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Episode 27: Tishomingo
As they begin their long journey to Mexico, Sarah and Nathan spend the first night camping together in a beautiful state park. Their dream evening ends up leading to an unexpected mishap. Is getting there really going to be half the fun? Read on and decide for yourself! --The Author
"What a perfect day this is!" nineteen-year-old Sarah Beloit commented to her boyfriend Nathan as they drove leisurely along in his pickup truck. The sun beamed down on them, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
Nathan looked over at her as she sat back lazily in the passenger seat. Her light brown hair whipped around in the comfortable wind that blew through the open windows, but she had given up trying to keep it out of her face. "Not half as perfect as you," he replied with a smile.
"Oh whatever!" Sarah laughed. She looked down at her snug white t- shirt emblazoned with the Cardinals logo, and her bluejeans with the big hole in the knee. "I look like a wreck! Old shirt; no makeup: and you know, torn jeans are stylish and all, but these didn't come that way. And my hair! Ugh…" she trailed off as she halfheartedly attempted to smooth her hair back into place. "I should have put it up this morning." Then with a mischievous grin she added, "But I can fix that!" She playfully grabbed Nathan's cap from off his head. Opening the Velcro on the back, she pulled her hair together and then put on the hat, reconnecting it beneath the makeshift ponytail.
Nathan just shrugged. "Guess I should have worn a fitted hat."
Sarah grinned. "I think this worked out just fine!"
"It's a good thing we're not on our way to Chicago," Nathan joked, now that Sarah was wearing his Cardinals cap as well as her t-shirt. "You'd never make it out alive!"
"Psh," Sarah guffawed. "No one's gonna mess with me!" she asserted, playfully holding up clenched fists.
Nathan laughed. "Oh, you're hard-core all right!"
"You better belie-*huck* believe it!" Sarah said with an unexpected hiccup.
They both cracked up as the hiccups continued.
"So much for hard-core," Nathan laughed.
Sarah faked a frown. "You th-*huck* think I'm wimpy? *huck*" Slouched as she was in the seat, each hiccup seemed to lift her stomach and chest up forcefully.
"No, I think you're sexy," he countered.
Another loud hiccup made them both laugh again. Nathan put his right hand on her stomach as it jumped again and again. "Hey! Ten and two; *hic* didn't you ever learn th-*huck* that?" she teased, slapping his hand.
And so they drove along: playfully bantering, Sarah with the hiccups, and Nathan trying his best to stay on the road.
After several minutes though, Sarah was hardly paying attention any more to either her hiccups or Nathan's hand on her stomach. She was again taking in the scenery that they flew past. "It's so *hic* pretty here!" she gushed.
"I know!" Nathan agreed. "I never knew the Natchez Trace was so beautiful."
"I never *huck* knew what the Natchez Tr-*hic* Trace was," Sarah admitted. "But I'm gl-*hic* glad we came this way!"
"We should probably start looking for a place to stop and camp, though," Nathan noted. "It's getting late and we'll need some time to set up."
Sarah grabbed the road atlas from the dashboard in front of her. "Where a-*huck* are we at?" she asked.
"We're almost to the Mississippi line, I think," Nathan guessed.
After a couple minutes of scanning the map, Sarah suggested, "It looks *hic* like there's a state *huck* park right after we cross into Mi-*huck*- ssissippi."
"Mi-*hyuk!*-ssissippi?" Nathan mimicked, with an exaggerated fake hiccup.
"Shut up!"
"What's this park called?" he asked.
"Um," Sarah squinted at the small print of the map. "Ti-*hic* Tishomingo?" she read slowly.
Not long later, they pulled into Tishomingo State Park, and stopped by the camp host's RV.
"We're done filled up," the host informed them in a heavy drawl, motioning to the full campground ahead of them.
Nathan frowned. "Is there anywhere else close by we could go to?"
The host thought for a minute. "Where y'all from?" he asked.
"Tennessee."
"Is it just you and her?" he asked, looking toward Sarah, who had stayed in the truck.
