t even need to ask if you remembered to load your canteen for the hike.”
“Oops,” said Trey, feeling rather foolish. He’d been so worried about making sure everyone else’s stuff was packed, that he forgot to double check his own gear.
“That’s okay,” said Dad. “I remembered to pack it.”
Trey let out his breath and picked up a book he brought to read on the way. Soon he was immersed in a fictitious “world” some 20,000 leagues under the sea.
