Bob and Phil

Ara got giggly after the first jug of wine, and Angel laughed at all of them for being tipsy. She tried a beer but made a face, and managed to drink a whole two-liter soda instead. I hadn't bought any liquor, because Bob told me Pops didn't handle it well. I looked around the fire and grinned, thinking except for size it was just like family camping trips I remembered as a child.

I went to bed as soon as they left, and slept like a rock. Bob woke me up, wanting breakfast. He really didn't eat a lot of meat, but told me his kind did eat it, usually in winter months when nothing else was available. He could put away pancakes like nobody's business, and I guess the smell hung in the air long enough to bring Angel in. I must have made pancakes for an hour, and they used up a large bottle of syrup.

They took me on a trail I didn't know existed, a long trail up a cliff, but when we got to the top, it was breathtaking. It was like you were on top of the world. I broke out the four boxes of trail snacks, and we had a little picnic. They were fanatical about making sure there was no trash on the ground. Angel told me the less evidence anyone had ever been there, the better. I told them a little about my life, including the bitter breakup, and they talked in generalities about their lifestyle.

Divorce was unheard of, but then so was marriage. They did have a mating ritual they went through, but if a partner wanted out, they had one for that also. In the warm months they mostly lived outdoors, with shelters built to keep the rain off them, but in the cold months they mostly lived in caves. They didn't use fire much, preferring to sleep together in family units for warmth, and if was really cold, they had robes woven from tree fibers that were rainproof and natural insulators. They used the same fibers to make bags for food storage.

I asked a few times about population densities, and they became really vague, so I dropped it. Pops and Marc showed up one day, insisting I go with them. We hiked to a high mountain meadow that was thick with wild blueberries, and spent most of the day filling baskets. Pops told me they'd dry them for winter, the compounds in the berries necessary for their health. I saved about a gallon to put in pancakes. The next day, Ara and Angel had me, and we spent the day picking up nuts, mostly hickory, but they did show me a mature chestnut tree, unusual because they had almost been wiped out a century earlier.

Finally, my time was up, so I packed my gear. Bob helped me, and the rest of the family showed up, looking sad.

The males shook my hand, and I marveled about how tiny my hands looked in their large digits. Ara and Angel gave me bone crushing hugs. Bob said he was really happy to know me, glad we got to spend time together. I grinned.

"Don't get to missing me too much. In a week I can come back. The only reason I'm leaving now is because park management won't let me stay. I'll be back soon."

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I went home and tried to live my life. I had about two hundred twenty grand in the bank, and I was living in a garage apartment the parents of one of my remaining friends let me use. They didn't want me to pay rent, but I gave them seven hundred a month, and that included power. I could take my time finding another job, and I wasn't in any hurry. Eventually, I'd buy another house, but the market was overheated right now and interest rates were the highest they'd been in years. I could wait for the market to cool down, maybe find a bargain.

I didn't unpack my camping gear, and left it on the back of the truck. I had the little truck and trailer at a storage facility, tarped. It was behind a chain link fence, with motion detection lights and alarms, so very few attempts had been made to steal anything. People kept spare cars, pontoon boats, RV's, and anything that took a lot of space up was relegated to the lot.

I waited a week and a half before going back. Ranger Rick met me when I signed in. "I can let you have two weeks. After that, we're closed down for the winter. I hope you brought a thick sleeping bag; it might get down in the thirties at night by the time you leave."

I hauled a large load up the mountain, waiting until just before dark before coming back for another one. I'd pick the rest up in the morning. It took stopping at four grocery stores and a produce stand, but I had forty pounds of bananas, two bushels of apples, oranges, tangerines, and ten pounds of grapes. My new friends better show up, or I'd be stuck with a lot of wasted food.

Turns out that wasn't a worry. The fire was going and the coffee pot was percolating when I pulled in. Bob made his version of a grin, and he and Angel helped me unload. I'd bought a gift basket of fruits and candies just for her, and when I gave it to her I could almost feel my ribs break from the hug.

