Sophie's Friend in Need

by Norma Charles

  SOPHIE’S FRIEND IN NEED

  ALSO BY NORMA CHARLES

  All the Way to Mexico (2003)

  Fuzzy Wuzzy (2002)

  Criss Cross, Double Cross:

  Sophie Alias Star Girl to the Rescue (2002)

  The Accomplice (2001)

  Sophie Sea to Sea: Star Girl’s Cross-Canada Adventures (1999)

  Runaway (1999)

  Dolphin Alert! (1998)

  SOPHIE’S FRIEND IN NEED

  NORMA CHARLES

  Copyright © 2004 by Norma Charles

  First Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from Access Copyright (Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency), Toronto, Ontario.

  This book is published by Beach Holme Publishing, Suite 1010, 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 1T2. www.beachholme.bc.ca. This is a Sandcastle Book.

  The publisher gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and of the British Columbia Arts Council. The publisher also acknowledges the financial assistance received from the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for its publishing activities.

  Editor: Suzanne Norman

  Production and Design: Jen Hamilton

  Cover Art: Susan Reilly

  Author Photograph: Brian Wood

  Printed and bound in Canada by AGMV Marquis Imprimeur

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Charles, Norma M.

  Sophie’s friend in need: further adventures of Sophie alias Star

  Girl/Norma Charles.

  “A Sandcastle book.”

  ISBN 0-88878-449-X

  I. Title.

  PS8555.H4224S674 2004 jC813’.54 C2004-905200-4

  For my grandchildren, Clarissa and Tarin, whom I don’t see often enough

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I am grateful for the help of my writing friends and colleagues who offered wise advice about this manuscript in progress, especially James Heneghan, Irene Watts, Ellen Schwartz, Kathleen Waldron, Linda Bailey, Joan Weir, and Ann Walsh.

  I would also like to thank everyone at Beach Holme Publishing for continuing to be enthusiastic Sophie fans, with particular thanks to publisher Michael Carroll and editor Suzanne Norman for their insightful editing.

  ONE

  The Seabird skimmed over the sparkling sea of British Columbia’s Howe Sound like a bird in flight. At least that was what the motorboat should have been doing. But with a load of twenty chattering girls, two young women counsellors, and camp supplies for a week, it was too heavy to skim. So it furrowed through the waves like a farmer’s plough, spraying salt water into the young campers’ faces.

  Three girls shivered at the front of the boat and pulled up the blue canvas tarp as shelter. The tarp smelled dank and musty, but Sophie LaGrange didn’t care. She was much too excited. Camping! They were on their way to Latona Camp on Gambier Island for a whole week. It was summer 1950, Sophie was eleven years old, and it was the first time in her entire life that she would be away from her family.

  She was sitting between her friend, Elizabeth Proctor, and another girl, who was buried in an oversize yellow raincoat. The girl hadn’t acknowledged Sophie’s presence, and she didn’t know the stranger’s name yet. When they first climbed aboard the Seabird, Sophie had said hi to the girl, but she had only nodded slightly without even glancing her way. She was a skinny, grey sort of person with pale straight hair, a pale ashy face, and pale grey eyes.

  Sophie bounced and wiggled in her seat. Soon, soon, they would be at camp! She glanced back at Porteau Cove where Papa had dropped Elizabeth and her off that morning, after a two-hour drive from their homes in Maillardville. They had travelled through New Westminster, then all along Kingsway in Burnaby, right through Vancouver and across the Lions Gate Bridge, and all through West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay. Then they’d driven along a steep gravel mountain road at the edge of the sea. Sophie had thought they’d never get to Porteau Cove, but they finally did.

  Two Latona Camp counsellors had met them at the dock. After giving Papa a quick goodbye hug, Sophie had excitedly climbed aboard the Seabird with Elizabeth and they had grabbed the front seat.

  “I can hardly see the dock at Porteau Cove now, can you?” Sophie now asked Elizabeth, staring back to where the dock blended into the surrounding foliage, beach, and water.

