Chapter 17

Thursday, June 12, 2031 – NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia, PA

The Eagles players finished their final mini-camp practice mid-afternoon. Like most of the practices in the spring, this one showed improvement and promise mixed with mistakes in execution. Kyle and his coaches could see the foundation for the team’s resurrection being built, but a lot of work remained before the team was ready to compete and be successful. Kyle had the team assemble in the team meeting room after they cleaned up from practice. Kyle stepped to the lectern in the front of the room promptly at 3:55 PM.

“Gentlemen, I want to thank you for all your hard work over the past two months as our team prepares for the coming season,” Kyle stated. “Take the next six weeks and get reacquainted with your families, enjoy this break and clear your heads. While enjoying your break, you must keep up your training and stay in shape.

“Come July 26th for rookies and July 29th for the rest of you, we hit the field for training camp. Twenty-seven of you will not make the team’s opening day roster. Six of you who do make it, will not dress for games. Virtually half of you will not set foot on an NFL field on September 7th when we travel down to Washington for our first game.

“Enjoy your break gentlemen but come back strong and prepared to bust your asses. Your preparedness will determine which half of the group you will be in. Thank you all and you are dismissed.”

Kyle smiled at the dazed look on many of the faces. Good, he wanted them to wake up and take this seriously. The team headed for the door and freedom for the next six weeks.

“Spreading it on a little thick?” Ed teased Kyle as they watched the players depart.

“Telling it like it is,” Kyle replied, smiling. “The numbers are what they are. A lot of guys who think they belong in the NFL will be gone by August 30th. That is how our business is.”

“Football is an unforgiving business,” Ed agreed. “The less talented and less motivated get winnowed out at every level. Could you have imagined any of this years ago when you and I were tossing the football around in our backyards?”

“Never in a million years, buddy,” Kyle sighed. “Never in a million years.”

Saturday, June 14, 2031 – White Clay Creek Preserve

David and Sara did dinner and then a hike around the White Clay Creek Preserve. They made love beside the creek three times after it got dark. They were laying on David’s blanket, cuddling and relaxing after their third time when Sara commented, “How did I fall so hopelessly in love with you so quickly? Do you believe in love at first sight?”

“I didn’t before but I do now,” David replied. “I saw you at Mike Hoover’s party and knew you were the girl for me. I don’t want to be with anyone else, the rest of my life.”

“Mike Hoover’s party,” Sara laughed. “It would have been better if I hadn’t been there.” David gave his lover a questioning look. “You would have found me anyway. I wouldn’t have prejudged you when I saw you take that ... that ... uh ... I won’t be catty. That socially active Cassidy upstairs for sex.”

“I am sorry about that,” David said.

“No apologies needed,” Sara said. “You were free to date and screw whoever you wanted back then. I was attracted to you but leaped to the conclusion that you were another jock like Carter Boone. It kept us apart for too long.”

“None of that matters now,” David said. “We found each other. We love each other. We have the rest of our lives to share together.”

“That is what matters,” Sara agreed, “though the next nine weeks will be hard.”

“I know,” David said. “We will make it through the nine weeks and making love again after the separation will be spectacular. I love you totally, Sara.”

“I love you too, Davey,” Sara agreed.

When David returned home from his date, Kyle and Penny were cuddled together after making love.

“I feel for Sara,” Penny commented. “She finds a boyfriend, is with him for a few weeks and now he’s going to Scout camp for nine weeks. It sucks.”

“You would know,” Kyle agreed. “At least our oldest has his own car. We didn’t need to take the whole family out for ‘ice cream’ to clear a place for them to have goodbye sex.”

“He’s old enough to find his own places for lovemaking,” Penny agreed. “I still marvel at the lengths your conservative parents went to so we could say a proper goodbye when you went off to camp.”

“The older I get, the smarter my parents become,” Kyle laughed. Penny laughed too, before they exchanged kisses.

“I know what you mean, lover,” Penny agreed.

Sunday, June 15, 2031 – Horseshoe Scout Reservation – Rising Sun, MD

David had been to Camp Horseshoe once before he showed up for staff week, to visit his and Danny’s troop when they camped there in April. He checked in at Headquarters and was sent down to Staff City. He bumped into Andy Mohr, the guy from Elverson he met last weekend at the Patriots Day Camporee. The two decided to share a tent.