It was another hot dog feast, with potatoes roasted in the fire. Their mouths were extremely tough, because Ara practically drank the coffee straight from the pot, and Bob picked a potato up out of the embers, stripping the aluminum foil away and almost swallowing it whole. Bob, Pops, and I got into the beer, while Ara and Angel drank grape soda, her favorite.

They didn't even bother to leave, falling asleep where they wanted, Pops, Ara, and Angel in a pile, while Bob slept next to the fire. Marc had just disappeared, and Angel said he did that a lot.

I woke before they did, and had the pancakes going before they stirred. Angel helped me cook, flipping pancakes like a pro. After we were all full, they dragged me along, climbing until we were as high in the mountains as we could get. Pops pointed to a mountain in the distance, telling me their caves were located there, and if I ever needed refuge, to come there. It touched me deeply, and I realized my new best friends weren't even my species.

We sat on a ridge, watching the changing leaves spread across the mountains, and had a strange conversation. Ara asked how I could afford to buy the things I'd brought for them, so I explained my current status, sad, but leaving me with a lot (to me) of money. Bob asked me if I would be willing to bring them things during the winter months, telling me we could set up a spot where no one would see us. Then he told me money was no object.

"You have money?"

There was a little muttering before Ara told me the story. "Three years ago, two men jumped out of a plane back in the high ridges. They were too low, and hit a mountaintop before the chutes fully opened. When we found them, they looked like road kill, and the animals had been chewing on them. One had an enormous backpack full of money. The other had a smaller pack of money, and a huge pack of the white powder that makes your species so crazy. A few skunks had gnawed into it, and they were scattered in a circle around him. We dropped them and the powder in a deep crevice, and carried the money home. It's been stashed in our cave ever since."

It had to have been a drug drop gone wrong. "Nobody ever come looking? They would have wanted the money back, and the drugs even more."

"Three groups, all of them searching miles from where it happened. They gave up after a couple of years, and haven't been back. We still stay vigilant."

Bob was the only one to stay with me that night, though Pops took a case of beer, Ara two jugs of wine, and Angel carried off three of the sodas, as well as a bunch of chips I thought they might like.

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We were a little slow out of the blocks the next morning. I'd chewed two of the dried mushrooms from the North Ridge and drank a six pack, and Bob had killed eighteen of the high alcohol content beers I'd brought along.

While we were eating breakfast, I asked him if it was just me trippin' or were his folks back last night. I heard a lot of moving around, and part of the food was missing. I know for a fact there were twenty boxes of pancake mix left, but there was only twelve when I looked this morning. Bob frowned, got up and walked off into the woods, coming back fifteen minutes later frowning.

"Somebody was here, but it wasn't us. Let me check on that. I'll see you tonight."

And just like that he was gone. I puttered around the camp, inventoried the food, and knew I'd have to make another supply run by Saturday. I was mentally making lists of what I needed, tailoring it to the likes of my new 'family', when Bob strolled back into the clearing, as usual, completely silent. It still scared the shit out of me to turn around to see him and Marc, especially since Marc didn't look happy.

They wanted coffee for a change, which should have sent warning signals. Usually, Marc only drank beer. After two cups straight from the pot, he started talking. "You're going to have visitors tonight. They won't be our people, and Bob will be here with you. I'll be around in case things get interesting."

I was trying to define what a Bigfoot deemed interesting, and nothing good came to mind. He drifted off, and Bob told me I should start making pancakes so I did, using eight of the remaining boxes. He also had me lay out the remaining fruit, and a couple bags of candy. I grilled six chicken breasts for me and Bob. I ate two.

A little after dark, Bob stood up and started sniffing. I almost grinned, but then remembered why he was sniffing.

There was four of them. All I got was glimpses of long black hair until they stepped into the light. Fuck! They were all women, smaller than Bob, but still pretty tall. with jet black hair that fell to their waists, wearing a skirt that fell just below their knees, in a muted brown.

The biggest was obviously their leader, with features that were someplace between me and Bob. The two middle sized ones looked more like my kind, but the youngest looked completely human except for her size.

