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Kimberly’s Summer Vacation

Part 5

by Valentina Michelle Smith

Kim and Maggie were enjoying a day at the beach.

The beach was not an actual beach by the sea, but was a sandy area
that Big Bill O’Connell and Will had put together at the side of
Mason’s Lake, not far from the fishing pier. Big Bill had bought a
large portion of lakeside property when he bought the cottage. His
first improvement was the fishing pier. Then he bought several
truckloads of gravel and sand to create a safe place to swim, free of
the normal debris found at the bottom of a lake. Every year it was
raked and sifted to keep the sand smooth and safe. And every few years
they added another truckload of sand.

Maggie and Kim had set a blanket on the sand and were taking turns
jumping from the raft. The raft was a marvel of jury-rigging,
consisting of several 55-gallon drums welded shut to form airtight
pontoons. A platform contained the drums and provided a surface to
climb up and jump from. Every year at springtime, Will and Big Bill
inspected it for leaks, rust, or deterioration, made repairs, and
re-painted the raft. It had endured many summers of fun with minimal
maintenance. In a child’s imagination, it was everything from a pirate
ship to the lost City of Atlantis.

Right now it was a platform for jumping into the lake. With that
unbounded energy only children seem to have, Maggie and Kim were taking
turns making cannonball dives at each other.

Doris O’Connell watched her two girls from the comfort of her beach
chair. She was sipping some iced tea and enjoying her latest paperback,
a collection of Nero Wolfe short stories. She knew that as long as her
girls were making noise there was nothing to worry about.

Will was back at the bungalow, preparing a barbecue. It was nothing
fancy, just hot dogs and hamburgers with some of Pop’s famous potato
salad, but somehow hot dogs tasted a lot better when cooked over
charcoal. Doris was definitely looking forward to dinner.

“Excuse me,” a voice said. Doris looked up and saw a girl about Kim’s age. “Can I go swimming here?”

“Well,” said Doris, “I don’t mind, but your parents have to give permission.”

“My Dad is back in the city working,” the girl replied, “But I could ask my Mom. Is that all right?”

“Yes, of course,” said Doris, “but I have to hear it from her.”

“Could I bring a note?” the girl asked.

“Of course you may. What’s your name, sweetie?”

The girl smiled. “It’s Roxy. That’s short for Roxanne. I’ll go get
the note and I’ll be right back!” She ran up a path toward one of the
other cottages.

Kim and Maggie came up onto the beach to run in the sand. “Who was that, Mommy?” asked Maggie.

“Her name is Roxy. I think she might be coming back to swim.” Sure
enough, Roxy appeared in a swim suit, accompanied by a woman.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” the woman said. “We’re up for the summer
and Roxy has nobody to play with. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Of course not; you’re welcome to come in too if you like, and so are your other children.”

“It’s just Roxy and myself, I’m afraid,” she answered. “My name is
Wanda Nelson and I really hate to impose. My husband Jeff is working,
but he’ll be up for the weekend.”

“You aren’t imposing, Wanda. I’m Doris O’Connell, and my girls are
Kimberly and Maggie. Kim is my oldest girl, and Maggie is the little
redhead.”

“Thanks, Doris. I really appreciate it. Maybe I’ll bring my chair down and sit a while.”

“Well bring a glass; I have plenty of iced tea here.”

While the grown-ups were exchanging pleasantries, the girls all
jumped back in the lake. Roxy paused a few seconds to get used to the
cold water, but she didn’t wait for long. She made her way out to the
raft and joined in the cannonball contest.

Wanda and Doris talked to each other while the girls splashed and
played in the water. Maggie managed to catch a frog and was showing it
to Roxy and Kim for approval when Roxy managed to catch a turtle. They
took the turtle up to the beach and then let it go. They watched as it
scurried down to the water and swam away.

“Wow, this is really neat,” said Roxy. “I’m glad you let me go swimming here.”

