“Like what?” Dan cast an anxious eye toward the horse corral. “I’m not much for riding on a horse.”
“No, no horsies for you guys.” Joe looked from one to the other. “First off, I need for one of you to be general supervisor of the sports field where we have baseball games. Plus some basketball. Either of you know anything about that?” A teasing twinkle lurked in his eye.
“Yeah, I think I could manage that,” Dan grinned.
“Hey, wait a minute. What if I want that job?” Bucky put in.
“Sorry. I raised my hand first.” Dan stuck out his jaw in determination.
Bucky glared at him. “What’s the other job? In the kitchen?”
Joe shook his head. “What I really need bad is a second man to work down at the lake with our water - skiing program.” He held up both hands with fingers crossed. “How about it, Bucky? Have you done a lot of water - skiing – I hope I hope I hope?”
Slowly Bucky shook his head. “You’re out of luck, I’m afraid. I went one time in Arizona when I was about seven. But not since then.”
The director grimaced. “Oh boy.” He turned toward Dan. “How about you, Litton?”
“Huh uh.” Dan shook his head. “Never tried it.”
Joe thought hard for a moment. “Well, Pastor Jensen told me you both were star athletes. So I imagine you can pick up anything in a hurry.” He gave Bucky a friendly punch in the arm. “By next Sunday you’re either going to be an all - star water skier . . . or the best fake in Northern California.”
A feeling of dread crept over Bucky. Water - skiing? Was he going to flunk out the very first week of camp? He gave Dan an unhappy look. “Come on, Litton, trade with me.”
“No way.” Dan began to laugh. “You can do it, Stone.”
“Stinker.” At last Bucky shrugged slightly. “Well, I guess I’ll go for it. Where’s the boat?”
“Let’s get some supper first,” Joe said. “Maybe you and David can take a turn down by the lake after supper. Lake’s pretty quiet then. You can try to get the hang of it without all the kids hangin’ around hootin’ at you.”
The two boys followed the camp director over to the cafeteria. Bucky’s feelings of trepidation climbed another notch as they surveyed the crowded tables. The din was almost overwhelming, as the cumulative volume of 150 kids all chattering at once filled the hall. “Is it always this loud?” he asked Joe, raising his voice in order to be heard.
The older man grinned. “Yup. That’s one reason why we pray so much around here. It’s the only time the kids pipe down.”
The three of them picked up trays and went through line. “This is Bucky and Dan,” Joe announced to the two girls serving the corn chips and beans.
“Hi!” One of them, a short Korean girl, plopped a big pile of lettuce and tomatoes onto Bucky’s tray. “You guys just get here?”
“Uh huh.” At least the food looks good, Bucky thought to himself. He noticed some of the young boys looking up at him and Dan as they walked to the last empty table at the far end of the cafeteria.
After supper Joe led them over to the building right behind the registration hall. “Here’s where staffers stay who aren’t assigned to student cabins,” he told them. “We’ll have the two of you room together until Sunday, when you’ll both be given your own groups.”
Dan hoisted his duffel bag up onto the top bunk. “Ready to put on those skis, Stone?”
“You’re not coming, are you?” Bucky tried to sound cheerful, but he was dreading the experience.
“Are you kidding? This should be better than watching that funniest - videos show on TV. ‘Bucky Stone makes a total fool of himself’? Wouldn’t miss it.”
Bucky groaned. “May as well get it over with,” he grumbled. “After they kick me out of here I can probably drive home to Hampton Beach in time for bedtime.”
“Oh, stop whining.” Dan began to peel off his shirt.
“What are you changing for?”
“Just in case the lifeguard needs help pulling you out,” the stocky athlete told him.
The sun was still well above the horizon as they walked down to the edge of the lake. A huge ski boat bobbed at water’s edge, its powerful engine purring quietly. “Not bad,” Dan whistled.
A boy who appeared to be about nineteen came out of the supply shed holding two lifejackets. “How’s it going?” He fumbled to shift the lifejackets to his left hand. “I’m David.”
