The Camp Out Tradition

 The Camp Out Tradition

It was July 12 and teenagers Brad and Loni were watching the sun rise.  

“We did it again.”

“We did.”

She smiled at him and when he turned toward her, there was a frown.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have something to tell you, Brad.”

He nodded his head like he already understood.

They were best friends. The tradition of watching the sunrise on July 12 had started when they were little kids. The boy had moved in next door the first week of summer vacation. It took about less than three days before they made friends.

At the time, they were ten Brad having turned only two weeks before.  

“What did you do for your birthday?”

“Well, not much because we were in the middle of moving.”

“That sucks.  We need to do something about that, something really fun.”

“Like what?”

“Can you sleep out in the tent?”

“With a girl?”

“Uhm, yeah, after all I am a girl.”

“I know. But, I don’t know if my mother will let me.”

“Why not? It’s not as if we are going to make babies.”  She gushed.

“You know how to make babies?”

“Of course, don’t you?”

“Sure, I know how but, you know I don’t want to show off.”

She laughed.

“Let’s go ask your mother.”

“Okay.”

They ran off and Loni grabbed his hand. He stopped and looked at her perplexed.

“What are you doing?”

“Holding your hand so you don’t fall.”

“I won’t fall.”

“Admit it you like that.”

“It’s okay.”

He tried to make her let go but she squeezed harder.

“Hey, that hurt.”

“You know what really hurts?”

“What?”

“I will tell you when we camp out.”

“Okay.”

They arrived at the door and he stopped her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to make sure that my mother isn’t sleeping?”

He opened the door and heard a noise from the dining room.

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

They walked in and took their shoes off.

“Bradley is that you?”

Loni stifled a giggle.  He shot her a dirty look.

“Yeah, mom it’s me.”

“Just in time to polish the silver.”

“Aw, mom, I hate polishing the silver.”

“That is too bad. I want to have all the women from the neighbourhood over and the silver needs polishing.”

“But, mom, that job sucks.”

“What did I tell you about using that type of language young man?”

“Sorry, mom,” he seemed embarrassed. 

Loni winked at Brad.

“We would love to polish the silver, Mrs. Johnson.”

“Who said that?”

Natalie turned the corner and feigned a smile.

“Oh, hello there young girl. Are you going to introduce me to your new friend?”

“This is Loni.”

“Hello, Loni, I am Bradley’s mother.”

“Mom, you can call me, Brad.”

“I can call you lots of things.”

Natalie was looking over Loni with judgmental eyes.

“Can we sleep out in the tent tonight?”

She didn’t seem to like the idea.

“I guess so if it is okay with Loni’s mother. I will have to call her.”

“We can ask her, Mrs. Johnson to save you the trouble.”

“Yes, I am sure that you could, but I would prefer to do it myself.”

Natalie made a face that wasn’t very pleasant.

“So, when do we polish the silver?”

“I can’t ask you to do that since I really don’t know you.”

“Oh, it would be fun and my pleasure to do so Mrs. Johnson.”

“Very well then, everything is set up in the kitchen .”

They walked in the kitchen and there were almost twenty items to polish.

“Mom, there’s too much to polish.”

“Come on, Bradley, it will be fun.”

“Don’t call me, Bradley.”

That devilish smile was so irritating.

“While you polish the silver, I will call your mother. Do you have a phone number?”

“Okay, Mrs. Johnson, that is a great idea. You can use my phone.”

“You have your own cell phone?”

“Yes, this way my mother can get a hold of me at any time.”

“Hey, how come I don’t have my own phone?”

“Because you are not old enough.”

“Loni and I are the same age and she has one.”

“Good for her,” Natalie said sarcastically.

Beth, Brad’s six year old sister ran into the room.

“Brad’s got a girlfriend.”

She ran out of the room laughing.

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Brad that is rude.”

“Well, she’s not my girlfriend. Give me a break we just met like half an hour ago.”

Loni shrugged her shoulders. 

“You met half an hour ago and you want to sleep in the tent together?”

“Loni knows how to make babies?”

Natalie almost dropped the phone.

Loni had turned pitch red.

“I was just joking.  Hey, you have a younger sister and I have a younger brother.  Isn’t that a strange coincidence?”

“I guess so.”  Brad shrugged his shoulders.

“I must say, Mrs. Johnson, you are quite the fast unpacker. I mean it looks like you have the place all in top shape in two days.”

“Thank you, Lori.”

“My name is Loni.”  She blushed.“ Here is my phone. All you have to do is press the number and talk.”

“Thank you.”

Loni and Brad started to polish the silver. She made it fun and Natalie watched them while she talked to the girl’s mother.

Never before had she seen her son smile so much. The boy looked very comfortable.

