Roger was a good childhood and teen friend. Roger lived about half a mile from as the crow flies. My second home in White Bear Lake was just about half a mile south of Bald Eagle Lake. Roger had a sister. His dad had worked on the railroad when Roger was little. His mom worked cleaning homes. He was very frugal, did odd jobs and swam with me on the swimming team. I have five sisters. There were no boys my age in the neighborhood, so in the summer, Roger and I would ride our bikes around the lake, go fishing and do more. Roger made enough on his summer jobs to buy himself a very cool white Chevrolet impala. Neither of us had girlfriends and for a couple family vacations, Roger came along so I had a male companion. It was on one of those vacations that a girl wanted to be my girlfriend. Roger wanted her to be his girlfriend. I just wanted to go fishing. The vacation was almost the time and place of my first kiss. It also was where Roger and I had our first big row, and it was over a girl and nothing to do with a boat.
My dad made lots of things. He made a speedboat out of plywood. It had a windshield and a bench seat at the steering wheel spot the left and right sides of the bench had backs. Two more seats were up in the bow and another seat in the stern. It was cool. It wasn’t classy or fast, but we didn’t care. For a Madin voyage, we took it camping at Cass Lake in northern Minnesota. We set up an eight-person tent, a cook station and lots of folding chairs.
Roger, my dad and sometimes a couple sisters fished the large lake. Most of the time my dad and mom would just relax and socialize with the other campers. My sisters didn’t want to hang out with Roger and me and we didn't want them. What we wanted to do was fish’ The lake had plenty of pan fish, some bass, northern pike and muskies! We wanted a big fat, twenty pound or heavier muskie.
Early in the week, we had been out on the lake before sunrise. It was mid-morning when we came in. We had crappies but no pike. With the boat pulled up on shore, I was packing up gear. Roger was on the beach dumping water out of our minnow bucket so we could dispose of the dead minnows. A girl our age was walking along the beach.
About my height, slender and brunette, she wore her hair short. She had jeans and a yellow bikini top. A floppy hat cast shade across her freckled face. She looked athletic and skipped along the stretch of sand, holding flip-flops in her hand. She stopped and watched us. She kept staring and made me a little uncomfortable. Roger flashed a smile and said, “hi.”
“What are those?” she asked when she got closer.
“Minnows,” Roger said. “We have a minnow sein. That’s this long net with two poles. It’s lie a volleyball net. We catch minnows for fishing. We let the live ones, we didn’t use, go. We bury the dead ones.” He straightened up and stuck out his hand. “I’m Roger. That’s Mike up in the boat.”
“I’m Lois,” she said and shook Roger’s hand. “Hi,” she yelled at me, “Lois!” she said and pointed her finger at herself.
I just nodded, looked away (probably blushing) and finished with the gear.
“I’m here with my mom, dad and brother. We’re from Canada.”
“How long are you camping?” Roger asked.
“All week. How about you?”
“The same,” Roger answered. “So what do you do around here. We fish. We’re good swimmers and water skiers but our boat isn’t fast enough to pull a skier. We’re both on a swimming team in high school. I’ve got my own car, but not here.”
“I like your boat,” Lois said. There’s not too much to do but read and sit around. I’m in high school too. “I’m sixteen, but my parents wouldn’t let me stay home alone while they camped. They were worried about my boyfriend. I told them we broke up. I don’t have a boyfriend right now.” Lois sighed and kicked some sand. My dad and brother won’t take me fishing. We rented a little aluminum rowboat for the week. They don’t use it much; just when they want to fish. I don’t even get a boat ride.” She made a pouting face and kicked more sand.
“Drama queen,” I thought to myself.
“You could come with us,” Roger said.
I moved to the bow, sat and dangled my legs over the gunnels. “No, Roger. Don’t,” I thought.
“I mean go fishing,” Roger said. If you want a boat ride, just say so.”
“I better ask my parents first. They probably will want to meet you guys before they’ll let me go out with you.”
“Where are you camped?” Roger asked.
“Right there,” Lois said and pointed at the pine trees.”
“We’re there.” Roger turned to point.
Lois didn’t look where Roger pointed. She looked straight at me. “I know. I watched you yesterday. You either have a lot of girlfriends, sisters, or your personal harem with you.”
“Oh,” Roger said. “They’re Mike’s sisters.”
“I know,” Lois said and laughed. “Just teasing.” She looked at me again. “I was talking to them yesterday. You’re the brother,” she said and turned to Roger. “And you’re the friend.” She gave a big smile. “We can meet up after lunch,” she said. “I think mom’s got breakfast ready.” She ran down the beach then turned and disappeared into the trees.
“I saw her first!” Roger said, his voice was a bit loud, I thought.
“She’s all yours.” I shouldered some gear and grabbed my fishing pole. “I’ve been watching you,” I said in a squeaky voice. I laughed and ran.
Roger started after me. He stopped, dashed back, grabbed his pole and the rest of the gear then followed.
Back at camp mom had saved pancake batter for us. “I had bacon for you,” she said, “but your dad ate it.”
I turned on the camp stove and began warming a fry pan. “What are the girls,” doing? Have they made any friends?”
Mom smiled. “Why do you suddenly car?. Did you boys catch tonight’s dinner?”