"Yeah, just us."
"How long?"
"Oh, just one night," Nathan answered.
The host sauntered toward the camp registration booth. He pulled a card from the box. Producing a pencil from his overalls, he scrawled on it briefly and handed it to Nathan. He pointed toward an area between two campsites on the hill in front of them. "There's some space over yonder, y'all can set up there. Since it ain't a real site, just pay half price. Put that card in your windshield."
Nathan turned the card over in his hand. The host had simply written the date and the campsite number: "4.5". Before leaving, he asked the host if there was rain in the forecast for the night.
"They say there's a front coming through; ain't much chance of rain though, maybe twenty, thirty percent," he offered.
When Nathan hopped back in the truck, Sarah asked, "Is there a site for us?"
"Yep, number four and a half," Nathan answered matter-of- factly.
"Great, where's th-- wait, what?"
Nathan laughed. "That's what I thought, too. They're full but he's letting us stay between two other sites."
"That's nice of him," Sarah said.
"Hey, what happened to your hiccups?" Nathan asked, noticing that they seemed to be gone.
Sarah paused for a moment before answering. "I guess they must have stopped while you were talking to the host. I didn't even notice!" she admitted.
Despite being made up on the fly, the odd campsite had plenty of room for them, although it sloped rather sharply down toward the small lake that bordered the campground. They set up the tent in the flattest area they could find, in the shade of a couple large, spreading trees. As they set up the tent, they debated whether to put on the protective rain-fly.
"It would be nice to have the fresh air, but what if it does rain?" Sarah worried. "With that window on the top of the tent, we'll get soaked."
Nathan had a solution. "The rain-fly is really easy to put on," he assured her. "See, it just clips on the corners like that." He easily attached it on one corner. So I'll leave it in the truck, and if it starts raining, I'll run out and put it on. The trees will keep us dry for a little bit anyway."
Sarah wasn't totally convinced, but she liked the idea of sleeping under the open mesh window. "As long as you're the one running out in the rain!" she agreed.
After finishing with the tent, they got the food they had brought for supper. They set up two camping chairs, but without a firepit, they couldn't have a campfire to eat next to. "Hey, why don't we go eat by the lake?" Sarah suggested. "It looks like there is a bench over there on the other side."
They packed their food into a bag and hiked around to the bench. It wasn't a very long walk, maybe half a mile, but it took them out of the campground, where it was more quiet and private. There they enjoyed their simple meal, and cuddled together as the evening sky slowly darkened.
They watched the ducks on the lake, and the squirrels in the brush around them. They kissed. They made out passionately. Then they made out some more. And they talked - about the day, the trip, their relationship, and the adventures that lay before them.
"Are you sure that leaving school to come to Mexico with me was the right decision?" Nathan asked.
Sarah pondered for a moment, but then she broke into a smile. "No, I'm not," she admitted. "But I wouldn't have it any other way!" Sitting on his lap, with her face next to his, she turned and gave him another kiss.
"I can't even tell you how much it means to me," Nathan said earnestly. "For you to leave your friends, your classes, your family: all to be with me for a few months."
"A few months? I want to be with you forever, Nathan, wherever you go."
"There's no one I'd rather have with me," he answered.
They sat together for a few minutes more, just holding one another close. But the gathering darkness reminded them that they needed to be able to find their way back to the campground. So finally they left their little spot by the lake and headed back toward their tent.
"This evening has been so nice!" Sarah gushed as they walked along the lakeshore, arm in arm. "Couldn't have asked for anything better."
"Well, your hiccups could have come back," Nathan suggested, tickling her side playfully.
Sarah laughed and squirmed away. "I know! I'm surprised they didn't; I was kind of expecting them to."
"I guess there's still time."
"True," she agreed. "You know, it's funny, not even a year ago, I would have been so surprised and excited to have gotten the hiccups at all. Now I'm surprised that they haven't come back within a couple hours! And when I had them earlier, I didn't even notice when they went away. I used to be so disappointed when they would stop!"
