Castle Hill Day Camp
Castle Hill Day Camp
by Kelp
there was the bus ride
where you were sure to get hit in the head with something
flying by that was snatched from one kid
thrown to another
some lunchbox or knapsack
or sun hat or
transistor radio
which you turned out to be in the path of
noise non-stop screaming shrieking crying singing except when the driver shouted some word or words
that couldn’t be deciphered but only paused the noise
for the amount of time it took
to take a breath
or duck your head to avoid the flying object that was coming toward you fast
you were seven years old and hoped to make it to eight
the last one off the bus you clutching your paper bag lunch in one hand and bathing suit in the other
your counselor is waiting his name is Ned he smiles and grabs you by the hand
swimming he says is the first activity and he holds your hand but only as far as the entrance to
the changing room which smells like piss and perspiration and
is more chaotic
underwear and towels and tee shirts flying overhead and
sometimes a crusty greying pair of briefs will land
on your head the waist band stretched and twisted and a thin brown line on the inside which you can see and you can smell and
you swat it off like it’s a hairy black tarantula or something worse and
someone you don’t even know swats you with the end of his wet towel like a whiplash against
your backside and
laughs at your squeak of pain and alarm
the funniest thing he’s ever heard
you’re in the pool with your bathing suit a hand-me-down from your older brother
which doesn’t fit and is missing the string that’s supposed to make it fit you tightly
and your swimming instructor is a teenage girl who holds your arms as you jump into the water
and bobs you up and
bobs you down and
up and down and
up and down
holding your arms as you feel the water dragging down
your bathing suit until
she pulls you up and out
to the ledge for another jump but
your bathing suit has dropped to your ankles
and everyone’s eyes are riveted at you and pointing and laughing and screaming and
even when she pulls up your suit the damage
is now irretrievably done
you sit on the ledge for a minute or two
and then go back to the changing room
and change back into your shorts and tee
and sit on the bench for the rest of the day
your only day
at Castle Hill Day Camp