Camping Out

I vowed a long time ago to never see the point to camping. I pay my mortgage, I pay utilities, I enjoy being ten feet from my bathroom, my bed, my air conditioning, all this stuff. Then two pair of eyes belonging to two girls that just wanted to sleep in a tent changed my mind, and I setup the tent in our backyard.

The girls enthusiastically raced upstairs to get pillows and sleeping bags. Madeline brought down a blanket and pillow for me, too. "We'll be in by 1:00AM," I told Mom with confidence.

This had to be the hottest day of the year. It's rained a lot and the rain has brought some very cool weather; this has been the coolest summer I can remember, and there was barely a breeze this night. The girls and I stayed up late, we played Skip-bo, we talked, they laughed, they tried to not go to sleep, but eventually couldn't take it. At midnight one of them woke-up and asked me a question so obvious I knew she was in a daze. I said we were in the tent. She said she need ot leave, for bed; and she made for the zipper, which I helped open, then left the tent and went in the house. "Yes! One down," I thought, but no. The sliding glass door to the house opened again and the girl returned to the tent. She went right to sleep.

Then the other girl woke up and we talked for an hour. I tried "encouraging/manipulating" her a little, "Are you doing OK? It is hot, it's OK to sleep inside." Nothing, not a dent, "Nah, I can sleep out here," she said. She was resilient. They both were.

I can't sleep outside. I have to analyze every sound, every noise. Why do the crickets stop at 3:00AM? and why do I only hear one cricket? What **** teenager is burning rubber? Does the A/C sound OK? how much for a new one. Those doggone June bugs keep pounding the tent canvas. My gosh, why is it so hot? If I open the tent will it rain? is that a stereo?

I gave up at 4AM after sleeping all of about two hours at the most. I threw up the white flag and went to my house and slept in my bed. Later, still in a stupor from lack of sleep, I vaguely remember hearing. "Daddy, why'd you come inside?"

Daddy's smart. Daddy's not dumb. Daddy slept on a mattress.