Lally Sunshine All Around Camper

By Leslie Chalson

Leaving home for an extended period of time can be daunting for an adult and completely overwhelming for a child, especially when the child is a nine year old named Lally. She frets when getting ready to pack and leave, and is embarrassed to discuss it with her older sister or her parents. She certainly doesn't want to appear to be a crybaby, but she is about to embark on a summer adventure and wants to have fun and feel accepted by the new girls she's about to meet. so what's a nine year old supposed to do? She's about to find out, because the bus is leaving in just a few ore days...

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667821368

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of this author’s imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously.

Text copyright © 2022 Leslie Chalson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, ad recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.

LALLY Sunshine ALL AROUND CAMPER

by Leslie Chalson

1st Edition 2022

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1-66782-135-1 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-66782-136-8 (eBook)

It’s advantageous to grow old where you were once young

—Unknown

To my parents {J & B} who gave me the gift of becoming a camper at sleep-away camp and to all parents and children who value the experience

About the Author

Leslie Chalson often visits the Berkshires in western Massachusetts where she and her husband spend time with old friends, their children, and grandchildren. She enjoys swimming in the lake (where she met her husband at camp), canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and just splashing around and having fun. She also loves to go to local baseball games and root for the Pittsfield Suns in one of the last remaining ballparks in America with a wooden grandstand. They visit Friendly’s for strawberry ice cream cones and sundaes and spend time visiting local historic sites.

Leslie started writing advertising and catalogue copy for large department stores as well as public relations for several non-profit organizations sponsoring the arts. She lives on Long Island with her husband near children and grandchildren, all of whom have been or are currently campers.

Table of Contents

About the Author

Prologue

1—Getting Ready

2—Also Known As Lally

3—The Awful-Awful

4—Girls’ Hill

5—The First Night

6—The Cobbler

7—The Smoking Tree

8—Tadpoles or Whales

9—Broyles Arena

10—Uncle Ike

11—Princess Tiger Lily

12—Third Generation Maybe …

13—The Faerie Hatch

14—Around Midnight

15—Aurora’s Borealis

16—The Fake-Out

17—The Apache Relay

18—The Banquet

19—And The Award Goes To…

20—Farewell

Prologue

Lucky Duck

Two more days to go and we’d be boarding the buses on our way to sleep-away camp in Massachusetts. Though I was very excited about a summer in the country, I was a little nervous about leaving home and making new friends. Every nine-year-old would feel that way (my Nana assured me), but I wasn’t a true believer just yet. Though I never had much trouble making friends at school because I always thought I was a likeable person, I thought I might need a little extra something to help the girls at camp warm up to me faster, and I had the perfect solution! I’d just pick up a rabbit’s foot like the girls carried at school so I might have that extra good luck I needed.

Our favorite place to get things up was at Tom’s luncheonette. It was around the corner from our house, and Tom had dozens of things we loved like hula hoops, silly putty, comic books, and candy of all kinds. But today, I wanted to rush right to the back of the store and look over by the rabbit’s feet hanging on the peg board in dozens of colors. Since the girls at school wore them for good luck especially on quiz days, I knew it was just the thing for me. I had my heart set on a dark green one because it was our official camp color. I wanted one with a ball keychain attached so I could hook it to the belt loop on my shorts and wear it every day. If I had any of my allowance money left over, I’d get a couple of Millie the Model and Betty and Veronica comic books. Mom said I could choose two of each. I was planning to ask if I could walk over to Tom’s later with Teddy, since she told me she wanted a few things herself.

Teddy was my older sister. I was nine and she was thirteen, and she was groovy with a capital G so I wanted to be just like her, and even though I was counting on her to show me the ropes at camp, I was determined to be able to make my own lasting friendships.

So I figured, if I finished packing my bus duffle before lunch, I’d ask Mom and Teddy if we could go as soon as we finished eating. If Tom’s had what we both wanted, Teddy would want to go with me.

Just as I was about to zip my duffle and slide down the banister and head to the kitchen, Mom called out, Lally, Teddy, lunch is on the table. C’mon down!

Coming, Mom, I shouted. What’s for lunch? I asked as I rushed into the kitchen.

Grilled cheese and homemade apple sauce, she said as I walked into the kitchen rubbing my leg.

Did you slide down that banister again, Lally?

How’d you know, Mom?

‘Cause you’re rubbing your leg, and it’s a bit red, dear.

It’s fine, promise!

Teddy, hurry now, lunch is getting cold.

On my way, she said.

I took a deep breath and a big bite of my grilled cheese, and, with a full mouth, I asked, So, Mom, can Teddy and I walk over to Tom’s for some camp stuff?

Lally, don’t talk with your mouth full, she warned.

I do have something to pick up, Mom, Teddy said.

