Camp Club Girls: Elizabeth

by Brumbaugh Green, Renae;

  “You girls sure spend a lot of time down here,” said Mr. Anzer as he climbed out of the cart.

  The girls laughed nervously. “Yeah, I wanna be the next Tiger Woods,” Bailey told him.

  The old man smiled. “Sounds great. Then the rest of us will be able to say, ‘We knew her when…’”

  Kate glanced nervously over her shoulder, looking for Biscuit. Since that first day at the golf course, the little dog disappeared every time Gerhardt came around. But he had drawn attention to himself with the clown’s laughter. Gerhardt looked toward the clown then started walking that way.

  “Is that the dog I ran off last week?” he asked. “I keep seeing his paw prints around, but I can never catch him. I’ve called the pound. They should be out sometime today or tomorrow.”

  Suddenly, Biscuit took off.

  “Hey, mutt! Come back here!” yelled Gerhardt, chasing the little dog. Biscuit slipped through the gate, and he was gone. Gerhardt examined the gate then walked toward his office. “I’ll fix this problem. That back gate is going to be fastened for good.”

  The color drained out of Kate’s face, and she looked like she was going to be sick. Bailey gently touched her friend’s arm and whispered, “It’s okay. We’ll find him. He’ll probably find us first.”

  Kate gulped then nodded. She couldn’t do anything about it now.

  “You girls need to get to class, don’t you? You’ll be late,” said Mr. Anzer.

  The girls nodded then headed out the gate. When they were out of earshot, Kate said, “What will we do now? Gerhardt said the pound is coming. We’ve got to find Biscuit before they do, or he’ll be lost to us forever!”

  “Well, I’d rather the pound find him than that cougar! At least they won’t hurt him,” said Bailey. “Come on. If we hurry, we might be able to catch the others before class. Let’s see if they have any ideas.”

  The two girls ran back to the cabin and arrived just as the others were leaving. “Biscuit!” Kate said, stopping to catch her breath.

  The girls could read the pain in Kate’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” McKenzie asked.

  “He’s gone!” exclaimed Bailey. “And the pound is coming for him today!”

  Kate and Bailey took turns explaining what had happened, and the others listened with concern.

  “What can we do?” asked Kate in a worried voice.

  “We’ll divide up right now and search the woods,” suggested Alex.

  “We can’t miss class. We’ll get in trouble,” said Elizabeth.

  “I know what we’ll do,” offered Sydney. “Mac and I go on a nature walk with our class this morning. We’ll walk right through the woods where Biscuit is hiding. Why don’t we each carry a backpack filled with treats…something he’ll smell. Maybe then he’ll find us. If he does, we can slip him into the backpack.”

  The others agreed that this sounded like a good plan—at least until later when they could search more freely.

  “What kind of treat should we put in your backpacks?” Bailey asked.

  The girls offered suggestions, from stale cheese crackers to leftover biscuits. But Elizabeth offered the winning solution.

  Minutes later, Sydney and McKenzie left the cabin, each with a backpack filled with dirty socks.

  “Today is our last day to practice before the big contest,” Miss Rebecca told her students. “I am very pleased with how much scripture you have memorized. As you know, memorizing God’s Word is one of the most important things you can do. That’s why the winner of this competition will receive double points for her team. So, who’s ready to get started?”

  Hands shot up around the room until the counselor called on Elizabeth. Then all hands went down. “Oh, come on, doesn’t anybody want to compete with Elizabeth?” Miss Rebecca asked with a smile.

  The class laughed. Elizabeth had a reputation for being a scriptural encyclopedia.

  Finally, Amberlie raised her hand. “I’ll do it, Miss Rebecca,” she said sweetly.

  “Wonderful! Come to the front. For this first part, I’ll give the reference, and then you say the complete verse with the reference at the end. Every once in a while, I may stop and ask what the verse means. Ready?”

  Both girls nodded.

  “Elizabeth, you first. Proverbs 20:15.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “‘Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel,’ Proverbs 20:15.”

  Good job. Amberlie, Proverbs 3:13–14.”

