My First Day at Camp

      It was a cold dreary day that first day of camp. At a first glance, the camp looked old and decrepit. Once you walked into one of the rustic looking cabins you changed your mind. It was my first year at Coon Camp; mum and pa were just getting ready to leave.  They had made sure I was registered and settled in before they left. After they said their teary good-byes, you would have thought they were not going to see me again, when in fact I would be going home in four months. 

      Now there were teens of all ages arriving on buses from the train station, airport, and bus terminal.  Mum and pa would not let me travel to Coon Camp by myself, because they thought that it was too dangerous for a girl my age to travel alone.  They had insisted on driving the five hundred miles to camp, when it would have been easier on all of us if I would have flown. 

      After I watched the bright red taillights from our Volkswagen Beetle grow smaller and smaller as they drove out of sight, I decided to return to the old, rustic looking cabin 17.  Once you entered cabin 17 you were in a big central room.  Starting to the left of the door there was a refrigerator, in the corner, then a stove. In the middle of the wall was a door leading to the boys sleeping quarters.  On the other side of that door was a microwave, in the corner was some virtual reality equipment. There was a big screen television, and a VCR in the middle of the wall, and a state of the art sound system in the other corner.  In the middle of the wall opposite the door to the guys’ room, was the door to the girls sleeping quarters, then there were two rows of eight computers each.  In the middle of the room were three tables, surrounded by different styled chairs, and six couches of various colors, which complimented the midnight black walls perfectly.  When you went through the door to either the girls or guys sleeping quarters, you saw two rows of four beds with a wardrobe between each set of beds and at the foot of each bed was a dresser.  Each set of sleeping quarters had two bathrooms. 

      Mum had already unpacked my stuff and made my bed so I decided to watch some television.  I grabbed the remote to the big screen and flopped down on the bright, electric green couch.  I flipped on the baseball game, and was watching so intently that I did not even notice a tall, dark haired guy walk in.  When he flopped down on the couch beside me, I jumped a mile.  He was dressed in black leather from head to toe.  When he saw that he had my attention, he said to me in the most intimidating voice I have ever heard, that his name was Vladimir, but that I could call him Vlad.  My mind was racing, if my parents knew that this would be one of the teens staying in the same cabin as I was, they would have freaked.  I glanced at Vlad again; a gold stud earring winked back at me from his ear lobe.  I knew that this guy was one of the bad boys my parents had tried to keep away from me by home schooling me.  He asked if I had been to Coon Camp before, when I told him that I had not, he asked my name in an almost sweet sounding voice.  I told him that most people called me Van but that my real name was Evangeline. By that time the couches were filled.  Vlad told me that all of the teens had grown up together through the summer since they were four.  He went around the room and told me everyone’s name. 

      Desdemona’s auburn hair was straggly and uneven, her face sad and looked as if she never smiled. Her ripped jeans and Muppets tee shirt were faded and worn. Questa, who had beautiful facial features and long flowing black hair, wore a long elegant dark violet almost black dress. Blond Opportuna wore a cashmere sweater, plaid skirt, knee-highs and loafers.  Wolfe with long straggly black hair, and wolf-like features, wore black tattered jeans, a gray slightly wrinkled tee shirt, and black worn gym shoes that had green grass stains along the soles. Red-haired Todd had a thin drawn face with a long pointed nose. He was wearing khakis with a forest green button down oxford and loafers.  With his dark blue baseball cap on backward, Llewellyn’s shoulder length, sandy blond hair was controlled.  His dark blue muscle shirt, cut off jeans and surf and turf sandals showed off his muscular physique.  A Florida Marlin’s jersey and a pair of bleached jean shorts clothed Yvonne while her long brown ponytail hung down her back. Ulrica was mean looking, dressed in all black with dog chains around her neck and wrists. Her hair was bright shocking pink and standing up on end. Robinette had short, shaved blue hair, and wore an oversized red tee shirt and baggy jeans. Kev looked extra handsome with his cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes.  His button up western shirt, jeans, belt with a gun belt buckle and black boots with white stitching completed the look. Ian’s look was baggy clothes, buzz cut hair, and Airwalks that rested on his skateboard. Roque’s face was partially hidden behind wire rimmed mirrored shades.  A tight brown suede shirt, corduroy jeans, and mahogany sandals could barely contain his muscular build.  A long brown ponytail hung down his back. Quillon and Kentiggerma had on the tan camp tee shirts, Dockers shorts and hiking boots, of the counselors.  Both in their twenties, her brown shoulder length hair hung loose while his hair was cut short.

      By the time we were all settled in, it was time to head to the mess hall for the first meal.  As we headed over, Quillon told Vlad and me about the hockey team the camp hoped to put together.  I asked him how we could get involved. He told me that there would be try outs the next day, but that the girls would not be allowed to play because of the hard checking. They were worried that the girls were not strong enough to handle it.  I told him that the Washington City hockey team had been State Champions for five years running, and that I had been the top scorer for the past three years. 

      As I stormed off, I heard Vlad talking to Quillon.  Vlad told him that he should rethink the hockey team and let the girls try out. If the girls were not good enough for the team then he could cut them, but if the girls were better than the boys were why not let them play.  Vlad ran to catch up with me and we walked the rest of the way in silence.  After we went through the line, smelling the disgusting smell of burnt fries, mystery meat and who knows what else, we went to our assigned table.  I ended up sitting between Vlad and Kev.  On Kev’s other side was Wolfe, and going on around the table were Roque, Todd, Desdemona, Questa, Opportuna, Yvonne, Ulrica, Robinette, Quillon, Kentiggerma, Ian, and Llewellyn, (we were sitting at a round table).  Dinner was quiet with every one eating and not talking until desert of ice cream sandwiches.  Quillon told us because of a conflict that had come up the girls would be allowed to try out for the hockey team. 

      When everyone had finished eating, it was time for the campfire.  As we walked to the campfire site, everyone was singing camp songs.  As we neared the campfire, we could hear the crackling of logs and the croaking of frogs from the lake.  As we sat there listening to the counselor speak, Vlad took my hand and told me to look up at the sky. I saw all the bright stars that you do not get to see in the city.  After campfire we split up and went back to our cabins. Almost everyone decided to go to bed right away. Only a few of us decided to stay up and play truth or dare.  We all turned in around one o’clock am.

October, 1997