counselors.
There was a light breeze blowing at the end of the dock. I could see that there was a little wind in the sail of the boatthat was still drifting around aimlessly in the middle of the lake. It seemed that it was looking for a way out but couldn’t find one because the lake was too big. The boat was stuck there for good.
“What were you talking to her about?” asked Sausage.
He was sitting next to me. When he was only wearing swimming trunks he really looked like a sausage. A breakfast sausage, thicker than a hot dog.
“What did she want?”
“Nothing.”
“I saw you talking to her. You sure talked a long time for it to be nothing.”
“She just happened to be walking next to me.”
“We said no girls.”
“We did?”
“You’re the one who said it, Kenny.”
“That all depends on what you mean.”
“Well, what do you mean then?”
“Nothing,” I said because I didn’t want to talk about it. “Wanna dive in?”
We dove in. The water was clearer here than over by the camp. I could see my fingers in front of me. They were green. Green like Kerstin’s eyes. I thought of her again. It was Sausage’s fault. I could see his legs wiggling in front of me like two small, stubby cocktail sausages. I stayed below thesurface until it felt like my head was going to explode. And yet, it wasn’t that I thought I couldn’t breathe. It was that, for a moment, I felt I wanted to stay down there.
I gasped for air when I came up.
“I thought you’d drowned,” said Sausage.
“A new record.”
Sausage climbed up the ladder.
“I think it’s snack time,” he said.
The snack consisted of cinnamon buns and diluted fruit concentrate. Everybody got some except me.
“You didn’t finish your oatmeal, Tommy,” said the counselor.
“Where is it?” I asked.
They hadn’t brought it along. If they had, I would have eaten it up just to show them.
I went and sat behind the big rock.
The sailboat was still out there, but the wind had died down. The sail hung limply like a bed sheet.
“Here.”
I looked up. Kerstin held out a paper cup.
“Then there won’t be any for you,” I said.
“I took a second cup,” she said.
“So drink it then.”
“You don’t have to play tough. Not in front of me.”
“I’m not thirsty,” I said.
“You will be. We’ve got to walk back too.”
She held the cup even closer to me. I took it and drank. The fruit concentrate was weak, but it didn’t matter.
“You can have half of my bun if you want,” she said.
“I’m not hungry.”
“You didn’t eat any breakfast.”
“You call that breakfast?” I asked.
She sat down. I moved over slightly. She held her hand over her eyes and gazed out at the lake.
“That boat’s not moving,” she said.
“There’s no wind.”
“What’s your favorite breakfast?” she asked.
“Rice.”
“Rice? You mean boiled rice?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that what you usually have for breakfast?”
“No. Not here.”
“At home then? Do you usually eat boiled rice at home?”
“Uh… no.”
“But it’s still your favorite breakfast?”
“It’s a samurai breakfast,” I said.
“Doesn’t sound very good.”
“That’s not the point.”
She didn’t answer. She seemed to be thinking about what I had said, but I wasn’t sure because I couldn’t see her eyes.You have to see someone’s eyes to know what they’re thinking.
“My favorite is ham and eggs,” she said without lowering her hand from her eyes. She was still gazing out at the sailboat. “And jam on toast.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard about that,” I said. “Do you get that when you’re home?”
“On Sundays.” She lowered her hand and looked at me. “Sometimes.”
“Maybe you can put in an order with the cook for Sunday,” I said and got up and walked back to the others.
My head felt strange. I turned around. Kerstin was still sitting by the rock. Maybe she was keeping an eye on the sailboat. While I had been sitting there,
There was a light breeze blowing at the end of the dock. I could see that there was a little wind in the sail of the boatthat was still drifting around aimlessly in the middle of the lake. It seemed that it was looking for a way out but couldn’t find one because the lake was too big. The boat was stuck there for good.
“What were you talking to her about?” asked Sausage.
He was sitting next to me. When he was only wearing swimming trunks he really looked like a sausage. A breakfast sausage, thicker than a hot dog.
“What did she want?”
“Nothing.”
“I saw you talking to her. You sure talked a long time for it to be nothing.”
“She just happened to be walking next to me.”
“We said no girls.”
“We did?”
“You’re the one who said it, Kenny.”
“That all depends on what you mean.”
“Well, what do you mean then?”
“Nothing,” I said because I didn’t want to talk about it. “Wanna dive in?”
We dove in. The water was clearer here than over by the camp. I could see my fingers in front of me. They were green. Green like Kerstin’s eyes. I thought of her again. It was Sausage’s fault. I could see his legs wiggling in front of me like two small, stubby cocktail sausages. I stayed below thesurface until it felt like my head was going to explode. And yet, it wasn’t that I thought I couldn’t breathe. It was that, for a moment, I felt I wanted to stay down there.
I gasped for air when I came up.
“I thought you’d drowned,” said Sausage.
“A new record.”
Sausage climbed up the ladder.
“I think it’s snack time,” he said.
The snack consisted of cinnamon buns and diluted fruit concentrate. Everybody got some except me.
“You didn’t finish your oatmeal, Tommy,” said the counselor.
“Where is it?” I asked.
They hadn’t brought it along. If they had, I would have eaten it up just to show them.
I went and sat behind the big rock.
The sailboat was still out there, but the wind had died down. The sail hung limply like a bed sheet.
“Here.”
I looked up. Kerstin held out a paper cup.
“Then there won’t be any for you,” I said.
“I took a second cup,” she said.
“So drink it then.”
“You don’t have to play tough. Not in front of me.”
“I’m not thirsty,” I said.
“You will be. We’ve got to walk back too.”
She held the cup even closer to me. I took it and drank. The fruit concentrate was weak, but it didn’t matter.
“You can have half of my bun if you want,” she said.
“I’m not hungry.”
“You didn’t eat any breakfast.”
“You call that breakfast?” I asked.
She sat down. I moved over slightly. She held her hand over her eyes and gazed out at the lake.
“That boat’s not moving,” she said.
“There’s no wind.”
“What’s your favorite breakfast?” she asked.
“Rice.”
“Rice? You mean boiled rice?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that what you usually have for breakfast?”
“No. Not here.”
“At home then? Do you usually eat boiled rice at home?”
“Uh… no.”
“But it’s still your favorite breakfast?”
“It’s a samurai breakfast,” I said.
“Doesn’t sound very good.”
“That’s not the point.”
She didn’t answer. She seemed to be thinking about what I had said, but I wasn’t sure because I couldn’t see her eyes.You have to see someone’s eyes to know what they’re thinking.
“My favorite is ham and eggs,” she said without lowering her hand from her eyes. She was still gazing out at the sailboat. “And jam on toast.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard about that,” I said. “Do you get that when you’re home?”
“On Sundays.” She lowered her hand and looked at me. “Sometimes.”
“Maybe you can put in an order with the cook for Sunday,” I said and got up and walked back to the others.
My head felt strange. I turned around. Kerstin was still sitting by the rock. Maybe she was keeping an eye on the sailboat. While I had been sitting there,
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