Chances and Changes: My Journey with Molly

And then, we hear a moo. Out of the trees steps a cow. We’re so relieved that our knees go weak and we collapse in a heap, laughing hysterically. Molly says it probably wandered off from a farm near Camp Gowonagin. Probably the scent of our cheese sandwiches attracted it. Linda says that cows give milk. They don’t eat cheese made from it. Molly says she knows. She was joking. Molly starts to go towards the cow, but I tell her not to. Bea’s family has cows on their farm, and they’re very contrary. Whatever you want them to do, they’ll do the opposite.

Sure enough, as Molly walks towards it, the cow turns away. And when Linda holds out a bunch of grass, the cow trots off down the path. I tell the girls that we shouldn’t let it wander. It’s probably lost in the woods like we are. Pretty soon it’ll need to be milked. Molly says, brimming with confidence, that I can milk it or teach them how to. Linda says we’d have to catch the cow first. And I say that it can be really hard to catch a cow when it’s determined not to be caught. We’ll have to follow it and look for a chance to outsmart it.

We follow the cow for a long time. It may be clumsy and noisy, but it is surprisingly fast and canny. It trots along and we trot behind it. Whenever we get close, it scooters off so we never catch it. It leads us up a narrow path that wiggles its way between some big boulders, and then along a ridgeline, and then down a steep wooded hill, and then to a broad clearing. Finally, the cow leads us up to a gentle rise and we see a small valley spreading out in front of us. It’s very green, and has a cheerful stream running down the middle to a farm with a gray barn and a farmyard.

A man is walking out of the barn, and he recognizes the cow! He says that Daisy must have wandered off. He thanks us for bringing Daisy home. He asks if we’re from Camp Gowonagin, and Molly explains that we got separated from the rest of our hiking group. She asks how to get back to camp. The man points and says to follow that dirt road and take the first right. He says he can call the camp to let them know we’re on our way.

Molly says that would be great. They’ll walkie-talkie Barbara and Judy to let them know we are okay. I turn to the cow and say goodbye. But the farmer says that we can rest a little bit. He can feed us some ice cream. He makes it from the cream provided by Daisy. It seems like the least she can do as a thanks for us bringing her home. He tells us to sit on the fence and he’ll be back in a jiffy.

When he comes back with the ice cream, it is delicious. We finish our generous scoops, our soggy camping gear at our feet. Our clothes are starting to dry, but my socks are damp and itchy. I tell Molly and Linda that I think I want to go home now. And not camp home, but home home. I tell them that I loved learning the Gowonagin traditions, but they’ve made me miss my summer traditions at home with Bea. And as soon as I say these words, I realize I’ve made my decision about the other summer camp, too.

Molly sighs. Molly and Linda will miss us. I thank them and tell them that I will never forget them. We all hug, and then Molly and Linda pick up their rucksacks and start off along the road away from the farm and from me. When they’re out of sight, I duck around the side of the barn. I unfasten the pin from my pocket and before I know it, I’m back in the woods behind our cabin in my own clothes again. I run as quickly as I can to Bea’s farm. Bea is scattering chicken feed in the yard, and the chickens are happily clucking at her feet. The cows in the pasture moo at my arrival and I laugh, remembering Daisy.

I tell Bea that I have something really important to talk to her about. But before I can say anything, a smile creeps onto Bea’s face and she hugs me. I think she’s figured out that I’ve decided to stay.