Acid Rain by R.D Rhodes (ebook reader txt) 📕

His eyes flashed and his face brightened as he smiled benignly. “Course it’s okay! You not heard of the right to roam here? Awesome! Where’s your tent?”

I hesitated as I looked in its direction. Harry would be there now, with his knife, carving away at the wooden rabbit. “It’s just about ten minutes’ walk.” I said. It was more like five.

“Well, you should both come over to mine! I’m only fifteen minutes this way.” he gestured the way from which he’d come.

“How long have you been here?” I asked.

“Five days. You?”

“Erm, a week”.

He smiled again, and offered his gloved right hand. “Alex.”

“Aisha.” I said.

The cold nipped at my nose and cheeks. Wisps of my breath floated up past my eyeline as I trudged through the snow with Alex behind me. Our tent came into view between the trees, and then the smoke, and the fireplace with Harry sitting on one of its stones. He spun around. His eyes widened at Alex then glanced questioningly at me. The block of wood in his left hand and the knife in his right. He remained sitting. He didn’t move.

“Hey, mate!” Alex called. We drew up close and he looked down at the rabbit ears pointing out the top of the wood. “That’s looking good.”

Harry sat forward. His eyes raised up Alex’s towering figure, saying who the fuck are you? Then his face turned back to me.

I felt nervous and unsure, but I nodded my acceptance. “I met him up the glen.” I said. “He is camping too. This is Alex.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Alex’s deep voice panned. Harry placed his knife down in the heather, and shook his hand. “Harry.” he replied. Their stares melded into each other- Alex’s warmth and interest, and Harry’s suspicion- then Alex let go and stared around our camp, taking in the oak tree, the holly tree, the tent, “Woah. Nice wood shelter! Did you make that?”

“Yeah.” Harry mumbled.

“COOOL!” With about seven long strides he was over at the shelter. “I’ve only got a huge tarpaulin sheet. I have my stuff drying under that. But nothing this complex. You guys are artists!” he called with his back to us.

“Who is he?” Harry mouthed. But Alex turned around and was quickly back with us, standing with his hands on his hips. “Do yous do this a lot? I don’t often meet other campers out here. It’s awesome.”

“Nah, this is pretty much a one-off.” I said.

“Oh. Okay. Well, you should come to mine for tea. I’ll show you my camp!”

Harry looked reluctant.

“Yeah, sure. We can come for a while.” I said.

Chapter 63

W e followed as he led us back along the trail, across the bridge, and up through the forest on the other side of the river. Grey smoke floated up through the trees in front, below it there was a gigantic dark green tarp, suspended up high and flapping in the wind.

“Wow!” Harry gasped.

I was just as impressed. That green sheet roof stretched right across his campsite, its four corners tied via cords to four different trees, each of which he must have climbed the fifteen feet by himself. A wooden, home-made hanger was positioned above the fire in the centre, the rod bending under the weight of a cooking pot, and the faint smoke drifted up to escape through a precisely cut hole in the canvas. At the back was a large tent divided into three different colored compartments, a high pile of firewood to its right, which was also sheltered under the roof. It all looked fantastic. It was a little dark inside due to the canvas blocking out the sunlight, but otherwise I couldn’t fault it.

“It’s not bad, is it?” Alex said. “I’ll show you inside.” We followed under the roof, across to the tent and he zipped open the door of its middle compartment. We stepped on through under its high curved ceiling, into a hallway-like area. All underneath the back wall an assortment of glass jars and wooden boxes were laid out across the floor, all labelled with the names of the contents inside- sphagnum moss. Blueberries. Pine needles. Raspberry jam. On each side of the hall another room was portioned off.

Harry knelt down and picked up the jar with pine needles inside. Alex gestured for us to take a closer look and Harry took off the lid and sniffed it. His neck twisted round. “How the hell did you get all this stuff out here?”

“My cars parked at the other side of the loch.” Alex told him.

“You have a car?” I said.

“Yeah. Sure. What, did you get the bus here or something?”

Harry and I looked at each other.

“Want some coffee, or tea? Let’s sit outside. Watch the snow.”

“I’ll have a coffee, please.” Harry said. He indicated to both sides of the tent, spreading his thin arms wide. “It’s so warm in here. It's huge. But why do you need all this?”

“Well, it gets a bit confined, for me, in smaller tents.” Alex said.

“Tell me about it.” I agreed.

“Our tent reeks of Aisha’s feet just now.” Harry smirked at me. I stuck up my middle finger.

“Dandelion root?” Alex picked up a jar.

“What?”

“Dandelion root coffee?” He held it out, showing the brown granules inside. “It’s the only coffee I have.”

Harry made a face. “Is that a thing?”

Alex laughed. “It’s good. Yeah, it’s easy. Dig up the root, roast it in the oven or over the fire, mash it up. And you’ve got a nice, nutty, caffeine-free coffee. With no damage to the rainforest.”

We went back out to the fireplace, and Harry and I sat down around its jagged rocks. Alex stoked the few remaining embers, then took over a bunch of kindling from