Camp Life

  Patrick subsided, with some difficulty. The Wizard of Oz was one of his favorites, and a rich mine of excellent voices.

  “What’s your dog’s name?” Toby was finally able to ask Corinne. “Mine’s Rufus.”

  “Rufus is a good name,” Corinne said. “My aunt named my dog before she gave him to us and…well, she really liked that game show, The Price is Right, so she named him…Bob the Barker.”

  Cal burst out laughing, while the others looked puzzled.

  “The host’s name was Bob Barker…get it?” Corinne explained.

  Toby laughed then. “I like Bob the Barker!”

  “Yeah, it grows on you,” Corinne agreed with a grin.

  “Jim!” a voice called from a little way up the hill.

  Jim’s head shot up, a smile spread slowly across his face, and he leaped to his feet.

  Noreen was walking down the hill with another lady who was shorter and a little broader, her sandy brown-blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail.

  “Mum!” He strode forward and grabbed her in a bear hug. She hugged him back, and laughing, took his face between her hands and gave him a smacking kiss.

  “There, did I embarrass you enough, chooky?”

  “Not until you called me chooky.”

  Toby looked from one to the other, trying and failing to see a family resemblance, except maybe for the hair. “What’s a chooky?”

  “You don’t want to know,” Jim said solemnly before she could answer.

  “It’s a term of endearment,” she went on anyway…”it means…”

  “Means heart of a lion,” Jim put in quickly.

  She shook her head at him and before she could explain further, he said, “You’re early! I thought you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”

  “The flight worked out better if I arrived today, so here I am. I won’t interfere with you tonight, promise. Just do whatever you were going to do, and I’ll be with Noreen and Cal and everyone.”

  “That’s right, Nicky can be with us.” Noreen gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze, and sniffed the air appreciatively. “Cal, you are a genius. It smells amazing.”

  “They should be just about ready. I should check them.” Cal had hoisted himself off the ground when he saw Jim’s mother. He gave her a hug. “Good to see you, Nicky.”

  “And you, as well…Nice boardies,” she teased, tugging on the leg of his baggy, gecko-covered boardshorts.

  “Too conservative, almost boring, but good for baking bread,” he answered seriously. “You want to hear a joke?”

  “No!” a half dozen voices responded as one.

  She chuckled. “I’d like to see this bread, anyway, and the famous oven Noreen’s been telling me about. But first, I want to meet everyone.” She turned to Toby and held out her hand. “I’m Nicky, Jim’s mum, though you probably already know that part.”

  Toby shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you Mrs…I mean…” he faltered.

  “Roberts. But Nicky will do.”

  “Nicky,” Toby repeated with a shy smile.

  Jim took Corinne’s hand and pulled her forward. “This is Corinne.” He thought of so many things he could add, that she was brave and true, that she babbled when she was nervous, that she wore wild clothes with her head held high, and had the kindest heart…He didn’t say any of it, just presented her to his mother with a happy grin.

  Corinne thought she just might pass out or throw up from nervousness. No, maybe have diarrhea, then throw up. No, more like have diarrhea, throw up, and pass out. At least she was shaking instead of babbling. Shaking was better than babbling, right? Why am I so nervous about meeting his mom? There’s nothing to be nervous about, she told herself, just shy of hyperventilating.

  Nicky interrupted her thoughts, giving her a quick hug. “So happy to meet you.” She spared a quick, shrewd glance for Jim, and focused on Corinne again. “You have such lovely curly hair. I always wanted hair like that.” She held up her ponytail. “Mine is stick-straight, no matter what I do to it.”

  “Bet I could make it curl,” Corinne ventured. “I have this super holding gel and I gave Toby a faux-hawk,” she began, then picked up speed, “and if I can make his hair stand up, I can probably get some curls to stay in your hair, for awhile, anyway.” She stopped talking with a gulp, and Jim grabbed her hand again, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

  Jake stood in the shadows, but Jim’s gaze found him, and he stepped forward.

  “Mum, this is Jake.”

  “Oh, Jim sent me some texts about you!” Nicky exclaimed. “I’m glad you’ve become friends. You make him laugh, and he loves people who make him laugh.”