  Elizabeth looked, too, then shook her head. “Where’s that island? When are we going to get there?” she muttered, her voice tight with worry.

  “Papa said it would take only half an hour, so we should be there soon. I bet that’s Gambier straight ahead.”

  A green island shaped like a broad haystack with steep, rounded sides and a bumpy top was taking form in the light mist.

  “I hope they don’t make us pray all day long at that camp,” Elizabeth said.

  “I’m sure they won’t. Maman said that even though it’s run by Catholic Charities, kids from all different churches will be there.”

  Elizabeth seemed bleak. She blinked hard.

  Sophie patted her arm. “Your mom’s going to be fine, Liz. You know when my oldest brother, Joseph, had his appendix out, he was outside playing baseball with his friends the next week.”

  Elizabeth rubbed her nose on the back of her hand and sniffed. She nodded. “That’s what my dad said. He said Mom might even be out of the hospital when we get back from camp.”

  A big wave crashed against the boat, and cold water suddenly sprayed into their faces as if a garden hose had been turned on full blast.

  Elizabeth shrieked and ducked under the tarp. “What if this boat flips right over and we all fall out and drown!” she cried, trying to hold back her hair and red ribbon as the wind whipped them around her face.

  “Don’t worry,” Sophie said, scrunching up her eyes as more spray splashed over the bow. “We won’t flip over and we won’t fall out. Even if we did, we’ve got these life preservers tied on, so we wouldn’t sink.”

  Her hero, Star Girl, would never be scared about a little spraying water. Sophie worked her hand under her life preserver and into her jacket pocket, searching for her Star Girl Super Bounce Ball. She squeezed it. Months ago she had sent away for the ball using a form at the back of a Star Girl comic book. She had played with it so much that it wasn’t as shiny and red as it used to be. As long as she had her Star Girl ball, she wasn’t afraid of anything.

  “But I can’t swim very well,” Elizabeth whined. “I’d probably drown in a second in all that water. I knew I should never have come.”

  “We’ll have lots of fun at camp. And it doesn’t matter if you can’t swim that great. Like I said, these will keep us afloat.” Sophie cheerfully patted her bulky orange life preserver.

  “Oh, no!” Elizabeth squealed. “Look, mine’s come undone!”

  “Here, I’ll tie it up for you.” Sophie pushed her Star Girl ball deep into her pocket, then tied the long beige straps on Elizabeth’s life preserver into a tight bow. “There. Tight as can be.”

  “The water’s so deep here.” Elizabeth peered over the side, her eyes widening. She stared at the waves cresting and splashing against the hull. “I bet it’s a mile deep at least. And I bet there are sharks and even giant octopuses in the water.”

  Sophie shook her head. “I’m sure there are no sharks around here. Right?” she asked the silent girl sitting next to her.

  Frowning, the girl pulled the hood of her raincoat lower over her eyes and turned away.

  “Ho
w come she’s so mad at me?” Sophie whispered in Elizabeth’s ear. “What did I do to her?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “She’s just rude,” she whispered back, wrinkling her nose as if the grey girl smelled. She pointed at the stranger’s feet and giggled. The girl was wearing shiny white patent leather shoes with straps. The toes were scuffed and dirty.

  Not exactly the best footwear for camping, Sophie thought. She couldn’t help giggling, too, as she admired her own brand-new navy running shoes that her mother had bought at Eaton’s especially for camp.

  Elizabeth sighed. “I’ll be so glad when we finally get onto dry land again.”

  The mist had evaporated, and the island loomed in the distance.

  “Hey, look!” Sophie said. “You can already see the trees on the island. And look at all those high cliffs.”

  As the Seabird drew nearer to the island, its motor slowed to a putter to avoid the jagged reefs and islets strewn with seaweed and bits of driftwood that rocked in the boat’s wake. A flock of gulls took flight and screeched at them, wheeling around on outstretched wings. The sea glistened as if it were covered with thousands of sequins. The boat rounded a point of land, and a collection of weathered wooden buildings nestled among tall evergreen trees at the edge of a horseshoe-shape bay came into view.

