Michael’s hand and nearly crushed it when he latched on.
“Michael,” he replied, “Michael Lansbury.”
“Ah, great!” Brother Raymond replied casually before jolting up as if a crocodile had just bit his rear end. “Wait!” he choked, “ The Michael Lansbury? Writer of A Thousand Roses ?” Michael heard those two phrases together much too often… but he knew he shouldn’t complain, so he smiled while wincing.
Millie made an impressed face and shot a wink Michael’s way, which somehow greatly increased his confidence.
“Yeah, that’s me,” he replied in high spirits. Brother Raymond looked like he’d just about wet himself.
“Oh goooooolllleeeee!” he shouted in overzealous elation. Michael’s thoughts about this man just drew more and more along the lines of: Did this guy just run away from “Leave it to Beaver” or something? Nevertheless, he took the compliment and nodded patiently as Brother Raymond expressed his passion for A Thousand Roses in animated hand and arm gestures as they all packed their way into the vehicle leaving for the deeper slice of the mountain.
The sun was blaring like a siren overhead, but it seemed nice against the blasting air conditioning he could feel booming from the van he was entering. Eventually Brother Raymond stopped talking and just enjoyed the car ride next to his new author buddy, and Michael had to try and enjoy being crammed between his number one fan and the smelly chunky kid that radiated nachos from his body odor.
The bumpy journey to the crater of mountainous campgrounds seemed longer and longer the more Michael stared longingly at Millie up front in the passenger seat, strands of her hair blowing lightly from the vent in front of her. He had to just breathe in and out a bunch of times to ensure his sanity was still in place; also, he didn’t want to overreact and upset Millie in any way.
After hours that seemed like excruciating days, they finally made it to the peaceful canopy of rocks that they had all been greatly anticipating. Everyone piled out of the car one by one in jubilation, but no one was happier than Michael, who was mainly just excited to get a breath of fresh air that didn’t smell like taco meat.
He took a step out of the van and was taken away with the campground’s beauty. The rigid rocks that trailed up the side sheets of the mountains above looked like a giant chocolate cake surrounding them on each side. Maybe more appropriately, it was as if they were in some sort of rocky cereal bowl—the brown and black swirled walls stretched to the clouds and kissed the sun on their way to the very top. And somehow there still managed to be grass sprouting beneath their feet, and just a few meters away streamed a crystal river with clear falling water that shone like sparkling grains of cane sugar.
“This place is beautiful, isn’t it?” Millie’s sweet voice just added to the majestic beauty Michael was taking in.
He looked at her and sighed airily, “Yeah.”
She giggled, “Wow, I didn’t know you were such a lover of nature.” Michael smiled and looked back at the view with sparkling eyes.
“Neither did I.”
“Miss Millie! We’re setting up camp!” said a distant female voice; one of Millie’s auburn fans to be sure.
“Already?” she shouted back, “But we haven’t even gone over the schedule yet!”
“Yeah but we’re all just so excited for the hike! Can’t we go over the schedule on our way towards the hike? Please, please, PLEASE!”
“Ha, all right, all right! Continue with those pegs, Tisa, and be careful! Oh, and remember what I told you! Two strikes and—oh,” she grunted in
“Michael,” he replied, “Michael Lansbury.”
“Ah, great!” Brother Raymond replied casually before jolting up as if a crocodile had just bit his rear end. “Wait!” he choked, “ The Michael Lansbury? Writer of A Thousand Roses ?” Michael heard those two phrases together much too often… but he knew he shouldn’t complain, so he smiled while wincing.
Millie made an impressed face and shot a wink Michael’s way, which somehow greatly increased his confidence.
“Yeah, that’s me,” he replied in high spirits. Brother Raymond looked like he’d just about wet himself.
“Oh goooooolllleeeee!” he shouted in overzealous elation. Michael’s thoughts about this man just drew more and more along the lines of: Did this guy just run away from “Leave it to Beaver” or something? Nevertheless, he took the compliment and nodded patiently as Brother Raymond expressed his passion for A Thousand Roses in animated hand and arm gestures as they all packed their way into the vehicle leaving for the deeper slice of the mountain.
The sun was blaring like a siren overhead, but it seemed nice against the blasting air conditioning he could feel booming from the van he was entering. Eventually Brother Raymond stopped talking and just enjoyed the car ride next to his new author buddy, and Michael had to try and enjoy being crammed between his number one fan and the smelly chunky kid that radiated nachos from his body odor.
The bumpy journey to the crater of mountainous campgrounds seemed longer and longer the more Michael stared longingly at Millie up front in the passenger seat, strands of her hair blowing lightly from the vent in front of her. He had to just breathe in and out a bunch of times to ensure his sanity was still in place; also, he didn’t want to overreact and upset Millie in any way.
After hours that seemed like excruciating days, they finally made it to the peaceful canopy of rocks that they had all been greatly anticipating. Everyone piled out of the car one by one in jubilation, but no one was happier than Michael, who was mainly just excited to get a breath of fresh air that didn’t smell like taco meat.
He took a step out of the van and was taken away with the campground’s beauty. The rigid rocks that trailed up the side sheets of the mountains above looked like a giant chocolate cake surrounding them on each side. Maybe more appropriately, it was as if they were in some sort of rocky cereal bowl—the brown and black swirled walls stretched to the clouds and kissed the sun on their way to the very top. And somehow there still managed to be grass sprouting beneath their feet, and just a few meters away streamed a crystal river with clear falling water that shone like sparkling grains of cane sugar.
“This place is beautiful, isn’t it?” Millie’s sweet voice just added to the majestic beauty Michael was taking in.
He looked at her and sighed airily, “Yeah.”
She giggled, “Wow, I didn’t know you were such a lover of nature.” Michael smiled and looked back at the view with sparkling eyes.
“Neither did I.”
“Miss Millie! We’re setting up camp!” said a distant female voice; one of Millie’s auburn fans to be sure.
“Already?” she shouted back, “But we haven’t even gone over the schedule yet!”
“Yeah but we’re all just so excited for the hike! Can’t we go over the schedule on our way towards the hike? Please, please, PLEASE!”
“Ha, all right, all right! Continue with those pegs, Tisa, and be careful! Oh, and remember what I told you! Two strikes and—oh,” she grunted in
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