  Amberlie smiled sweetly. “Certainly, Miss Rebecca. ‘Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold,’ Proverbs 3:13–14.”

  “Very good, Amberlie. I’m impressed! You’ve been holding out on us,” said the counselor.

  Amberlie beamed. But when Miss Rebecca turned to address the class, the girl leaned toward Elizabeth and whispered, “You’re toast, Anderson.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “Bring it on,” she whispered back.

  The nature hike provided some interesting clues in the search for Biscuit, but the girls couldn’t find the little dog. At one point, Sydney spotted paw prints in the mud, which looked the size of Biscuit’s. But the girls couldn’t disrupt class by calling out for the little dog, so they just kept hiking. They tried to mark the spot in their minds so they could come back and search later.

  The girls gathered at the cabin for Discovery Time, and Elizabeth said a special prayer. “Dear Lord, please keep Biscuit safe! Please help us to find him before the pound does. And please help us to solve the mystery of Mr. Gerhardt’s digging. Amen.”

  “Amen,” the girls echoed.

  “We have two goals for today,” said Alex. “We have to find Biscuit. And we have to find out why Mr. Gerhardt is digging at the golf course every night. We know he’s probably looking for the missing jewels that were never found when his father was convicted.”

  McKenzie jumped in. “Perhaps we should stop concentrating on why he’s digging, and start digging ourselves.”

  The rest of the girls looked at McKenzie. “You’re brilliant!” exclaimed Sydney. “Why didn’t we think of that before?”

  The girls divided into two teams. Kate, Sydney, and Elizabeth would search for Biscuit, and the other three would search the golf course for hidden treasure.

  Kate would take her cell phone into the woods, and the other three would carry Elizabeth’s cell phone with them. That way they could maintain contact in case the jewels were found.

  Or in case any cougars showed up.

  When they arrived at the golf course, Alex, Sydney, and McKenzie heard Mr. Gerhardt’s voice from inside the office building. Sneaking to the window, they listened to the man talking frantically. There were no other voices, so he must have been talking on the phone.

  “I know, I know. The golf course is a mess. But I’m…”

  He stopped to listen to the other person. Then he started again. “I know. But trust me, I have a good reason for digging things up. I’ll fix it before the next camp begins, I promise.”

  More silence.

  “I can’t tell you why.”

  Quiet.

  “I know I can trust you, but…”

  There was a long pause, and then Gerhardt sighed. “Okay. I’ll tell you everything, but it will take awhile. I’ll meet you in your office at two o’clock.”

  More silence.

  Then he said, “Okay. I’ll see you at the stables at two o’clock.” They heard the man hang up. “Oh, dear God,” he said, “if those jewels are here, please let me find them. Please help me prove my father’s innocence.”

  The girls looked at one another, wide-eyed, then headed back toward the main camp. As soon as they were out of earshot, Sydney spoke. “It sounds like he’s going to spill the beans to Mr. Anzer. We’ve got to figure out a way to listen in on that conversation!”

  Golf Clubs and Socks

  Alex, Sydney, and McKenzie were halfway back to the cabi
ns when they remembered the cell phone. “Let’s call and check on the others,” McKenzie said.

  Kate answered the phone right away. “Did you find the jewels?” she asked without saying hello.

  “No, but we may be very close to solving the mystery. How about you all? Any sign of Biscuit?” asked McKenzie.

  “We saw signs of him but no Biscuit. Sydney led us to where you two found his paw prints this morning. We’ve called and called, but we can’t find him. We’re headed back now. We’ll search some more after lunch.” Kate sounded sad.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Meet us back at the cabin. We have a lot to discuss,” McKenzie told her.

  All six girls were back at the cabin within ten minutes, discussing Gerhardt’s phone conversation.

  “How can we listen in on that conversation? The stables are busier than the golf course. We can’t just stand by the window; that would look suspicious,” said Elizabeth.

  “I have an idea,” said Kate. “Let me see Elizabeth’s phone.…”

  After lunch, the girls headed to the stables. They had talked about splitting up again to search for Biscuit, but only Kate was willing to miss the conversation. And they agreed it wasn’t safe for Kate to search the woods alone.

