The Question

An old memory from church camp.

The Question

John was a brawny kid but had still kept the pretty face of a boy, tanned and smooth and capped with dark brown curls.  He stood taller and broader than the others. He had a natural confidence that comes when a boy realizes that he is the best looking and the strongest one in the room.   He was the leader of the nine, the nine under my charge. Jeffery was second in command. He was the personality and the brains of the troup, always ready with his wit and charm, his sandy brown hair parted in the middle, his wire rimmed glasses hinting of his intelligence.  He was confident because he knew how smart he was. The others circled around and were cared for and led by these two. I was proud of them all and knew they were special. They were the royalty of Camp Boothe. Even the lesser of the group held higher status in the camp simply by  being a member of my nine.

Camp Boothe was a wilderness camp, the buildings scattered on the hillsides through an untamed and wild old growth of pines and hardwoods.  Deer, coyote, squirrel, coon, possum, rabbit, fox, skunk, owl, hawk and dozens of lesser birds made the place home. The kids were only guests for a week in the summer.  It was a week to be free of parents, tvs, radios and for the most part teachers and a chance to break away from the politics and cliques of Junior High. They walked into the camp, breathed in the fresh air and set out to redefine or retake their place in a new instant society.  

I had been a camper but now I was a young counselor.  I understood fully the importance of the place and the necessity of giving the kids the freedom they needed to stretch their wings and make lifelong memories.  A good counselor was a quiet and mostly silent older brother who was there just in case he was needed. At seventeen years old, I was the youngest counselor. The others were mostly married with children of their own.  My nine were my little brothers at least for the week.

The first night at Camp Boothe is always long and mostly sleepless.  The lights were out by 10:00 pm but the jokes, laughing, scary stories and pure nonsense went on for most of the night.  I caught a nap here and there under the cover of a noisy box fan but the boys all died a slow death, mumbling and giggling until they collapsed into the inevitable dreamworld they had avoided for so long.  

The next morning was a beehive of motion and voices all blending together into a buzz as the boys showered and prepared to impress the girls and maybe even claim one for their own. I was still trying to connect their faces with their names.  I studied them and scanned over the daily activities schedule. Devotional came first in the screen wire surrounded rustic chapel. Then it was on to breakfast where the volunteer cooks spooned out the eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast and biscuits.  Then the dreaded two sleepy hours of education in open air pavilions. After that the day took off with a dip in the pool, boys and girls separate of course. Then it was lunch, sports or craft activities, another pool dip, more playing and dinner then everyone hit the cabins for quiet time before evening worship.  

It was during quiet time while my boys were comparing notes on girls, that they discovered I wasn’t married and then were shocked when they realized that I didn’t even have a girlfriend.  That was unacceptable and had to be remedied. I explained to them that all of the counselors were married but my nine were not discouraged and started discussing amongst themselves possible prospects for me.  I didn’t think much of it and smiled and continued on with my business. They were busy though and like I mentioned earlier this group was capable and confident. Jeffery jumped to attention in front of me, his eyes wide and bright.  “Have you seen the girl that works at the concession stand?’ I thought for a moment but didn’t recall her. “No, I haven’t noticed her.” He instantly turned to the others and started working out the details. I smiled and put it out of my mind but did wonder about the girl in question.

That evening after church the whole population was on top of the hill in front of the concessions stand milling about, socializing and enjoying a carbonated beverage and a snack.  Suddenly I was confronted by Jeffery and two other of my nine. They started pulling at my arms and one even pushed me from behind. Jeffery stood in front of me. “She’s filling drink orders.  Her name’s Beverly, come on.” “Stop pushing me.” I twisted around and cut my eyes at the one behind. The others calmed down a bit but led the way. I saw her working behind the counter. She was blonde and had a nice shape.  She turned when Jeffery started babbling and pointed to me. She looked me in the eye and smiled. Jeffery began. “Beverly, this is Jacob, Jacob, Beverly.” He waved his arm back and forth between us like a hostess from The Price Is Right who had drank too much coffee.  I nodded and smiled. She was amused and the boys stared at each of us like they were looking for a sparkle of true love to appear in our eyes. I ordered my drink and she filled it. They followed me. “Well, what did you think? Did you like her? You gonna talk to her after she gets off?”  “She’s alright. I don’t know. Back off.” They walked away buzzing about the meeting and probably making wagers on the outcome.

