The storm

The Storm

I feel excitement as I look around my kitchen looking at coolers packed, bags of food filled with junk food, and a ton of booze!. I look on the kitchen island and go over my check list for the seventeenth time. I feel like a school girl excited for a first date. I can hardly contain myself of pure joy! 

I can hear music playing in the driveway, and the horn honk! “They’re here!” I yell at my husband for help with my bags. The girls in the car are singing to the music, laughing and wave. One of my friends had a travel mug in one hand and helping with the SUV door. It was packed, but I managed to squeeze my stuff in. We always pack way to much food, and enough booze to pickle the whole entire section of produce at the grocery store!

“Here”, my friend of 30 years passes me a travel mug.

“Already! We are not even out of town yet” I reply having a sip of very strong margarita! 

“Oh you bet”, Stac looked at me and laughed “its 5 o’clock somewhere!”

I shook my head, turned to kiss my husband goodbye. He was shaking his head, “have fun see you in a couple of days!!” Now waving at us as Jes backed up the car and blasts the music of Madonna! I can see him shaking his head, and I couldn’t help but smile! It’s going to be a fun ride of two cars filled with 50 year old women! We clink our travel mugs and down the highway we went. I couldn’t help but think I feel so sorry for the poor guy that is driving the house boat this weekend. 

In the four hours of travel to one of the most beautiful lakes in Ontario we must have stopped 5 times, our bladders are not like they used to be. Everyone would pile out and switch vehicles on every stop. The poor drivers were sure to catch up as soon as we got all of our gear on the house boat. 

Finally we pulled into the resort, still laughing all of us made our way down to the dock where our houseboat awaits. It was huge and beautiful. The roof of the captains quarters had a flat bed roof for all of us to suntan and enjoy the views. Below deck,  there was a kitchen, table, some couches,  bathroom and 4 beds for us to double up. 

It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. The breeze from the boat moving forward felt good on this hot summer day. The captain didn’t mind our music, as a matter of fact I think he was enjoying us old girls and our stories.  He stopped the boat, and anchored while we had a late lunch and decided we all wanted to jump in the cold water. It was very refreshing, and a much needed brake from drinking. The ‘bevies’ were going down very smoothly. It was nice to see the girls having a great time. I was so happy that we decided to do this, this year. We usually get together every year for a camping trip but this year we wanted to make it different.

After swimming the captain started up the house boat while we all were on the flat deck, dancing, singing, and catching up. It was time for supper, and the captain pulled into a bay and anchored for the night. He told us that this bay was out of the wind if the weather took a turn for the worse and we would be in calm waters no matter what the weather had in store. Later that night we were happy to be in the bay because a storm was approaching very fast.

In Ontario the storms come fast, with heavy rains (sometimes hail) and a lot of lightning. To see the storm come in so quickly on our first night was a little scary. The lightning was beautiful looking out the windows from the lower deck. I was very happy to be in calm waters, watching the storm. They usually wouldn’t last to long, but some of us were tired from travelling and the very hot sun from the day. 

A lightning bolt cracked so loud and at the same time we could see the captain outside trying to make his way to the door in his rain suit and flashlight. Bel opened the door, and asked if everything was ok.

The captain had a worried look on his face and said that one of the other house boats didn’t make it to the bay and started taking on water and their passengers were in danger. He then asked us if we wouldn’t mind bringing the passengers and captain on board until morning when help could come and bring them back to the resort. We didn’t hesitate and asked if we could help with the skiff. It was very windy so De and I went out to help. After fighting with the winds the captain was off to get the crew from the other boat.

De and I ran to the door, to dry off and get dressed. Al asked if the captain said how long he would be, and Di and I looked at each other with a worried look and said “no.”  The storm was letting off a bit, the winds weren’t so strong but it was still raining out. Anna, got up to make some coffee and put some baileys out for our guests, and cut up some cheese, meat and crackers just in case they were hungry. Now we waited. 

Nei said “well if they are not back by morning Cor and I can drive this beast back” looked around and said “after all all of us know how to navigate and know survival skills.” We all laughed and saluted to our new brave captains!!

A few hours passed and we could hear the boat coming closer, so we all went outside to help our passengers from the skiff to the house boat.  Something was wrong the guy driving the the skiff was not our captain. Once they got closer we could not see our captain at all. I was very nervous as the skiff had 3 young women and two guys. They were all wet, and the young women were crying. 

I reached for the boat to tie it to the house boat and One by one all of us girls helped them on to the boat. 

Cor said” Where is the captain, yelling over the motor still running” one of the guys said “he and the other captain stayed behind to work on the motor and would come as soon as it was running again.”

 The motor was now shut off and we invited everyone in to warm up and get the girls dry. The three of them reluctant to go with Jes and Ela. But the one burly guy nodded his head and off they went to the bunk area. 

The conversation while they were gone was strange. The one guy couldn’t stop shaking, his eyes wide looking at the big burly guy almost like he was scared. The burly guy-Chad helped himself to the food and took the baileys and sat down. He didn’t offer anything to the skinny one. The air felt different, strange, and very uncomfortable. Al went to get up, to see if they needed any help in the back and Chad told her to sit down.

We all looked at each other, and she said “pardon me? I’m going to see if they need any help.” Chad stood up and told her to sit down. She did now looking at us nervous.

 Cor stood up and said, “hey man we don’t want any trouble, we are just here to help.” She is the feisty one of the group and not afraid of anyone. She looked at us, then at Chad and said, “do you mind if I go to the washroom in the captains courtiers since the girls are in the sleeping courters were the other bathrooms are?”

Chad said “sure don’t take to long.”

“Ok” she said. Looked at us again and headed for the door. 

Jes, Ela and the three girls came out very quietly, and the thee girls had their heads down. Jes went to the cubbord to get the tray of food to put on the table were the girls sat. Jes was very quiet and I new something was up. 

Chad stood up and said “what is taking that girl Cor so long” and headed for the door. Jes looked at me with a horrified look on her face. 

I stood up and said “Wait Chad” He looked at me with shifting angry eyes and said “what?”

I said, “you might need a flashlight, looking past him looking at Ela.

Just then Ela struck him hard with a frying pan and he fell hard to the floor! The skinny guy went  to stand up and one of the young girls tripped him and he to fell! 

“What is going on!” Stac said with panic in her shrill voice, looking at the two guys on the floor, and at Ela and Jes. 

“Hurry, find something to tie up Chad” yelled Ela

Stac grabbed her cord from her phone and tied up his hands. 

The skinny guy now yelling “Stop! You have to stop! He will kill all of us!!”

One of the young girls hit him with the frying pan while Al tied up his hands with her cell phone cord. 

We all looked at the two guys passed out on the floor in a heap. The thunder struck and left a crack so loud we all jumped and I screamed, it scared me so bad. The girls now crying, and De looking for duct tape or something to tie their feet. 

Cor came back looked at the two guys and said help is on the way. I was calling for help on the radio phone since our cells don’t work out here! “What is going on in here?” That is when the girls told us that they were taken at a truck stop by the two guys. They were on the Lake headed to the border to sell them for money for sex trade. The skinny guy used to work for the lodge and new exactly were this boat would be and called in a mayday to the captain. Once the captain came across the lake in the little skiff the big guy Chad threw your captain in the water and shot at him, that is when  we came here. 

They cried and we were all shaken up. A few hours later help came and they found our captain still alive floating on the water. We decided that our houseboat girls weekend was a bust, but the lodge upgraded us to the best cabin for the rest of the weekend.