Greta Gorsuch - Living at Trace

Whos this? Brian asked. He sat under a large tree in front of his trailer. It was getting hot, now that it was June. He looked at the boy. The boy stood next to Ranger Jack Madison. His hair was long and dark. His head was down. Brian couldnt see the boys face.

Jack Madison said to the boy, Mr. Longfield asked you a question. The boy said nothing. The two men waited.

Finally, Brian said, Whats your name? Come on. Its not a hard question. Brian and Ranger Jack Madison waited some more.

Finally, the boy said, Tellman. He had a low voice. He was, Brian thought, about fourteen? Maybe fifteen? He was very thin. His clothes werent clean. Didnt the boys family take care of him?

Nice to meet you, Tellman, Brian Longfield said. Another long wait.

The boy said, Nice to meet you. After another minute, he said, You can call me Tell.

Brian put his head to one side. He thought for a minute. Then, he looked at Ranger Jack Madison. Jack Madison brought the boy to the Lakeside Campground in his car. They all stood together under a large tree next to the lake.

Brian and Jack Madison worked at Trace State Park. It was a fishing and camping park in northern Mississippi. Jack Madison was a ranger at the park. A park ranger was sort of like being the police. His job was to drive around the park. He stopped and talked to campers. He gave directions. He made sure people werent taking too many fish from the lake. He gave talks on the history of the park. He was also an expert on the animals in the park. If there was a bad storm, he made sure people at the park were safe. If there was bad trouble, his job was to take care of it. That was the police part of the job.

Brians job at Trace State Park was different. Brian was a campground host. His job was to stay at the Lakeside Campground. He kept an eye on things. When someone new came to camp or fish, he greeted them. He took their money for the campsites. He told them where they could camp. He helped them use the water and electricity at each campsite. He told campers the rules. Sometimes people stayed up too late and played loud music. He would ask them to quiet down. He also helped campers if they had problems with their trailers. He was good at repairing things like televisions and toilets. He sometimes did repair work for the campers at the park. Last week, he found a small dog at the park, lost and alone. He spent several days calling campers who left to go home. He thought someone forgot the dog.

Did you lose your dog? he asked. No one said they lost their dog.

Brian then asked Jack Madison, So, whats up?

Well, I have a small problem, here. And I think you may have an answer, Ranger Madison said.

Oh? Brian said. He was busy this morning. His sister-in-law, Darla, was going to arrive tomorrow. She was bringing her two kids, Willa and Dale. He had a lot to do to get ready.

Yes. Just hear me out. See what you think, Ranger Madison said.