Teddy, are you all zipped up and ready to go? she asked.

Yes, Mom. Finished before lunch, she said, sealing the deal.

I gulped down my milk, swallowed my last bite, and asked to be excused. I ran out of the dinette to go upstairs to get my allowance before either of them changed their minds.

I started thinking that there were so many new things to try my first days at camp. I wanted to pass my deep-water test in the lake so I could go canoeing and try waterskiing, and of course, I just had to learn to play tennis so Dad would finally agree to take me out on the court with him.

So, if my summer was going to turn out the way I hoped it would, I would need to go away feeling like a real lucky duck. My new rabbit’s foot would help me with that, for sure!

1

Getting Ready

Though it seemed like a normal Friday afternoon in June in our house, I knew my life was about to change forever. My sister Teddy and I were leaving for camp Saturday morning, and I surely didn’t know what to expect. I’d never left home before for more than a night to sleep over at a friend’s house, let alone for eight weeks, and I wasn’t sure I could fend for myself (as my Nana would say). So when Mom called us down for dinner, my heart was in my throat.

Okay, everyone, dinner’s ready, wash up, she shouted.

I ran to the powder room and washed up as fast as I could, so I’d be the first at the table. When we all had our plates in front of us, I studied each and every face to see if anyone looked as nervous as I felt.

Mom, this is delicious, but … I started.

Thank you, dear, but don’t talk with your mouth full, she warned.

Are you all packed, Lally? Dad asked.

Yes, well almost, but aren’t we going to chat about leaving tomorrow morning? I have some questions, I said.

I thought we went over all that already, Dad said.

Well, you know I’ve never been away from here for long.

I was stalling, but I didn’t think anyone noticed until Mom told me to stop dawdling and asking questions and go upstairs and finish packing my bus bag. I never got to finish my thought before Teddy interrupted me.

She said, You and I have some things to finish up upstairs, Lally, and Mom wants us to be done way before bedtime, right, Mom?

True, Teddy, but you already know the night-before-camp routine and Lally doesn’t, so cut her some slack, okay? Maybe you can answer her last few questions when you go up. In the meantime, help me finish these dishes, please, Mom said.

Teddy stayed in the kitchen to help Mom finish up. When I got to my room, I looked around to remind myself one last time what bedtime was like in my own room in my own house. It was very quiet and peaceful. I had a feeling falling asleep at camp with so many other girls sleeping right next to me snoring and sneezing and who knew what else would be much noisier. And the hall bathroom I shared with Teddy was just for the two of us, and now I’d be sharing the sinks and shower and toilets with at least six other girls I didn’t even know.

To keep myself busy for the next few minutes, I lifted my green cotton duffle up on my bed, checked my nametag, made sure I’d packed my rabbit’s foot, and then, to keep myself from thinking too much about the trip early the next morning, I put the radio on and tuned into my favorite station. It was time for the top twenty countdown, and I was hoping that would include something I could sing along to. Teddy always reminded me that rock and roll was cool, and I should try to learn the words to as many songs as I could.

I took her advice, and I learned the words to about ten new songs and was singing along to Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb when I heard Mom shouting from downstairs.

Lally? Are you in the tub? Mom’s voice came drifting up from the kitchen.

Not yet, Mom.

Well, hop into bed as soon as you finish—you have a big day tomorrow.

Didn’t I know it? I felt all squirmy, like when the teacher picked you to read aloud to the entire class and you weren’t ready. I felt hot and then cold and sweaty, so I rushed to hide out in the bathroom and take a hot bath when I heard Mom coming up the stairs.

I’m in the tub, Mom.

Oh. I thought you’d be done by now so you can get an early night, she said.

Well, I wanted to take my last warm soapy bath until August, you know! I blurted out.

Okay, Lally, do I detect a little nervousness, dear? she asked.

Yes, I’m plenty nervous. Maybe I’ll wait until next summer to try camp, I complained as one tear made its way down my face.

Lally, Dad and I wouldn’t have signed you up for this summer if we didn’t think you were ready. Mom patted my damp hair away from my forehead as I dried off and put my PJs on. You don’t have to worry about everything. Just take a deep breath and you’ll see, the sun will shine on cue, the birds will sing, and all will be right with the big old world! I promise.

You’re just saying that to make me feel better, I said.

That’s my job, but really, Lally, try to relax. After all, Teddy will be on the bus with you.

I know, and I hope she sits with me too.

I’m sure she will. Besides, you’ll be introduced to other first timers too.

Are you worried about anything else? she asked. Are you worried about missing Dad and Nana and Grandpa and me?

A little, I guess, but that’s not it either, I whispered.

You can tell me whatever it is, you know, she said in a soft, sweet Mom voice.

"Well, I’m afraid that Teddy won’t be able to come to my cabin to say goodnight like she does here, and the girls