Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2022 15:18:41 -0400
From: James Karvonen <jameskarvonen5@gmail.com>
Subject: Double Teamed-1

    "Mike, do you have a second, I need to talk to you?" his father asked.
He put his hand on his 14 year old son's bare shoulder.
    "Sure, what's up dad?" Mike asked. Mike was a good looking clean cut
youngster with wavy reddish brown hair and green eyes. He had a nice tan
from the south Georgia sun. Having just gotten out of the shower he had a
towel tied tightly around his waist. Mike had been heading towards his
bedroom when his father stopped him.
    "I have a friend at work who has two boys. He would like to get them
into scouting. The problem is, they had never been on a camping trip
before, and from what Bert told me they don't know nothing about the out
of doors. Since you are already in the boy scouts and have been working
on your eagle scout certification if you're not doing anything this
weekend I was wondering if you could take them camping. You can take them
to Paradise Cove, the place that you and me go to when we go camping
together."
    "Sure dad, no problem at all, what are their names?"
    "The older boys name is Jason. He's 13, his younger brother is Gary,
he's 11. You might know them because they both go to the same middle
school that you go too.
    "What are their last names?"
    "Kiplinski, Jason and Gary Kiplinski." Mike's father replied.
    Mike frowned. "You got to be kidding."
    "What's the matter son?"
    "Jason Kiplinski yeah I know them. The kid is a real geek and weird.
No one likes him. And from what I've been told, his little brother is
just as bad as he is, if not worse. He's hyperactive and has been known
to so some crazy things. I don't know if I can do that dad. If any of my
friends find out that I was taking the Kiplinski brothers camping this
weekend I would become the laughing stock at school.
    "So what shall I tell Bert? Should I tell him that you don't want to
do it because his two boys aren't very popular in school and that you
might be embarrassed if any of your friends so you with them?"
    Mike sighed. "Alright, I'll do it, but I really don't want to. It's
just that Jason is really weird. He's in my gym class and you don't know
him like I know him. There is something definitely wrong with him."
    "I understand son you're afraid that they might ruin your reputation
if your friends see them with you. Well you won't have to worry about
that. If you leave Friday afternoon and come back Sunday, who's going to
see you?"
    "Okay dad." Mike replied.
    "I really appreciate that son, and my friend Bert will appreciate
that also. I'll talk to Bert and ask him to drop Jason and Gary off at
the house Friday around 3:00 in the afternoon. Then I'll take you guys to
Kelly's boat ramp where the trail to Paradise Cove is where you can start
your camping trip."
    Mike hurried to his room. He was annoyed that this weekend might be
ruined because he had to take the Kiplinski boys camping. Oh well, maybe
things might just work out, but he doubted it.
    Friday afternoon arrived none to soon. True to his word Mr. Kiplinski
dropped Jason and Gary off at the house.
    "Hey Mike!" Jason said with a lopsided grin as he was getting out of
the car. "How's it going?"
    Mike looked Jason over. He was a slender boy with curly black hair
and a dark skin complexion. His little brother climbed out of the car
behind him. He was a miniature version of his older brother with the same
curly black hair, dark skin complexion that Jason had. He had a slightly
upturned nose and a pouty mouth. There was a hint of mischievous in his
dark brown eyes.
    "Hey." He said.
    "You two doing alright?" Mike asked. He tried not to show any doubt
about taking them camping, but deep down inside he had a lot of doubt
about this camping trip.
    "We're cool." Jason stated.
    Mr Kiplinski came over to greet Mike. "I really want to thank you for
taking my two boys camping this weekend. Camping is something that they
really need to learn and experience if they are ever going to become
scouts."
    "No problem, I'm happy to do it." Mike lied.
    "Help me get your gear out of the trunk boys." Mr Kiplinski  told his
two sons. Jason and Gary followed their father to the back of their car.
About this time Mike's father came out of the house to greet Bert. They
shook hands and started talking with each other. Mike joined Jason and
Gary as they were unloading the trunk of the car. They took their fishing
tackle out first, then their backpacks and sleeping bags. Mike was
relieved to see that at least Jason and Gary had become prepared. Wanting
to make sure that they had everything they needed for this camping trip
Mike went through their backpacks. They both had two changes of clothes,
their mess kits and canteens already filled with water. They also had
some packets of freeze dried food and some snacks.
    "That's good, your both prepared." Mike said, nodding in approval.
    "How far are we going to have to hike before we get to our campsite?"
Gary asked.
    "About two miles along the Altamaha River." Mike answered.
    "That's a long way." Gary frowned.
    "No it isn't, don't be such a baby." Jason snapped.
