Summer Camp Adventure by Marsha Hubler Page A
Authors: Marsha Hubler
Tim’s boys came in and headed toward the breakfast line. Skye noticed that worry shrouded Tim’s face. After he scanned the room, he rushed toward her table.
“Skye, have you seen Jonathan?” His voice conveyed raw panic.
“No,” she said, confused. “I only see him this time of the day when he comes in here with your group. And besides, I’m not working with him anymore. At least, not for the time being.” She too quickly scanned the room.
Tim’s rambling words betrayed his growing concern. “I thought maybe he had come in here ahead of our scheduled time. When I woke the boys up this morning, his bed was empty. I thought he was in the bathroom. Iknow now that I should have checked. I got so busy I for got about him. Later, after everybody was dressed, I lined up the boys to bring them for breakfast, but he wasn’t there. I checked the bathroom then, but he wasn’t there either. Now I’m really worried.”
“It sounds to me like he might be pulling one of his neat little bathroom tricks again,” Skye said confidently.
“What do you mean?” Tim asked.
“He sits on top of the toilet against the wall and pulls his feet up. Then you can’t see if he’s in any of the stalls.” Skye stood, directing her words to Morgan. “I’ve got to see if Jonathan’s up in his cabin. I’ll be right back.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Tim asked.
“Nah,” Skye said, already heading toward the door. “You get your boys settled. They need you. I’ll find Jonathan.”
“Yeah,” Morgan said, “our girls are already settled. We’ll be cool, won’t we, girls?”
“Yeah, cool,” they said, one after another.
Skye hurried out of the mess hall and ran past the barn to the boys’ cabins all facing the pool. Rushing into Tim’s cabin, she headed straight to the bathroom. Quickly she went to three stalls and pushed on the doors, fully expecting one to be locked. But all three doors swung open freely.
In a heartbeat, the panic she had seen on Tim’s face raced through her veins like a charge of electricity.
She ran back to the cafeteria where Tim and Mr. Wheaten stood talking near the food line. As soon as Skye hurried in, their anxious looks turned in her direction.
“He’s not there!” Skye said when she joined them.
“Now where could that boy be?” Mr. Wheaten raised his hat and scratched his head. “He seemed all right when we talked to him yesterday.” He glanced at Skye. “All I wanted him to do was apologize to you some time today. That didn’t seem to bother him much at all.”
“Yeah,” Tim added, “and you certainly weren’t mean to him, Mr. Wheaten. But remember, all Jonathan kept saying was ‘Okay.’ Maybe he didn’t really understand what we wanted him to do.”
“It’s awfully hard to tell what a deaf kid really understands,” Skye said. “They nod their heads ‘yes’ all the time, even when they don’t have a clue what we’re talking about. They really have it rough.”
Mr. Wheaten squared his hat on his head and took a deep breath. “Well, we’ve got to find him—and now!” He walked to the sound system and picked up the microphone. “Attention, ladies and gentlemen. May I have your attention?”
The room settled to not even a whisper.
Mr. Wheaten continued. “Jonathan Martin did not come in here with his cabin. Has anyone seen him this morning?”
“No!” echoed across the room. Dozens of campers shook their heads.
“All right then,” Mr. Wheaten said. “I’m going to check with the sick bay and the maintenance crew. Maybe somebody has seen him wandering around. If not, staff and volunteers, we need to put Emergency Plan A into action. You who are members of the search team, please meet me in my office in ten minutes.” He placed the microphone down and hurried outside.
As instructed, in ten minutes the search team assembled at Mr. Wheaten’s desk. Skye, Chad, Linda, and Tim were among the eight who eagerly awaited the next
“Skye, have you seen Jonathan?” His voice conveyed raw panic.
“No,” she said, confused. “I only see him this time of the day when he comes in here with your group. And besides, I’m not working with him anymore. At least, not for the time being.” She too quickly scanned the room.
Tim’s rambling words betrayed his growing concern. “I thought maybe he had come in here ahead of our scheduled time. When I woke the boys up this morning, his bed was empty. I thought he was in the bathroom. Iknow now that I should have checked. I got so busy I for got about him. Later, after everybody was dressed, I lined up the boys to bring them for breakfast, but he wasn’t there. I checked the bathroom then, but he wasn’t there either. Now I’m really worried.”
“It sounds to me like he might be pulling one of his neat little bathroom tricks again,” Skye said confidently.
“What do you mean?” Tim asked.
“He sits on top of the toilet against the wall and pulls his feet up. Then you can’t see if he’s in any of the stalls.” Skye stood, directing her words to Morgan. “I’ve got to see if Jonathan’s up in his cabin. I’ll be right back.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Tim asked.
“Nah,” Skye said, already heading toward the door. “You get your boys settled. They need you. I’ll find Jonathan.”
“Yeah,” Morgan said, “our girls are already settled. We’ll be cool, won’t we, girls?”
“Yeah, cool,” they said, one after another.
Skye hurried out of the mess hall and ran past the barn to the boys’ cabins all facing the pool. Rushing into Tim’s cabin, she headed straight to the bathroom. Quickly she went to three stalls and pushed on the doors, fully expecting one to be locked. But all three doors swung open freely.
In a heartbeat, the panic she had seen on Tim’s face raced through her veins like a charge of electricity.
She ran back to the cafeteria where Tim and Mr. Wheaten stood talking near the food line. As soon as Skye hurried in, their anxious looks turned in her direction.
“He’s not there!” Skye said when she joined them.
“Now where could that boy be?” Mr. Wheaten raised his hat and scratched his head. “He seemed all right when we talked to him yesterday.” He glanced at Skye. “All I wanted him to do was apologize to you some time today. That didn’t seem to bother him much at all.”
“Yeah,” Tim added, “and you certainly weren’t mean to him, Mr. Wheaten. But remember, all Jonathan kept saying was ‘Okay.’ Maybe he didn’t really understand what we wanted him to do.”
“It’s awfully hard to tell what a deaf kid really understands,” Skye said. “They nod their heads ‘yes’ all the time, even when they don’t have a clue what we’re talking about. They really have it rough.”
Mr. Wheaten squared his hat on his head and took a deep breath. “Well, we’ve got to find him—and now!” He walked to the sound system and picked up the microphone. “Attention, ladies and gentlemen. May I have your attention?”
The room settled to not even a whisper.
Mr. Wheaten continued. “Jonathan Martin did not come in here with his cabin. Has anyone seen him this morning?”
“No!” echoed across the room. Dozens of campers shook their heads.
“All right then,” Mr. Wheaten said. “I’m going to check with the sick bay and the maintenance crew. Maybe somebody has seen him wandering around. If not, staff and volunteers, we need to put Emergency Plan A into action. You who are members of the search team, please meet me in my office in ten minutes.” He placed the microphone down and hurried outside.
As instructed, in ten minutes the search team assembled at Mr. Wheaten’s desk. Skye, Chad, Linda, and Tim were among the eight who eagerly awaited the next