“Bunk lines,” Talia repeats, but with less gusto. She is not that animated a counselor, I think.
I see that Gavin, JJ, and Muffs already have their kids lined up in a row, so I try to get my kids to do the same. But they keep talking to each other and hopping around like little bunnies.
Yup, they were definitely sneaking candy.
It takes a good ten minutes, but finally the whole camp is here and the kids are lined up. Josh calls up Bennett Buckman to lower the flag because it’s his twelfth birthday.
Yes. Bennett Buckman.
He has the same perfect nose and dark hair as his sister.
I try not to give him the evil eye.
“Thank you,” Josh says as “Taps” ends. “Now walk—don’t run—to the Dining Hall!”
The kids all run.
Lis, Talia, Janelle, Muffs, wild-haired JJ, Gavin, and I all trail behind.
“Juniors are exhausting,” Muffs says.
“They so are,” Talia says. “I’m going to nap again at Free Play.”
“I was going to hit some tennis balls,” JJ says. “Anyone want to come?”
“I do!” Janelle squeals. “Hello, Smokin’ Hot Benji!”
“Don’t tell me he’s straight,” JJ says.
“Don’t tell me he’s not,” she says.
“I’ll come and be the line judge,” Muffs says. “Lis? Gav?”
“Sure,” Gavin says.
“I really need to shower,” Lis says.
“I really need a nap,” Talia says.
“I really need Wi-Fi,” I say. Which actually means, I really need to text Eli. My cell phone is hidden in my sweatshirt pocket and I can’t wait to hear how his trip is going.
Immediately after yummy Chinese food for dinner, it’s Free Play.
I sprint over to the office.
I missed two calls and about ten texts from Eli.
What’s up?
I miss you.
Did you lose your phone?
Oops. I was supposed to call him hours ago.
I dial his number.
He answers on the first ring. “Heyyyyyyyy,” he says.
“Hi! Am I waking you?”
“Yes,” he says. “But it’s okay. I want to hear your voice. What happened? You said you would call five hours ago.”
“Sorry,” I say. “I couldn’t get away.”
“Oh,” he says. “Busy there, huh?”
“So busy.”
“Having fun?”
“Kind of?” I say. “I’m exhausted.”
“So tell me what you’re doing.”
“Running after the kids, mostly.”
“Are they spoiled brats?”
“What? No! I mean, Prague spends her Augusts summering in the Hamptons. Yes, she used summer as a verb. But Emma C. is amazing at softball—I nicknamed her Slugger!—and Em—previously known as Emma F.—carries a stuffed animal everywhere she goes. And Shira is missing her front teeth. And Lily is, like, amazing at gymnastics. You would not believe what she can do on the uneven bars.”
“I wish you were here with me,” he says.
“I wasn’t invited,” I say.
“Wait, what? You could have come!”
“I would have been such a third wheel. And anyway, I need to make money, not spend it.”
We have an awkward silence.
“Maybe we can do something together next summer,” he says.
“Sure,” I say. I like that he assumes we’ll still be together then.
“Hey! Sam!” Eric says. “I gotta call the period, ’kay? So shush.”
“Already?”
“Yessssss,” Eric says.
“Sorry, Eli,” I say. “I have to go.”
“But you just called me!”
I close my eyes. “I know. But I have to get the kids all the way on the other side of camp and take them for Evening Activity.”
He sighs. “Okay. I get it. I just miss you. When can you call again?”
“I’m not sure,” I say. “Maybe Rest Hour tomorrow? Or Free Play. That might be too late for you. But I’ll try.”
“I love you,” he says.
“I love you too.” Then I take a deep breath and run back to camp.
“Okay, girls, pajamas on, please!” I call out, still out of breath. I am on OD, which means On-Duty, which means, I am responsible for watching the kids from nine until midnight, when all staff have to be back in their bunks. So being on OD means you have to do bedtime. There are also Free Play ODs, but for that only a handful of counselors are scattered at posts throughout camp, so I won’t have that assigned too often. Anyway, tonight I know Lis, Talia, JJ, and Muffs are on their way to Slice, the pizza place down the road. Apparently, that’s where the staff goes to hang out at night when they need a break from camp. Rumor has it they are not that strict with the drinking age. Although the head staff have made it very clear that any staff members who are caught drinking on nights out will be sent home immediately.
Janelle has gone to watch a movie in the CL.
Which leaves me with the girls, aka the wild animals. Apparently, they do give out cookies at night for Milk and Cookies. Fabulous. Just what these kids need before bed, more sugar.
Am I really supposed to get all these girls to go to sleep? How will I do that? And it’s not just my side of the bunk. I’m responsible for both sides. Twice as many kids!
“Just slip Ambiens in their lemonade,” Talia told me as she cheerfully waved from the porch, hair blow-dried straight and lipstick on. She was wearing clean jeans, boots, a cute black top, and her hair down.
“Ha,” I said, hoping she was kidding.
Now the kids are running around both sides of the bunk, music blasting.
“Can we have a candy party?” Em asks me.
“No,” I say. “Come on, everyone! Why don’t you get into bed and we’ll play a game or something!”
“Please can we have a candy party? Pretty, pretty please?” they all say at the same time.
I sigh. “Pajamas on. Then one piece of candy each,” I say. “And then you brush your teeth!”
“Can we keep the candy the whole summer?” Slugger asks.
“I think you get a few more days with it,” I say. “But I’ll ask Danish. We can’t keep it for too long.”
“Why not?” asks Fancy.
“We’d get raccoons!” I say.
They all gasp.
“In the bunk?” Shira asks.
An image comes back to me and I start to laugh. “True story,” I say. “When I was in this cabin, one night I woke up to go to the bathroom and I saw a raccoon eating a bag of . . .” I hold for extra reaction. “Gummy bears!”
Some of them gasp and some of them laugh. “Did you scream?” Prague asks me. “I totally would have screamed.”
“I totally did,” I say, nodding. “And then I woke up some of the other girls and they started screaming and then all of us were screaming and the counselors came into the bunk and they started screaming and then one of them got the broom and chased the raccoon out through the front door.”
“Did he take the bag of gummy bears?” Prague asks.
“He totally did.”