“Well if it’s okay with your mom and mine you can come here any time,” said Kim.

“Wow, do you mean it? That would be great!”

Doris called to the girls. They all came in and dried off. “I
invited Mrs. Nelson to join us for dinner. Kim, would you please go
tell Daddy to get a few more burgers ready?”

“Okay, Mommy. I’ll stay and help him.”

“Thanks, Kim. We’ll be there in about an hour.”

“May I go with Kim, Mommy?” Roxy asked her mother.

“I think maybe you had better change clothes, first. Don’t worry, sweetie, there’s plenty of time.”

“Look at it this way, Roxy,” said Kim, “this way you get some more
time at the beach. Besides, I need a break. You can torture the squirt
for me.”

Maggie stuck her tongue out at Kim and gave her the raspberries.
“Don’t listen to her, Roxy. She’s just stuck up ‘cause she’s gonna help
cook dinner.”

“Hey, you two,” said Doris, “that’s not very ladylike! Now make up!”

Kim just messed Maggie’s hair and gave her a big hug. They had only
been kidding. Maggie and Roxy headed back for the water while Kim put
on her flip-flops and made her way to the bungalow.

Big Bill was busy in the kitchen slicing up the potatoes he had
boiled. Will was forming ground meat into patties. “Hi Daddy, hi
Pop-pop!” said Kim as she entered. Mommy wants me to tell you we’re
having company for dinner.”

“Looks like we need to put some water into the soup pot,” said Big Bill. He leaned down to give Kim a little kiss on the cheek.

Will asked, “So how many more hungry mouths do we have to feed?”

“Just two, Roxy and Mrs. Nelson. We met them down at the beach.”

“Well that won’t be too difficult. We have plenty of lettuce and
lots of meat to make burgers. Hey, princess, why don’t you get changed
and finish making the hamburgers so I can start the fire?”

“Okay, Daddy,” Kim replied. She went into her room to change. She
was only inside for a few minutes when she emerged wearing a denim
skirt with a Monkees T-shirt. She went outside to hang up her swim suit
and towel, then came back inside and grabbed an apron.

“Wash your hands first, Kim,” said Will. Kim washed her hands at the
sink and then grabbed a handful of hamburger to form patties. Will
smiled and went outside to set up the grill.

The barbecue grill was a cinder block and concrete affair that he
had built before Maggie was born. The lower grate was just the right
size to lay a bed of charcoal briquettes. Will started with some
newspaper sheets. He had never been fond of starter fluid. He laid the
charcoal on top of the paper and lit one of the edges with his trusty
Zippo lighter. Flames licked up around the coals. Soon, a layer of
white ash covered the coals. The fire was ready for cooking.

Will returned to the kitchen to find that his family had returned
with their new friends, Wanda and Roxy. “Hello there,” he said,
extending a hand to Wanda, “I’m Will O’Connell.”

Wanda took his hand and shook it. “Glad to meet you, Will. I’m Wanda and this is my girl Roxy.”

“Hello, Mr. O’Connell,” Roxy said.

“Hello, Roxy. Say, that’s a pretty name.”

“Thank you,” Roxy said with a smile and a little blush.

“Look, Daddy,” said Maggie, “Roxy brought a game we can play. It’s the Barbie game.”

“Well you’re in the right place, Roxy; Maggie has a whole bunch of Barbie stuff. Do you have any?”

“I sort of outgrew Barbie dolls, Mr. O’Connell, but the game is still fun.”

“Well maybe you girls can play after dinner. Speaking of dinner, how are those burgers coming?”

“All ready for the fire, Daddy,” said Kim. She produced a plate stacked with raw patties.

“Good work, princess. Let’s get cooking. Take them outside and I’ll bring the hot dogs.”

Kim took her plate of hamburgers outside. Will retrieved the hot
dogs from the refrigerator. “Sorry it isn’t something fancy, Wanda,” he
said.

