Dana was neither surprised nor unhappy that he was the last 'Happy camper' to leave. He was actually kind of glad of it. It gave him the chance to say a tearful "Goodbye," and, "Let's keep in touch," to all the girls that had grown to mean so much to him. When his mother walked into the recreation hall, he stood up from where he'd been sitting on his duffel.
"Hi, Mom."
"Hello, Dana." His mother's face went disinterest to lukewarm acknowledgment progressed to mild confusion and finally settled on an unfamiliar look of genuine warmth. "My, you've certainly—" his mother struggled for a pithy word to capture something that escaped containment. "—grown up over the summer."
"I missed you." Dana leaned in close and hugged her warmly.
His mother stared at him as if seeing him anew. Then she pulled him into her with genuine warmth. "Well," she smiled. "You know what? I think you and I are going to become best friends."
She placed her arm in the crock of his and they strolled out and back to the car, chatting all the way.
When they arrived at the sedan, Dana's father was leaning nonchalantly against the driver's door. He assessed Dana's transformation then shrugged a noncommittal shrug. The meager acquiescence of a man who had already registered everything of note in this world. Satisfied, he loaded his son's duffle in the trunk and got in behind the driver's wheel. Uncharacteristically, squeezed in the front seat between his dad and mom felt very right to Dana somehow.
"Ready to go home, Son?"
"Yes, Dad." Suddenly, Dana was all misty eyed. "I do want to go home." And he gave his father a feather light kiss on his scruffy cheek.
If his father minded that demonstrative in any way, he didn't say anything. Then the engine roared to life.
As they drove out through the camp's main gate, they saw a large banner stretched above. As it swept by they read, "THANK YOU DANA."
"Well," his father grinned. "Looks, like somebody made a lot of great memories this summer."
"You know dad," Dana smiled. "I guess, I did."
YOU ARE READING
Summer Camp
Short StoryDana, who despite the name, is all boy. Finds himself an unhappy fifteen year-old camper at an Girls' Summer Camp. And there he must remain till summer's end, with his mom and dad out of reach on some exotic island. Will Dana win the trust of a bevy...