"These are Mosogo," Bob said, by way of introduction. "Their lineage goes back as far as ours, and as you can see, they kind of bridge the gap between my people and yours. The tall one is Elena, the elder of the tribe and leader. The two younger ones are Billie and Berta, her daughters, and the youngest is Jade. She's probably a little older than you, but not much."

I tried to put on a winning smile. "Ladies, welcome to my camp. Any friend of Bob's (that got a side eye from Elena and Bob) is more than welcome here. May I offer you a snack?"

They had been eyeing the stack of pancakes, and I served them, piling the stacks high, and giving them the bottles of syrup that had been warming by the fire. Though shy, they weren't averse to enjoying the meal, until the last stack was gone and they were sitting with coffee in their hands.

Elana started the conversation. "When word filtered back to us, we were deeply concerned. Any interaction with your kind almost always ends badly. My friend Ara, however, assured me you have no problem with our peoples. I think I must give youth the benefit of the doubt. Tell me, when you leave here, will you be back? Or will your interaction with us become a treasured secret?"

I was just starting to realize the beings I was dealing with had a depth of knowledge and an intellect they seemed to try to hide. I sighed.

"Look, I had just gotten out of a bad marriage, betrayed by friends, unlawfully discharged from my job, and the last thing I wanted was to be around people. Bob and his family were a complete surprise, but in all honesty, I'm far more comfortable with them than I am with my own kind at the moment. And no, even if I can't stay here again until next spring, I'm sure I can work out some kind of plan to check in once in a while, maybe drop off supplies while I'm at it. I know you don't need me to survive, but I'd like to think I can improve your quality of life, if you would let me. All I want in return is their friendship."

The ladies looked at each other, having a hurried discussion in their own tongue. I was sure Bob could understand, but he kept his face bland, though I noticed his lips start to quirk into a grin once or twice. Elana resumed our conversation.

"In the history of our peoples, we have had human friends before. The instances are few and far between, but they were valued. We've also had a few betrayals, and I warn you, they did not end well. We are willing to offer you conditional friendship, if you will help us as well."

"I'd be glad to, but the question is, how? What can I do for you?"

She hesitated for a second. "My kind is not as well equipped to deal with the cold as Bob and his kind. This can be traced back to our ability to breed with your kind. There are very few pure Mosogo left. Most of us have human ancestry. My daughters ae half, and my granddaughter is three fourths. She's almost human, and I'd wager she could walk among you with very little notice."

I looked more closely at Jade, noting the green eyes and fine features. She could very well pass for human, even though she was much taller than the average female. She blushed under my inspection, especially when my eyes went to her breasts. They were all topless, and I learned later they had only put on the skirts as a gesture to me. Jade's breasts looked almost too perfect, reminding me a lot of implants you saw, but I knew they were natural. I tried to hide my grin when her nipples hardened under my inspection.

Getting my blood to flow back to my brain, I noticed their amusement. I shrugged. "I don't know how you judge beauty, but Jade is an exceptional woman. She would definitely be noticed if she were among us, but not for racial differences." The older women grinned while she blushed furiously, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Getting back to the subject, how can I help you?"

"Most pressing would be blankets or other warm coverings. Our dwellings are dry, but without heat."

That was something I could easily do. "How many would you need?"

I could see the unwillingness to let me know their numbers, and she finally answered, saying as many as I could get. I was thinking thermal sleeping bags, and decided to go to town tomorrow.

"I think I know just the thing. I'll pick a few up for you tomorrow, so you can see if it meets your needs. Anything else?"

"Foods already prepared, especially fruit and nuts, dried, but we would take fresh. Again, as much as you can bring."

I frowned. "We need a meeting place that's both private and accessible for me. The park will close next week, and the gates will be locked."

Bob finally joined the conversation. "I know such a place, and it's not far from here. It's an abandoned homestead, the people thinking they wanted to live close to the land. It's off the road, down a long private lane. We'd sit in the dark and listen to them, laughing when they complained about missing air conditioning and microwaves. It took them all of four months to run back to your civilization. It has a for sale sign up, but as far as we know, less than a handful have looked at it and none have wanted it. There's even a gate on the driveway."