“Don’t be sorry, Will,” she answered, “I just love a good barbecue,
especially hot dogs. And your Pop’s potato salad looks mighty good too.”

Will smiled and took the hot dogs out to the grill. Kim had already arranged the hamburgers over the fire.

“Thanks, princess,” said Will, “You do good work.”

Kim smiled. She loved helping out with a barbecue. But she had a
question for Will. “Daddy,” she asked, “why do you call me ‘princess’?”

Will stopped for a moment. “I don’t know, I just started saying it. It just feels sort of right.”

“Isn’t that what you used to call Becky?” she asked.

Another pause. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

“So do you think I’m Becky?”

Now Will laughed. “No, sweetie, I know you’re not Becky. I guess I
just miss having her around. In a way, you’ve become my princess.”

Will’s face assumed a very distant _expression, the kind that comes
from a very profound thought. “When Becky died, I think a piece of me
died with her. I had to be strong for the family, so I never really let
myself cry, but there’s been a hole in my life for years. I tried to
imagine that it wasn’t really there, but it wouldn’t go away. Somehow,
Kim, you managed to fill that hole for me.”

“Does that mean you want me to keep on being Kim? I mean, when summer’s over?”

Will looked at his daughter. She was growing tall. In fact, she had
grown at least an inch or two since summer started. He was used to
thinking of her as his daughter now, and felt a little uncomfortable at
the thought of her going back to being Trip again.

“Well, honey,” he said, “that’s a pretty serious question. Do you want to keep on being Kim?”

“Not all the time,” she said. “Everybody at home knows Trip. I guess
I might like to be Kim every now and then, but not all the time. But
what I want to know is, what do you want me to do?”

Will looked at Kim and suddenly realized how grown up she was
becoming. “Princess, what I want is for you to be happy, whatever you
want. It took me a long time with a lot of thinking to understand this,
but I can’t live your life for you. I can guide you and maybe make
suggestions, but you have to make a lot of choices for yourself, like
what you’re going to do when it comes time for you to make a living in
this world.”

“But Daddy, how can I do this? How can I choose?”

“You already started, Kim. You made the choice to spend this summer
as my daughter, and you managed to convince me that it was a good idea.
That sounds awfully grown up to me.”

“So I’m grown up now?”

Will laughed. “No, not completely, honey, but you’ve started. You’re
becoming an adult, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. But I’m also a
little bit sad. When my little girl grows up, she’s no longer my little
girl.”

“I thought Maggie was your little girl.”

“Until this summer I thought so too.”

Kim laughed, and so did Will.

While Will and Kim presided over the grill, Doris and Maggie spread
a tablecloth over the picnic table and set out the paper plates and
plastic cutlery. Wanda and Roxy helped set out the picnic goodies, and
Big Bill brought out a giant bowl filled with potato salad. “I know
you’ll like this, Wanda, I made it from my Peg’s recipe.”

“Is Peg your wife?” Wanda asked.

“She was for nearly forty years. She passed away a few years ago.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, I still miss her, but I have a lot of fond memories of her,
especially our last few years together. She was one hell of a lady.”

“Do you get lonely, Mr. O’Connell?” asked Roxy.

“Sometimes; sometimes I really miss Peg, especially in the evenings.
We would sit out on the porch and just talk to each other. I guess I
still talk to her, just now I have to listen a lot harder to hear her
answer.”

“You can still hear her answer?”

“Of course I can. I hear her when the gentle wind blows, when the
crickets chirp, when the frogs croak, or when the birds sing. Oh, yes,
Peg still answers me; I just have to listen for her.

“But hey, that’s enough of this melancholy talk. I’m hungry.

“Hey Will,” he called out, “we got some mighty hungry people to feed
here. Are you going to finish, or do we have to send out for pizza?”

"The burgers are coming off the fire now, Pop, so hold your horses,”
Will shouted back. Quietly he said to Kim, “You’d think we never feed
him the way he bellyaches!”

