Matthew Costello - Vacation

“Can’t we stay just a little bit more?”

Simon looked to both of his parents for a reprieve.

Christie noticed Kate seemed a bit distracted. Jack looked as well, following Kate’s gaze.

To one of the lifeguard chairs.

No, she’s way too young for that.

Kate—just out of eighth grade.

She knew her girlfriends talked about boys.

But there was no real socializing.

Kate turned away from the lifeguard chair.

“Mom, there are lifeguards. It’s safe. Can I stay?”

Christie hesitated.

“And I can watch Simon, too. You guys always take so long to get ready. Can we stay just a little while longer?”

“I don’t need watching,” Simon added. Then, as if remembering the point of the argument, added, “ Can we stay just a little bit more?”

A look from Jack. The decision deferred to her.

“Okay. Fifteen minutes, then back to the cabin for quick showers. I don’t think you want to miss dinner.”

Simon had already spun around to resume his in-and-out game with the cool water. Kate stood there and put on the dutiful face of she-who-watches-her-brother.

Close to the lifeguard. Nothing to worry about.

“Okay then,” Jack said. “Let’s go get ready. Remember—fifteen minutes.”

Christie looked at the mirror, checking herself in a green polo shirt and capris. Too informal? she wondered. But then again this was a camp. People probably showed up in shorts and T’s.

Jack came out of the shower dripping; in minutes, he appeared in the living room in shorts, golf shirt, and sandals. Pretty informal.

Christie was tempted to say something. But here was someone who dressed every day in his blue uniform, every detail in place. If this was Jack relaxing, she’d take it.

“Kids back?”

“No. I’ll go and—”

A knock at the door.

“Company?” Jack said.

He opened the door. A man and a woman stood there.

“Hi,” the man—tall, strongly built—said. “We’re your neighbors. The Blairs. Cabin next door.” He stuck out his hand. “Tom.”

The woman, short and a bit mousy-looking, did the same with Christie. “Sharon. Hope we’re not bothering you or anything…”

Christie smiled. “No. Just getting ready for dinner.” Then, feeling the oddness of leaving the couple out on the small porch, she said, “Come on in.”

The couple came into the cabin.

“Nice,” Tom said. “Little different arrangement than ours. You like it?”

“Just fine,” Jack said.

Sharon—her dark hair cut into a bob, wearing a summery print dress—turned to Christie. “We’ve been here for almost a week. We love it. So, if you two have any questions, ask away.”

“It’s a great place,” Tom added. “A real getaway.”

“Looks nice so far,” Jack said.

“Kids?” Christie asked.

Tom grinned. “Oh, yeah—our two boys. Jim and Sam. The ‘maniacs,’ we call them. They’ve been running wild in this place, loving it. In fact, we just signed up for two more days. Money’s a bit tight, but hell, who knows when we’ll be able to come back.”

Those words seemed to make Sharon thoughtful.

“So different here. You know?”

“You mean, the lake… the mountains?” Christie said.

“The whole feel of the place. Everyone just enjoying themselves. Like a world we all thought we lost.”

She guessed that Jack was sizing them up.

That’s what he did, size people up.

What’s their story, their life?

She had told him it was a bad habit.

Maybe with this couple he could let his guard down. People used to have friends.

It would be nice to have some friends.

“Hey,” Tom said, as if trying to sound spontaneous, “why don’t we all sit together for dinner? Your first meal at the camp.”

Sharon added, “They have these big tables. Very homey!”

Christie looked at Jack. Never exactly Mr. Social.

Then the kids burst in through the door. Simon and Kate laughing, Simon racing ahead as Kate tried to catch him.

“Our two,” Christie said. “Simon, Kate. Hey, quick showers, guys. Then dinner.”

“I’m starving!” Simon said before vanishing into the other bedroom.

“So, see you at dinner?” Tom said, looking from Jack to Christie.

“Sure. It’ll be a pleasure,” she answered.

The couple smiled. This wasn’t something she’d ever do, Christie knew, not back home. Knock on someone’s door.

“Great. We’ll save you places.”

After they left, Jack walked to the window, pulled a curtain aside, and watched the Blairs make their way over to the Grand Lodge.

Then he came close to Christie.

“Meet the neighbors, hm?”

“Seemed nice.”

“Yeah. And I guess we can pick their brains about the place.”

Simon came out of the bathroom, his still-wet hair sticking up at odd angles.

Christie turned to him.

“Come here, mister.”

When the hair had been tamed by a brush, and Kate finally appeared wearing cargo shorts and a collared shirt, looking suddenly very much like her dad, they left the cottage for their first dinner in the Great Lodge.

Jack took the bowl of food from Tom Blair, and scooped some onto his plate. Looking like a mixture of chili and refried beans, it didn’t look bad.

Simon weighed in with his verdict. “What is this stuff? It’s good!”

Jack took a taste. Not bad, but—

“Yeah,” Tom said, “the food’s really not all they crack it up to be in the brochure. But it’s got taste, and there’s plenty of it.”

“Tastes better than what we usually make do with,” Jack said. “Kate, what do you think?”

Kate kept spooning it in, as if trying to make up her mind. “It’s… okay.”

He turned back to their new Paterville neighbors. Jim and Sam Blair, older than Simon by a year or two, had already finished their plates.

Guess you get hungry up here…

“So, you’ve arranged to stay longer, hm?”

“Yep,” Tom said, looking around at the Great Lodge and all the full tables of people scarfing down the Paterville dinner. A small laugh. “Don’t think my family would let me leave. They… we like it here.”

Jack noticed a slight hesitation.

“You, though? Had enough of Paterville?”

Tom smiled. “No. It’s great.”

There was a loud, ear-piercing squeak from the loudspeakers.

Jack turned to see Ed Lowe standing at a podium.

“Hello… campers !”

Then, as if coached, the families answered Lowe:

“ Hel-lo! ”

“Hope you’ve had a great day at the camp today. Looks like even better weather tomorrow. Now, I don’t want you to keep you from that good camp food, but how about a Paterville welcome to our newcomers!”

“ Hel-lo, newcomers! ”

“Oh, you can do better than that!”

And they did.

Jack caught Christie looking at him, perhaps sensing his discomfort. Corny wasn’t quite the word for it.

Maybe vacations were supposed to be like this.

Jack grinned at Christie.

“And a quick reminder, tonight we have a bonfire down by the lakefront—and tomorrow is the big fireworks show!”

Lowe made a big wave at the tables, and a smile.

“Now back to your eats.”

Jack started to turn away—

When he saw Lowe’s assistant, Shana, come out from the side, holding papers. She looked at the crowd, no smiles from her.

Serious woman , Jack thought.

Tom leaned close from across the wooden table.

“Met Shana? She’s… something, hm?”

Jack kept watching Lowe and Shana. She handed Lowe the papers. He turned to her and then took a few steps away from the microphone, his back to the diners.