Bucky shook hands with him. “Well, I wish I wasn’t, but I’m Bucky Stone.” He forced a laugh. “I guess I’m your student.”
The other boy gave him a quizzical look. “I don’t get it.”
“He doesn’t know the first thing about skiing,” Dan said with a laugh. “And he’s your new deputy.”
“Are you kidding?” The boy began to laugh. “Joe stuck you with this job, and you’ve never been skiing before?” He shook his head in amusement.
“But he’s a real fast learner,” Dan added brightly. “Aren’t you, Buck?”
“I’m going to try.” Bucky gave his friend a shut up look.
David motioned the two of them closer to the lake and handed Bucky a lifejacket. “It’s no big deal,” he confided. “All you’ve got to do is be better than these eight - year - olds, and talk like you know what you’re doing.” He laughed. “These dumb kids won’t suspect a thing.”
The older boy glanced at his watch. “We’ve got a good hour before worship. Let’s see how it goes.” He turned and looked up the trail leading back to the main camp area. “Oh, good, here comes Nancy.”
Bucky turned to see the same Korean girl who had been a server in the cafeteria, now clad in a bathing suit. “She’s coming too?”
“Yeah, she’s my spotter. We always keep at least one on board at all times.” David waded out to the boat and pulled two skis free. “I guess you’ll need both of these for now.” He handed them to Bucky. “But it’d be good if you could get the hang of going slalom. Let these kids see that you know what you’re doing.”
“What’s that?”
“Single-skiing. It’s easy.”
Bucky took the two skis and fumbled awkwardly. “I think I need these bigger.”
“Sure.” David showed him how to adjust the bindings. “Go ahead and put them on. Nancy’ll get the rope for you.”
Dan climbed aboard the boat. “Man, I sure wish I had a good camcorder,” he teased.
Again Bucky gave him a poisonous look. “Watch it, Litton. You’re getting on my nerves big - time.”
Wading out into the cool lake water, Bucky slipped his feet into the bindings. “Now what?”
David, already in the driver’s seat of the ski boat, cut the engine down to an idle. “Just squat down in the water and get the rope between the two skis. Then I’ll pull you up. Just yell ‘Hit it!’ when you’re all set.”
A queasy feeling arose in Bucky’s stomach as he waded clumsily out to where the water was deep enough that he could ease himself down into a crouch over the two skis. The wet lifejacket felt clammy against his skin.
David eased the throttle ahead a notch and the sleek boat slowly slid away from where Bucky nervously waited. Gradually the line pulled tight between the two skis.
“Hit it.” The unenthusiastic words came out muffled. With a smooth surge the boat sprang to life. For a moment, Bucky, holding tightly to the rope handles, began to rise to the surface. Then his two skis crossed themselves, and he fell back into the water.
The boat did a tight circle and came around. “That’s OK,” David encouraged. “Just lay back a little bit. Don’t try to stand yourself up. Stay behind your skis and concentrate on keeping them straight. I’ll pull you up.”
Although Bucky shivered in the cool water, he felt a blush rise to his cheeks as Nancy gave him a friendly smile. “You can do it,” she nodded.
Slowly the boat idled away from him as he struggled for a moment to get the rope situated between the two skis. “Hit it!” Again the boat shot to life, th
is time more smoothly. After just an uneasy second of spray and a rush of panic, he found himself on top of the water.
Wow! I’m up! For a moment the realization almost capsized him. Ahead of him the powerboat was throwing up a rooster - tail of water spray that created small rainbows in the late afternoon sun. His two skis skittered along the white - water pattern spreading directly behind the boat.
“This is easy!” he murmured to himself. The skis felt solid beneath his feet as the water made a rippling hum that almost drowned out the low roar of the engine.
David waved his approval from the driver’s seat and began to take him in a wide turn around the far perimeter of the lake. Nancy, her black hair blowing behind her, gave him a thumbs - up gesture.
Bucky, unable to wipe away a huge grin, squinted through the spray. Just beyond the two wakes created by the speedboat was smoother water. Should he try it? He remembered watching pro skiers on TV as they expertly cut from one side to the other.
