The Ghost of Ontario (Part 1) (10 Grade Draft)

Chapter 40: The Tale of Aluki

        I followed through with my promise, even though I almost fell asleep washing the blanket. It had been a very long day, and I also didn't get any sleep the night before, so I was exhausted.

Uncle Bart returned to Ihaan soon after I finished scrubbing the Coke stain out of the blanket, and he offered him a plate of beef bourguignon, which was what we ate that night.

Ihaan had no idea what he was eating. The thing was, he didn't have that sort of food living alone in the wilderness.

Uncle Bart also offered him a cup of water, and don't worry, he didn't splash it in Ihaan's face. That was so rude for Mom to do.

        Soon after Uncle Bart served Ihaan, we served ourselves. All members of Camp Juniper filled our plates with beef bourguignon and rice and sat around the fire.

Dad built it up before dinner, so it brewed gracefully while we ate. Also by this time, the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park had grown dark. Not entirely, but enough to make us realize that night was upon us and also the Ghost of Ontario.

For once, Ihaan actually joined us for dinner. Well, it was more we tied a rope around him so he couldn't get away. We wanted to help him socialize with other humans.

Uncle Bart and I also had a goal to help Mom change her perspective about him. He was totally out of it.

While Camp Juniper ate our dinner, Ihaan just stared at his, totally lost.

I knew he was hungry, so I glanced at him and said, "Ihaan."

"Huh?" he asked, and he looked up, peering into my face.

Everybody else except Mom glanced at him.

I added with, "You need to try to eat something."

"But I have no idea what this food is," Ihaan protested.

"It's called beef bourguignon," Dad explained, "and it's very good. How do you know you don't like it unless you try it?"

"Thank you," Ihaan elucidated, "but I am more thirsty than hungry, sir." He set his plate down next to his bandaged ankle and picked up his cup of water. Ihaan sipped it, and we watched him.

"Don't worry about Ro." Uncle Bart soon told him. "She'll be back. Now, Camp Juniper..." He clapped his hands together and exchanged glances with us. "It is nighttime, and we are all sitting by the fire, so do you know what this means?"

        "It's story time!" Aunt Jessie shouted.

I leaped out of my skin. I almost choked on my food, but I managed to stop myself at the last second.

Uncle Bart smiled and glanced at Aunt Jessie, saying, "Correct, my dear."

"Yehaw!" Aunt Jessie cheered, and she stood up, starting to dance. During her dance, she took her cowgirl hat off and twirled both it and herself.

Mom cracked a small smile and met eyes with Uncle Harrison. "Harrison, would you mind getting the book, please?"

Fun fact, Uncle Harrison brought a book about canoeing with him along on the trip (big surprise), and he promised he would read a bit of it to us each night. He ended up not sharing the story that night, though – but he didn't mind – because Ihaan spoke up.

        "Oh, I love stories," he admitted. "I tell stories to Ro and Dempsey all the time."

Hearing this, all members of Camp Juniper glanced at him and smiled, excluding Mom, and Uncle Clement yelled, "Yes! A hermit story! Hit us, Ihaan!"

We immediately crowded around Ihaan and waited for a story. Even Uncle Harrison was interested. Mom, of course, wasn't.

She stood up and glared at us.