Kim giggled and almost dropped a burger, but each one made it onto
the plate along with the hot dogs. Will took the plate and together
they made their way to the picnic table. As he set the plate down he
said, “The fire still has some life in it. Maybe you kids might want to
toast some marshmallows after we eat.”

“Oh boy,” Maggie exclaimed, “I love toasted marshmallows.”

“Me too,” said Roxy, “may I toast some, Mommy?”

“I don’t see why not, but first eat your dinner. Mr. O’Connell has
made some very nice hamburgers and his father has made potato salad. No
dessert until you finish dinner, Roxy.”

“Wow,” said Kim, “I guess mothers all have the same speechwriters.
Don’t worry, Mrs. Nelson, the starving kids in Europe won’t get mad at
us.”

Everybody laughed as they sat down. Big Bill asked, “Wanda, we normally say grace. Would you like to join us?”

Wanda answered, “Not at all, we can join in.”

“Great. Maggie, it’s your turn to lead us.”

Maggie recited the prayer while everyone bowed their heads. “Bless
us, oh Lord, and these Thy gifts that we are about to receive from Thy
bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen”

Everybody repeated “Amen,” and crossed themselves. “Well,” said Wanda, “that answers one question, everybody here is Catholic.”

“And everyone here is hungry,” Big Bill said, “So let’s dig in.”

The table was set so that everybody could assemble their own
hamburger. Lettuce, onions, and sliced tomatoes were on one platter,
buns on another, and the hamburgers right next to them with condiments
nearby. Everybody had a very strong opinion on just what went into a
perfect hamburger, and everyone enjoyed the potato salad. Hot dogs were
also available, leading to another discussion about how a hot dog
should be topped.

“Personally,” said Big Bill, “I like the onions and hot sauce they have at Yocco’s.”*

“What’s ‘Yocco’s’?” asked Roxy.

“It’s a hot dog stand in Bethlehem,” said Big Bill. “Yocco’s King of
Hot Dogs. I had many a lunch at the Yocco’s next to the mill.”

“This is the first time I ever heard of them,” Wanda said. “I guess they don’t have them in Philadelphia.”

“That’s right,” said Doris, “we Philly gals had to make do with cheese steaks and hoagies.”

“Now that’s what I call culturally deprived,” said Will.

“That’s a neat top, Kim,” said Roxy. “Do you like the Monkees?”

“Oh, yes,” said Kim, “I think they sound great. They’re not as good as the Beatles but I like their songs.”

“My favorite is Davy because he’s so cute. Who’s your favorite?”

“I like Mike because he’s the guitarist, but Peter is pretty good on the bass. Do you like the Beatles?”

“Yes, especially Paul; he’s just so cute. Don’t you think he’s really cute?”

“I guess I never really thought about it,” said Kim. “I kind of like George because he plays guitar.”

“You seem to have a thing for guitar players,” said Roxy.

“Kim plays guitar,” Doris said.

“Wow, that’s really groovy,” said Roxy. “Can you play something for us?”

Kim blushed a little. “I guess I can,” she said, “but I don’t know
if you’ll like what I play. I like to play folk songs and cowboy songs.”

“That’s OK, Kim,” said Roxy, “Did you know that Ringo likes country songs? He even recorded a couple with the Beatles.”

“Yeah, I heard them. I didn’t think anybody else liked them.”

“Well, I do. Ringo is kinda cute, for a drummer.”

Will looked at Doris and Wanda and rolled his eyes. “These kids sure get caught up in their music,” he said.

“So did we,” said Doris. “As I recall, you enjoyed rock and roll yourself.”

“Yeah, but that was different. We had Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats
Domino, and Elvis. This stuff the kids are listening to can’t hold a
candle to the classics.”

Big Bill started to laugh. “Classics, indeed,” he said. “Son, I grew
up listening to Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. Swing
was the thing. I felt pretty much about your music as you think about
Kim’s.”

