Chances and Changes: My Journey with Molly

Eventually, we do manage to sleep, because the next thing I know the sun is shining and I smell a campfire and sizzling bacon. Linda says she’s hardly had any bacon since the war started. Barbara says it’s a special treat. In fact, all the campers seem really happy about the bacon. Molly bites into a slice of bacon and says the war will mean the end of rationing. She can’t wait to get rid of her ration card and go shopping and buy whatever she wants. Judy says that it’s patriotic to eat less meat and sugar and butter. The soldiers need the food. We should all be proud of what we’ve done to help the war effort.

I eat my bacon in silence, feeling kind of guilty. I’ve never had to go without a certain kind of food because someone else needed it.

The breakfast makes everyone feel less groggy and cranky after the fretful night’s sleep. Although the day is gray, everyone is cheerful and energetic as we pack up. Judy asks us what the first rule of hiking is, and we all respond “To stick together.” And with that, we’re off again.

As we walk, we sing “Gopher Guts” really loud, and after that, the girls teach me lots of Camp Gowonagin songs. We sing and laugh and talk nonstop. In fact, I’m out of breath when we stop to rest in a wide clearing. But Kathy still has so much energy, so she demonstrates how to do a backwards somersault. Molly is determined not to be outdone, and stands up to do a cartwheel. Then she tells me to do one. I make a dubious face and say I’ve never been able to do cartwheels or somersaults. But I’m here to try new things, so maybe I should give it a whirl.

I stand and raise my arms above my head and then hurl myself forward onto my hands. Ouch. I’m embarrassed, but Molly says that it looked pretty good. Kathy jokes that I should have seen her cartwheels when she first learned. Patty urges me to try again, and all the girls cheer for me. So I swat the pine needles off my hands and get ready to try again.

Molly stands up and says she’ll help me. She catches my feet and guides them up, over, and down. I still land like a ton of bricks, but at least I land on my feet. All the campers cheer for me. I blush and grin. My cartwheel is not going to get me to the Olympics anytime soon, but it’s better than it was, thanks to Molly’s help. I’m glad I took the chance in front of my new friends. I tuck that idea away, in case I decide to go to the music camp, where I hope to make many more new friends.

The group starts to pack up to move on, and Judy does a camper count. But before we put our rucksacks on, I ask Molly and Linda if we’d like to do one more round of cartwheels. They both stand up and we get ready, but as I fling myself upside down, I hear soft plunk. Oh no! the pin has fallen out of my pocket. I get on my hands and knees and frantically scramble through the leaves and pine needles. I’ve got to find that pin or I might never be able to get home.

Linda asks what I’m looking for as the rest of the group starts walking. I tell them that a pin fell out of my pocket. Molly offers to help me find it, but I tell her no. What happens if someone else rubs the pin? Would she disappear? I tell them to stay with the group but I will catch up. Molly shakes her head. Linda sits on a tree stump and says that they will wait for me. Linda asks if my pin is valuable. They have no idea.