Summer Bummer (2024)

Copyright 2024 by S. Thomas Kaza

               The August sun was relentless. And although Steven was sitting at a picnic table in the shade of his scout troop’s dining fly, he couldn’t escape the feeling that he was slowly baking. He screwed open his aluminum canteen, took another swig of the cool well water, and looked out over the dry, dusty fields around their campsite. Heat shimmered off the ground, giving the effect that the field was wavering. He had already seen this many times during his week at camp. It no longer interested him. He returned to the notebook on the table in front of him.

Steven was supposed to be writing a report based on the observations he made earlier that day when he was sitting out in the field behind his troop’s campsite. The report was supposed to describe the plants, animals, and any weather patterns he observed. But basically he had seen nothing. Just a field of tall switchgrass and a few buzzing insects. He had watched several clouds drift slowly across the sky and wondered if rain would really come later that week as some people were saying. He had written in the date and time on the page, but there was nothing else below it. Just an empty sheet of paper.

“I’m not going to pass this class,” he muttered to himself.

The thought depressed him as he really wanted to earn the Environmental Awareness merit badge. Back home where he lived with his family, there were no fields or farms where he could complete the requirements as outlined in the merit badge book. This week at summer camp was his one chance in the whole year to earn it. Everything he needed was around him now. As a class they had already finished the conservation project requirements by cleaning up and improving several trails at the scout camp. Now he needed to follow through with the nature observation requirement. And his own environmental impact project.

But instead of feeling excitement like he had earlier in the week, a feeling of panic washed over him. If he didn’t come up with some details for his nature observation, the instructor wouldn’t pass him. He had to identify some plants, hear some birds, maybe even observe an animal or two. And the environmental impact project was even harder. He still didn’t even have an idea what he was going to do. Steven was beginning to think that he had bitten off more than he could chew by attempting to earn four merit badges in one week. Maybe he would have to give up on Environmental Awareness this year, and just focus on the Sailing, Pioneering, and Archery merit badges.

Just then he noticed Mark Jokim and Billy Butcher, aka “the Crisco Kid”, coming out of their tent. They started towards him. Mark was tall, lean, and muscular with dark hair. He was the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. He didn’t like taking any crap from the younger scouts. And he was quick to use his fist on your shoulder if you game him any lip. The Crisco Kid had light brown hair. He was shorter than Mark. Some would call him plump, which is why he was nicknamed “the Crisco (or fat in the can) Kid”. But he wouldn’t stand for any of the younger scouts calling him by that name. And he could delivery a painful punch in the shoulder to anyone who tried.

“Hey, Zachary,” Mark said to Steven, “did you see where Brian went with those other scouts?”

Steven knew where Brian went, along with five other younger scouts, but he looked Mark Jokim in the eyes and said, “no”.

“I’m telling you,” Mark said to the Crisco Kid, “I saw them leaving in their swim suits. And carrying towels.”

“Maybe they were just taking the long way around to Pine Lake?” the Crisco Kid suggested.

Mark shook his head. “No, I’ll bet they were going to swim in that little lake just north of here. I’m sure of it.”

Steven Zachary knew Mark Jokim had guess correctly. Brian had secretly asked him if he wanted to go along with them after lunch. But as much as Steven wanted to go for a swim, and get some relief from the heat, he also knew he needed to get his report finished. It was due tomorrow morning. So reluctantly Steven had turned down Brian’s offer, but not before warning him.

“Be careful,” he had told him, “you’re the oldest. If anything happens…..”

Brian assured him he would take safety measures and nothing would happen. The lake they were going to was Lime Lake. Steven had looked it up on a map pinned to the wall down at the main lodge. The lake was on the edge of the scout reservation. But it was closer to their troop campsite than Pine Lake, the main lake, where they had supervised swimming. While there were lifeguards on duty at Pine Lake. And scouts used it for boating and fishing. There were no activities at the smaller, shallower Lime Lake. It was more like a pond than an actual lake. And it was left unsupervised.

Yesterday Steven and Brian had taken a dip in Lime Lake. It had been Steven’s idea to go and look for it after seeing it on a map. And Brian suggested they wear their swimsuits in case they found it. It turned out to be easy to find. And the water turned out to be warmer than the chilly Pine Lake. But best of all, it was closer to their troop campsite. It was like having their own personal swimming pond. So after a quick swim, Steven and Brian promised each other that they would come back and swim in it again.

“Where’s your brother?” the Crisco Kid asked Mark Jokim.

“Hey, Matt!” Mark shouted across the camp.

“What?” the answer came back from one of the baker tents on the far side of the camp. Like every other tent in camp, the walls on the side of the tent had been rolled up and tied, and the front flaps opened and tied back to allow for as much air circulation as possible.

“Come here!”

Steven looked at his blank notebook and pretended he was uninterested, but in fact he was all ears. Out of the corner of his eyes he watched as Matt Jokim emerged from under the mosquito netting hanging over his cot. He had probably been resting there in the shade. Matt walked over to the dining fly, stirring up a little dust with each step he took. He was a younger version of Mark, dark hair, lean and muscular for a teenager. The Jokim’s were swimmers on the high school team.