“Nope,” I said. “but we’ll try again after lunch and maybe a short nap.”
“We can’t. I can’t. Boat ride? Remember,” Roger said.
My mom smiled again and set out some syrup for us. “Do it all. Take her for a ride and she’ll have fun catching sunfish.”
“What? How? I mean…” I stammered.
“We met Lois’s parents and brother. They seem nice. They were all going into town to do some shopping. Her mom told her she didn’t need to go if she went fishing with you two and I looked after her if need be. I met Lois. She seems nice. Did she tell you she was a speed skater on the Canada National team. She’s quite the athlete. She asked a lot about you, dear,” she said and gave me a wink.
I could feel my face get hot. I had made a stack of pancakes while everyone talked. I looked over at Roger. He was scowling but smiled when I gave him the pancakes and started new ones.
That afternoon I wanted a nap but agreed to go with Roger down at the beach. He wanted to go swimming and sunbathe. He said maybe we’d see Lois.
At the beach, Lois was there, laying on a towel.
She sat up and shaded her eyes with one hand. “Hi guys,” sue called and waved.
Roger spread his towel next to her and lopped down. I spread my towel out on the sand, next to Roger. Lois got up and moved her towel next to me. Roger moved next to Lois. I got up. “What are we playing, Monkey Chairs. You two both win. I need a nap.”
“Somebody needs their nap,” Lois said and sat up again. “A Little crabby are we?”
I didn’t answer. I just stormed up the beach, jogged through the trees and walked nonchalantly into our campsite. One of my sisters sat, reading a book at the picnic table. “Where’s Lois?” she said.
I settled into a folding chair. Roger walked into the campsite and answered my sister.
“Too much sun gave her a headache. She decided on a nap too.”
That kind of how things went all week. Lois’s family came over that night and we roasted marshmallows. I sat between two of my sisters who then got up from the log bench. Lois came over and sat next to me, then Roger sat next to her. Lois wanted my roasted marshmallow, but I wouldn’t give it to her. Both Roger and Lois’s brother offered her theirs. She passed and made a Smore with just chocolate and a Grahm cracker. I sighed. My sisters giggled. My mom and dad lit a lantern and played cards with Lois’s parents.
Lois’s brother put more wood on the fire and told a fun ghost story. My sisters loved the entertainment. Lois wiggled a little closer to me on the log. “It’s getting chilly.” she said. “Do you want to share my shawl?”
“No thanks. I think I’ll go down to the boat.” I stood, dusted off my jeans and grabbed a flashlight. Down at the beach, two sisters were in the boat, doing something. The moon was out so I turned off my light and went for a walk. Not far I came to the aluminum boat Lois’s family had rented. I climbed in and sat down in the stern. It wasn’t long before Lois and Roger showed.
“I thought I’d find you here,” Lois said. “Are you okay?”
I knew she was just trying to be nice, and I was being a jerk. Roger was trying to impress her and I had been trying to avoid her. She really was cute. She and Roger climbed into the boat. Lois gave me that look again and said, “Michael, you’re sitting in my seat.”
“A seat’s a seat,” I said. “There’s lots of room.”
“If you don’t move, then I’ll have to sit on your lap.” She grinned and stood.
Annoyed, I moved. “Wat’s wrong with you!” Lois scolded. She doubled her fists and put them on her hips.
Roger moved to where I had been sitting. “Now I’m in your spot,” he said to her.
Lois stifled a short scream of frustration. She jumped out of the boat and ran out of sight into the darkness.
“She needs her light,” Roger said. He picked up her flashlight and ran after her.
I leaned forward, put my elbows on my knees and rested my chin on my hands. “Some vacation,” I said softly. After awhile I headed back in the dark to our campsite.
The next day it was time to pack up and drive back home. Roger wasn’t talking to me. My sisters seemed a bit quiet. We were all loaded back in the car. Dad didn’t start the engine. We just sat there. Mom turned from the front seat. “Did you say goodbye to her?” She asked.
“I did,” Roger said.
“Who, ”I said.
Mom gave me a scowl and one of those sideways look.
“Go,” dad said. “Hurry up.”
I got out and ran past two empty sites to where Lois camped. There was a circle of logs around a fire pit. Inside the circle, Lois sat on a lawn chair and looked as if she was reading a book. She got up when she saw me. I walked to her and stood close. “I had a good time,” I said. “My mom told me to come say goodbye.”
“Well then. Say goodbye,” Lois said and stepped closer.
“Goodbye,” I said and moved back a half step.
Lois gave me that doe-eyed look again and moved so close, our lips were only an inch apart. I swallowed hard and took another step back. I stumbled over the log that tripped me. I danced a scramble, to keep from falling, arms flailing. I turned pink, and ran. I slowed to a walk when I reached our car.
“Did you get her address?” mom asked.
“Don’t worry,” one of my sisters answered. “We got it.”
Well, that was the first time I remember liking a girl, but being too afraid to say or do anything. I did write to Lois. We exchanged several letters. Two years later she came to Minneapolis to skate. We met for dinner. She was even prettier then before, but we both had changed. She had a serious boyfriend back home. We laughed together about that week in Cass Lake. She never did ask about Roger.