  “I do?” said Jake, amazed.

  Jim laughed. “See?”

  Jake shook her hand, and Jim introduced the others.

  Cal led them up the hill to the oven, where Jim’s mother was properly impressed with their achievement. He used the broom to open the oven door, and shoving the paddle under one of the loaves, brought it out for inspection. The fragrant loaf was golden brown and everyone ooohed over it.

  He tapped it with a finger and smiled with satisfaction at the hollow sound. “Done!” Setting it down on the tray, he reached in and brought the others out, one by one. “I say we take these to the kitchen and split a loaf between us; the rest we’ll need to save for everyone else for dinner.

  This suggestion was met with hearty approval and they followed Cal like rats after the pied piper.

  Chapter 24

  Just for Fun

  “Don’t tell Cal, but I like the cornbread better,” Jake whispered as he licked melted butter off the side of his hand. “This stuff’s good, but…” He shrugged.

  “ I think it’s fantastic!” Corinne said, reaching past Jake to pluck another small slice out of the basket.

  “I like this better, too,” put in Caroline, “but the cornbread’s a close second.”

  There were nine of them grouped at one end of the table, and besides bread, they were feasting on barbecued chicken, beans, veggie kabobs, and a tomato, corn, and avocado salad. Caroline kept pace with Jake in the eating department, Sean and Patrick were heatedly discussing the rival merits of various lacrosse sticks, and Corinne, Jim, and Toby made plans for putting that evening’s extended pool hours to good use. Drew and Dara were talking quietly, happy in each other’s company and wanting to make the most of the time they had together.

  Drew caught a bit of Toby’s conversation with Jim and Corinne, and looked up. “Is everyone going to the pool after this?”

  Jake nodded, chewing fast, and Caroline managed a murmured “uh hungh” while she worked on a sticky chicken thigh.

  “We’re in,” Sean pointed at himself and Patrick.

  Drew looked at Dara questioningly and she nodded. It didn’t matter much where they were or what they did. She just wanted to spend this last night with her friends. Tomorrow would be different.

  Drew understood. “I guess we’re in, too.”

  Jim glanced at his mother, sitting across the room with some of the counselors. She had known a number of them for years and they were good friends. His family usually came to the States every year, almost always stopping here for at least a short visit. Cal had stayed with them in Australia while he was on a surf trip, and Shelley usually visited every couple of years for a week or two. They had known Jim since he could barely walk.

  Nicky saw him looking and gave him a smile and a little wave. He got up and jogged over to her to say goodnight, since he’d be at the pool after dinner and wouldn’t see her again until the morning.

  Corinne watched him go, wishing she got along that good with her mother. She sighed. At least she was tight with her dad and her sister. Jim trotted back to sit down beside her and her world got a little brighter.

  Patrick floated peacefully on his back in the deep end, long toes sticking up out of the water like popsicle sticks. Toby dog-paddled up to him.

  “Did you guys finish your stuff for
the show?”

  Patrick didn’t hear; his ears were underwater and he was concentrating on the stars, having spotted a constellation that looked like the slinky dog in Toy Story.

  Sean, treading water nearby, answered for him. “Yup. It’s going to be so cool. Wait ‘til you see Caroline do her dance.”

  Toby paddled in a circle, searching for Caroline, and saw her bobbing up and down on a noodle next to Corinne and Dara. He swung back around to Sean. “Teddy and I are doing one, too. A skit, I mean, not a dance.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Toby looked mischievous, cat eyes sparkling in reflected light from the water. “You’ll see.”

  Another group of kids came through the gate and Patrick’s peace was interrupted by hurrying feet, followed by a series of huge splashes as a couple of people came down the slide and another did a cannonball off the diving board. Patrick came up spluttering, wiping water from his eyes. “Guess everyone wants to use the pool tonight. I’ll show ‘em how a cannonball is supposed to be done.” He pulled himself out of the water and headed for the diving board. Toby and Sean swam backwards toward the shallow end so they could watch.

  As the evening wore on, the pool cleared out again. “On three. One, two, three!” Drew shouted.