"They've spoiled you!" Nathan joked.
Sarah giggled. "I guess so! I still love having them more than anything, but it really is different getting them all the time now."
"I'm not complaining if you're not!" Nathan said with a wink.
Sarah grinned. "Nope!"
Back at the tent, they quickly got ready for the night. As Nathan had promised, he put the tent's rain-fly in the passenger seat of the truck, in case they needed its protection overnight. They put their food and their phones inside, too. "Did you lock the truck?" Sarah asked as Nathan prepared to climb into the tent with her.
"No, I didn't," he answered. Taking the keys from his pocket, he pushed the button on the remote, locking the doors with an audible 'click'.
"What about the bed cover?" Sarah asked, referring to the cover that protected their belongings in the back of the truck.
"Ugh," he complained, not wanting to go back up the hill to the truck. "I guess if someone wants to steal my old clothes, they can have them."
"Hey! My stuff is in there too!" Sarah objected.
"You never know when someone might walk through the campground, checking for unlocked tailgates," he teased, peeking into the tent at her.
Sarah just glared at him. "Ok, ok," he acquiesced.
"Thank you!" Sarah called sweetly. As she got changed for bed, she considered just sleeping in the red bra and underwear she was wearing, as she often did when she was alone. It was comfortable, and she knew she looked sexy. But she was afraid she would get cold, and she didn't want to tempt Nathan too much! So she left her t-shirt on, and pulled on a comfy gray pair of pajama pants.
Rather than climb into their separate sleeping bags, Nathan and Sarah lay on top of them, with blankets to keep themselves warm. They cuddled close, with Nathan holding her from behind. They were as cozy as possible, given the uncomfortable ground and annoying slope. Still, it took a while for Sarah to fall asleep, as it often does when sleeping in a tent. She felt like she lay awake for hours, basking in the comfort of Nathan's arms, while trying to minimize the discomfort of the ground.
She thought about the day they had enjoyed, and looked forward to traveling on tomorrow, with only a vague idea of where they would stop, but knowing that wherever it was, they'd be there together. She imagined driving along through the Southern forest as they had today, with the cool breeze blowing her hair and tickling her face. But as they drove along, the trees seemed to thin out, and the sun began to grow dim in the sky.
Out of nowhere, a sandstorm appeared menacingly in front of them. They must be getting close to Mexico, she mused, because whoever heard of a sandstorm in Mississippi? At first the sand lightly dusted the windshield and the roof of the truck, making a gentle tapping noise. But as they continued into the cloud, the sand grew thicker, and though none blew in through the windows, it pelted the outside of the truck mercilessly. When they could no longer see the road in front of them, they decided they had better stop and wait it out. Harder and harder the sand fell. There was a long roll of thunder. Sarah felt droplets collect on, and then drip down her face.
Suddenly she felt Nathan stirring next to her. Another thunder crash made them both start. It was raining; and raining hard! Water was slowly dripping in through the window above them. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky for a moment, and Nathan and Sarah could see the leaves of the trees above them blowing violently in the wind.
"We need the rain-fly!" Nathan remembered. Grabbing their flashlight, he quickly slipped his shoes on and unzipped the tent door. Now very much awake, Sarah decided she should help. Not even bothering to put her shoes on, she ran out right behind him.
Rain was falling even under the trees, but outside of their shade, it was drenching. Little rivulets and streams of water coursed down the hill, around and under their tent, to the lake. Sarah's feet slipped in the muddy clay, and she fell behind Nathan as he hurried sure-footedly up the hill. When she neared the truck, though, he was coming back down. "The keys!" he yelled as he quickly passed her.
Nathan still had the only flashlight, so Sarah had to wait where she was as he ran back down toward the tent. Suddenly, there was another strong gust of wind, which nearly made Sarah lose her precarious footing. Then she heard a sickening crack, and in the dim light of Nathan's flashlight below her, she saw a huge branch lurch downward from one of the trees above their tent. "NATHANNNN!!!" she screamed.
