“Are we almost there?” Violet asked eagerly. She was wedged in the front seat between Grandfather and Henry as the rental car sped along the Overseas Highway toward Key West, Florida.
“We just passed Key Largo,” Grandfather told her, “so we have another couple of hours to go.”
“And we have a lot more Keys to go,” Jessie piped up from the back seat. “Sugarloaf Key, Eagle Key, Big Pine Key . . . ” She reeled off the names from a map that Soo Lee had spread across her lap.
“I hope we’ll be at Camp Coral in time for dinner,” said Benny, who was six. He loved to eat.
“The names are so pretty,” Soo Lee said. She stared out the window at the turquoise water that inched right up to the narrow ribbon of highway. The silvery blue-green Atlantic Ocean was on the left, and the Gulf of Mexico was on the right.
“I’m glad you came with us, Soo Lee,” Violet said.
“So am I.” Soo Lee was a seven-year-old Korean girl who had been adopted by Joe and Alice Alden, the Boxcar children’s aunt and uncle. She was looking forward to sharing adventures with her new cousins.
“I think we’ll see a lot of the islands and keys at Camp Coral,” Jessie assured her. “They have fourteen boats, and we’ll be on the water every day.” Jessie, who was twelve, was the most organized of the four Boxcar children, and she had read the camp handbook from cover to cover.
“I’ll be on the water, too,” Grandfather said. “Jake loves to fish and I expect we’ll be out catching blue marlin and snapper for dinner.” He had already explained to the children that he would be visiting his friend on Upper Matecumbe Key while they were at camp for a week.
“I bet you’ll have fun, Grandfather,” Violet said, resting her hand on Grandfather’s shoulder. Ten-year-old Violet Alden was a shy, sensitive child, who was very attached to her grandfather. She remembered the days when she and her sister and brothers were orphans, living in a boxcar, and Grandfather had found them and given them a real home.
It was late afternoon when Henry, who was fourteen, spotted a small green sign. “That’s it,” he said excitedly. “Turn here for Camp Coral, Grandfather.” They left the highway and headed down a narrow dirt road bordered by a tropical jungle of mangrove trees and palms. A pair of white herons streaked across the sky, and a small deer darted across the road into a thicket.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a collection of white stucco buildings nestled at the edge of a dazzling blue ocean. Two giant palms framed a nautical-looking sign: WELCOME TO CAMP CORAL. A piece of fishermen’s net was draped over one corner, and a thick coil of rope formed the words.
“We’re here!” Benny shouted. As soon as Grandfather pulled into the parking lot, Benny scrambled out of the car. Jessie and Soo Lee were right behind him.
“It’s just like I pictured it,” Violet said, turning to help unload the luggage from the trunk. A group of campers were paddling kayaks close to the shore, and two young girls walked by in wet suits. They were carrying goggles and flippers, and one of them waved to her.
“Why are they dressed like that?” Benny asked curiously.
“They’re probably going snorkeling,” Grandfather told him. “Or maybe even scuba diving. They teach both here at the camp.”
“And we teach a lot of other fun things,” a young woman said, walking up to them. She was wearing cut-off shorts and a red T-shirt with the word STAFF printed on it. “I’m Melanie, the activity director,” she said, sticking out her hand to Grandfather. “And you must be the Aldens.”
Grandfather shook Melanie’s hand and introduced everyone. Then a loud bark made Melanie turn in surprise. “Oops,” she said, reaching down to pat a friendly-looking collie. “I forgot to introduce Bingo. He’s the camp mascot.”
“We have a dog back home,” Benny said. “His name is Watch.”
Melanie smiled at him. “Then I’ll give you a special assignment, Benny. You can give Bingo his doggie treat every day after dinner. Would you like that?”
“You bet!”
“Now, after you say your good-byes, I’ll take you to your cabins.” She bent down to pick up one of the duffel bags lying next to the car.
“Good-bye, children,” Grandfather said, embracing each of the children in a big hug. “Have a wonderful time, and I’ll see you next week.”
“Good-bye, Grandfather,” Jessie said, somewhat sadly.
“We’ll miss you!” Violet added.
Grandfather started the engine and the children waved until the blue car had rounded a turn in the dirt road and was out of sight.
“Ready, everyone?” Melanie asked. “The boys’ cabins are on the right, and the girls’ are straight ahead.” Everyone trooped after her as she headed for a long white building and tapped on the door. A moment later, they stepped into a cheerful room lined with bunk beds. A braided rug was on the floor and fresh muslin curtains billowed at the windows. “Nobody’s here at the moment. I guess everyone’s in class or doing an activity.”
“In class?” Benny said, surprised. “I thought this was a camp.”
Melanie laughed. “Sometimes you have to learn things before you can do them.” She helped Henry and Benny unload their backpacks on two empty beds, and then pointed to the window. “Take a look outside.”
Violet pushed aside the curtains and saw a young boy wind-surfing over the glittering blue water. He balanced himself confidently on the board, handling the sails smoothly as he skimmed along. “Oh, it looks like fun. Can we do that?”
“Yes, you can, but first you have to learn how to do it safely,” Melanie promised. “That’s what I meant by going to class. You begin by practicing on dry land.”
“On dry land?” Benny wrinkled his nose. “I bet you don’t get very far that way.”
“No, that’s true. But if you fall, you only fall a few inches onto the sand.” She reached down to ruffle Benny’s hair. “We have a special wind-surfing simulator, Benny, and you feel just like you’re on the water. It’s a great way to practice.”
“With none of the risks,” Henry offered.
“Exactly.” Melanie moved to the door. “Now if you boys want to get settled, I’ll take the girls to their cabin.”
A few minutes later, Soo Lee, Jessie, and Violet were unpacking their clothes in a spotless cabin almost identical to the boys’.
Jessie sat down cross-legged on her bed, studying a thick booklet. “Wow, have you seen this activity list? They have classes in everything you can think of — marine science, scuba diving, snorkeling, canoeing . . . ”
“Oh, this looks good,” Violet said, peering over her shoulder. “We can sign up to visit the site of an underwater shipwreck. Maybe we’ll find some sunken treasure.”
“I think that’s for the advanced students who know scuba diving,” Jessie said. “We’ll probably have to start with snorkeling and see how it goes.” She started to say more, but a hearty knock at the door interrupted her.
“Hey, have you seen this!” Benny barreled into the room, waving the activity booklet. “Henry and I have already picked out our favorites,” he announced. “Henry wants to learn underwater photography, and I want to learn ichy . . . ichy . . . how do you say this word?” He turned to his brother who was right behind him.
“Ichthyology,” Henry told him.
“The study of fish,” Jessie murmured.
“That’s right,” Benny said, bouncing on her bed. “I want to learn all about sharks.” He thumbed eagerly through the book. “Everything in here looks good. We can swim over a coral reef, we can learn all about dolphins and whales. . . . ” He scrunched his forehead in thought. “I don’t know what to do first!”
“I think I can help you with that decision,” Melanie said. The activity director was standing in the doorway, checking her watch. “In just three minutes, the bell is going to ring for dinner. How about if I walk you over to the dining hall?”
“Dinner?” Benny scrambled off the bed so fast he almost tumbled on the floor. “Let’s go!”
Violet and Jessie laughed at the surprised look on Melanie’s face.
“You just named his favorite activity of all,” Jessie explained. |