  They raced toward the deep end, Jake, Drew, and Jim pulling Caroline, Dara, and Corinne, respectively. Each girl straddled a noodle and was not allowed to help by kicking, paddling, or any other means. Drew and Jim had the advantage over Jake, both in size and swimming ability, but Jake was holding his own through sheer determination. It also helped that the noodle slipped through Drew’s hand and he had to grab the wildly waving end before he could go forward again. Corinne fell off, inhaled a mouthful of pool water and went into a coughing fit while trying to get back on her noodle, and that slowed Jim down considerably.

  Jake yelled in triumph, touched the edge, and spun Caroline around to head back to the finish line. Drew had regained his hold on the noodle and was picking up speed, gliding through the water with powerful one-armed strokes. Corinne was gasping, but upright on her noodle, and Jim was making up lost ground, or water, fast.

  Feet kicking furiously, Jake put everything he had into reaching the finish before Jim and Drew. It seemed impossible that he could hold onto his lead, but with his final stroke, he felt the rough edge of the plaster beneath his fingertips, one second ahead of Drew, and two ahead of Jim.

  “Yes!” He shouted, slapping the water with his open palm. He turned to Caroline and they shared an exuberant high-five.

  Caroline threw both arms up in the air and yelled his name, and Jake felt the thrill of victory like never before. Jim and Drew waded over and dunked him, and he surfaced with the same joyful smile he’d been wearing when he went under.

  They were joined by Patrick, Sean, and Toby, and the races continued with variations on riders and pullers. Patrick claimed, illogically, that the yellow noodle was the fastest. Corinne was shocked when she actually won a heat; despite her skill, Dara was handicapped by Drew’s weight, and Sean was disqualified when he leapt off his noodle and beaned Patrick with it in retaliation for a misplaced kick. Toby teamed with Jim to win another heat. He was now thinking that given his small size and large lungs, he’d make a fine coxswain. Nobody else knew what a coxswain was, so he had to explain. His dad had sculled for Yale and later, for a team that competed in the Olympics. They had placed fifth, so he didn’t get a medal, but his Dad always said being in the Olympics was one of the best experiences he’d ever had. Probably, riding the noodle was a little different from sitting in a scull, but Toby figured he could do it, no problem.

  Exhausted, they all squeezed into the Jacuzzi, letting the warmth seep in, sighing with contentment. Someone turned the bubbles on high, but it was so loud they couldn’t hear each other talk. Sean reached over and turned the bubbles back down, and the first thing he heard was Jake suggesting a run on the kitchen.

  “Are you always hungry?” Corinne demanded.

  “I thought it was a great idea!” Caroline said with conviction.

  Dara looked from Caroline to Jake and shook her head.

  “Kitchen’s closed and so’s the pool area in another 15 minutes.” Ron walked out of the gym, with Shelley beside him, carrying a water testing kit.

  Everyone groaned. “Come on, it’s our last night of freedom!” someone pleaded.

  “Pathetic.” Ron commented to Shelley.

  “I thought they had more imagination. That’s so sad.” She shrugged.

  “We thank you with enormous gratitude for chasing away the foosa,” Patrick intoned in an Indian accent.

  “Better,” Ron smiled. “What was that one from?”

  “King Julian. King of the lemurs in Madagascar.

  “Thank you. You still have to get out in 15 minutes.”

  Patrick rolled his eyes.

  Shelley squatted down at the pool’s edge, opened the kit, and took out a test tube. Ron looked around the deck area, seemingly hit by an explosion of noodles. He turned back to the group in the Jacuzzi, but before he opened his mouth, Jim said “We’ll straighten up.”

  “If we clean up, can we stay a little longer?” Caroline wheedled.

  Ron raised both eyebrows and didn’t say anything.

  “Right, we clean up anyway.”

  A corner of his mouth quirked up, and he nodded. “Thanks.”

  He moved closer to Shelley and taking the tube from her, reached his arm deep into the water to fill it.

  “Time to shower up, I guess,” Sean sighed, but instead of getting out, he sank deeper into the water.

  “So, parents tomorrow. What will they do all day?” Patrick mused.

  “I heard Noreen say they’re going to have mini-sessions of the classes for them, like Get Real and Dream Working. Just the parents, not us.” Toby thought his parents would like the classes. They were interested in just about everything.