“Okay, she said it was fine. Loni, you are more than welcomed to stay for supper. It won’t be anything too fancy since I haven’t done a lot of grocery shopping, but it will be filling.”

“Oh that’s okay, Mrs. Johnson, I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“I already asked your mother and she said it was fine.”

“I would love to,” said the pretty girl with the pretty smile.

The tension continued throughout supper which consisted of barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs.

“So, how long have you lived in the neighbourhood?”

“We moved in when I was just a baby so a little less than ten years.”

“Oh, is there any other children your age that you could spend time with instead of Bradley?”

“There is a girl, Sue a few houses over but she’s older.”

“I see,” said Natalie trying to smile.

“Loni knows how to make babies.” She eyed her husband.

Carl nodded his head and smiled.

“The kids these days learn stuff a lot younger than we did, dear.”

“So, Loni, your mother tells me that you might have to repeat the fourth grade.”

“I was supposed to, but they decided against it.”

“Oh, I see.”

Underneath the table, Loni rubbed her foot against Bradley and it made him giggle.

“Is there something funny?”

“Nope.”

“Then why are you giggling like a dunce?”

“Honey, that is a little harsh.”

“Well, he hasn’t stopped all through the meal.”

“I am just happy that I made a friend in the new place. I wasn’t sure I would make any friends.”

“Nonsense, you will have lots of friends once you start school. They will be boys.”

Natalie and Loni eyes locked and neither one would drop them.

It was after supper and they were putting the tent up. The sleeping bags were put in.

“Do we get to sleep outside in the tent?” Beth looked at her mother.

“No, Beth because you are too much of a baby.”

“Shut up, Brad.”

She ran off.

Loni looked at Brad and rolled her eyes.

When it was dark, both sets of parents stood outside the tent and talked with their respective offspring in tow.

“So, Loni tells me you have been in the neighbourhood for a decade?”

Gloria smiled. Her husband, Daniel had his arm around her waist.

Natalie nudge Carl to do the same thing.

“Yes, it is almost ten years. It is a really good neighbourhood.”

“The kids polished the silver today because I was planning to have some of the women over as a get acquainted gesture.”

“That would be wonderful.”

“The problem is I am not sure who to invite.”

“I can help you out with that.”

“That would be good of you.”

The sun was starting to sink.

“Well, you two have a good night and try to get some sleep. Remember, if you hear some howling the back door is always unlocked and you can come in and hide under the bed.”

“Sure dad, we will be fine.”  Brad looked at his father.

“Would you like to come over for a drink?”

Natalie looked at Carl and shook her head negatively.

“Sorry, but I am really tired from all the stress of unpacking.”

“Okay, that’s understandable. If you want to get together to put a list of people to invite for your gathering let me know.”

“I will.”

The parents left.  

Loni and Brad talked until the wee hours in the morning and then fell asleep.  

The tradition had started.  

It was a year later and they were both eleven.

“Hey Brad, remember last year when we slept out in the tent?”

“Yeah, that was fun.”

“Let’s do it again this year?”

“Okay.’

“We’ll make it an annual tradition.”

And they did even though Brad’s mother never warmed up to Natalie. There was just something about that girl that irked the woman.

They were now eighteen and both were going off to college in a few weeks.  

Loni had turned into a beautiful young woman. Brad was a handsome young man.

Like they did every year they talked until the wee hours except this time they watched the sun rise.

“This is the best tradition ever.”

“It is.”

They were holding hands.

Over the years, they had grown very close, as close as two people could get without being romantically or sexually involved.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Sure, what is it?”

“You know when we first met and you didn’t know where babies came from?”

“I remember that. And you made fun of me.”

“I did.  Well, I won’t make fun of you anymore.”

“That’s good, why is that?”

“Well, I am going to have Jason’s baby.”

It took him a full long minute to say something.

“You are?”

“I am.”

“So, college is out of the question?”

“It is.”

“Do your parents know?”

“I haven’t told anyone yet because you are the first one. You know, I tell you everything.”

“I do.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t told, Jason.  He will not stand by my side.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because, I know. Brad, please don’t say anything to anyone.”

“I won’t.”

“Thanks, I could always count on you.  I am going to tell him today.”

“Okay.”

“Well, I should go home now. It was fun as usual.”

“It was.”

She left.

The day passed and Brad moped around the house. He was done work for the summer.

“Brad why are you moping around the house?”

“I’m not moping mom.”

“I guess there won’t be any more camp outs with Loni.”

“No, mother it doesn’t seem that there will be ever again.”

“I never liked that girl.”

He walked away without saying anything.

It was hours later and Brad was camped at the edge of the lake. It was night and the moon reflected the polished liquid area.

He didn’t say anything and just stared across the shimmering water.

In the background, they had just pulled Loni’s lifeless body from the lake.