“What’s going on?” 

“We think Brian and some of the other scouts went to that lake north of here to swim.”  

“You mean Lime Lake?” Matt asked.

“More like Slime Lake,” the Crisco Kid said, “I went out there a couple summers ago.” 

Steven didn’t think it was slimy. There water was clear. Although the bottom of the lake was squishy, not sandy like Pine Lake.

“Is it on scout property?” Mark asked.

The Crisco Kid shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not sure.”

“So they could be swimming without a lifeguard,” Mark said, “AND also trespassing on private property.”

Steven realized that he and Brian had not considered they might be trespassing. They just assumed Lime Lake was part of the scout reservation.

“Let’s go ask Mr. Sikes,” the Crisco Kid said.

But before they left, Matt looked over at Steven still seated at a nearby picnic table. “Hey, Zachary, you want to come along and help us bust those guys?”

Steven looked up from his notebook like he was just hearing what they were saying for the first time. There was nothing he wanted more than to be asked by the older scouts to go and do something with them. But in this case, he would be a traitor to his friend, Brian. Steve had just realized that he needed to get to Lime Lake first before the older scouts and warn Brian and the others.

“No,” Steven said, “I got to finish this report for class tomorrow.”

“Suit yourself,” Matt said.

Without another word, the three older scouts turned and walked over to the bigger tent on the very end of the line of baker tents where Mr. Sikes, the scoutmaster, was staying. Mr. Sikes had brought his own tent with mosquito netting on the door and windows. His tent also had a floor.

Steven watched them go. But his brain was churning He had to get out of camp without being seen. he had to warn Brian and the others. They were going to be busted. But if the older scouts saw him leaving and heading in the general direction of Lime Lake, they could easily chase him down. He quietly closed his notebook while watching them out of the corner of his eye. Mr. Sikes had come out of his tent to talk with the three older scouts. While Steven couldn’t hear what they were saying, He could see Mr. Sikes pointing and motioning with his hands. There was laughter, and finally the older scouts turned and headed for the road.

Now was his chance. Steven swung his feet over the seat of the picnic table, got up and ran for the field behind their campsite. The hot sun hit his skin the moment he emerged from the shade of the dining fly. He ducked between the line of tents and started across the field. He knew the road that the older scouts were take would go around and eventually find its way over to Lime Lake. That was the way he and Brian had gone yesterday. But Steven thought he could do a shortcut across the field, and get to the road on the other side before the older scouts followed it around. There was a trail across the field, probably a deer trail. Steven had used it several times when he crisscrossed the field for his nature observations. He ran down the trail and across the field, careful not to brush up against any of the brambles growing on the side.

Steven didn’t know if he could beat the older scouts to Lime Lake, but he knew he had to try. He came to the edge of the field, and there was a line of brush blocking his way to the road. He started running along the brush, leaping through the tall grass, and looking for a place he could cut through. When no way through presented itself, he started to panic. But finally he found it. An opening. He pushed his way through and came out on the road just as the older scouts came around the bend further up the road.

“Hey, Zachary!” Matt Jokim shouted.

Steven’s heart sank. He stood there waiting for them to walk up to him.

“What are you doing?”

“I….. umm, I changed my mind.”             

               He quietly fell into step behind the older scouts as they chattered about what they would say when they found Brian and the younger scouts. The road turned north, becoming two tracks, and ran along a marshy creek. They were getting closer.

               Mark Jokim turned to Steven. “Keep your mouth shut,” he said, “we want to surprise them.”

               “I haven’t said a word,” Steven said in his defense.

               Now the older scouts with Steven trailing behind moved quickly up the road, which entered into some woods. Steven recalled that these woods were on the shore of Lime Lake. He could only hope that Brian and the others had already finished their swim. But now as they drew closer, Steven could hear splashing and shouting from the lake. The older scouts stopped just short of emerging from the woods. Steven noticed the towels on the shore and the heads of six boys bobbing in and out of the water. He shook his head realizing there was nothing he could do.

               “Buddy check!” someone shouted.

               It was Brian. The scouts in the water stopped shouting and splashing, found their buddies, and raised their arms together. It was an old scout safety technique. At least Brian was keeping his word to keep the younger scouts safe. But it was at that moment that the Crisco Kid and the Jokim brothers stepped out of the woods.

               “Alright, everybody out!” the Crisco Kid shouted.

               There was a moment of shock when nobody said anything, then slowly the younger scouts started toward shore. They waded out dripping wet and stood there sheepishly while the older scouts watched. The Crisco Kid stepped forward.

               “Who gave you permission to swim here?” he asked Brian.

               “I didn’t know we needed permission,” Brian replied.

               “This lake is restricted. It’s private property.”

               “We didn’t know,” one of the younger scouts started to say.

               But Brian wasn’t having it.

               “This lake is just like Pine Lake. The scout reservation owns half. And we swim in Pine Lake.”

               The Crisco Kid pointed across the lake.

               “Do you see that farm over there?” he asked.

               Everybody looked.

               “That’s a dairy farm. Do you see the cows in the field?”

               The younger scouts nodded.

