Camping was something my family often did while I was growing up. Camping is a great way for families to spend time together. It’s also a great way for people to get out and enjoy nature.
We had a pop-up camper, where my sisters and I slept along with our parents. My older brother preferred sleeping alone in the van. I normally liked sleeping in the camper, but one particular night, I would have much preferred the van and my brother.
I was sleeping soundly when all of a sudden something woke me. The lights of the camper were on and the camper was rocking back and forth. I could hear my mom talking to my dad, “It’s over there!” Then there would be stomping and shaking again.
Sitting up in my bed, I opened the privacy curtain and saw that my father was out of bed, but without my glasses on, I couldn’t see what was wrong. So what did I do? I put on my glasses and took another sneak peak, which is an act I regret to this day.
I saw my dad holding a badminton racket.
“It’s over there!” My mom said again.
Dad looked where she was pointing and swung the racket. He missed. There was a bat flying around the camper. It must have come in through one of the not so tight spots of the canvas part of the camper.
My sister, who was sleeping on the fold down table, groggily sat up.
“What’s going on?” She asked.
“Lay down!” Mom demanded.
She immediately obeyed, but by now her eyes were wide open, watching my dad swing at the bat that was flying directly above her head.
“Get it, Bill!” Mom yelled.
Dad swung. The bat fell onto my sister’s leg. Even though she was covered by blankets, she still screamed bloody murder.
At that moment, my youngest sister, who had been sleeping next to me, sat up. I smacked her in the chest with my forearm and made her lay back down. She still doesn’t recall much of anything to this day.
My other sister, however, still remembers everything. It may have happened almost thirty years ago, but she says she can still feel that bat on her leg. Believe it or not, we all still love camping! Whenever we see a bat flying through the night sky, I look to my sister and ask, “Do you remember that time...?”
We had a pop-up camper, where my sisters and I slept along with our parents. My older brother preferred sleeping alone in the van. I normally liked sleeping in the camper, but one particular night, I would have much preferred the van and my brother.
I was sleeping soundly when all of a sudden something woke me. The lights of the camper were on and the camper was rocking back and forth. I could hear my mom talking to my dad, “It’s over there!” Then there would be stomping and shaking again.
Sitting up in my bed, I opened the privacy curtain and saw that my father was out of bed, but without my glasses on, I couldn’t see what was wrong. So what did I do? I put on my glasses and took another sneak peak, which is an act I regret to this day.
I saw my dad holding a badminton racket.
“It’s over there!” My mom said again.
Dad looked where she was pointing and swung the racket. He missed. There was a bat flying around the camper. It must have come in through one of the not so tight spots of the canvas part of the camper.
My sister, who was sleeping on the fold down table, groggily sat up.
“What’s going on?” She asked.
“Lay down!” Mom demanded.
She immediately obeyed, but by now her eyes were wide open, watching my dad swing at the bat that was flying directly above her head.
“Get it, Bill!” Mom yelled.
Dad swung. The bat fell onto my sister’s leg. Even though she was covered by blankets, she still screamed bloody murder.
At that moment, my youngest sister, who had been sleeping next to me, sat up. I smacked her in the chest with my forearm and made her lay back down. She still doesn’t recall much of anything to this day.
My other sister, however, still remembers everything. It may have happened almost thirty years ago, but she says she can still feel that bat on her leg. Believe it or not, we all still love camping! Whenever we see a bat flying through the night sky, I look to my sister and ask, “Do you remember that time...?”
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