Nathan heard the crash and Sarah's scream just in time. Sliding to a stop, he watched as the giant limb fell forcefully - right on top of their tent. Pieces of metal tent pole and torn canvas splayed out haphazardly from under the branches and leaves.
Sarah quickly picked her way down to where Nathan stood frozen. "Oh my God; oh my *huck* God!" she gasped. The trauma had given her the hiccups, but she didn't even notice. She hugged him tightly. "Oh my God, N-*hic* Nathan, are you ok?"
"I'm ok," he assured her, holding her close. "Not sure about our tent, though."
Sarah was still breathing heavily. "It doesn't *huck* matter," she panted. "As long as y-*hic* you're all right!"
Their tent may not have mattered, but it did happen to contain their only shelter - and the car keys. Not sure what to do, they just stood in shock for a minute, dripping wet as the rain still poured down on them.
"Well, I guess we shouldn't just stand here in the rain," Nathan finally suggested.
"Can we g-*huck* get in the truck?" Sarah asked, still oblivious to her hiccups.
"Not with the keys in the tent," he said dejectedly. He pointed the flashlight to the left, then to the right. "I think the people on that side had an RV," he remembered, aiming the light at campsite number four. "I guess let's see if they'll let us wait it out with them."
When they reached the door of their neighbors' RV, Nathan knocked. After a few moments, a light came on next to the door. It opened and a sleepy-looking man peered out at them. What a sight they were, drenched to the bone like wet puppies! Tiny streams of water coursed down Nathan's shirtless torso. His shoes were so full of water that it spilled out around his feet. Sarah's hair hung in wet clumps around her face, and that Cardinals t-shirt, tight to begin with, kept nothing hidden now. Her red bra was clearly visible under the thin, wet white fabric, as was the tan skin of her stomach, convulsing periodically with her hiccups.
The man tried not to stare as he asked with concern, "Are y'all ok? Come in out of the rain!"
"Are you *huck* sure?" Sarah asked. "I hate to get your *hic* camper all wet inside."
"It's fine; don't worry about it," he insisted.
They climbed into the RV, first Sarah, then Nathan. "Thank y-*hic* you sooo much!" Sarah gushed.
"It's ok, what happened?"
"We were ca-*huck* camping next to you," Sarah explained, "But a *hic* tree just fell on our tent."
"Whoa!" the man exclaimed. "How did y'all get out?"
"We had r-*huck* run out to get the rain co-*huck*-ver for the tent when it *hic* fell."
"And our keys are still in the tent," Nathan added.
"Oh no!" the man sympathized. "I'm glad y'all are ok!"
"Thank y-*hic* you! And sorry, I've got the *huck* hiccups," Sarah said sheepishly. She hardly ever apologized for her hiccups, but somehow they felt even more conspicuous than usual this time.
At this point, a woman emerged from the sleeping area of the camper, clad in a bathrobe. When she saw Nathan and Sarah, she asked, "Are you all ok? Here, let me get you some towels!"
In a few minutes they had dried off as well as they could. When the man offered them a seat, Sarah laid her towel down under them, so their still-wet pants wouldn't soak the seat. While they chatted with the man, the woman soon returned to offer them a warm drink. "You don't have to worry about the seat," she assured them when she saw Sarah sitting on her towel, with part of Nathan's towel around her shoulders.
"It's *hic* ok," Sarah said. "I don't want to r-*huck* ruin your stuff." She did accept the offer of hot chocolate.
"Here you go, maybe it will help your hiccups too," the woman suggested when she handed Sarah the drink. Not waiting for a response, she offered, "Let me get you something warmer to wrap up in." She soon returned with another bathrobe, plus the one she had been wearing.
"Aww, *hic*" Sarah objected, seeing that the woman was offering her own robe. "We'll g-*hic* get them all wet!"
"It's fine, they'll dry! You don't want to catch cold," she insisted. This couple was only perhaps in their late thirties, but Sarah felt like she was with her own mother.