  “There’s the camp!” Sophie shouted, excitement bubbling in her stomach.

  “Finally,” Elizabeth muttered.

  A sloping ramp connected the island to a long floating dock beside a rocky beach. At the top of the ramp a Union Jack on a pole flapped a friendly welcome.

  “What’s that big log building with all the windows?” Elizabeth wondered aloud. “Do you think that’s where we sleep?”

  “I don’t know,” Sophie said. “Could be. Or maybe we’ll be staying in one of the smaller cabins behind it.”

  “They wouldn’t expect us to stay in those old dingy things. They’re not even painted.” Elizabeth sniffed and patted her hair ribbon.

  As they approached the dock, the sound of the motor faded away and the boat bobbed gently against the dockside.

  “We’re here! Finally we’re here!” Sophie quivered with anticipation. She licked her salty lips, eased her Star Girl ball out of her pocket again, held it in her palm, and gave it an extra squeeze.

  “Everyone remain seated, please,” one of the counsellors directed from the back of the boat.

  The counsellor’s name was Miss Rosy. The woman looked like a jolly sort of person. She was plump and had a mass of curly blond hair, pink cheeks, and an infectious grin.

  “Now, I’ll just mosey on up to the bow and tie us to the dock. Then you girls will be able to get out. Don’t move yet. Excuse me, excuse me,” the young woman said as she made her way to the front, pushing past the rows of girls. “Sorry,” she grunted as she bumped between Sophie and the silent grey girl.

  Miss Rosy clambered onto the bow on her hands and knees and grasped the rope that was tied there. As she reached out for the edge of the dock, the boat lurched and bounced. Suddenly, with a surprised scream and a big splash, Miss Rosy fell in headfirst!

  Sophie gasped. A Star Girl rescue flashed through her mind. She leaped onto the bow and peered over the side.

  “Watch out, Sophie!” Elizabeth cried. “You’ll fall in, too!”

  The boat jerked again, and Sophie lost her balance. She clutched at the bow but missed. The next thing she knew she was tumbling into the water, as well.

  Her breath caught in her throat as the cold water closed over her head, filling her ears, eyes, and nose. She flailed her arms and kicked her feet until she bobbed to the surface. Blinking hard and sputtering, she coughed up the salty water and strained against the bulky life preserver tight around her ears and neck.

  Miss Rosy was thrashing around, too, her life preserver pushing up her chin. “Help!” she burbled. “Help!” She was choking, her breath coming in jagged bursts.

  The other girls were all squealing, “They’re in! They both fell in! Oh, no! Miss Rosy’s in the water! Help!”

  Sophie struggled to pull her life preserver down so she could get a good, deep breath. Then she lunged forward and gave Miss Rosy’s back a big Star Girl push toward the dock. She paddled after her, kicking hard. When Sophie reached the edge of the dock, she tried to heave herself up onto the boards, but her wet life preserver weighed a ton. She floundered in the water, kicking really hard until she managed to scramble onto the dock.

  Miss Rosy clung to the edge of the dock, coughing and gasping, trying to catch her breath, her wet hair plastered against her head. She struggled to climb onto the dock but couldn’t lift herself out of the water. Sophie reached down to pull her up as two other counsellors hurried down the ramp.

  “Hold on there, Rosy!” cried one of them. “Hold on!”

  The other counsellor grabbed the back of Miss Rosy’s coat while Sophie pulled Miss Rosy’s hand. Together they hauled her onto the dock where she collapsed to her hands and knees, fighting for breath.

  Finally she stood. “Thanks,” she wheezed to Sophie, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. “Thanks a lot.”

  Sophie wrung the water out of her jacket and nodded. Despite the sunshine, she was shivering hard. Cold water dribbled from her hair and down her neck and back; her sodden pants clung to her legs. She tugged at her wet jacket under the life preserver to draw it closer around her back, then reached into her pocket to squeeze her Star Girl ball. It was gone! She checked her other pocket, then her pants pockets. Nothing! She must have lost it in the water.

