Wilderness by Roddy Doyle

Author:Roddy Doyle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2011-11-24T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

They were on a lake again, but it wasn’t the same lake as before. It was a different lake.

But it wasn’t. Johnny could see that now. He saw the wooden house he’d seen the day before, the one that looked like it came from a story. He saw the house, and he suddenly knew the lake.

The day before. That was only yesterday, but it seemed much longer, even weeks ago. He’d slept for ten hours. His mother had had to wake him. She’d kept at him, and Tom.

“Come on, boys. Up, lads!”

He’d kept his eyes shut. It was too hard to open them, even though he knew she’d probably tickle him. But she didn’t. She went away. He heard the door being closed softly. He must have slept again; he must have. The next thing he knew, there was something on his lip, right under his nose. Something warm, and wet, and smelly. And then something warm dribbled into his nose. He sat up. It was a rasher, a slice of bacon. His mother had put one under his nose.

“I knew that would wake you,” she said.

“Breakfast in bed,” said Johnny.

And he ate it.

Yesterday felt like weeks ago.

Yesterday they’d gone past the story house. Now, the house was straight ahead, right in front of them. The dogs had dragged them on to the same lake, but from a different place. Johnny and Tom both felt the same way; they were getting to know the wilderness.

“Wilder-ness!”

“Wilder-nesssss!”

It still sounded great, their voices spreading out, filling the world.

This was the real safari. Last night Johnny had slept in the hotel. Tonight he wouldn’t. He’d be going further, and further. Further north, and further into the forest.

“Wilder-ness!”

In the brochure it was called a hut. That was where they were going. They were going deep into the forest, until it was too dark. Then they’d be staying in the hut. They’d be staying all night. There was no electricity and no hot water. It was made of wood and nothing else.

It was cold. It was starting to snow. The flakes whacked Tom’s face. The sled was going fast, and the snow was getting thicker very quickly. He heard the hiss of the other sleds behind him, the runners going over the ice. His mother was on one of them. He hadn’t seen her in a while. They’d had the morning break, the coffee and apple juice, about an hour ago. It was midday now, as bright and silvery as it would get. The snow was pouring down, sheets of white. It was covering the blanket that covered them. Tom pushed the snow off, and there was more snow there before he’d finished.

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