The accommodations for staff were better than David expected. They had spring beds with mattresses, two to a tent. Tents were grouped in sets of three, facing a common tent platform that served as porch for the three tents. A fly kept their porch dry. The tents had electricity, which was a step up from the staff accommodations at Heritage Scout Reservation out near Pittsburgh where he worked last summer.

Andy took David to the First Aid hut first, to get their medicals checked. They headed down to the pool, where all staff were required to do swim tests. The aquatics director spotted Andy as the two came down the hill to the pool.

“Andy! Get your ass in the pool and get your swim check done,” the director announced. “I need you helping run tests so we can process all the staff.”

“You got it, Jim,” Andy replied with a smile. “You’ll want to put this guy to work too. Jim, this is David Martin. He’s set to work aquatics too.”

“Martin?” Jim replied. He offered a handshake, which David accepted. “This is your first year on staff, right?”

“Fourth, actually,” David replied. “I did a CIT [counselor in training] year and the last two years was full-time on aquatics staff at Heritage Scout Reservation, out near Pittsburgh.”

“An experienced hand, excellent!” Jim said. “I am Jim Clark, the aquatics director. I assume you have your BSA Lifeguard certification.”

“I’ve got my card back in my gear at my tent,” David replied. “Should I go get it?”

“No, that isn’t necessary,” Jim said. “See Nick down at the end of the pool. He’ll take you through the tests.”

Andy introduced David to Nick Harrington, the assistant aquatic director, who ran the boatyard for the summer. He had them do the standard BSA swimmers test, the same test done in every camp, nationwide. Nick had the two help run swim tests, as more staff showed up. Andy prepped buddy tags. David manned a pole and guarded while more guys swam their tests.

About an hour later a big cluster of young-looking staff members came down the hill, led by a guy who looked college aged.

“The CITs are here,” Nick commented to David. The first year, unpaid staffers lined up for their tests. David looked down the line at the young kids, barely older than his brother Danny.

“Hey, Davey!” a voice called from near the end of the line. “I didn’t know you worked here.” David looked down a to find a familiar face. He gave the boy a big smile.

“Alex, it’s good to see you,” David called back. “It’s been a couple months.” Alex Conwell was the oldest son of Trevor Conwell, his dad’s college roommate and close friend. The two families stayed in touch over the years. They even vacationed together occasionally, like their beach week two years ago. The Conwells had hosted a dinner with the Martins back in March, but Alex had been camping with his troop, so he missed seeing David.

“I like working at Scout camp and this is the closest one now, so here I am,” David explained.

“Cool!” Alex replied. “It will be nice knowing somebody else who works here this summer.”

“We have all summer,” David said. “We can catch up.”

“I am here for staff week and then work the second half of camp,” Alex responded. David nodded his understanding and went back to work on swim tests. CITs did not usually work the whole summer at camp.

Over the course of the afternoon David met the other aquatics staffers as they were shanghaied to help with swim tests. In addition to Jim, David and Andy, Allen Reimer, Jacob Simpson and Kurt Fuller would man the pool. Matt Anders would help Noah at the boat yard. Allen, a second-year staffer, was a fifteen-year-old from Oxford who had just finished his sophomore year in high school. Jacob was fifteen and from Phoenixville. Allen also had finished tenth grade a week ago. Kurt Fuller, from Parkesburg, graduated from Sadsbury High School a couple weeks ago. He was attending University of Pittsburgh in the fall. Matt, a sixteen-year-old from Exton, had finished his junior year recently, like David and Andy.

Jim sent his staff back to Staff City when the swim tests were completed. Staff City was the unofficial name for the staff’s campsite at Horseshoe. Everyone changed into Class A uniforms for dinner. Senior staff chased everyone over to the parade ground for the formal camp retreat before dinner.

Forty-four staffers lined up along the wooded edge of a large grass field, near the fifty-foot-tall flagpole. Four experienced staffers were lined up at one end of the field by the stone wall at the north side of the field. Two more stood at attention above the wall, beside a small signal cannon. The camp director and program director marched to the center of the field in front of the flagpole. The program director called the staff to attention. The color guard marched down the field to the pole and waited for the command. The program director called, “Retire the colors!” The cannon boomed, the bugler blew “Retreat” and the color guard lowered the flag while the remainder of the staff saluted. The color guard folded the flag, turned it over to the program director who then presented it to the camp director. They exchanged salutes.