     Oh boy, Mike thought. He hoped that this wasn't the beginning of a
rift between the two Kiplinski brothers. If it was then it would be a
long weekend for him.
    "I'm not a baby! I'll hike ten miles if I have too." Gary boasted.
     Interrupting his two boys before they got into a argument Mr.
Kiplinski said, "Alright kiddos, I gotta go. You guys do what Mike tells
you to do. Mike didn't have to spend his weekend with you guys, so don't
give him a hard time, okay?"
    "Okay dad." Jason said.
    "We'll do what Mike tells us to do." Gary promised but he still had
that mischievous glint in his eyes.
    Mike's father and Bert shook hands then Bert slid back into his car
and drove off leaving his two boys behind with Mike. Once all of their
camping gear including Mike's camping gear was loaded into the trunk of
the other car, Mike's father drove them to the boat ramp on the Altamaha
River. That was where the trail along the river that would lead them to
Paradise cove was located. Once at the boat ramp they worked together
unloading the back of the car. Jason and Gary pulled out their backpacks
and collected their fishing gear. Because Gary was smaller than his older
brother and Mike, when Gary pulled on his backpack his backpack along
with the rolled up sleeping bag tied to the aluminum frame looked out of
proportion to the rest of his lean eleven year old body.
     Because Mike had a tent tied to his backpack and was carrying all
the food along the cookware that they would be using over the weekend he
had the heavier pack of the three. But he was use to it because he had
been on numerous backpacking trips over the past few years with the boy
scouts and his dad who was an avid backpacker and loved the out of doors.
Once the car was unloaded Mike's father had to leave. Before he left he
said, "You boys have a good time. Watch out for poisonous snakes. They're
all around the banks of the river and be careful of Alligators when you
go swimming. They have been known to attack humans."
    "Alligators." Gary murmered  He looked around nervously.
    "You can bet your bottom button, they are in this river." Jason said.
    "Alligators normally don't bother you. I've been swimming in this
river many times and have yet been bitten by one " Mike quickly pointed
out.
    "It's during the night that you have to be careful of them. That's
when they start feeding. Anyway I'll see you boys right here Sunday
around 3:00." Mike's father added. With that statement having been made
he drove off leaving Mike alone with Jason and Gary.
    "We're on our own. Are you two ready to go?" Mike stated.
    "I'm ready, I don't know about Gary though." Jason exclaimed.
    "I'm ready." Gary quickly said.
    Mike and Jason pulled on their backpacks. Carrying the fishing gear
in their hands Mike took the lead. Jason and Gary follow Mike as he made
his way towards the trailhead about 50 ft or so from the boat ramp. With
little shade to speak of the hot Georgia sun started beating down on
them. Despite wearing t-shirts and long pants, it didn't take long for
the three boys to start to sweat. Carrying the extra weight of the
backpacks on their backs caused them to sweat even more. Following the
narrow animal trail they entered the thick heavy woods at line the side
of the river. Because of the shade from some of the larger trees in the
woods that they were walking under it felt a little cooler than it did
out in the open at the boat ramp. Mike walked at a slower pace then he
usually would do when hiking his trail so that Jason and Gary could keep
up with him. He didn't want their first backpacking experience to be a
bad one for them.
    Along with the numerous birds flying above them in the trees and over
the slow flowing river, there was plenty of wildlife to be seen. Turtles
could be seen sunning themselves along the bank of the river. And
armadillo startled them momentarily as a scuttled across the trail into
the thick brush on the other side of the trail in front of them. They saw
some deer down by the river that quickly took off into the woods jumping
in leaps and bounds over tree trunks and brush as they were approaching
them. But the creature that impressed them the most was alligator that
they spottedly swimming across the river. They watched it until they
couldn't see it anymore.
    "I sure wouldn't want to get eaten by that gator." Gary murmered
fearfully.
    "That's why when you go swimming you're going to need to be careful.
As you just seen there are Gators in this river. Though it's highly
unlikely they would attack you there is always that possibility." Mike
cautioned.
    This was a whole new world for Jason and Gary will never been
backpacking or camping before. 2 years ago they were living in the
suburbs of Atlanta Georgia, a completely different environment and what
they were in now.
    As the afternoon progressed the heat and humidity built up. By the
time they took their first break from hiking, Gary and Jason were quick
to go straight to their canteens to gulp down some water.
    "You two better take it easy on the water. We still have a little
ways to go before we reach our campsite at Paradise Cove," Mike advised.
There is an artesian well where you can get as much water as you want, so
what water you have now you need to conserve." Mike advised....