  “We’ll all go search as soon as we hear what Mr. Gerhardt says,” Elizabeth promised.

  The girls walked casually into the stable area, admiring the horses and talking about riding the trails. They each played their parts well.

  “Hello, girls!” greeted Mr. Anzer. “What can I do for you today?”

  “Well, um, I actually have a question,” said Kate. “Could I talk to you in your office?”

  The old man smiled. “Certainly, young lady.” He held the door open for her then followed her inside. “What can I do for you?”

  Kate took a deep breath then began talking. She fingered the telephone in her pocket, ready to press Elizabeth’s number on the speed dial. “I live in the city—Philadelphia—but I’d really like to spend more time around animals. Are there any clubs I could join that would let me be around horses even though I don’t have room for one at my house?”

  “Why, certainly! I’m sure an equestrian organization is near you. I’ll check into it and get back to you before you leave camp.” Mr. Anzer smiled. “Was that all you wanted?”

  Um, yes, sir. Thank you so much,” she answered. As the gray-haired man stood, she pressed the button. She heard Elizabeth’s phone ringing just outside the door. Suddenly, she heard Amberlie’s voice.

  “You think you’re so smart, Elizabeth! But you just wait. I’m gonna smear you in that scripture memory competition, and every other competition. You and your little team will wish you never came to Camp Discovery Lake!”

  Mr. Anzer was out the door in a moment, and Kate quickly slid her phone under a corner of his desk, then followed him out. Elizabeth’s phone was still ringing.

  “Amberlie, may I see you in my office, please?” Mr. Anzer said sternly.

  Amberlie, clearly surprised, turned syrupy sweet. “Oh, hello, Mr. Anzer. Elizabeth and I were just…”

  “I heard you, Amberlie. Now step into my office, please,” he told her.

  Her face held a mixture of defiance and fear as she stepped into the room. Elizabeth answered her phone just as Mr. Anzer shut the door.

  The six girls didn’t know what to do. They had meant to plant the phone for Gerhardt’s conversation. Now they could hear Mr. Anzer’s conversation with Amberlie. Sydney took the phone from Elizabeth, held her finger to her lips, and pressed the button for the speakerphone. Alex kept watch at the stable entry as the conversation was broadcast for them all to hear.

  “Amberlie, I don’t understand you,” came Mr. Anzer’s voice through the phone. “You’re a smart, beautiful, talented girl. You act sweet around adults, but you don’t have any of us fooled. You are mean and spiteful to the other girls your age. Why?”

  “I don’t know,” Amberlie said softly.

  There was a long silence. Then Mr. Anzer said, “You know, Amberlie, my father was a pastor. When I was a little boy, I felt like everyone expected me to be perfect. I wasn’t allowed to act silly or get into mischief or make the normal mistakes that most kids made. I felt like I had to be perfect. Sometimes I envied the other kids because their lives seemed so…normal.”

  The girls heard sniffles. Then sobs. Finally, Amberlie spoke. “It’s not fair! Those other girls get to do whatever they want, and nobody expects anything of them! Everyone expects me to be polite, to make good grades, to be clean and tidy. I feel like I’m being judged all the time by everyone.”

  Mr. Anzer said, “Here is a box of tissues. I know exactly how you feel. But you know what I finally learned?”

  “What?” the girl asked.

  “Most people weren’t judging me at all. Oh, a few were. But most of them just loved me and wanted me to be happy.”

  Amberlie sniffled. “Really?” she asked.

  The girls outside the door were silent. None felt right about eavesdropping on this conversation. But they needed to keep the phone on so they could hear Gerhardt. Finally, Elizabeth took the phone from Sydney and flipped it shut. “This is wrong,” she said. “We’ll just have to forget about Gerhardt. We don’t need to eavesdrop. I feel almost like we’re stealing something.…”

  The other girls nodded.

  “We were stealing a conversation that didn’t belong to us,” said McKenzie. The girls were just leaving when the office door opened again. No one looked at Amberlie as she walked past them.

