Jack had continued, “After I met you, I could tell you wereswimmingin leadership skills—can’t resist a camp pun—and thought you’d be perfect in the role of division leader.”
“What makes you think I’d make a good one?”
As soon as I’d asked the question, I felt stupid. If they were willing to hire me, I should have shut up and listened.
“Your energy. You seem to have common sense, but the real tip-off was hearing you say, ‘I wish I could go to camp.’” They both chuckled.
“Doesn’t every parent say that?”
“Are you kidding? Most parents want to hand over their kids as soon as we’ve met,” Jack said.
Marilyn had added, “It takes a certain personality and a lot of spunk to work with kids. Jack said he had seen those qualities in you.”
I distinctly remembered rolling the word “spunk” over in my mind and thinking that was the trait TV boss Lou Grant hated when he used it to describe Mary Richards, the star.
Myspunkmight be my downfall.
I certainly wasn’t in any shape to be with the campers. I wasn’t sure how long I sat on my bed, agonizing over what to do, when I heard a squeak from the screen door. My heart jumped. Jack wouldn’t dare come into my room, would he?
“Lori, are you in here?”
I was relieved to hear Abby’s voice.
“I’ve been looking for you. It’s not like you to leave your counselors without direction. My goodness, your eyes are all red and swollen. Then I heard Jack on the radio, so I thought,uh oh, I’d better find her. What the heck is going on?”
I felt tears welling up and fought them back. “Isn’t camp supposed to be a happy place?”
“You’d think so. Tell me what happened.”
Before I could answer, our radios let out a high-pitched screech and we heard Bethany announce, “All DLs, please meet me at the OD shack. All DLs meet me at the OD shack. Please copy.”
“Abby and Lori copy,” Abby said into her hip. “Go wash your face. We can talk on the way over.” Abby suggested that we take the long way around to avoid passing the office. “I’m sure you want to avoid Jack.”
“If I never see him again for as long as I live, I’ll die a happy woman. You know what? Idon’tplan on seeing him ever again.”
“It’s gonna be difficult to avoid him,” Abby said.
“Not if I drive out of here this afternoon.”
“Really? You would do that? What about Zelda and Hazel?”
“I can’t leave them here with that jackass in charge. I’m going to pack them up right now. Tell Bethany that I will not be at her meeting today, or ever.”
Abby stopped. “Hold up a second, you’re really gonna leave me all alone here?”
I hugged her. “It was great meeting you, and I’ve enjoyed working with you, but I will not allow anyone to humiliate me, especially not Jack.”
Zelda’s empty cabin felt like a steam room, hot and muggy, which perfectly matched my temperament. Methodically, I stripped the bed and threw all her neatly folded clothes on top of the sheets. I stood on the bunk, searching for her trunk in the rafters when the screen door slammed.
Zelda ran over. “Mom, what’re you doing?”
She was with Hazel, and Bethany was behind them.
“Before you make any rash decisions, I thought you should have a conversation with your daughters,” Bethany said. “I’ll leave you alone. Come find me when you’re done.”
“Why is all my stuff on my bunk?” Zelda asked.
“Because I need to leave, and I don’t want you staying here without me.”
