Kimberly's Summer Vacation (Part 5)

Kim makes a new friend as the family enjoys a barbecue.

Kimberly's Summer Vacation
Part 5

by Valentina Michelle Smith

Part 5

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 Ways.” 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?