Solomon's Private File #9
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 11 in this story, in the Summer of 2037.
Solomon's Private File #9 "A Wet Adventure"
START Page
I don't care about the activities at camp, and so don't try too hard
at them. I have to hold back for security, too. I would beat them all
in any competition but who's got the biggest boner, and who can squirt
farther. Baseball is the funniest. It's one sport I never tried before.
It's mostly about waiting, with a few seconds, periodically, of
hitting, catching, or throwing a ball, and sometimes a little running.
Very little, actually. Boring game. For me, the best way to play it, is
to hit the ball so far it takes a long time to find it, but it upsets
the other players, so I don't do that. Often.
I like swimming in the ocean. Great exercise, which I don't get much
of in other activities. I can use the dolphin stroke Dad invented at
camp, but it takes a lot of energy. I do all the other strokes for fun.
One time it wasn't fun. A canoe capsized far out in the bay, the third
time this year. There had been three boys in it. Only two were holding
on. I noticed it first, because I could hear them more than the others
on shore could. I ran into the water, contacting Dad, saying,
"Emergency rescue. Feed me energy. Dolphin stroke." He said, "Will do,
and monitor." I was at the boat in a second, minus my swim trunks. The
third boy wasn't there. The boat was aluminum, so I banged on the side,
with my ears under the water. Sound bounced off something the size of a
boy, in the direction I located. I dived deeper, and found him. I
brought him to the surface. I said to one of the other boys, "Keep his
head above water. I'm going to give him some air." First I collapsed
his chest, and he spurted water. Then I did mouth to mouth breathing
for him. After a few puffs, he started breathing on his own, and
coughing.
We waited for the rescue rowboat to come. When it arrived with some
counselors, I said to them, "He was on the bottom and out. I brought
him up and used mouth to mouth to get him to start breathing. He needs
to go to a hospital to get checked out." John said, "Right. Will do.
You?" I said, "We're fine. The two boys can go back with you. I'll tow
the boat in. Have somebody with a towel ready. Trunks came off." He
grinned, and said, "Right. Good work." While we were talking, the other
counselor was taking my patient into his boat, and I was helping the
other boys into it. They gave me a rope. I tied it to the bow of the
canoe. I took the other end of the rope, and swam slowly back to shore.
I could have gone much faster, but that would have looked impossible.
Bad for security. They got to shore first. I was there a minute later.
Dex was there with a towel, but not before I got to show everybody my
tan lines. I said in contact with Dad, "Emergency over. Successful.
Thanks." He said, "Welcome. Good work. Lost my trunks there before, and
Dex with a towel." I said, "Thanks for the info. Can I tell him?" He
said, "Secret, yes." I said "Thanks. Discom."
I said to Dex with the towel, while wrapping it around me, so nobody
else could hear, "Lost my trunks swimming too fast. Like father, like
son, with your towel assistance." He looked really surprised. I said,
"Secret, but I had permission to tell you. We think it's funny." He
tried to smile, and nodded. We went to the office. The boy and a
counselor went in the ambulance they called. I said to Dex, "Jeremy
knows." He said "Oh." I said to Jeremy, "We Holmes kids tend to meet
Dex in the same strange way." He grinned, and said, "But your meeting
was much more dramatic. Thank you VERY much. You saved that boy's
life!" I said "I just did what I should do. You know. In the genes." I
looked down, and said, "Er, towels." They laughed. I said, "I tried to
make it look almost normal, but the publicity could be a problem." Dex
said, "Oh, I see. I should have realized. 'Rusty Doads'!" I said,
"Right. My idea, to match my off center humor." Jeremy said,
"Absolutely!" I said, "I should tell you, I don't have any extra
abilities like Dad has, that could have helped in the rescue, except
special hearing and some extra strength. But he was watching. If I
needed help, he would have given it. They call it monitoring." They
nodded.
My borrowed towel fell off. I said, "Got something else I can wear?"
Dex went out to get something. When he came back, I was still untowled.
I said, "Still naturists." He smiled and nodded. I put the new trunks
on. They fit well. I said, "I can't help wondering how some fish likes
the fit of what I left behind." They smiled. I said, "I should be going
back to my cabin to get ready for supper. Not having fish, are we?"
They laughed. Dex said, "No." I waved and walked out. I could hear them
trading wows.
I wasn't noticed until I got back to my cabin. Then they surrounded
me, and hugged and kissed me a lot for being a hero. I said, "I'm not a
hero. I was just enforcing the rule." Ed said, "What rule?" I said, "No
camper is allowed to die here." They looked confused. Ed said, "Good
rule. We should all obey that one." They were confused, but could tell
I didn't want to be fussed over, and let it be. There was no
announcement at supper. At bedtime, Ryan said to me in a whisper,
"Despite what you say, you're still my hero. I know I'm not the only
one who thinks that." I said, "Alright, but PLEASE keep it quiet. I'm
shy. Too much of a fuss, and I go home. I mean it." He said, "Alright.
Hero." I growled at him. He laughed.
The next day I was called to the office. The almost dead boy and his
parents were there. He said, "You saved my life! Thank you!" We hugged.
I said, "It wasn't anything special. I was just enforcing the no kid
dies at camp rule." I shook my finger at him, and said, "You wouldn't
want to break that rule, would you?" While the adults were in various
states of confusion, the boy played along with a grin, saying, "Right.
Can't break that rule. Punishment is really bad for that." I said,
"Absolutely." Then we talked about some activities, completely ignoring
the adults. Jeremy was trying not to laugh at them. After a while, I
said, "Oops, I almost forgot. I've got an activity to go to. Can I?"
Jeremy said, chuckling, "Sure. Have fun." I ran out.
The attention didn't stop there. The former bully came up to me and
said, "I'm not surprised." I said "Good. Would be a funny name to carry
around." He grinned and said, "Like yours?" I said "Odd sense of humor
in my family. I like that." He said, "You would." I said "No, me
Rusty." He laughed. He said, "Your friends have been talking about the
no kid dies at camp rule. Good one." I said, "They were making too much
of a fuss about it. The distraction of that worked." He nodded, and
said, "How come you saw it before anybody else did?" I said, "Just
lucky. I was watching and wondering when they would tip over. Not a
good canoe team. I saw two of three hold on, and heard some faint
yelling. I'm a fast swimmer when I want to be, so I went out to them,
kind of like a reflex. Wasn't much to it. I already knew water rescue
and first aid things. My parents wouldn't let me come here unless they
knew I could take care of myself." He said, "Good parents." I said, "I
have to agree."
Later, Ed came to me and said, "Some girls are interested in you.
Said that, and asked which way you went. I told them you think you're
too young to know for sure, but like girls." I said, "I'm not
interested in having a serious relationship outside of our group." He
said, "I suspected that. It's like that for all of us. Got anybody in
mind?" I said, "Not yet. I'll know when I meet. It might be two years."
He said, "Any of us, whatever gender or orientation, you call, we'll
come." I said, "For some, even before they arrive." He laughed, and
said, "Maybe." I said, "We might have another kid in our foster home
next year. More after that." He said, "Why not other homes?" I said,
"We have the only married Senior Adept foster parents. Those will be
Double Adept kids." He said, "Logical." I said, "That's what I'm basing
it on. Otherwise, it's just a feeling." He said, "I see another reason.
You're the first. The leader." I nodded, and said, "Working on that
role. Not looking forward to the responsibility, but I have to do what
I have to do." He said, "Now I know why you've been making changes in
how you are. Good work!" I said, "Thanks, brother." We hugged with
love.
END Page
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant
|
|