               “Do you know what happens when it rains?” the Crisco Kid asked.

               “Water falls from the sky,” Brian said with a smirk.

               Mark Jokim stepped forward and punched Brian on the arm. He winced and took a step back.

               “Yes, water falls from the sky,” the Crisco Kid said, “and all the cow shit comes running down the hill and into this lake. Swimming is prohibited here, because this lake is condemned.”

The younger scouts looked at each other.

“You’ve been swimming in a sewer,” the Crisco Kid said for emphasis.

               Nobody said anything. With horror Steven realized that was probably the reason why the lake was warmer and the bottom squishier. He looked at Brian and his head dropped forward.

               “I already talked to Mr. Sikes. You’re all going back to camp to shower. Then I’m taking you to the camp nurse. I only hope none of you swallowed any of this lake water.”

               Steven tried to remember if he had. He couldn’t remember, but the thought terrified him all the way back to camp. Once there Mr. Sikes was waiting. He told everyone who swam in Lime Lake to go and immediately take a shower, which they did. Steven waited until they all finished before going himself to take a shower. He had taken one yesterday, but he wanted to scrub himself over again with soap. When he returned to camp, everybody else was gone, except for another older scout, the tall, lanky red-headed kid, Henry, who he and some of the other scouts liked to tease.

               “They already went to the nurse station,” Henry said.

               Steven had kind of already figured that out. Henry always said what was obvious. Steven considered running after them.

               “Mr. Sikes asked me to watch camp,” Henry said.

               Steven nodded.

               “I’m waiting for the food truck.”

               Again, Steven could have guessed that. Somebody had to be there when the truck came down the road from the camp kitchen and delivered their meals in two big aluminum cans. It wasn’t anything fancy. Powdered eggs, hot dogs, bug juice (cheap Kool Aid), cold dried toast. But it filled their stomachs and kept them going until they could buy a bag of chips or a candy bar from the vending machines at the main cabin. Steven decided that instead of admitting his guilt, and going to the nurse’s station with the others, he would just sit there with Henry. It wasn’t his turn, but he could help set out the food for everyone else. And maybe when the older scouts came back, and they saw him busy helping out, then maybe they wouldn’t ask him any questions. But he still worried that Brian might have already spilled the beans and said something about him swimming in Lime Lake.

               “I saw you sitting out in the field before lunch,” Henry said.

               “Yeah.”

               “Are you working on your Nature merit badge?”

               “No, Environmental Awareness.”
               “Well, you’re not going to see much out there at that time. You need to go out just before dark or just after sunrise.”

               Steven looked at Henry, wondering if he was serious. For a moment he considered if he might not be trying to play a trick on him. But then he decided that Henry wasn’t the type. He was the type that others were always playing tricks on.  

               “Umm, thanks,” Steven said after an awkward moment of silence.

               Henry kept looking at him.

               “What?”

               “You really should go see the nurse too,” Henry said.

               “Wait. You know?” Steven asked.

               Henry smiled.

               “I do now,” he said as he stood up, “but I suspected when I saw you running off across the field.”

               Steven sighed and decided to come clean.

               “Brian and I went yesterday. We were only in the water for like five minutes tops.”

               Henry smiled and nodded.

               Steven went on. “I was going to wait for everybody to come back and see what the nurse told them.”

               Steven tried to think of something else to say.

               “You said Environmental Awareness,” Henry said, “I have that merit badge. If I remember right, you have to do an environmental field study.”

               Steven nodded. “I got to have something by Friday.”

               “You haven’t started yet?” Henry asked.

               Steven shook his head.

               “Do Lime Lake,” Henry said.

               “What?”

               “Do your study on the effects of agricultural waste on Lime lake.”

               Steven sat up. It was an idea. Something he did not have until that moment. In the distance he heard a truck approaching.

               “Come on,” Henry said, “that’s the truck.”

               They got up and started for the road. Grasshoppers leaped and buzzed out of their path into the tall grass.

               “You’re not going to say anything to anybody?” Steven asked, “you know about me swimming in that lake.”

               Henry smiled. “Just tell them you were doing your field study,” he said.

               Steven realized that was a pretty good idea. At that moment he realized that Henry wasn’t such a bad guy. He felt a connection with him, and he somehow knew he would never tease him again.

               “How many years you been coming to camp?” Steven asked.

               “Three.”

               “Wow,” Steven said, “and did you ever swim in Lime Lake?”

               Henry rubbed his chin. There was the beginning of adult stubble there.

               “Let’s just say I earned my Environmental Awareness merit badge at camp two years ago. And my field study was on the effects of agricultural waste on Lime Lake. “

               Steven smiled. “Really?”

               “And,” Henry said, lifting up a finger to emphasize a point, “there is a book on environmental pollution at the library in the main cabin. It has a chapter on agricultural waste. A lot of good information there.”

               “Cool.”               

Steven could see a path forward. He could sit out in the field that evening just before it got dark and once more early tomorrow morning. Then he could write his notes at breakfast tomorrow before heading off for class. Then after his class, he could get the book Henry told him about. There would be plenty of time to write a report by Friday.