So Kerry got his pieces of wood and began rubbing them together like crazy. It didn’t even look like how I’ve seen pictures of aboriginals do it. Like twirling a stick in their palms with the end on another piece of wood. He just kept rubbing these two pieces of wood together like they were a grasshopper’s back legs, gone crazy, or something.
Mr. Farraday was in a better mood now, and he showed us how to make a kind of pyramid of sticks, and he told us we should try to keep our matches dry. He showed us how to catch the smaller, dryer twigs on fire first. Then we were supposed to make our own little hill of twigs, and we got two matches apiece to do our darnedest. It was fun, kind of. And Kerry was still busy, rubbing his sticks together, when everyone else was finished.
Mr. Farraday showed us how to douse the fire with sand, and then he said we could go and collect a lot of wood to make a bonfire, so we could toast marshmallows. Well, wow, what a good idea! We didn’t waste any time, and soon had a big fire going. We all sat around and toasted marshmallows. I’m sure that someone got a mushy, burnt marshmallow in my hair on purpose.
Kerry came over and said he had started his fire long ago, but he didn’t want to disturb us. We looked, but we couldn’t see any fire over in that direction, where he had been busy making his fire. He said he had put it out, like the good scout he was.
We sat around for a while singing songs, and it soon got pretty dark. So it was a good thing that Donna had taken her flashlight with her. Anyway, there were lights coming from the direction of the mess hall that kind of lit up the area. But it was nice and comfortable sitting around the fire and singing.
We were surprised to see Mr. Farraday get out a guitar and start playing. None of us had any idea he played any musical instrument. It just didn't seem like him, if you know what I mean. He was pretty good, too. The older girls pushed all over the place to get to sit next to him. Big deal.
When we went back to the cabin and started to get ready for bed Laura wasn’t with us. She soon came along though, and who do you think she had with her? Yeah, Sally. We didn’t look too friendly I guess when we saw her, but Laura said poor Sally hadn’t anyplace else to stay.
“Hey, that’s too bad!” Donna said. “What happened to all your friends?:
“There wasn’t enough room in the cabin.”
“So how come you had to leave? Why not someone else?”
“We took a vote”, Sally said, and she sounded really sullen.
“No kidding? Your friends voted to kick you out?” Donna asked, very nicely.
“No. They did not kick me out at … I offered to go. Really.”
“Really! That WAS nice of you. Imagine, girls. Sally offered to go.”
“Yeah, that’s just like Sally” Diane offered. “Always putting herself out for other people.”
Really, that sounded so funny, none of us could help snickering. Sally looked very uncomfortable, and Laura didn’t look too happy about the situation either. But they still stood there.
“Look, will you get that damn flash out of my eyes?” Sally said to Donna.
“Oooops! Sorry, Your Highness.
“Well, Sally”, Jennifer T said sweetly, “We’re very sorry you can’t be with your friends. Can we do something for you?”
“Actually”, Laura said in kind of a low voice, “I told Sally we would be glad to have her with us.”
“DID you now?” Jennifer said.
“Well, we DO have an extra bunk, don’t we?”
“Indeed we do. However, I think most of us would agree that we are very selective of our company.”
“Oh, come on, you girls. Have a heart! What’s she supposed to do now?”
“Why not ask Mr. Henderson?” I said helpfully.
“I did”, Sally said, and I’m sure she was glaring at me. (Her eyes glow in the dark, just like a cat out hunting) . “I did, and he said to come over to your cabin. That’s why I asked Laura.”
“Well, just a minute, Sally”, Jennifer said. “We’ll have to conduct a little survey here, of popular opinion on this dreadfully serious matter.”
And we all got together on Donna’s bunk, and talked for a minute, although we were just being mean, because we knew we’d have to take her in.
“We have decided, after much deliberation”, Jennifer said, “that you may join us. That’s the bunk you can use”, she said, pointing to the one left-over bunk. It had the smelliest, holiest mattress, and there was no pillow. But then, none of the mattresses were anything to make a housekeeper proud.
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