Splash! Without warning he flipped head over heels, crashing viciously through the water. The spill, while not painful, did sting a little bit. Bobbing to the surface, he glanced around in confusion. The two skis were nearly fifteen feet away, floating innocently in the water.
“What happened?” David grinned as the boat pulled closer. “That was a pretty decent flip!”
“Yeah.” Bucky pushed his wet hair away from his forehead. “I tried to go over the wake, but I only made it halfway.”
“Try again,” David advised. “Just let your knees be a little flexible so you kind of ease over it.”
This time he rose out of the water easily. After just a few moments of skiing behind the boat, he edged toward the wake again. The second try was more successful as he slid across and out into the smooth water on the other side.
“All right!” The muffled words of encouragement came from Dan, who pumped a fist in the air.
A moment later, Bucky turned back and headed toward the wake again. With a quick move, he cut across both wakes, bending his knees to gain the necessary flexibility. Whooh!
“Not bad!” David commented when Bucky finally released the towrope quite a while later. Bucky had cut back and forth across the wake a number of times, gaining confidence with each pass.
“Yeah, you’re doin’ OK, Stone.” Dan shot him a jealous look. “You big faker. Lettin’ on like you were no good.”
“You want to try going single?” Nancy stood up in the boat and gave him an I - dare - you look.
Bucky sucked in his breath. “After one time out?”
“Sure. You’ve got the hang of this already. And we’ve got time.”
The nervous feeling began to return. “I, uh . . . sure, I guess.” Bucky shook his head to get some of the water out of his ears. “What do I do?”
“Get up on two again,” David advised. “Then just kick off one ski and go for it.”
“Huh?”
“That’s the easiest way to learn,” the older boy explained. “Tomorrow you can try starting up on one ski. But that’s really quite a trick. For now, just kick one off and then slalom.” He reached down and shut off the engine. “I’ll do a real short loop so we come right by the beach here. When we get close, you just kick off the one ski and then slide your back foot into that second binding.”
Bucky shrugged. “I’ll try.”
Dan shook his head. “Man, where is that camcorder? Here’s where I really get the news footage for YouTube.”
Trying not to laugh, Bucky thought, I’ll show him.
Pulling the skis on again, he settled down to wait for the rope to tighten. “Hit it!”
The short loop around the lake took just a minute. Fighting back the tiny stab of fear, Bucky eased his left foot loose from the binding. Just as they passed the beach he slipped it free and fumbled behind his right foot for the back binding.
“He’s got it!” In the boat he could see Nancy bouncing up and down.
For just a moment the single ski threatened to wobble out of control. But with his back foot in place, the ski suddenly stabilized.
“I’m doing it!” The skittering sound of water underneath him sounded almost reassuring. Once again he edged toward the wake. This time the single ski cut easily through the small wave created by the boat. With a big grin on his face, Bucky began to slowly cut from one side of the boat to the other, getting the feel of negotiating the tiny twin jolts as he crossed the two wakes from side to side.
In the boat he could see Dan shaking his head in disbelief. The older student shouted something that Bucky couldn’t quite make out.
After a second long ski ride, Bucky finally released the twin handles and coasted toward the camp’s private beach area. His feeling of satisfaction more than masked the twinge of fatigue in his upper arms. Thank you, Lord! That was fun!
“Stone, you stinker. We can’t have no liars like you running this camp.” Dan could hardly mask his envy. “Where’d you learn to ski like that? I can’t believe you!”
“Just right here.”
Even David nodded his approval. “Pretty good job, Stone. You and me, man – it’s going to be a great summer.”
“If you still want to switch jobs, Buck, I’m ready to let you.” Dan looked back at the glassy smooth lake, now mirroring the orange glow of the setting sun.
“No way.”
Chapter Four: “Sorry, Lisa’s Out”
“. . . I got peace like a river in my soul.” Bucky watched, amused, as the kids hopped around on one foot, pointing to the soles of their shoes to illustrate the song. One small boy standing just in front of him had a painfully raspy voice that carried well above the others. A huge grin wreathed his freckled face as he managed the intricate motions of the final verse.