They reluctantly pulled on the warm, comfortable robes. The man, who they had learned was named Steve, offered them the loft of the RV to sleep in. "That's where our kids usually sleep, but they're staying with friends this weekend," he explained.
Exhausted, the two gladly accepted the offer, and with another thanks and "good night", climbed up into the loft. The sleepy couple returned to their bed.
Nathan and Sarah started to peel off their wet clothes. After Sarah took off the robe, Nathan stopped her for a moment. "Wh-*huck*-at?" Sarah asked, confused.
Nathan grinned and whispered, "I've just gotta say, if you ever enter a wet t-shirt contest, you're a guaranteed winner."
Sarah gasped and lightly punched his leg. "Nathan!" But when she looked down at herself, she gave him a sheepish look. "Oh my word, I h- *huck* had no idea I was so... *hic* visible!" she whispered. "Could you like, see *hic* my bra and all the whole *hic* time?"
Nathan nodded. "It was better when you were totally wet," he teased.
She playfully punched him again. "I'm s-*huck* sorry!" she apologized. "I didn't th-*hic* think of that at all! *huck* No wonder that lady kept off-*hic*-ering me stuff to put on!"
"I didn't notice at first either," Nathan admitted. "But after a minute I realized -- damn, you look hot!
Sarah rolled her eyes. "S-*huck* Silly boy! It's a shame *hic* my breasts are so sm-*hic* small, huh? Even my little *hic* sister has bigger breasts th-*hic* than me."
Sarah's breasts were indeed of average size at most, but Nathan thought they fit her slender frame perfectly. "They look sexy to me," he countered.
"Oh sh-*huck* shut up and go to *hic* bed!" Sarah giggled. "And you better be *hic* good!"
Soon they were cuddled up in the loft's bed. Despite a couple good-natured slaps from Sarah, Nathan put his hand inside her robe, on her now-bare stomach as it still bounced with her hiccups. It was an amazing feeling! But he was exhausted, and after twenty minutes or so of this bliss he eventually dozed off.
Downstairs, Jana, Steve's wife, chided him. "Glad to see our visitor met your approval," she said sarcastically. "You didn't have to stare at her the whole time, you know."
"I didn't stare at her!" he objected. But he soon relented, "Well, maybe a little."
Jana shook her head. "A girl in a wet t-shirt shows up at our door and you fall to pieces paying attention to her," she said with exasperation. "What are you, eighteen?"
"Hey, don't knock eighteen-year-olds," Steve interrupted. "I fell for you when I was eighteen, and I haven't stopped doing so ever since then. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, well, stared at her."
Jana had to smile, even if she was still a little upset. "Did I look that good when we were their age?" she asked.
"That good? Nope. You were in a whole league of your own."
Jana shook her head. "You're too sweet, even if I shouldn't be saying so. But speaking of attractive people, did you even ask the boy his name?"
Steve laughed. "I did, believe it or not. His name is Nathan Garver. Sounds so familiar, too; I think there's a guy by that name who plays for the Cardinals."
"I'm sure it's not the same guy," Jana assumed.
"Yeah, what would a baseball player being doing tent camping in Mississippi, in the rain?"
"With a girl that barely looks eighteen," she added.
"Yeah, must be a different guy."
Long after Nathan, Steve, and Jana were all asleep, Sarah lay awake in the loft. Though she kept them mostly quiet, her hiccups would not let her sleep. As they continued unrelenting for nearly an hour, there was little she could do until they stopped.
But Sarah didn't mind. She thought over the events of the night, and whispered a prayer of thanks to God for the seemingly miraculous protection. What if she and Nathan hadn't awakened when they did? What if she hadn't gone after Nathan to help? What if they had put the rain-fly on to begin with?
She didn't know where their journey would lead, but she felt safe knowing that there was Someone watching out for them. It felt good to be quiet and meditate on that amazing fact. What if they had kept the rain-fly inside the tent with them? What if they hadn't been able to come in out of the storm? What if she hadn't gotten the hiccups?
Well, she knew the answer to that one. She'd be fast asleep, that's what.