“Maybe so,” said Will, “but I still think that the music of the 50’s
will never die. You mark my words, in five years nobody will remember
the Beatles ever existed.”

“I said the same thing about Buddy Holly,” Big Bill replied. “It’s a
good thing I never tried to make a living as a fortune teller.”

Everybody laughed. Doris then started the conversation in another
direction. “Wanda, did you say your husband would be coming here for
the weekend?”

“Oh, yes, he loves it here. When he gets done work on Friday he’ll head down here and go back on Monday morning.”

“Does he get any vacation?”

“He gets two weeks in August when the plant shuts down. Then he
stays here all the time. The rest of the time it’s just me and Roxy.”

“I like it when Daddy comes here,” said Roxy. “Would it be okay for him to go swimming at the beach?”

“He’s welcome any time,” said Big Bill. “Say, maybe we can all get together for a cook out.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” said Wanda. “I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”

“Say, what does he do for a living, Wanda?” Will asked.

“He operates an automatic screw machine for a textile plant in Kensington.”

“That wouldn’t be Steel Heddle, would it?” asked Will.

“Why yes, it is. How did you know?”

“I guessed. I’m the machine shop foreman at Bethlehem Steel, so I
know most of the machine shops in the Northeast. Sometimes we send out
extra work to them.”

“I guess you boys will be talking a lot of shop talk,” said Doris.
“And here I thought I got away from all that for the summer.”

“Well if everybody’s finished,” said Big Bill, “I think we have some ladies who would like to burn a few marshmallows.”

“I see clean plates all around,” said Will. “OK, break out the marshmallows.”

The girls all found long sticks and speared marshmallows onto the
end. They patiently held them over the still-burning coals, watching
their marshmallows turn a toasty brown. Then they were joined by Doris
and Wanda, who brought Hershey bars and Graham crackers. “Come on,
girls,” said Wanda, “we’re going to show you how to make S’mores.”

Wanda demonstrated the ancient and venerable art of squeezing a
toasted marshmallow between pieces of a Hershey bar and graham
crackers. The girls were delighted with the new-found delight and
proceeded to make several more.

Eventually the table was cleared, the paper plates were disposed of,
and the leftovers were put away. The sun was getting lower and shadows
were getting taller. Everybody went inside.

Maggie, Roxy, and Kim immediately took over the kitchen table to
play the Barbie game. “Have you ever played this game before?” Roxy
asked. Both Maggie and Kim shook their heads. “Okay, here’s how you
play. You roll the dice, move around the board, and follow the
instructions. You have to get a date, prom tickets, and a dress to go
to the prom. The winner is whoever gets to be queen of the prom.”

They each rolled one die. Kim rolled highest and started. While the girls played, The grown-ups sat down and talked.

“You said you were Catholic,” Doris said to Wanda. “Do you go to St. Stephan’s?”

“Yes, we usually go to the early Mass,” Wanda answered. “I like Father Mulroney, he keeps the sermons short.”

“Well, I think both he and Father Krasley keep them shorter in the
summer. They say twice as many Masses to take care of the summer
people,” Big Bill said.

“Well for whatever reason, I’m glad. I don’t think I could stand
being in the church for a long sermon during the summer. It’s just too
hot.”

“Yes, even with the fans going it can get stuffy,” said Big Bill.
“Sometimes I think I ought to just forget my tie, but I don’t think the
priests would like it.”

“Father Mulroney said he would refuse communion to any woman who
didn’t have at least a half-sleeve, or if her neckline was too low. I
think he wants to keep a sense of modesty and propriety in church.”

“Well, it’s only for an hour,” said Will. “I think I can put up with a little discomfort for an hour on the Lord’s Day.”

“An hour isn’t much time for you or I,” said Doris, “but for the kids it seems like forever.”

“Oh, yeah, I think they would rather be outside playing,” said Will.