It was a beautiful evening around the campfire. The moon was just coming up over the lake, its silvery reflection shimmering on the smooth water. Bucky and Dan listened along with the kids as Pastor Rick transformed the story of the ten lepers into a modern parable complete with iPods and NASCAR races and jokes the kids all knew from Nickelodeon.
“This guy’s pretty good,” Dan muttered with a grin, watching the amused reactions of the campers. “Yeah.” Bucky scanned the row of eight - year - old boys sitting right in front of him. Would he and Dan be able to handle their own little squads starting tomorrow afternoon?
“Well, young people, my watch tells me it’s about time for bed,” Joe Carpenter announced at the conclusion of the story and closing prayer. “Won’t that be cozy?”
“No!” A chorus of protests arose from the kids.
“Come on now,” the director teased. “Tomorrow’s going - home day. Some of you have long bus rides out of here.”
Another chorus of boos. Joe looked pleased. “Have you all had fun this week?”
“Uh huh.” Sitting close to the glowing embers of the fire, a girl with short red hair nodded her head vigorously.
“Well, before you know it, it’ll be next year, and you’ll be right back here again.” Joe looked from one child to another. “Especially old Teddy here.” He winked at one of the taller boys, then clapped his hands together twice. “OK, then, fifteen minutes till lights out.”
Dan and Bucky climbed to their feet and slowly followed the diminutive campers out of the amphitheater. “Ready to put on your sheriff’s badge?” Bucky asked.
“I guess so.” Dan shook his head. “If these other counselors can handle it, I imagine you and I can too.”
“For sure.” The younger boy let his gaze drift up to the darkened sky where the moon now sailed high overhead. “Man, look at that.”
“Not bad.”
The moonlight and shadows stirred a familiar feeling in Bucky. “Listen, I’m going to make a phone call.”
Dan raised an eyebrow. “These romantic surroundings gettin’ to you?”
Bucky shrugged. “Sure. I guess.”
“Well, kiss kiss kiss. Go for it. I’m heading in.”
“OK. I’ll be up in a minu
te.” Thrusting his hands into his jean pockets, he made his way over to a small clearing where there were two redwood picnic tables. Waiting until he got three signal bars, he hit the button for Lisa. After two no-responses, he scrolled down to find the Nichols’ family line instead.
It was several rings before anyone answered. “Hello.”
“Is, uh, Lisa there?”
Mrs. Nichols paused. “No, she isn’t. May I ask who’s calling?”
“This is Bucky.” Even though he was used to the coolness Lisa’s mother always displayed toward him, it was still an unsettling experience.
There was a long, deliberate pause. “And?”
He gulped. “Well, I guess . . . will she be back soon?”
Another silence of several seconds. “No, she and Steve went to the movies. She won’t be back until midnight.” Bucky seemed to sense an odd note of triumph in her voice.
“Oh. I, uh . . .” He took a breath. Who was Steve? “Could you just tell her I called?”
“If you like.”
“OK. Thanks.”
The line on the other end went dead without a good - bye. Slowly Bucky replaced the receiver. As he walked back toward staff quarters, he looked again at the moonlit sky with a scowl.
It took more than an hour for Bucky to get to sleep that evening. She and Steve went to the movies. There wasn’t a thing in the world wrong or even unusual about Lisa having a date on a Saturday night, he told himself over and over. Just look at you. Deirdre . . . Vasana . . . Tracy. Still, his own romantic encounters during the past two school years didn’t erase the uncomfortable sensation he felt from hearing that Lisa was out with another guy.
Sunday was a day of controlled confusion as arrivals and departures blended into a cacophony of farewells and honking horns. New campers seemed to “hit the ground running” – at least as far as the noise level was concerned. Bucky and Dan helped sort paperwork and give directions.
“That one’s yours.” Dan pointed to a skinny blond boy who blushed as he accepted a smothering goodbye kiss from his mother.
Bucky Stone: The Complete Adventure (Volumes 1-10) Page 74