Alex D’Antonio, the camp director, called, “Staff, at ease.” The staff assumed the at-ease position. “Welcome staffers, to the 103rd year of operation at Camp Horseshoe. The Horseshoe Scout Reservation has a long and distinguished record for serving youth. You are part of what will become one of the best camp staffs at the best Scout camp in the Northeast Region. We have a lot of work to do to prepare. Campers show up in seven days. We will get started preparing after dinner tonight. Staff ... DISMISSED!”

The staff filed down the hill and waited outside until the dining hall steward invited them inside. David’s eyes were drawn to the hundreds of plaques hanging on the walls and rafters of the big dining hall. Each plaque marked one troop’s stay at camp for a week of summer camp. This display showed an amazing legacy for this camp.

“Hey, Dave!” Jim Clark called out. “Come join Nick and me.” David started that way. Andy Mohr hesitated until Jim spotted him. “Join us too, Andy.” David and Andy sat down with Jim and Noah Harrington at the square table with benches surrounding it with room for eight people.

“I wanted to get to know the more senior members of my staff,” Jim explained. “We have a relatively young aquatics staff, except for you two and Kurt. I will need your maturity and experience to help me set the young guys straight this summer.” Kurt Fuller was already at the table with the senior aquatics staff.

“You can count on me, Jim,” Andy promised.

“I’ll do my best,” David added.

“Excellent!” Jim replied. “Before we get to camp business, I have a personal question for you, Dave.”

“I prefer David,” David replied.

“David it is,” Jim agreed. “Are you the David Martin who runs the 100 meters for Avon Grove?”

“That’s me,” David agreed.

“I knew it,” Jim said. “You sure smoked my guy in that event when our teams met last April. I am an assistant track coach at Downingtown West.”

“Sorry about that,” David apologized.

“Don’t say that,” Jim replied. “It’s great to see someone excel, even if it is for the other team. I was at Districts and know you went to states. How did you do?”

“I won my event,” David replied modestly.

“Great,” Jim said. “I suppose with your height, the basketball team gets your talents in the winter.”

“No, the swim team,” David said. “I am from a family of water rats. My Pop-Pop was a lifeguard. My dad, three uncles and three cousins were too. We are water people. You might have met my Uncle Will. He has been the aquatics director over in Pa. Dutch Council for something like twenty years.”

“Will? Will Henry?” Jim asked enthusiastically. David nodded yes. “Will was my instructor at National Camp School two years ago when I got certified to be an aquatics director.”

The four talked over dinner. David learned his boss taught math at Downingtown West. This past year was his second year teaching. Noah was attending Penn State, majoring in engineering. He had just finished his second year. Jim quizzed David about his experiences serving on aquatics staff the previous summers.

“You’re going to fit in just fine,” Jim concluded. “It is going to be a pleasure to have you on staff this summer.”

“You know about me missing part of a week at the end of July, right?” David asked.

“Alex told me,” Jim said, referring to the reservation director, Alex D’Antonio. “He said you have some kind of family trip to Canton, Ohio.”

“Yes,” David agreed. He wondered if this was when he should reveal who his dad was. The news would come out someday.

He was still considering whether he should admit to the news when Nick said, “Wait ... your family is going to Canton, the Football Hall of Fame Canton, in the end of July? Your last name is Martin. Are you Kyle Martin’s son?”

“Don’t make a big deal about it,” David pleaded. “I just want to be a normal guy and do my job here.”

“Kyle Martin’s son?” Jim said. “Wow! OK, I think I can respect your desire for privacy and your own space. Still ... wow!”

“It isn’t a big deal,” David said. “I’m a normal guy who has a father who is famous. My dad doesn’t make me anybody special.”

“It is a good attitude to take,” Jim said. “You wouldn’t get any special respect around here because of him. You get respect because you do a good job.”

“That is why I am here,” David said.

David enjoyed getting to know his boss and co-workers over dinner. After dinner the staff spent the evening learning emergency procedures for the camp. Alex D’Antonio had training sessions planned for the staff every evening. This was Alex’s fourth season as reservation manager. He wanted his staff trained and prepared for whatever eventuality may come up during the camp season.

