Tuesday 22 May 2012


21/15/1998

Sup Journal

Hi, it’s been a very long night, and let’s just say surprising night too. The second day at camp started out fine, a clear blue sky greeting me as I climbed out of the tent. Fresh smells of grass and wild flowers accompanied by the aroma of breakfast cooking on the fire place. I walked out and the noise of students telling friends stories of how their restless night had been. My friend, Ben sat next to me on the log. We chatted for a bit about how the owls and noises of insects awakening in the night disturbed our beauty sleep. But as we were talking the scramble of students getting into a line for breakfast quickly broke the conversation. My stomach was growling and I needed a good kiwi breakfast fast! As we cut through the line as boys usually do, we grabbed our breakfast and headed back for our seat on the log. The frost still on the grass, like a clear blanket of snow and droplets of water dripping off branches fall on the ground making the faintest sound only a butterfly can hear. I turned my head to gaze at everyone by the fire, then my eyes fell onto this girl, she had dark curly hair up to her waist and hazelnut brown eyes completed her complexion. Her tan skin and slim body proportioned exactly right. Her white smile, matching her pearls wrapped around her neck. Probably anyone would want to have this chick as their girlfriend. I didn’t recognize her from out school, so I assumed she was new. She noticed me looking at her so I smiled and she smiled back. I quickly turned away so I didn’t look like a weirdo, Ben on the other hand saw that I was staring at her and had to start to laugh and nudge me which made me look bad. He soon stopped after I gave him evils and I returned to what I was doing which was checking her out. The sound of the horn awakened me from my trance and our teacher made announcements of what we were doing. Today was water sports and he also announced the new girl, he said her name was Pearl and she was a new student and would be in our class for the rest of the year. The teacher said some more stuff but I wasn’t really paying much attention he then handed her over to one of the girls to be her buddy for the day. Soon after everyone was running around getting ready for the day. I jogged over to my tent and found Ben inside already in his board shorts. “Luke, man you were hard out checking that girl back there?” he chuckled. “Well yeah, she is pretty good looking” I replied casually. “Do you reckon you’ve got a chance with her?” he asked again a smirk forming on his face. “If that’s a challenge you’re saying I’m willing to accept” I said while changing into my board shorts and singlet. “You’re on, if you haven’t hooked up with her by the end of the camp you owe me 10 bucks” he said while exiting out of the tent and a hint of excitement in his voice. “Bring it on!” I replied while following him out.

Everyone was lined up boys on one side and girls on the other, quickly the teachers split everyone into groups and fortunately I got put in the same group as Pearl. I said hi to her and she said hi back but she didn’t seem that interested in talking to me, it looked like something was on her mind. Her face was creased with frown lines like she was scared or worried about something; I asked “What’s wrong?” “Oh, nothing I just don’t think I’ll be able to swim today” she replied a bit panicky. “Why’s that?” I asked again. “Um, I think I have a bit of a cold” she answered a bit awkwardly. I think I made things worse and this was the first conversation I had with her and this is how it turned out? All I said back was “Oh…..I’m sure the teacher will understand.” The teachers huddled everyone and we set off down the track towards the river. It was a short five minutes’ walk and soon everyone was in their groups ready for the challenges we would be facing. I scanned the area with my eyes looking if Pearl would still be playing, and I found her leaning against the tree smiling at me with such innocent I forgot what to do. So I just waved back like a dork. She giggled then turned away, her face still looked worried and frightened but she was doing a good job trying to hide it. Ben yelled at me “LUKE, stop looking at the new girl and focus on the game!!!!” Then everyone started cracking up laughing and all I could feel was my cheeks burning hot with embarrassment and anger. I ignored everything around me and put my head in the game. Soon it all started; let’s just say our class is pretty competitive so it was full on. But throughout the whole game I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I don’t know why everywhere I looked there she was smiling at me. It was great for me but I don’t think my team enjoyed it very much, we can put it like this, I was day dreaming half the time and the other half, a ball was getting thrown at my face. After two hours of games we headed back to the camp for lunch. While I was drying off a teacher asked me to help put a tent up for Pearl. Of course I accepted this would be a great opportunity to get to know her. After everyone had eaten lunch and separated off to their groups to hang out. Pearl stood up and walked over to where I was sitting and asked “Are you helping me put up my tent?” “Yeah I actually am” I answered back. “Well, com’n” she said while grabbing my hand to drag me over to her tent. We were fast at putting up the tent and soon found ourselves with nothing to do. We started to talk, “So are you feeling better?”  I asked. “Oh yeah…um, I think I’ll be better by tomorrow” she replied. “Do you like to swim?” I asked trying to get to know her. “Yes of course, I love it. Swimming is my element, I always look forward to when I’m about to swim. The water is the only place where I belong” she replied comfortably. “So where did you get your necklace from?” I asked trying to get the conversation to move. “Oh, it was passed down through my family it started off with my great-great-great-great grandmother” she answered smiling. “That’s a lot of greats” I replied laughing. The conversation continued till dinner. And I thought I really did get to know her. Soon I would be getting my 10 bucks. Soon the sunset was setting behind us and it looked like different angles and lines painted delicately on to a canvas with such perfection that every time you opened your eyes, you saw something new. Pearls element was the water and I soon realized mine was outdoors. This was what I wanted to see every day.

Dinner was over and everyone was having dessert, which were roasted marshmallows. People were singing and others were just chatting with the person next to them. At that time I was talking to Ben then I glanced over to where Pearl was sitting and I saw her get up and leave. At first I thought she was going to her tent to put on a jacket because all she was wearing was her togs and it was freezing out her. Then when I came to think f it she didn’t even swim. But instead of walking to her tent she was walking the opposite way. She was walking into the bush, heading on the trail to the river. I stood up and made an excuse to Ben so I could stop talking to him and then I followed Pearl. I stood a fair way back following her. I thought to myself why does she want to walk in the bush by herself, its dark and cold. The sounds of leaves rustling in the night made things a whole lot spookier. I got to the river and I was hiding in the bush, there were sounds everywhere. The night was a whole new different perspective, the wind biting against my face sending goose bumps all over my body. I see her, just the glimpse of her taking off her clothes and going into the water. I moved forward egger in wonder to find out what she was doing. Curiosity over ruled and I stepped out into the open. Her face blank in shock when she saw me, I didn’t know what to say. All I saw was Pearl on the sand her long hair wet, her skin shiny from the moonlight and a tail replacing her legs. She soon realized what I was starring at and dived into the water with such elegance I wanted to jump in with her. I didn’t see her for awhile; I couldn’t believe what I just saw. My legs wouldn’t move and if felt like my legs were frozen. But then, Pearl’s face appeared on the rippling surface and all I saw in her eyes was the look of apology and a tear rolling down her cheek.