sleep away at Camp Wiŋtke

Chapter 9

When the three entered the meeting room at the end of the building, a few of the other campers were already there, seated on the floor, and Counsellor Amy was leaning against a table in front of them.

As Julie, Belinda and Terry approached they heard others talking about how they came to be at the camp. They hesitated going further in until Amy waved at them, signaling them to take a seat.

"Tonight we are having a free discussion pow wow," she explained. "You can tell your story, or listen, up to you. Nobody will be judged badly for anything said here tonight."

Right behind them, a couple girls more came in and took a seat.

Most of the stories were similar to what Belinda and Julie had shared. One had very supportive parents who thought he would really enjoy the week exploring this aspect and if he wanted would be taken shopping for his own things after coming home.

"Wow, I want to come live at your house!" Belinda called out.

The room erupted in laughter and several nodded in agreement.

"Well, my story was a lot like most of yours," Counsellor Amy began, "when I was about eleven, I was getting into my mother's clothes and her makeup. I was confused about a lot of things and wearing one of her dresses just made me feel good. She found out and tried her best to convince me to stop, saying my dad just wouldn't understand.

"I tried, I really tried to stop but I couldn't stay away for long. When my Dad found out he hit the roof, and me. My Mom sent me here to camp to get me out of the house for a while. When I got back my Dad had moved out. I thought it was my fault for the longest time, but she insisted that him starting to beat on me was just the last straw, that they would have separated years before except they both wanted to stay together for my sake.

"Let me tell you, my Mom and I are both a lot happier now. She let me have my own things while I was still living at home. I had a job and had to buy them myself, but she was okay with it. And I have been here every year since.

"When I turned seventeen I became a counselor instead of camper. It's great and I get to meet the new girls like you! This is my eighth year as a counsellor and I will keep coming back as long as they let me. I have a regular job that don't know about Amy but they do know I need the same week off every year. After this week, this camp is a regular camp for the rest of the summer, so this is a very special week."

"Ms Amy," another camper spoke up, hand raised in the air.

"Yes Ma'am, um...., " Amy acknowledged.

"Rachel," he offered Amy his chosen girl name.

"Ms Rachel, what's your question?"

"The camp name, what does it mean?"

A few others in the room agreed they wanted to know the answer to this, either vocally or by nodding.

"Okay," Amy began to explain. "Years ago the camp's name was actually Camp Crystal Lake..." She paused for a reaction.

"Ha ha, very funny," Terry responded as a few others snickered, getting the reference to the Friday the 13th movies.

"Okay, seriously, the name of this campground is Camp Wannastayforever, but just for this week it's called, Camp Wíŋtke, a contraction of an old Lakota indian word, Winyanktehca, meaning 'wants to be like a woman.' "

There were gasps around the room.

"Makes sense," Belinda spoke up. "So then, what about the cabins? Are they given special names just for this week too?"

"As a matter of fact they are," Amy began to explain. "Let's see, there's Kuwanyauma- butterfly with beautiful wings, Leotie - blossoming flower of the prairie, Magaskawee - graceful swan maiden, Nata'ne - daughter, Galilahi - beautiful, Adsila - blossom, Hurst - beautiful, Lomasi - pretty flower, Ojinjintka - rose, and the two cabins you all are staying in, Numees - sister and Gigyago - girl."

Julie and Belinda both quickly looked at each other with big grins on their faces and other campers began to chatter with one another about which cabin they wish they were in.

"Alrighty girls," Amy stood up straight, "I think that is enough for tonight. Off to your cabin, into your nightgowns and off to sleep with you. Tomorrow is your first full day here, and all the returning girls will arrive, I'll see you at breakfast."