Alex called David over after the session was over. “It is good to meet you, David. Welcome to Horseshoe.”

“Thank you for hiring me, sir,” David responded politely.

“We’re not that formal here,” Alex replied, grinning. “I don’t know if you know that I know your father.”

“I hadn’t realized that,” David responded.

“Your dad taught at Conestoga High School, where I went to school,” Alex explained.

“I know Dad substituted at a lot of schools in Chester County years ago,” David said.

“I know your dad from when he student taught at my high school,” Alex answered. “He also dated my sister a few times when they were in college. Tell him I said hello.”

“I can do that,” David said. “You probably can tell him yourself. My little brother’s troop is in camp next week and I suspect Dad will visit. You know, old camp staffers enjoy opportunities to visit camp when they get an excuse.”

“That is true,” Alex laughed. “Tell your dad to stop by the office when he is in camp.”

“I will,” David promised. David wondered, ‘Was there anyone in the world who didn’t know his dad?’ Everywhere he went, he kept running into people with a connection.

The camp staff spent a good part of Monday morning finishing campsite setup, doing the work the Order of the Arrow work crews had not been able to finish. Tuesday through Saturday were spent getting the program areas set up. Jim Clark drilled his aquatics staff incessantly during the week, to make sure they had their skills perfected and would teach the Scouts properly this summer.

David enjoyed getting to know the other staffers. The work was enjoyable too. Like he said on Sunday, the Martins are born water rats. Swimming, diving or any other thing that had to do with the water came naturally. David found one disappointment at Horseshoe. The boating was done in the narrow Octoraro Creek. It wasn’t nearly as nice a facility as he was used to at Heritage Scout Reservation. It wouldn’t matter too much to David. He was assigned to work at the pool.

Monday, June 16, 2031 – NovaCare Complex – Philadelphia, PA

Kyle dragged his son, Danny, out of bed at 6:00 am. Danny showered and dressed, half asleep. He climbed into the backseat of his dad’s VW SUV and was asleep again before Kyle crossed the border into Delaware. The zonked-out pre-teen was met in the NovaCare parking lot by two other, equally tired pre-teens, Ed Fritz, Jr, better known as E. J., and Dylan Reynolds.

“Why don’t you boys go to the cafeteria and grab some breakfast,” Ed Fritz suggested. “We will start practice in half an hour.”

“You got it, Uncle Ed,” Danny replied. “You bet, Dad,” E. J. echoed.

“Sure ... Mr ... uh ... Coach ... Ed,” Dylan stuttered.

“Coach Ed works for me,” Ed laughed. “See you boys in half an hour.”

The boys headed inside for breakfast. Kyle, Ed and Ryan Reynolds headed for their offices. Ed had time to check his messages and reply to most before he headed outside to the practice fields. Ed was pleased to see the boys were on “football time”, five minutes before the appointed time.

Year 3 of the Fritz Football Camp was officially underway. The first two editions of “camp” were held at the Steelers Training Facility after the mandatory mini-camps for the Steelers was over. Those editions were exclusive tutoring in quarterback play for Danny Martin and Zack Hayes, Jr. This summer, Zack, Jr. was going to receive instruction from Steelers coaches back in Pittsburgh. Ed was branching out, adding tight end skills to the camp to help Ryan’s son, Dylan. Kyle and Kevin Stover, the Eagles tight end coach, both agreed to give some time to teach Dylan his position.

Football camp would last two and a half weeks, mornings only. Ed focused his tutoring on basic skills, getting these boys ready to play fundamentally sound football for their middle school team in August. Ed’s wife Rosa or Ryan’s wife Mary Ann would pick the boys up after lunch and give them a ride back to Chester County.

Sunday, June 22, 2031 – Horseshoe Scout Reservation, Rising Sun, MD

Taking Danny to Scout camp was a command family performance. Kyle had begun his annual vacation from football. The family would get precious few opportunities to see David while he worked at camp. Delivering Danny to camp would be one of those times when they could see their eldest son. Robbie thought visiting camp was cool. Jessie was decidedly less enthusiastic. Matt was off from work and having an afternoon alone at the house with her boyfriend would have been great.