  Her stomach tightened as she stared over the dockside into the water while the counsellors secured the Seabird with ropes. Where was her ball? She didn’t see it in the water. It couldn’t be lost!

  “There, the Seabird is all set and secure,” one of the counsellors said to Sophie. She was a big, broad woman with round wire-rimmed glasses and very short grey hair. “My, that was a dramatic arrival! So what’s your name?”

  “Sophie LaGrange,” she said, her arms hugging her body as she shook.

  “Let’s find your suitcase, Sophie, so you can get out of those wet clothes. That was quick thinking, even though you ended up in the water, too. Okay, girls. Out you come now. One at a time please. We don’t need anyone else falling into the water. We’ll unload you, then get your luggage. Everyone, please hang your life preservers on the rack over there.”

  Sophie’s fingers trembled as she untied her life preserver and hung it on the rack. A cool breeze found her soaked back, and she jumped around and swung her arms, trying to warm up.

  She went back to the edge of the dock and peered hopefully into the water again. Still no sign of her Star Girl ball. Would it float? Had it sunk to the bottom? She had never put the ball into water before, so she didn’t know what it would do. Did rubber balls sink? The water was so clear she could see right to the rocky bottom covered with swaying green seaweed, white clamshells, and barnacles. Even a few black minnows flitted around. But no bright red Star Girl ball. A puddle of seawater formed around her feet from her cold, dripping jacket and pants. She crossed her arms tightly and shivered some more. Her excitement about this camping trip was fading fast.

  Around her the other girls were unloading the boat. Finally she saw her suitcase and her bedroll in its canvas bag. The suitcase was red leather with a big black letter S on its side. It was the same one that had travelled all the way from Montreal to the West Coast with her more than a year ago.

  “Come on, Sophie, let’s get changed out of these wet duds,” Miss Rosy urged. “Follow me, kiddo. I’ll show you where.”

  Sophie lifted her suitcase and took one last look into the water. As soon as she changed into some dry clothes, she would zip right back to the dock and search for her Star Girl Super Bounce Ball. She prayed no one else would find it before she did. Or worse, that it would float away!

  TWO

  Sophie’s feet sloshed in her wet shoes as she followed Miss Rosy along the wooden dock and up the ra
mp, leaving the other campers sorting out their gear. Glumly she stared at her new runners—soaked and probably ruined.

  “Thanks for coming after me in the water,” Miss Rosy said. “Your name’s Sophie, right?”

  “Right.”

  “That was really brave of you, Sophie. Sorry you had to fall in, too.” Miss Rosy grinned at her.

  Sophie smiled back. “Pretty dumb of me.”

  Miss Rosy chuckled. “It was dumb of me to fall in the first place!”

  They were walking along a path that led past the big log building that Sophie and Elizabeth had noticed earlier. It had several large windows facing the water.

  “That’s the mess hall,” Miss Rosy said.

  “Mess hall?”

  “We don’t actually make a mess there. It’s the kitchen and dining area where we eat, and we meet there when it’s raining. Otherwise we all meet here at that flagpole.”

  A tall flagpole with a Union Jack fluttering in the wind was surrounded by a semicircle of low wooden benches and logs. In the centre was a big stone fire pit.

  Sophie followed Miss Rosy past the flagpole and along the narrow gravel path, up the hill, to one of the small grey wooden cabins that Elizabeth had hoped weren’t where they would be sleeping. This one had a green door and a plaque with the number four above it.

  “These cabins are the bunkhouses,” Miss Rosy said. “This one’s mine, so we can change in here.”

  They went up two steps and into the cabin. It was quite dim inside after the bright sun of the day, but Sophie could see four double bunks, two along each wooden wall, plus a single bed behind a low screen.

  “We get to sleep in bunks!” Sophie started to feel excited again. “I’ve always wanted to sleep on a top bunk.”

  “A first time for everything. Brrr. Let’s get out of these wet duds before we both catch pneumonia.” Miss Rosy rummaged through a low chest of drawers. “You can change over there, and I’ll change here. This is my room.” It wasn’t much of a room, just a narrow single bed under a tall window, but the screen made it private and cozy.