Well, I did talk to her and she didn’t mind too much.  We even had private moments here and there but I didn’t dare touch her.  I was trying to be a good example for the boys. The fact that I never touched her I think made her like me more.  I was not the typical seventeen year old boy. I did enjoy her company and she was very easy on my eyes. As the days went by I did think of sneaking a kiss but I resisted.  Looking back, I’m sure she wondered why.

The boys were happy.  They had succeeded. I had a girlfriend.  My nine won the cabin competition and were awarded trophies and had their picture made.  They were a fine looking group and I was pleased with them. I think they were more proud of fixing me up with Beverly than winning a trophy.  

The last night rolled around and after church and concessions I found myself preoccupied with the idea of kissing my girl.  We walked through the woods between the boys and girls cabins. When we got halfway we paused next to an old oak. I touched her arm and leaned in.  It was nice, my lips on hers, my tongue touching hers. It was simple. It was sweet. I said goodnight and we went our separate ways. It was so dark.  There was no one around. I pulled it off. I got my kiss and nobody knew but me and Beverly.

I was smiling when I got back to the boys building.  My cabin was upstairs on the back. As I made my way to the stairs a boy came running by me screaming something.  He brushed my arm. Another was chasing him. Walking up the stairs one of my boys ran past me screaming to the top of his lungs.  I still didn’t make out what they were saying. Upstairs I walked past two counselors. One of them looked at me and smiled. A boy ran out of my cabin screaming, “Jacob got some liiiup.”  “What?” I grabed his arm. He was laughing hysterically. “What did you say?” He laughed, “Jacob got some lip.” I shoved him toward my cabin. “In there.” I commanded. When I walked in the boys were jumping around screaming to the top of their lungs.  “Jacob got some liup!!!!” Over and over. “Shut up.” I yelled. “What is wrong with you?”

I gathered them up one by one and put them in the cabin.  They were running over the entire building. My face was red, not angry but excited and embarrassed.  Finally they were in front of me, captive, quiet, grinning. I heard the distant sound of a twelve year old’s voice.  I counted my boys. “Eight. Where’s Lucas?” They all smiled like they were hiding something behind their backs. I told them to be quite.  There was more joy in that room during those seconds than in room full of seventh graders on the last day of school five minutes before the bell.  John glanced toward an open window. I shook my head and quickly looked out onto the roof. He was out there on the edge facing the girls cabin with his hands around his mouth trying to amplify his screams.  “Jacob got some liiiup.” “Lucas, shut up. Get over here.” He laughed and came toward me. “Get in here.” He crawled back into the room. I shook my head. I could not have imagined what had just occurred. Why would they do that?

The next day Beverly just smiled.  She didn’t mind the attention or the whispers.  Things calmed down and I got on with normal counselor business.  Sports, pool, meals, classes the week was about to wind up and the night before was already an old silly story.

The camp evangelist walked up beside me, placed his arm over my shoulders and pulled close to my ear.  “Jacob, there’s something that’s been weighing heavy on my heart.” He was dead serious and my mind scrambled and I waited and listened closely.  He leaned in toward my ear and asked sincerely. “Did you get any tongue?” He instantly burst into laughter, leaned over and put his hands on his knees. My face was bright red as I walked away. I said to myself. "Yes, I did."

Author's Note

Feel free.

Reviews

[alanwgraham]

Great piece of writing busterlee. It flows very easily with great character portrayal and description of the routine and activities. It takes me right back to my own times at camp. Your description of your tentative pursuit of the girl and then the tease by the pastor is funny.
It kept me reading.
All the best.

Alan

[busterlee]

Thanks Alan.

[Onlyme]

An engrossing tale of camp life. The was entertaining and a great read.

[busterlee]

Thanks Dee, glad you enjoyed.

[Frank Miles]

What a wonderful memory. You dreamed it so richly here it feels almost like my own. Except I wouldn't have had your self-control.

There's precious little joy in our days, and I love this celebration of the simple ones. Thanks again.

[busterlee]

Thanks Frank, I love reading your comments. They are precious to me.

[Frank Miles]

Consider me a big fan. Look forward to catching up on more of your stuff.