A Walk in the Woods

Daddy picked me up from school in his beat up, forest green Ranger and brought me home. When the chores were done, we set out. He drove us out to the field where the powerlines cut through the woods. The electric company kept the land clear of trees here, and it was usually covered in budding flowers, plump blackberries, and flowering maypops. He parked to the side of the road and got out of the truck. I climbed out from the back and plopped down beside him. Then, we walked.

The road was dirt and gravel. It sank low in a few places, letting water gather there. The puddles were shallow and clear, and full of tadpoles. I knelt down to look at them and watch the little tails swish, propelling them through the water. I looked at Daddy, half expecting him to tell me to stay out of the water. He smiled and nodded to me. I grinned and splashed my fingers in the puddles, chasing the tadpoles.

Then we walked on, heading deeper into the woods. The sun was still high enough that the sky was bright blue, but it wasn’t as hot. Yellow rays flickered down between the bright, new green leaves of the trees.

“Hey, Audra! Come here!” Daddy called. He stopped beside a bunch of flowers. The petals curled back, and the larger flowers were yellow. He plucked a flower off the vine and pinched a green bead on the back. As he pulled the bead away from the petals, a thin string pulled out of the back of the flower, and clear droplets gathered in the new hole it made. He put the flower to his lips and sucked lightly. “Honeysuckle. Here. It’s sweet.”

He gave me one of the flowers and I tried to copy him. I messed up the first couple of times, but when I finally pulled a good string and put the flower to my lips, I tasted the sweet nectar. I hummed and my eyes must have bulged, because Daddy laughed. “Good, huh?”

“Uh huh! Can I have another one?”

He gave me a handful of them to take with me on the road.

We walked deeper into the woods. The sunlight was more golden now. He took his time, walking slow despite how tall he was. I finished my honeysuckles before we reached the fork in the road. The road split where the woods changed. The pines gave way to a wide open floor, large-trunked trees standing tall and broad. A blanket of leaves covered the floor. One path was overgrown with tall grass and turned out of sight past thick, low bushes. We moved forward, taking the path straight back into the broad trees.

Daddy turned down a trail to the left, veering through a clearing. Grass was sprouting thick and green through the layer of leaves and dead limbs. Trees with curling tan bark, exposing a white underlayer, lined the clearing. The trail turned and wound down the back of a gentle slope. He led the way, and I finally saw it - white sand and clear water, a flickering ribbon winding through the roots of the forest floor.

Daddy walked with me to the edge of the creek. He stepped down in it, the sandy creek bed knee deep on him. He put his giant hands under my arms and hoisted me up, effortlessly, and set me down on the bank with him. My clear rubber sandals sank a little in the damp sand, and cool water tickled my toes. I squeaked and giggled, wiggling my toes closer to the water.

“Does it feel good?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Well, come on. Just watch out for the dark spots. The water is deep there.”

I ran ahead, splashing in the clear water. He let me run. I saw a crawdad with a pale blue body and dark blue spots on its back. It scuttled further downstream. I chased it, but I lost it in the sand. I saw handprints and stared. They were smaller than my own hands, and the fingers were thin and spiky. He told me they belonged to a raccoon. We followed the stream as it winded through the woods, in between trees, under roots, and even created a miniature island. I climbed into the center of the island, maybe as big as my bedroom, and declared it my kingdom. He helped me gather sticks and limbs and build a pretend castle around its edges.

The sunlight began to deepen, glowing more orange now. “Audra? It’s time to go.”

“Aw, Daddy. Do we have to?”

“We do. Mommy’s got dinner, and the woods have to go to sleep.”

“Okay, Daddy… Can we come back tomorrow?”

“We can come back whenever you want to. It’s our secret garden.”

“Yes! Can we get some blackberries?”

“I think I got a bucket for some. You gonna eat ‘em fresh?”

I cackled. “Ew, no!”

“But that’s the best!”

“Nuh-uh!”

We walked back along the creek and made it back to the trail. He walked a little slower, and I matched his stride at first. We neared the last hill that took us back to the powerline field, and Daddy suddenly stopped. He put his hand out to stop me, his whole hand covering my chest. He shushed me, a quiet sound, and slowly pointed at the road ahead. Then I saw it - a doe was standing in the middle of the road, nibbling on fresh grass, with a spotted baby under her belly. They didn’t see us for a few minutes. We watched them until the mama deer led her baby off into the woods.

The sun was low, starting to turn the sky into a kaleidoscope of rainbow hues, by the time we made it back to the truck. I read the clock. It was after six. I chewed on my lip. “Ooo… it’s late, Daddy. Mommy’s gonna be mad.”

“Yeah, maybe. But did you have fun?”

I smiled and nodded. “Uh huh. Wasn’t that baby deer cute?! And did you see the crawfish?! I almost caught it!”

“Well… that’s what matters the most. Come on. You need dinner and a bath.” He cranked the truck up and revved it.

“Daddy? What about the blackberries?”