“But it’s nice to see them dressed like little ladies just once a
week,” said Wanda. “If I left it up to Roxy I think she would be in
shorts and T-shirts all the time.”

At the table, Maggie shouted, “I got my dress! I can go to the prom!”

The grown-ups smiled at each other. “Well, I guess that’s the next
big hurdle,” said Wanda, “boys. Roxy isn’t boy-crazy yet, but she has a
crush on just about every cute boy in a rock and roll band. Sometimes I
wish they never printed Tiger Beat.”

“Kim isn’t really boy-crazy,” said Doris, “she mostly follows
musicians she admires. I think it’s because she plays the guitar.”

“I sure wish Roxy would get interested in a musical instrument. I
tried sending her to piano lessons but her heart just wasn’t in it. She
never practiced and never really learned much. Oh, well, kids!”

Maggie now ran into the small parlor. “Mommy, Daddy, I won! I’m the queen of the prom! I won!”

“Good for you, little kitten,” said Doris, “and I bet it was because you are so pretty.”

Maggie just beamed as Roxy and Kim entered. “The squirt cheated,” Kim said.

“Did not! Did not! You’re just jealous!” Maggie said.

“Of course I’m jealous,” Kim said, “you always win!”

Doris looked up at Kim, who gave her a conspiratorial wink. She knew
then that Kim and Roxy had somehow managed to arrange things so Maggie
would be the winner. Doris returned the wink and smiled. It was so
wonderful to have a daughter like Kim.

Wanda then said, “Kim, your mother said you play the guitar. Would you mind playing something for us?”

Kim started to blush. “Gee, I don’t know, Mrs. Nelson. I’m not really that good.”

“Nonsense,” Will said, “I’ve heard you play and you’re great. Come on, princess, play us something.”

Roxy said, “I think I’d like to hear you play, Kim.”

Kim hesitated just a second, and then said, “OK, I guess so, but no
jokes about torturing cats!” She aimed that last remark at her
grandfather, who suddenly took on a look of surprise coupled with
sheepish innocence. This made Kim laugh. She retriever her guitar from
her room and tuned it up.

She strummed a few chords and, satisfied with the sound, started
playing. “This is for Daddy,” she said, and launched into an acoustic
rendition of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade away.”

There was something in the way Kim played that seemed to capture
Buddy Holly’s spirit. Whether it was her use of the same tempo and
simple progression, or the way she sort of caught Holly’s West Texas
twang, her audience was enthralled. Will joined in, and so did Doris.
When Kim finished, everybody applauded. “More! More!” they shouted.

“Let’s slow it down a little,” Kim said. “Here’s something for Mommy
and Daddy.” She strummed, and started singing another Buddy Holly song,
“True Love Waits.” It wasn’t quite as powerful as her previous song; it
had been written for a full orchestra, after all. But Kim managed to
capture the essence of Buddy Holly’s singing.

Nobody joined in this time, they simply listened. But as she was
singing, Will grasped Doris’ hand. They looked into each other’s eyes,
remembering a time not long ago when they first fell in love. When Kim
finished, Doris leaned over and gave Will a kiss.

“That was lovely, Kim,” said Wanda. A little tear trickled down her cheek. It was obvious she missed Jeff.

Big Bill decided it was time for a request. “Well, I know you can’t play jazz, so how about some country?”

“Would you like a cowboy song, Pop-pop?” Kim asked.

“Sure think, sweetie. Let’s hear what you got.”

Kim smiled and started strumming a strong progression of chords. She
accented this strum with individual notes. Big Bill grinned as he
recognized the melody, and Kim started singing “Ghost Riders in the
Sky.” Big Bill and Will both joined in on the “Yippie-yi-ay!” chorus.
Again there was more applause as she finished.

Kim’s initial embarrassment was now gone. She rose from her chair
and bowed to her audience. Sitting again, she started playing a softer,
simpler melody. “This one’s for Maggie,” she said, and started singing
“Puff, the Magic Dragon.”

