After I had racked my brain for a week trying to figure out how to muster up payment for two, I called Jack and asked if he had a job for me at the camp.
Fast forward four months, and here I was lying in bed after my first day of orientation. It wasn’t only my thoughts keeping me up. The eerie silence was underscored by the ominousdarkness. Falling asleep in Manhattan would probably be difficult for most people, but I was used to the constant noise of cars honking, sirens, and people shouting on the sidewalk below. The glimmers of light and shadows that crisscrossed my bedroom from the streetlamps and traffic lights were a comfort. Here in the mountains, the lack of noise kept me awake.
I must have finally fallen asleep only to hear birds tweeting before the sun was up.
6The Birds and the Bees
After breakfast Abby and I walked into arts & crafts. “You can barely smell the essence of mildew over the aroma of coffee,” I said.
“Help yourself,” Maggie said.
“Go figure, your dirty-water coffee is much better than the sludge in the dining hall,” Abby said.
The orientation schedule lay open on the table. “So, what’s up for today?” I asked.
Abby pointed to an item in bold. “10:15—Spend time getting to know your counselors.”
My stomach flipped. “Are you as nervous about meeting the counselors as I am?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Abby said.
“Really? What if we don’t get along?”
“I used to get nervous meeting new students, but after twenty years, I don’t even think about it anymore,” Abby said.
“Lori, you’re looking at it all wrong. You’re in charge,” Maggie said. “The counselors should be concerned aboutyounot likingthem. Trust me, if you go in with that attitude, everything will fall into place.”
I glanced at my watch. “It shouldn’t be a problem to change my entire outlook on life in, what, the next hour?”
“Come on, can you seriously be worried about what a bunch of teenagers think of you?” Maggie asked.
“It’s more about, well, what if I suck at my job, and the counselors undermine me, and the campers take advantage of my lack of experience? Kids can smell fear, you know.”
“You can handle this. Stop worrying,” Abby said.
“Can I come to you for advice?”
“That’s a given.” Maggie smiled. “If I can’t help, you can always go to Bethany, she’s a lifer.”
“What’s a lifer?”
“Someone who went to camp here and never left.”
Abby looked up from the schedule and said, “I’m surprised by how many adults can take off the entire summer to work at a sleepaway camp.”
“Speaking about adults who work at camp, is it just me or are you guys having trouble keeping up with not only names but what each person does?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s why Roger and I stayed up last night and made a flow chart listing names, titles, and who does what. Let me get it for you.”
As she walked across the room I asked, “Am I the only one feeling overwhelmed?”
“And the campers aren’t even here yet,” Abby said.
Maggie placed the diagram in front of us. “We’re smart. We’ll figure it out together.”
I ran my finger down her handiwork.
I laughed. “We’re three rungs below Jack and Marilyn and only two rungs above the campers.”