  Kate approached the office door as Mr. Anzer was leaving. “I left something in your office,” she said and retrieved the phone. The girls left the stables in silence. They had a lot to think about.

  The girls spent the next hour in the woods searching for Biscuit. But either the little dog had escaped to the other side of the woods, or else…well, they didn’t want to think about the “or else.”

  Finally, tired and sweaty, they gave up. Bailey and Elizabeth decided to go back to the cabin to shower and prepare for the talent show. The others decided to snoop around the golf course and perhaps do some digging of their own.

  When they arrived at the golf course, Sydney, McKenzie, and Alex started examining the piles of dirt. Kate sat on the office porch and looked at the pile of golf clubs. Biscuit’s chewed-up club was on top of the pile, and she picked it up. She sat holding the club and thinking of her little lost dog when her phone rang. It was her father.

  “Hello, Katy-kins! Are you still having fun at camp? Do you miss your ol’ dad at all? I can’t wait to see you tomorrow evening!” Her dad’s voice was loving and familiar. The sound of it brought the tears that had threatened all day. Before she knew it, she was pouring out her heart.

  “Daddy! I found a dog, and I named him Biscuit, and he has been my dog for the whole camp, and I taught him to sit and to stay, and he sleeps at my feet, and he’s the best dog in the whole world, and…and…he’s gone!”

  “Whoa, there! Slow down! Why don’t you back up and tell me what you’re talking about,” her father told her.

  She sat on the porch, holding the tooth-marked golf club and telling her daddy the whole story of Biscuit. When she finished, he remained quiet.

  Finally, he said, “You say he’s been sleeping with you in your bed?”

  “Yes, sir,” she answered.

  “And he’s not bitten or hurt you or the other girls?”

  “Oh no, sir! He’s the sweetest, gentlest, smartest dog in the world!” she told him.

  “Well, your mother and I have talked about letting you have a dog. I’ll call the camp director. If they find him, as long as he is healthy, you can keep him,” her father told her.

  “Really? You mean it?” Kate asked, hardly believing her ears.

  As Kate hung up the phone, her spirits were lifted, but only for a moment. Right now, she had no idea where Biscuit was. She didn’t know if she’d ever see him again. She picked up the golf club, wa
lked to the fence, and tossed it into the woods. If Biscuit came back, maybe he’d find the club and bring it to her, wanting to play fetch.

  The crowd was growing, and Bailey was getting nervous. She stood with Elizabeth behind the curtain, watching the chairs fill. “We just have to win, Elizabeth! We just have to! This could be my big break, you know?”

  Elizabeth smiled at her friend, who looked ridiculous in her pink curlers and face cream. “You’ll be great, Bales. Just relax. If you don’t make it to Hollywood, you always have golfing to fall back on.”

  “Yeah,” said Bailey. “Too bad there wasn’t more interest in the golf course. I would have won a golfing competition for sure.”

  Soon, the camp director was on stage testing the microphones. When she was certain all was working properly, she began her speech. “Good evening, ladies. As you know, Camp Discovery Lake is almost over. Tonight’s talent competition marks the beginning of the final competitions, which will continue all day tomorrow.

  “Before we begin, I want to tell you how proud I am and how proud all the counselors are of all of you. You have been a wonderful group of ladies, and I believe you have experienced real growth here during the last two weeks. You’ve learned about all sorts of things, but the most important thing we’ve tried to teach you is that nothing is more important than your relationship with God.”

  The woman continued with a reminder about being supportive and polite to all the contestants, and before long, the first act was introduced.

  Elizabeth and Bailey were third on the program, just after a baton twirler and before a tap-dancing duet. When their act was introduced, they were surprised by loud cheers and applause. The Camp Club Girls had a reputation for being friendly to everyone, and it was paying off.

  Elizabeth began playing, and Bailey performed. The audience laughed in all the right places. When she finished, she bowed, and the room erupted in more applause. Then she gestured toward Elizabeth, who also bowed, and the girls left the stage.