Chapter 5 - Hunters and Gatherers

“We know how hunters and gatherers live,” said Dana. “Crystal taught us that.”

“We could live forever that way,” replied Dani. “We would still be homeless though and that might not be good.”

The twins had made the decision to run away from home and were not about to change their minds. They did not like Tanya and did not want her to assume the role of their mother, even if it appeared to be what their father wanted.

“I think our dad is love struck,” said Dana. “But maybe it is the beer talking.”

“Maybe,” replied Dani. “You don’t think he is really in love, do you?”

“I don’t know,” replied Dana. “What is love anyhow? It is not an excuse to abuse someone's children.”

“I agree. Threatening to send us to live with our mother is abuse,” said Dani. “Even kids our age know that.”

“She won’t get away with it, as our dad has custody of us,” replied Dana.

“He might lose that if we run away,” said Dani.

Dana and Dani had taken their bikes and back packs which contained snacks and juice, in case they needed something to eat and drink, when they went to the lake. They always carried jackets too.

“What is happening in our home is not good. That is why we are running away,” said Dana. “It may be the only way we can convince our dad what he is doing is not right for us, as a family.”

“Where do you think we should run away to?” asked Dani. She was amazed when Dana had agreed with her suggestion to run away. “Do you have some place in mind?”

“If we hide out at the lake, they will come looking for us there, so that is probably not a good plan,” suggested Dana. “You got any better ideas?”

“They will find us right away, if we go to Penny’s,” replied Dani. “She is a teacher, so I don’t think that she will approve of us running away. She might report us.”

“I don’t think so, but let's take the gravel road that goes up the hill, away from the lake,” suggested Dana. “Crystal said it goes down to the river, a few miles past the lookout point at the top of the hill. We could camp beside the river.”

“There are people who live beside the river in trailers,” replied Dani. “We could get food from them, like the hunters and gatherers.”

“But we are not native, so we might get in trouble, if we get caught,” said Dana. “We would have to pretend to be native and live like natives, in order to qualify for ‘first nation, first portion’ rights.”

“We know enough about natives to pull it off, at least for a while,” said Dani, chuckling at the thought of becoming a native.

The gravel road was dusty, but the twins were determined to run away. They got off their bikes part way up the long, winding hill and pushed them. When they reached the top, it would be downhill the rest of the way to the river.

“It’s too bad we don’t have a tent,” said Dana. “Maybe we can find one somewhere around the trailer park.”

“Maybe we could build a tent from evergreen tree branches, if we hide deep in the woods,” replied Dani.

“I don’t have a pocket knife in my back pack?” asked Dana. "Do you?"

“No.”

“How are we going to cut tree branches, then?”

“We will find a knife in one of the trailers,” replied Dani. “Or maybe we will pick up an axe or a saw somewhere.”

Survival on their own was beginning to turn into a challenge for the twins.

“Crystal taught us how to survive,” said Dana. “We know enough.”

“It is time to see how well we learned what she taught us,” replied Dani.

“This is a really long way,” said Dana. It had taken them almost an hour to reach the top of the hill. “It is beginning to sound like a storm is coming.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” replied Dani, as loud rumbles of thunder echoed in the distance. “Maybe we should head back home?”

As they reached the lookout point at the top of Trembling Ridge, they could hear a truck coming up the hill. It pulled up beside them before they had a chance to get off the road.

“Hey, there's my girls!” thought Terry, breathing a sigh of relief, as soon as he recognized them. “Hey, Tanya, look who’s here!”

She was anything but pleased, as this was supposed to be their outing. They would get most of his attention.

The twins appeared tired, but excited and happy to see him.

“I am going to take all of you ladies out to dinner.”

Terry had come home from work early, with just that in mind. When the girls were not at home, he had decided to take Tanya on a brief, sight seeing tour, with the hope of finding them biking somewhere in the area.

“Tanya, let’s step out of the truck for a minute and take a look at the view.”

“No, it is raining,” replied Tanya, who was upset about having to spend time with the twins again. “I don’t want to ruin my hairdo.”

“A bit of rain won’t hurt you!” replied Terry, as he quickly jumped out of his truck and put the girl’s bikes on the back.

“Have you two ever been here at the lookout before?” Terry asked the twins out of curiosity.

“No,” said the twins, at the same time.

“Crystal told us about it,” said Dana.

“Let’s take a quick hike to the lookout point then.”

From the lookout point, the twins could see that it was still several miles down to the river. A collection of white trailers dotted the river’s edge. The storm clouds made it look eerie, as streak lightning lit up the distant horizon.

“This is beautiful, dad,” said Dana.

“We want to go all the way down to the river someday,” said Dani.

“Go fishing together?” asked Terry.

“Dad, we are so glad you came along just when you did,” said Dana.

“We would have gotten drenched,” said Dani.

"Next time you two want to run away, run to me, not away from me,” Terry said to them sternly. “I am your dad, remember?”

He hugged the girls tight and waited another moment for Tanya, who still refused to get out of the truck. As they headed back to the truck and climbed in, Tanya, dressed in a tee-shirt, blue jeans and runners, did not seem nearly as foreboding, but she remained distant and aloof.

“How did he know?” whispered Dana.

“She told him, of course,” said Dani.

“We have our answer now,” said Dana. “Run away home.”