I saw Jade eyeing a bag of snickers, and I gifted them to her as they left. Elana frowned. "We're well aware of what happens if you turn someone into a sugar eater, and there are no dentists who make house calls. I will make sure this lasts no more than two a week."

Jade looked crestfallen, but perked up when I gave her a bag of oranges. They walked away slowly, with great dignity, but I heard the excited chatter as soon as they thought they were out of earshot. Bob had a longing look in his eyes as they departed.

"Say Bob, do your species ever...get together?"

He had a sad smile. "We do, but unfortunately we cannot produce offspring. If we could, there would only be one species for you to deal with. I've been with Bertha, even spent a winter with her. Her people were not welcoming, wanting her to take a mate that could provide more of the next generation. My people are the same, but it doesn't stop us."

"You're still together?"

He shrugged. "Sort of."

"You're going to have to tell me what that means."

I could sense he really didn't like to talk about it. "It means we're not a couple but we still get together from time to time."

I pressed. "Define time to time."

"Maybe once or twice a week." Wow, Bigfoot booty calls.

I laughed and he looked a little pissed. "Dude! Twice a week isn't time to time. I was married and there were a lot of weeks when we weren't together in that way twice, or even once, a week. What happens if it gets too much and you have to choose?"

"They'll throw us both out of our tribes! We'd have to leave and find another place. Family might not mean much to your people, but to ours, it's almost everything."

Feeling bad for him, I said no more.

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The next morning, I left bright and early, taking the road Bob had pointed out to me. It led right by the abandoned homestead. I had to say, it wasn't much to look at, but the log cabin looked pretty stout.

I went to three different towns, hitting two grocery stores at each, glad I had the lockable tonneau top on the bed. No one could see what I had under it. I also stopped at two sporting goods stores, buying two sleeping bags at each, along with several solar blankets I noticed on a rack. Walking by a scarf display, I bought six long ones. Angel had told me the only thing that ever got cold for her in winter was her throat, so I figured all the females would appreciate them. The colors I chose were all muted, so they would blend in. There was a trend, a really good marketing idea, of putting General Dollar stores out in the middle of rural areas, so I stopped at a few of them, getting chips and canned fruit. My truck was stuffed to the gills when I got back, noticing the gate standing open at the homestead. I heard it creak when I pulled through as Marc and Bob closed it.

The driveway went around the cabin, so I pulled out of sight, and opened up. Bertha and Jade were there as well, and there was a lot of excited female chatter as they went through the stuff. They were particularly impressed with the scarfs and sleeping bags. There was no way they could carry it all at the same time, so we put it in a little shed that wasn't locked. By dark, it would be empty.

I spent the time looking at the property, thinking, and I wrote down the number for the real estate company. When it came time to leave, we made arrangements for me to deliver a load once a month, to the cabin.

I checked the real estate description out. The property consisted of seventeen acres, ten cleared, with a small barn and two outbuildings besides the cabin. It was in the middle of nowhere, butted against park land, and they had it listed for a hundred twenty-five. No one had looked at it in a year, and when I called, they were more than happy to give me a tour.

I already knew the property, so I didn't seem too excited as they showed me around. After the tour, we negotiated. The seller was desperate, so I got it for ninety thousand, leaving me a little over a hundred grand in my bank account. I spent another few grand getting it insulated and wired, but by November it was livable. I decided to keep my little apartment for a few more months, and told the folks I was renting from I'd be in and out over the next few months while I fixed my new place up.

My first night there we had a little housewarming. Marc was there with a female. It seemed they had gone through the mating ritual, and she was his new 'bride'. He was as proud as he could be, and I went into my storage building, pulling out a nice scarf for her, and a box of chocolates for both. She kissed me, surprising the heck out of me. It wasn't nasty, and she smelled like fall leaves. It hit her what she had done and you could almost see her blush. I just gave her a hug and slapped Marc on the back. His hug took the breath out of me.