The Book of Leah

Footloose - Chapter 12

June 9th, Tuesday, 1992, Menominee River Parkway

"Swear to God, Brian, if you push Nick in the river, I'll beat your ass and tell Mom," Lana's voice rang out from behind Jake as he strolled along the river trail.

"I wasn't pushing, just messing around," Brian hollered back.

"Nu-uh, you said you were gonna throw me in," Nick whined.

"Stop tattling, Nick," Matt pleaded, trying to calm his brother and cool down their cousin.

"I wasn't tattling! Brian said he was..." Nick sputtered as Jake walked back toward them.

"Alright, I don't care who started it, but knock it off or there'll be trouble for all of you. Understood?" Jake said, looking each boy firmly in the eye.

A mumbled "yeah, Jake" came from all three before Nick started in again about how it wasn't his fault. Thankfully, Lana arrived before things escalated further.

"Nicky, why don't you walk with me for a minute?" Lana suggested.

Lana and Nick set off at a leisurely pace, heading towards the playground.

The older boys raced ahead across the vast green spaces bordering the river. Lana kept a watchful eye, calling out for them to stay away from the water. The numerous shallow areas and gravel banks offered breaks between the dense bushes and trees lining the shore. These spots allowed Jake to have some fun showing the boys all the cool things they could find.

Deciding to give the boys a little leeway, and much to Lana's dismay, Jake and the two boys took their shoes and socks off and waded in a large eddy pool to search for crayfish. Matt found two and excitedly showed Lana, who feigned excitement for her cousin while keeping her distance.

Lana went on ahead of them allowing Nick to play at the various playgrounds along the parkway. It was nearing 12:30 when they reached the village and headed in for lunch at George Webb's on the Village Green, located near the old brick buildings that marked the village's founding in the 1840's.

Entering the restaurant, they found seats in Julie's section. Jake and Lana ordered drinks while they waited for their grandmother.

Gram arrived just as her unsweetened tea with two lemons was delivered to her usual spot at the table. The boys got their kids' meals. Lana opted for a grilled chicken sandwich, while Gram ordered a BLT with a side salad. Jake had a third-pound burger with all the toppings (minus onions, of course).

Gram inquired about the morning's events as the boys, in a rapid-fire exchange, recounted their adventures.

As they finished lunch, Gram asked about Jake's plans for Wednesday, as he'd requested the car for the day. Lana jumped into the conversation, "It's cuz he wants to flirt with Bonnie's pretty cousin." she shouted.

Jake blushed as Gram with her firm and enunciated voice reminded Lana to lower hers as they were in a restaurant. Turning to her eldest grandchild, she said, "And Jake, if you want to spend the day in Waukesha visiting Bonnie, as you have before, I don't see a problem with that. Just be back by a decent hour and make sure there's gas in the car."

"Yes, Gram," Jake replied.

"Okay, then that's settled. Lana, would you help me get the boys out to the car?" As Lana readily agreed, Gram turned to Jake. "Please pay the bill and leave a nice tip for Julie. She's got a lot of mouths to feed." She handed him $60 bucks and walked out to the car.

June 9th, Tuesday, Milwaukee Suburbs, 9 pm

After a long day of running errands with Gram and helping clean up after dinner, Jake relaxed on the living room couch with a Reader's Digest condensed novel of Tom Clancy while his grandparents were watching Cheers on the TV, though "watching" might be an overstatement. Gramps was leaned back on the couch, engrossed in his latest crossword puzzle, while Gram read notes from the last community board meeting, accompanied by the ruffled snoring of the pug curled beside her on the loveseat.