summer campTuesday, August 07, 2007
It was a typical afternoon, with cold winds skidding across the grass plain. The sun was hung high up in the sky, but the temperature wasn't too warm due to the fluffy clouds that littered the horizon. The cooling weather was pleasant and perfect for outdoor activities. Yet, David wasn't excited. It was the start of another torturous experience, which he was keen to avoid. David considered obtaining a medicinal certificate to excuse himself from the summer camp, but he thought of the moments he would miss. After all, this was his first summer camp with the girls and he was looking forward to making more friends.
Dragging his heavy bags along, he trudged to the gathering point, which was located at the tip of a small hill. From there, David could see a refreshing view of Mother Nature and was consumed by its beauty; the widespread greenery, the clear "gushing" of clean river water, and the fluttering of butterflies provided a way of comfortable escape from urban life. David was indulging in the stunning scenery before something else caught his attention. The gorgeous girl had long, silky, golden hair which nicely framed her crescent face and a nice bronze tan. She was with a group of friends and they were chatting excitedly. Throughout the conversation, she let slip a few dazzling smiles, that showed her white, pearly teeth. David couldn't stop himself from glancing at her, and for a split second, their eyes met. It was an awkward moment for David, and he instinctively avoided her glare. He felt warm blood filling his cheeks, and he wished for a spot where he could hide his face-which was undoubtedly red by now.
As the camp instructor began his introduction and his customary "welcome speech", David stole a few more glances. Each time, he wanted to hold his gaze longer, yet he was afraid that the girl would take notice. And as the time for assigning camp groups drew near, he secretly prayed to be in the same group as her. It was a weird feeling for David, because he never felt such kind of attraction before;he badly wanted to know more of her, and to be closer to her. He cupped his hands tightly and made a deal with God, promising to exchange anything just for the opportunity to be with her.
"For Group Atlas, we will have James, Owen, Priscilla,Crowley,David, Kate..."
The voice traced off in his head as he no longer paid attention. His heart already skipped a beat as he saw her move. Her elegant strides and sublime smile certainly blew his mind apart; he had to squeeze his thighs hard to confirm that it was not a dream that would abruptly end. As she took her position beside him, David trembled with excitement. He badly wanted the world to stop dead in its track, so that he could relish in that moment.
"Hi! My name is Kate. Are you OK? You seem to be blanking out in your first day. Anyway, what's your name?"
"My... er, my name is... David. Nice to meet you! Oh, I was just thinking of my family. This camp barely started but I am already missing their company."
Damn, what a clumsy way to start a conversation, David thought.The last thing on David's mind was his family, although there was some degree of truth when he said he missed them. Instead, he was looking forward to every moment of the camp where he could spend time with Kate; the icebreaker, the team activities, and the campfire. The days flew by quickly. A hour, a day, then a week. By now, David and Kate were good friends that shared many little pleasant memories; the day where Kate finally conquered her fear to experience the "flying fox" or the quiet afternoons where they would spend their afternoons on the tip of that small hill, chatting passionately about their dreams and childhood. Soon, it was the time to say goodbye, and tearful farewells marked the end of the summer cap
As friends gave each other well wishes and hugs, Kate dragged David to a quiet side of the river. Without waiting for him to catch his breadth, Kate moved forward and gave him a kiss on his cheek. It lasted a brief moment, but it was sufficiently long for David to blush completely. Then she said, "I had the best times of my life and I would want to thank you for being such a good friend and for making this camp so memorable." David wanted to tell her that he wanted to be more than just his good friend, but was afraid to ruin their friendship. Reluctantly, he let her go, and then she disappeared away.
As David went back to the gathering point to collect his bags, he saw a oddly familiar notebook. At several times of the summer camp, he had seen her scribbling notes into the book. It had a white cover and it was conveniently small in size to fit into a pocket. David looked around frantically but she was nowhere in sight. He wanted to return it to her, but at the same time, he was curious about the content of the book. Resistance was futile and soon he was flipping through the pages. It contained snippets of her life, her happy memories and sometimes the times where she felt lonely and sad. He was about to close the book but stopped when he chanced upon her last entry. Reading through the lines, a sense of regret suddenly shot through him, paralysing his limbs, and making him weak.
The diary read:
Today would be the last time I would get to see him. I want to tell him that I like him but I'm just too shy and I'm not sure of what he feels. I wished I could have the courage to drag him to a place and say that I like him but I just can't find the courage. I just want to be more than a friend to him.
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