The Adventures of Stevie #19
These stories were told to me by friends and other people. Some of them
are true. Some of them are only partly true. Some of them should have
been true. LOL
My first post about Stevie ("Call me Stephen!") was when he was 12 and
in summer camp and was told by another camper. This was from a time
before computers would fit on a desk and when people communicated with
friends in other countries by actual letters sent through the postal
service. When children did this those friends were called "penpals".
Carlos is Stevie's penpal in Argentina and knows English. This is a
fictional contrivance to enable Stevie to tell us his stories because
he isn't here in person. I think.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Stevie's school is for gifted children who don't fit in regular schools.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stevie is 11 in this story, in summer camp.
The Adventures of Stevie #19 "Swim"
Dear Carlos,
We have a very big swimming pool at camp. Campers can't use it unless
they pass a swimming test. I had to take lessons first. They teach all
kinds of ways to swim called "strokes". I like the breast stroke the
best. I can keep my head above the water if I want to, and it works
underwater too. I like it because the name sounds like something else I
want to do too. Ha ha. We have pool parties in it too. I guess you
could tell that by the name. It's for boys and girls together. It's not
really fun even with the music and lights because it's too crowded with
the whole camp in it. Not fun for me, but some kids do have fun because
the counselors can't see what happens under the water where hands do
things.
The older boys who have girlfriends always crouch down so only their
heads are above the water. So do their girlfriends. I went under to
look, and it was very interesting what they were doing to each other. I
had to wait until my monster went to sleep before I could get out of
the pool for rest periods. George and Harry were doing it to each other
too, and their faces looked very funny. Some of the younger boys were
playing at grabbing monsters by surprise. I avoided that as much as I
could. One of those boys could hold his breath for a very long time
underwater. This made it hard for his victim to spot him in time to
block his attack. He was the one who grabbed very hard. I know.
I was standing in the pool with my knees bent a little, with my back
on the side of the pool. I figured if somebody grabbed me, I couldn't
jump back because the wall was there. Then they wouldn't find out my
problem. I was watching carefully for the boys who grab, when I heard
Winston yell "Lookout!" He doesn't know yelling that without telling
who to lookout, and what for, his warning doesn't help a whole lot. I
know because a second later I got grabbed hard, and I went UP and back
so fast the next thing I remember, I'm standing on the cement along
side the pool, dripping and shivering in a big puddle of pool water
that came up with me. People were staring at me and asking how I did
that. I didn't know what to say, so I just shrugged and got back in the
pool.
I thought I would be safe now because that monster grabber didn't do
seconds on people the same day. I wasn't. A few minutes later he did it
again, and I jumped out of the pool the same way. Maybe he just wanted
to see it again. I was NOT happy about that. When I got back into the
pool, I put my hands in front of my hurting monster, palms out, fingers
ready to grab the fingers of the next attacker. I was thinking breaking
thoughts. Nothing happened for a while. Then Debbie came over and we
talked a little. We put our arms over each other's shoulders like we
were pals, which I'm happy to say we are. That was what kept me in the
pool when the monster grabber struck again. I did jump a little, but
when I reached down real fast to grab myself I felt a hand there and
caught it, and dragged my attacker out of the water enough so he could
hear me complain, and so I could hear him yell about what I was doing
to his tender little fingers. Then I told Debbie about what happened.
She thought it was funny until that attacker tried to do it to her too,
right then. Ohboy, did SHE jump. She got so mad she slapped him in the
face.
A counselor came over to the side of the pool and asked what the
problem was. We told him. He made the kid get out of the pool and spend
the rest of the party time in his cabin alone. Then something happened
I didn't know about till later, which campers weren't supposed to know,
but Jeremy told me, so I will tell it to you like I did know then. The
boy was alone in his cabin. A CIT named James Wiske came in to keep him
company. Something happened. The rest of the boys who were in that
cabin knew something bad had happened when they got back after the pool
party was over. The boy was crying really hard. He wouldn't say what
was wrong, so his counselor sent him to the nurse. He told her the CIT
did things to him he didn't like or want and wouldn't stop hurting him.
Sexual things. The boy left camp and went home. They made the CIT leave
camp too, but I don't know what happened to him after that.
I found out about all that the next day when Jeremy asked me to go
with him to talk. He told me because he told the camp director I would
find out, but it would be better to hear it from someone he knows
first, and the director said yes. When he told me I said "It's all my
fault!" and I cried really hard. He tried to tell me it wasn't my
fault, but I wouldn't listen. I got too tired to cry and hugged him. He
said "It's really truly not your fault. If you and your girlfriend
hadn't told the counselor, somebody else would have sooner or later,
and he would still be sent to his cabin. You did the right thing. You
couldn't know what would happen to him there. Nobody would think that
could happen here. It is NOT your fault." I said "I know what you are
saying, but I can't help what I feel." He said "I know. It means you
are a good man because you can feel responsibility for somebody's pain
you didn't cause directly, and it hurts you when other people are hurt.
It's not fun, but the world needs more people like you in it, to make
it a better place, BECAUSE you feel for people. There is way too much
hurt happening which doesn't need to happen. I think when you grow up
you will do a lot to make the world better for us all." I said
"Really?" He said "Yes, I mean it, and not just because I love you,"
and he wrapped his arms around me like he wanted to keep all the bad
things away from me forever. I had to believe him then. I found out
love is for more than just fun. It's for everything.
Your friend,
Stephen
--
Grant
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