We left our house. By the time I reached the bus stop I was already complaining. It was hot and sunny and I was sweating.
“It’s going to get hotter, they say,” said Luke helpfully.
We got the bus to the train station, had a two hour train journey then a one hour bus journey, followed by a five mile hike to the edge of the national park, where we camp for our first night.
At the train station I changed out of my heavy shirt into a lacy black shirt which was see through. You could see my black bra clearly.
I should mention that I’m a bit gothy in style. Black or purple or dark red or dark blue are my colors. My hair is down to the bottom of my shoulder blades and at the moment is colored a dark red.
I wear these clothes at home quite often so it wouldn’t have been anything new for my brothers to see through my top and see my bra. Also this summer I have been going running with Ben a lot and often wear shorts and a sports bra with no shirt. So my brothers are quite used to seeing me in my underwear and at home I often saw them in just boxers or trunks.
Anyway we finally reached our first nights camping place. I’m not sure what I expected but it was just a clearing in the trees at the top of a hill. Seemingly miles from anywhere or anybody.
We unpacked our backpacks and started to assemble the tent. At least my brothers did. I had no clue. It was now six pm.
“Lucy, we’ll do the tent,” said Ben, sensing my inability to cope.
“You make a fire,” suggested Luke.
“What do we want a fire for?” I asked.
“Dinner,” laughed Luke, throwing a couple of tins of food and a pan towards me.
I tried to pretend I knew how to make a fire, and picked up two sticks to rub together. I thought I did a good job of looking like I knew what I was doing.
“You’ll want these,” Ben said, cracking up as he threw me a box of matches.
“It’s basic but not that basic!” smiled Luke.
“Yeah don’t worry you won’t have to go and hunt for a dinosaur for our meal,” Ben joked.
I gave them a moody look, but even I had to laugh a bit.
We got the tent up, got the fire going and had a meal of sorts from our tins of beans and vegetables.
“Better get used to this sort of food for the next week,” said Ben.
I groaned, not for the first time that day.
We sat by the fire and talked for ages, then the boys stripped to their underwear and got into their sleeping bags. I stood outside the tent and put a long shirt over my bra and panties before going in and getting in my sleeping bag.
Luke switched off the lantern. I peered into the darkness.
“Why do you love it so much?” I asked no one in particular.
“What?” asked Ben.
“Camping. I mean no proper food, warmth, bed, anything.”
“This is good. The weather’s great. Hot and sunny. Try it in the wind and rain. Seriously though it’s fun. Back to nature and all that. By the end of this week you’ll either be hooked or you’ll never do it again,” explained Luke.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sunday morning. We awoke to a beautiful sunny morning. It was going to be hot today. Breakfast was bread and water. Great! We took down the tent, packed our stuff away and set off.
Today promised a four to five hour trek through the park to our camping place by the lake. Within an hour the boys had stripped to just shorts. I got a bit further, before I too took off my shirt, leaving me in just a sports bra on my top half. I wore a just above knee length black skirt.
We stopped for lunch before carrying on. Eventually we reached a camp site with shops, a bar and cafe, showers. Cars everywhere. Big luxurious camper vans and trailers.
“Oh this is ok,” I said.
“This is not it. This is awful,” said Luke.
“Looks alright to me.”
“No no. We’re further along around the lake. It’s a lot quieter there.”
So we walked for another ninety minutes before the boys finally stopped beside the lake.
“This is the place. Busy isn’t it, Luke?” said Ben.
I looked around. It certainly was a beautiful place. There were about ten other tents.
“You can’t get a vehicle here,” Ben pointed out.
“It’s too rough for cars. Thankfully,” added Luke.
We put up the tent. Our home until Friday morning.
The tent was situated right beside the lake and by two fallen tree trunks.
“This is the spot. We put the fire between these logs and sit around it every night. Fantastic,” exclaimed Luke.
I watched as Ben hung some rope between the tent and a tree. He saw me looking.
“Washing line,” he explained.
“Gosh, you two are so resourceful. You think of everything,” I wondered.
“Years of experience little sis,” added Luke.
As we were finishing making our plot homely a couple, maybe in their late thirties, walked by along the shore of the lake.
“Just arrived?” asked the man.
“Sure thing,” answered Ben, adopting a strange cowboy sound to his voice, making me smile to myself.
“Busy, ain’t it?” said the man.
“Uh-huh,” answered Luke, also trying to be Clint Eastwood.
“Holiday weekend. This lot will be gone this time tomorrow. See if I’m right. Ed by the way. This here’s my girl Mary,” he said, holding out his hand to shake ours.
“Luke. This is Ben and Lucy. My brother and sister,” said Luke, as we all shook hands.
“When you here till?” asked Ed.
“Friday. You?”
“Mmmmmm the same. Be just us then I’ll wager,” said Ed.
“Good to meet you. See you around,” added Ben, as Ed and Mary walked on.
Tent erected, the boys changed into swim shorts inside then I changed into my bikini. Purple. The lake was so inviting. We swam for a while, cooked, ate and drank some beer.
The plan for Monday was to chill in the morning then go to the big camp for some supplies. Food and drink. Water. Beer. Lots of beer!
It was now past ten pm. Dark and at last a bit cooler. We went for one more swim.