The family stopped for lunch at a pizza place on the north end of Oxford on their way to camp. Danny’s scoutmaster gave the parents strict instructions to arrive at camp promptly at 1:00 PM, not early and not late. The Martins drove in the long stone driveway into the Horseshoe Scout Reservation at 12:52 PM. Just like most Scout camps, signs reminding Scouts of the twelve points of the Scout Law, were posted along the entrance road. After a couple minutes, the signs switched to welcome signs for the troops in camp that week. Robbie was the first to spot the “Troop 100 New London, PA” sign. Kyle drove past the rifle range into camp proper.

The parking lot was filled with other families doing the same thing as the Martins. Mr. Ross, the scoutmaster, told the parents to come around the loop and find parking spots somewhere around the Quonset hut. Kyle had no problem finding the old metal maintenance building. He managed to pull the car into a spot nearby. Mason Jones and his parents pulled in beside the Martins.

Mason helped direct Danny and his family down the trail to their campsite. Kyle noted some of the other campsites as they helped carry Danny’s gear down the hill. Three of the sites had peculiar bunkhouses open on three sides. The structures looked to sleep eight Scouts each. There were five or six bunkhouses in each campsite. When they reached Troop 100’s site, it proved to be the traditional tents that Kyle was used to at a Scout camp.

Many of the parents dropped their sons and their gear off and headed for home. Kyle, Penny, Jessie and Robbie stuck around, helping the leaders get things set up for the week. The Martins walked with the troop as it began the Sunday afternoon check-in process. First stop was medical recheck at the First Aid Hut and then orientation at the Dining Hall. The Martins followed the troop down the hill to the pool for swim tests.

Visiting the pool was the main reason Kyle and Penny stayed that afternoon. Kyle knew they would have little chance to talk with David, but they could see their eldest son in action. As expected, the swim test was a choke point that had troops backed up, waiting for their chance to take swim tests. David was along the side of the pool, holding a reach pole, watching as Scouts swam by.

The scene looked just like Kyle remembered from eighteen years ago, when he last worked as the pool director at his Scout camp up in Lancaster County. Kyle, Penny, Jessie and Robbie walked over the fence near where David was watching Scouts.

“Hey Mom, Dad,” David remarked, not looking away from the pool. “Good to see you.”

When there was a pause in the stream of Scouts swimming by, Kyle called out, “You still on for your night off Wednesday night?”

“Sure thing, pop,” David agreed.

“Your mother and I will take you out for a nice dinner,” Kyle said.

“Time away from camp is always a nice thing during the season,” David agreed. David might be new to Camp Horseshoe but this was his fourth season working on camp staff. He did a half season as a CIT and two full seasons last summer at Camp Freedom at the Heritage Scout Reservation out in Pittsburgh.

“What time should we be here?” Penny asked.

“5:30 would be good,” David replied as he turned to watch the pool again. “Classes end at 5:00 PM. That will give me time to change before I head out.”

“See you then,” Kyle said. Kyle, Penny, Jessie and Robbie moved over to hang out with Troop 100 until it was their turn in the pool.

Kyle could not help feeling nostalgic listening as a staffer gave the pool talk. Kyle probably could still give the talk from memory that he gave so many years ago. It just showed how universal Scouting was. This talk differed little from the ones Kyle gave when he was a pool director.

The Martins headed for home when Troop 100 finished at the pool and headed back to their campsite. Danny waved goodbye as his troop took a trail back to their campsite. Kyle, Penny, Jessie and Robbie backtracked to the dining hall and the center of camp before they found their car and headed back to Landenberg.

Danny shared a tent with his friend Mason. The Big Foot patrol shared four tents that were clustered together in the larger troop campsite. At 5:30 PM music began to play on the loudspeaker system around camp. Scouts knew that was to signal that they should finish getting into their Class A uniforms and head to the parade field for retreat.

Danny was surprised at how formal Camp Horseshoe’s retreat was. Troops lined up in a four-person wide column on the walkway at the west end of the parade field. The camp staff and adult leaders stood on line at the opposite end of field. A row of troop flags for every troop in camp flew at the top of a stone wall. The camp staff was lined up along the edge of the woods opposite the column of troops.

Promptly at 5:45 PM, the program director called the camp to attention. The color guard advanced to the flagpole. The small signal cannon boomed as the program director called for the Scout salute. Close to six hundred Scouts and adults saluted as the bugler blew retreat and the color guard lowered the flag.

