Scamp Girls - response to a painting by David Nielsen, "3 to Go"

     I sit here looking across the table at my three best friends and wonder why we have not been gathered together like this in such a long time.  I guess life interfered with the process of friendship with marriage and kids and divorces.  Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder and sometimes it just mellows the memories...

     We called ourselves the Scamp Girls - five young ladies whose friendship was set in stone and all of them were totally different - Marian was a dress/skirt wearer like me because our parents didn't approve of wearing pants; Andrea was the person who got us into trouble by talking all of the time and Judy who was sitting silent now as she is most times but when the time is right, she will make her verbal contribution.  I said five young ladies - the fifth was GingerAnne but she was not with us at this reunion and drinking fest.

     We had our own drinks when we met at the pharmacy soda counter - not because we really liked our choosing but because they were our signature drinks and we could come in and feel so sophisticated ordering "the usual."  GingerAnne's was ginger ale with a cherry; Marian's was a Coke with a lemon wedge; mine was a Dr. Pepper; Andrea chose a Sprite with a shot of vanilla and Judy ever practical and level-headed had fresh-squeezed orange juice.

     I have had too much to drink already but I am ordering another round - it is my turn.  My friends sit across the table and their faces are dimly lit by the lights but I see their faces as they were 35 years ago - the last time all five Scamp Girls were together - we were 15.  We were at the pharmacy without signature drinks before us and talking about the dance that was coming up.  GingerAnne really wanted to go but her date was her cousin, Lo Sha.  GingerAnne was Chinese and she had been told that Lo Sha had been promised her hand.  She wanted to go to the dance with Tommy but her family would never let her date anyone who was not Chinese.  

     The gathering at the pharmacy was to finish up plans to go to Marian's parents' lake house over the weekend.  GingerAnne seemed very excited and we soon learned why.  She had been seeing Tommy and they were determined to be together.  She would go to the lake house and then Tommy would pick her up there and they were driving off to elope.  "You are my friends and you have to keep the secret and be happy for me."  It was such a grown-up secret and one of the Scamp Girls was becoming a woman so she would be the first Scamp WOMAN! 

     Friday night we saw GingerAnne and Tommy leave the lake house and we prepared to indulge in hot dogs and popcorn after we had swum the lake to our hearts' content.  We were still in bed when Marian's parents came in to tell us that GingerAnne and Tommy had been in an accident and were killed - no one knew why they were together and we remained true friends - we told no one.

     High school came and went and the Scamp Girls weathered it all but we never added a fifth girl to replace GingerAnne.  We all married and moved away but we were back in town for a reunion of sorts.  I ordered another drink and looked across the table at my three friends again.  In the dim light I could still see their faces and I knew tomorrow would be filled with the hangover from tonight's celebration/memorial.  35 years ago we had sat together in the pharmacy soda bar with our signature drinks before us and the world our pearl.  Now we were either soon-to-be 50 or just turned 50 and we looked it.  I peer through the dim lights of the bar at my friends and they are barely recognizable.  We have come together - the Scamp Girls to remember the only Scamp Woman ....