The Adventures of Stevie #70
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 12 in this story, in year 2 of summer camp.
Special note. In story #1, which Winston wrote about some things in
year 2 of summer camp, he didn't write all he could have, and wrote
some things differently, so he wouldn't get in trouble. Stevie writes
honestly.
The Adventures of Stevie #70 "The Plan"
Dear Carlos,
Father came to the camp to tell us about the rescue plan. We took
over the crafts room for the meeting. Father brought Rod! Chad, Dan,
and me were there too, naturally. Father said "We will go to the
staging area during the morning. We will set up the gear, and have
lunch. We will sleep until just before sundown. We will load the
horses, and lead them through the woods to the burial site, where the
second team will prepare the new grave. The first team will continue on
foot to the town, and to Dan's house, and give him the signal, and pass
him the shoes and clothes he is to wear. He will climb out his window,
taking only the pajamas he had been wearing, and NOTHING else. He will
go with the first team to the grave site, and give the second team his
pajamas, and then go on to the staging area. The second team will join
them later. They will all ride out at dawn, to the highway, and load
into the waiting transports."
That was the basic plan. Then we discussed the details. I discovered
why Rod was with us. We needed his special ability to see in the dark
better than anybody else. I don't see as well as most in the dark, but
I can see with my hearing, and feel with my mind. Both of those take
concentration, but seeing doesn't so much, and he can see more with his
eyes, and faster, than I can my other ways. I had to explain some of my
special abilities then, including the trick with the animals. Rod was
really surprised, but happy for me. Dan was surprised too, but already
knew about the animals. Chad wasn't surprised. He's used to my
freakiness. I could see more with my ears if I used my ultrasonic
beeper, which would make sounds people can't hear but I can, which
would bounce of things, but all the dogs for miles around would hear it
too, and bark like crazy.
I am going on the first team, because I can control the dogs. So is
Rod, so he can lead us in and out, without needing lights which would
give us away. I will be in charge of the first team. Chad is going to
patrol and guard from the burial area to the edge of the forest, for
the second team, which Jan will be in charge of, because he is small
and very agile, and can move very quietly. Father will be in charge of
the mission, and will stay with the second team until the first team
comes back. The rest of the people on the mission are father's men. We
are to try not to let them know too much about our special abilities.
There are reasons why us kids are going to be doing this. Dan trusts
us, not some strangers. We don't want him to change his mind in the
middle, and maybe get people hurt. This mission costs money, for the
equipment and horses, and for the other team members. Making it a
school training exercise, makes the school pay for it. Smart of father
to think of it.
I said "I see one problem." Father said "What is it?" I said "It's
embarrassing. I can't ride a horse. I'm afraid of them." Ron said "YOU?
Afraid of anything? I can't believe it." I was really embarrassed! I
felt like my face was going to burn up and catch my hair on fire. Chad
told them what had happened to me with a horse. They couldn't help
laughing. Me too. Dan said "But you are older now, and you can talk to
them now. Can't you at least try it again, and see what happens? I need
you." He looked and sounded desperate. I had to. "I'll try with the
camp horses, if you are there to help." He grabbed me in a big hug. He
could feel me trembling with fear. He whispered in my ear, "I won't
tell." I think I really do love him.
Father said "Now that that's settled, there are some things more to
talk about, for after the mission. Dan, how would you feel about a
change in your appearance? So if anyone who knew you before, happened
to see you, they wouldn't recognize you." Dan said "I didn't think
about that. I don't think I would mind, if my new friends didn't. Just
don't make me covered with hairy warts." We all laughed with him.
Father said "No warts, but making your nose a little smaller, and
changing the shape of your ears, is all that should be done to someone
your age, because your face is still changing. There is another thing.
You will need a new identity. You will have a birth certificate, a
family and school history, and everything else which makes us who we
are to other people and the government. They will all be real, but from
some other people who don't need them anymore, and will stand a simple
background check. We can do all that, but it might not be in the name
you have now. What do you think about this?"
Dan said "To be honest, it's something I didn't think of, but I know
I don't have any choice, if I go through with the mission, which I
promise I will. You are the expert. I can see that. All I can say is I
place my complete trust in you, to do what you think is best for me and
all of you." Father said "Thank you. I will try to give you some
choices in names." Dan said "No, I thank YOU, all of you, for my life.
I can't ever thank you enough." He was about to cry, so I took over and
said, "You don't have to. Do you think we are doing this for YOU? Nope,
it's for US. Yep, we're so selfish, we want you to stick around and
keep us company, and we are going to do whatever we can to please US,
whether you like it or not." Dan's face looked funny, trying to laugh
and cry at the same time. Chad said "Ohboy, do YOU look funny, and you
didn't even get your face changed yet." Dan couldn't help laughing, and
we laughed with him. Father and Rod signaled to Chad and me "well
done".
Rod hugged me and Chad before he left with father, and whispered to
us, "I like him too. He's worth it. We WILL save him." I didn't expect
anything less from Rod, but love.
Dan was still close to crying while we walked back to our cabin. I
decided to take his mind off what we talked about, and angled us toward
the horse corral. Chad saw, and helped. Geniuses are useful. I did it
all speaking aloud and silently when I said to one of the horses, "Come
here." He did. I said "Will you be nice to me, and not step on my foot
anymore? If you agree, you can move your head up and down." The horse
did that. I said "Thank you." The horse nodded again, without me
asking. I stroked his long nose. He liked it. I said "Goodbye, I will
see you tomorrow." He nodded again. We walked away.
I told Dan, "I didn't make him nod. He did that on his own. Maybe
they are smarter than I thought. Maybe the people in your town should
take lessons from him." Dan let out such a loud funny noise, just like
a donkey, the horses looked up in surprise. Dan fell to the ground,
rolling around laughing so hard, I thought he was having a fit or
something. I didn't think what I said was that funny. Chad and I picked
him up when he calmed down some, and asked him what was so funny. He
said "I've been thinking that for years!" Then we all laughed.
Dan still wasn't feeling his best when it was close to bedtime in our
cabin. Everybody hugged him. Then we tried our best to help him to
forget his sad thoughts. Our best is VERY good. He was exhausted, and
fell asleep on a blanket on the floor, after we drained everything we
could out of him. All together, we picked him up very gently and put
him in the middle of two beds we had together. Chad and I slept on
either side of him, facing him. We didn't know which side of the bed he
would see first when he woke up, and we wanted the face of somebody he
loved to be the first thing he saw in the morning. He did. With love.
Your friend,
Stephen
--
Grant
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