Other than the cannon, the scene looked just like Camp Freedom last summer, Danny thought. The color guard folded the flag and presented it to the program director, who in turn presented the flag to the camp director. The two followed the color guard off the field towards the dining hall. Now things went differently from what Danny was used to.

Drummers began tapping out a rhythm as the troops marched in place. On the signal the first troop marched ahead, wheeled before they got to the wall marched across the short end of the field, wheeled again and marched the length of the field. At the opposite end of the field, the troop wheeled a third time and marched ahead a bit, where their SPL announced, “Troop dismissed.” The dismissed scouts dispersed and headed for the dining hall. Each troop followed the troop in front of it about ten feet behind.

Danny understood now why his troop spent parts of the past month’s Scout meetings practicing their marching. This was one hell of a ceremony. The Scouts were called into the dining hall a few minutes later. Sunday night differed little from what Danny expected. After dinner they headed back to their campsite. The staff did a welcoming campfire program. The troop had their cracker barrel snack, and the Scouts were sent to bed. Reed Crawford, their patrol leader, had a Patrol Leader’s Council meeting after taps. The rest of the Scouts could go to sleep.

Danny had just stepped into the tent he shared with Mason Jones and stripped down to boxers for bedtime. It was still 75 degrees out, so both boys were sleeping on top of their sleeping bags, rather than inside them. Danny’s phone buzzed to announce he had a text. Troop 100 allowed the boys to have electronics, as long as they were only used in the evening.

Danny picked up his phone to see who was texting him while he at camp. It turned out to be was Emma Wexler. “U R RITE. PERIOD 2 DAYS LATE. NOW WHAT?”

“Shit!” Danny growled.

“What?” Mason asked.

“I can’t talk about it,” Danny said. His mind was reeling at this news. He texted back. “NOTHING 2 DO BUT HOPE AND PRAY”

“Come on ... tell...” Mason begged.

“No,” Danny replied. “It’s private between me and Emma.”

“Your ex-girlfriend?” Mason said. “What is it?” He grabbed for Danny’s phone. Mason and Danny wrestled briefly. Mason managed to grab the phone and see the message exchange.

“Her period is late?” Mason murmured. “You had sex with and might have knocked up Emma Wexler?”

“We didn’t have sex,” Danny said.

“You ex texts you to tell you her period is late,” Mason said. “That means she thinks you might have gotten her pregnant. And you claim you didn’t have sex? How in the hell could you have gotten her pregnant if you didn’t poke her?”

Danny sighed. “You know the clear stuff that leaks out of our dicks when we get sexually excited?”

“Yeah?”

“It has sperm in it too,” Danny said. “My tip was pressed up against her hymen for a while as we debated whether to have sex.”

“What are you going to do now?” Mason asked.

“Like I told Emma, hope and pray,” Danny answered. “What else can I do? If she’s knocked up, it is done, and I can’t fix the problem. If she’s like a lot of teenaged girls and just having a late period, I don’t need to do anything. I’ll worry until I hear she has her period or until she gets tested and confirms that she is carrying my baby.”

“Wow!” Mason mumbled. “That is heavy.”

“I know,” Danny agreed. The poor boy had trouble sleeping. Becoming a father before he was thirteen scared the hell out of him.

Danny took Lifesaving, Metal Working and Environmental Science Merit Badges during his week at camp. At first glance, Danny’s schedule looked light. Horseshoe had six periods a day for merit badge work. Lifesaving met for two periods a day. Envi Sci met one period a day but required six hours of field observations along with a bunch of reports. Despite appearances, Danny had little free time during each day.

That suited Danny fine. He would knock out two more required merit badges this week. He would finish Star rank this summer. He planned on completing Life rank next summer, allowing him almost four years to complete his Eagle rank. He knew he would make Eagle, just like David and his dad. Personally, he planned to best them. He planned to reach Eagle before he turned sixteen. David and his dad both were sixteen and a half when they finished Eagle.

Mason proved to be a good friend and tentmate. Big Foot Patrol scored well on campsite inspection each day. All in all, Danny was glad their family had to move to Landenberg. Chester County, the Avon Grove Schools, and Troop 100 were turning out to be a good spot for him.