  “I can’t imagine my dad in those classes,” Dara confessed. “He probably won’t do it…maybe won’t let my mom do it, either.”

  There was silence for a minute or two. Drew finally pulled his gaze away from the swirling water and met Dara’s eyes squarely. “It doesn’t matter what he does. You know what he’s like, and there’s nothing you can do about it except concentrate on who you are and what you want.”

  “Drew’s right,” agreed Jim. “He’s your dad and you have to live with him, for now. But seeing his behavior for what it is, that should help you deal with it better.”

  Dara nodded. “It already feels better. At least now I’m not wondering if it’s something I’m doing or not doing, or if he’d be different if I was better…I wish I could help my mom, though.” She lifted her hand up through a drift of frothy bubbles and watched them pop and disappear.

  “Maybe you will be able to,” comforted Caroline. “My mom, on the other hand, is going to eat this stuff up. She’s a counselor and she’s always taking classes and reading books on how people act.”

  “Yeah, and dad’s probably going to demand scientific evidence, especially on the Magic stuff,” Drew added.

  Jake had been quiet, but he suddenly spoke up. “I think my mom will like it. My dad won’t come.” He said it without emotion; on the inside, he felt a small twinge, but he let it go with a sigh and a nod. “I want my mom to meet all of you…to show her that I…I’m not a total loser.”

  Jim started to speak, but Patrick began making Darth Vader heavy breathing noises. “I find your lack of faith disturbing,” he said, before switching to Yoda. “Strong in the Force you are…and friends you have here.” Patrick held out a fist and Jake met it with a fist bump.

  The quiet settled in again until Corinne shook her head, saying, “Nah, I liked him better the way he was when he first got here…cocky, stuck up, mean, mad at everybody…” That was as far as she got before Jake splashed her with water, which started a general water fight that expended the last of their energy and left them all dr
ipping.

  Corinne pushed a heavy lock of wet hair off her forehead. “ I guess I’ll show my sister around while my dad goes to class. My mom’s not coming. It might be good for her if she did come, but I’m really glad my step-dad won’t be here.”

  The others nodded, almost too tired to speak. Jim reluctantly pushed himself up to stand. He held a hand down to Corinne and she grabbed it gratefully. Patrick stood, with a groan, and pulled Toby up.

  “We can lock up after these old folks make it out of the Jacuzzi,” Ron commented to Shelley. She laughed, watching the kids move slowly down the deck toward the gate.

  Patrick had enough left in him for a parting shot. “You better be nice to us…we’ll be the ones taking care of you when you’re old, you know.”

  “Now, there’s a frightening thought,” Ron retorted. “You need some help getting to your cabin, old man?”

  Patrick shook his head and flapped an arm at him, yawning hugely.

  Ron laughed. “Goodnight y’awl.”

  There were some tired murmurs in response as they disappeared through the gate.

  Chapter 25

  Company

  There were undercurrents of excitement and uncertainty at breakfast. Some who had not been in the least homesick were now anxious to see their parents. Others wondered what would happen when their parents arrived. Many felt the first glimmerings of sadness over the fast approaching end of their stay and the realization that they’d soon be leaving new friends. Still others were worried about performing in front of all the parents.

  Bowls of oatmeal, mounds of scrambled eggs, stacks of toast, baskets of fat, sweet strawberries, and platters of cantaloupe slices were consumed, but it was quieter than usual. No one was making plans for the day, no one was deciding whether to go horseback riding or hiking, swim or play baseball or volleyball or lacrosse, read or watch a movie or listen to tunes; all were waiting on the expected visitors to find out what the day would hold.

  At the end of breakfast, Noreen told them about the mini-sessions, stating these would be optional for all parents, but strongly encouraged. They wanted the parents to get a taste of what their kids had experienced while at camp. Before and after the sessions, parents would be free to wander around with their kids as guides, to take part in whatever activities they wanted and to meet friends and other parents. After dinner, they would end the way they began, with a big campfire, s’mores, singing, storytelling, and hopefully, lots of laughter. The next day would be another mini-session and more free time until the evening’s entertainment. The last official camp get-together would be breakfast Friday morning. People would start leaving after the meal.