Kim’s voice was not as powerful or as expressive as Peter Yarrow’s,
but it didn’t matter to her sister Maggie. She was just thrilled that
her big sister was playing one of her favorite songs. Again, Kim’s
audience was enthralled and joined in on the chorus, singing the
praises of a famous dragon in a land called Hanah Lee, and a little boy
who loved him.

After the applause settled down, Kim said, “Here’s something a
little more recent.” She started strumming, and singing. Roxy
recognized it right away. It was the Monkees’ bit of social satire,
“Pleasant Valley Sunday.” The grown-ups were a little confused and
perhaps a bit surprised at the references to “charcoal burning
everywhere” and “rows of houses that are all the same,” but if they
were offended they didn’t show it. And when Kim finished, Big Bill
said, “Well, at least we don’t have a TV in every room here.”

Everybody laughed, the tension broken. Kim said, “It’s not really
about us, it’s more like a criticism of how shallow some people are
becoming. They lose sight of the really important things in life, like
family and love, and stopping to smell the roses. It’s like the lady
whose roses are all in bloom. You might think she would stop to smell
them and enjoy them once in a while, but she doesn’t. All she wants to
do is show off.”

“Wow, that’s some mighty deep thoughts, princess,” said Will. “You’ve become a regular philosopher.”

“I think it’s a neat song,” said Roxy. “Do you know any others?”

“Sure,” said Kim, and she started singing “Yesterday.” Again, the
simple rhythm and melody of the guitar was a perfect accompaniment to
the song, and while her voice was no match for Paul McCartney, she
still delivered it with panache. In the end, everybody was hanging on
her voice, especially Roxy.

“That was so beautiful!” she said, “It’s like Paul was singing it just for me!”

“Play another one, honey,” said Doris.

“Okay, Mommy. I think I’ll play a folk song.” She played several arpeggios in ¾ time, and then she started singing.

Are you goin’ to Scarborough Faire?

Every rose grows merry and fine!

Remember me to one who lives there,

She was once a true lover of mine.

Tell her to make me a Cambric shirt.

Every rose grows merry and fine!

Without any seam or fine needlework,

Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to find me an acre of land.

Every rose grows merry and fine!

Between the salt water and the sea stand,

Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to plough it all with a sheep’s horn.

Every rose grows merry and fine!

And to sow it all in with just one peppercorn,

Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather.

Every rose grows merry and fine!

And gather it all in a cord made of heather,

Who wanted to be a true lover of mine.

And when she has done with and finished her work,

Every rose grows merry and fine!

Come to me with the Cambric shirt,

And then she will be a true lover of mine.**

Kim finished with a little flourish of her strings. Everybody applauded.

Roxy said, “That’s from Simon and Garfunkel, but that isn’t the way they sing it.”

“It’s an old ballad,” Kim answered. “It has a lot of versions. That one is my favorite.”

“I kind of miss the parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. But the rose is nice.”

“Well,” said Wanda, “this has been fun, but I think it’s getting late. Roxy, let’s say goodnight and head for home.”

“Okay, Mom. Thanks for dinner, Mrs. O’Connell. And Mr. O’Connell,
thank you too. And thanks for the potato salad, Mr. O’Connell,” she
said to Big Bill.

Well thanks for coming over, Roxy,” said Big Bill. You feel free to
drop in any time, now, and that goes for your Mom and Dad too. I had a
good time tonight.”

“I did too,” said Roxy. “Hey, I have an idea. Maybe Kim can come with me to the dance next Saturday.”

“A dance?” Kim said, “Where is there a dance?”

“St. Stephen’s has a teen dance every other Saturday,” Wanda
replied. “Roxy has been there a few times, but she doesn’t really have
any friends to go with. It’s chaperoned, so there won’t be any monkey
business.”

“Gee, I don’t know,” Kim said.

“Oh please, Kim? It’ll be so great to have a friend come with me.”

