Home by Kenneth Sean Campbell

Author:Kenneth Sean Campbell [Campbell, Kenneth Sean]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2012-02-17T05:00:00+00:00

Thursday, July 23, 1959

It’s rest period. The kids are all in their bunks—not asleep. Kids that age have too much energy. But at least they have comic books to keep them quiet for a while. The comic books are a big deal here at camp. The directors learned years ago that they had to limit the number of comic books each boy was allowed to bring with him. Otherwise, it is chaos! They trade and barter and buy and sell all summer long. It’s a little like watching a prison movie. It’s fascinating. Some of them are going to make fine stock brokers some day–or convicts!

We’re getting to know them better now and it’s not just a flock of little boys anymore, but their individual personalities are coming through. They are jockeying for position in the cabin and leaders are emerging. There is a handsome fearless blonde lad from California named Dennis. He is the farthest from home of any camper this year. And he looks different from the local boys. More sophisticated. Like a miniature James Dean. The boys all like him and think he’s “cool.” And there is Billy who reminds me of the character Piggy in Lord of the Flies. That sounds unflattering, I know, but I liked Piggy when I read the book and Billy has that same, sweet, wounded appeal. He’s a little chubby and wears glasses. Perhaps he reminds me of myself at that age. But, thank goodness, this camp isn’t Lord of the Flies. The kids are kind to Billy and include him in everything. I’m proud of them. They have been reared with goodness in them. And there is Raymond, an exotic “cajun” from Thibedeaux, Louisiana. He’s got a bit of that New Orleans accent and seems more like a New York kid that a Southern boy. But that’s the way New Orleans is. He’s funny and brash and outgoing and the other boys flock around him when he tells one of his outlandish stories. He’s the entertainer of the group. Personally, I’m glad to have him in the cabin. He keeps the mix friendly and jocular. And we have the Brewer twins, Geordie and Georgie, from Hattiesville. They’re fraternal, Geordie’s a redhead and Georgie’s a blond. They don’t even look much like brothers except they are exactly the same height and size and their hands are identical. They seem very close and are diligent in watching out for each other with a sort of shorthand that is fascinating to watch. I knew their older brother, Parry, when I was a camper. He was arrogant and a bully, but the twins are happy and likeable. I’m sure the other kids in the cabin will come into focus, too, as the days go on.

The boys had a big campfire ceremony last night initiating the new boys. For competition purposes, they are divided into two groups for the summer, named after Indian tribes. The returning campers keep their affiliation from the summer before, but the new campers are named to a tribe at this ceremony.

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