“Well, I really don’t know how!”

“That’s OK, I can show you. It really isn’t that hard.”

“But, I mean, are there boys there?”

“Of course there are, silly,” Roxy said. “Don’t worry about them,
they aren’t too gross. There’s a dress code at St. Stephen’s.”

“Go ahead, honey,” said Doris, “I’m sure you’ll have fun, and you seem to get along well with Roxy.”

Kim stammered for a few minutes, but then reluctantly gave in to pressure. “Well, OK, I guess I can go.”

“That’s great, Kim!” said Roxy. “Wow, I can’t wait. It’s next Saturday. I’ll show you a few steps and we can fake the rest.”

“All right,” said Wanda, “save some of that energy for Saturday. I’m
sure you two will want to get together about your outfits and makeup
and everything.”

“Yep!” said Roxy. “It’s gonna be great. Well, good night, Kim. And good night, Maggie. Maybe we can go swimming tomorrow.”

The O’Connell’s wished Roxy and Wanda a pleasant evening and saw
them to the door of the bungalow. Will lent Wanda a flashlight so she
wouldn’t trip over anything in the dark. They watched as Wanda and Roxy
made their way down the trail to their own cottage.

“Mommy, I think I need to talk with you,” Kim said.

* * * * *

Kim was dressed in her pajamas and had said her prayers when Doris came in to talk with her.

“Mommy, I’m nervous about the dance,” Kim said.

“Well, it is your first dance, so I’m not surprised. Are you worried about how you’ll look on the floor?”

“No it isn’t that,” Kim said. “It’s just that, what if a boy wants to dance with me?”

“What if he does? Most girls would worry that no boy would want to dance with her.”

“I know, but, I’m really a boy. You know that. What am I supposed to do?”

Doris sighed. “Kim, sweetie, this is all part of being a girl. Now I
know you never went to a dance as Trip, and to tell you the truth I’m a
little worried about it. Maybe if you go as Kim, you might not be so
nervous to go to a dance when you go back to being Trip. And maybe
you’ll learn a little something about being a gentleman and treating a
lady with respect.”

“Did Daddy treat you with respect, Mommy?”

Doris smiled. “Yes, and he still does.”

Kim furrowed her brow. “I’m still confused about this, Mommy, but I’ll go.”

“That’s my girl!” said Doris. Now get to sleep.” Doris kissed her daughter good night.

Outside, Will was waiting for her. “Do you think this is a good idea, Hon?” he asked his wife.

“Trip needs a little socializing, Will. I think maybe if he sees
this part of the world from Kim’s point of view, he’ll have some more
confidence in himself.”

“Did I ever have any trouble that way?” Will asked.

“Let’s just say I had to whack you between the eyes with a pretty big two-by-four to get your attention.”

Will laughed. “Okay, I’m just a little nervous. What if some boy tries to get fresh with her?”

“Somehow, I think Kim can take care of herself that way.”

“Yeah, but I’m still nervous. I guess I still want to protect her.”

“Our little bird has to leave the nest some day. Before she flies on
her own she has to try her wings. This will be good for her.”

“I guess so, but I still feel protective.”

“And if this were Trip going to a dance and not Kim, what would you do?”

Will grinned. “Yeah, I see what you mean. Now that I’m used to
thinking of her as a girl, I guess I forget that she’s really our son.
You’re right, Doris, Kim will be fine.”

“Of course she will. She’s her father’s son, isn’t she?”

Will laughed, and so did Doris. They went in to check Maggie, and
then sat out on the porch, holding hands and listening to the crickets.

(End of Part 5)

*Yocco's King of Hot Dogs is a chain of hot dog shops in the Lehigh
Valley in Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Iacocca family and is still
in business today. You may know of one of the most notorious member of
the Iacocca family, Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler Motor Co. and
the principal designer of the Ford Mustang.

** Scarborough Faire, trad., arr by Kim O'Connell