“Not us,” Grandma said.
“Not us,” I said back.
“Here’s what’s going down,” he said. “Today we have an innovation relay. To begin, all of the competitors will line up at the starting line at the far end of the east soccer field.” We all looked over; someone had painted a big yellow strip across the grass clear down at the other end of the park. “Each partnership, at the signal, will race to the Leaf bikes waiting for them at the other end of the field.”
Diego gave Dan a high five.
It was true, Diego was the fastest in our grade and I’m sure Dan was pretty fast himself.
“The catch is,” Silvio said, “teams will be using stilts to cross the field.”
I yelped!
This was a miracle!
It was a Strawberry Days miracle!
Grandpa and my family were hugging each other and bouncing in their seats!
Radleaf went on. “Stilts were known to be utilized clear back in ancient Greece and used throughout history not only for entertainment but for practical uses such as getting through marshy land, crossing rivers, and climbing over fences. People had a problem; they came up with a solution.” I had no idea. “Today we’ll use them to slow some of you down.”
People laughed. I did not. I was too excited. I’d been practicing on stilts for months and Grandma was even better than me!
“Once you cross the field, you will ride your Leaf bikes over to the carnival grounds, where you will both enjoy a turn on the iconic Tilt-A-Whirl—which was invented in 1926 by Herbert Sellner in his Minnesota backyard. His backyard, ladies and gentlemen! It doesn’t take much to make something amazing! It’s been used at carnivals and fairgrounds ever since. The Tilt-A-Whirl goes every three minutes so if you don’t get on in time, you’ll have to wait for the next round.”
“I’ve never been on a Tilt-A-Whirl,” I whispered to Grandma.
She looked at me, shocked. “What? Are you serious?”
“I’m afraid of getting sick. I don’t even like merry-go-rounds. Remember what happened with the roller coaster?”
Grandma thought a second. Then she said, “You know what, you’ll be fine.”
I nodded.
Walk on the stilts. Ride the bikes. Get on the Tilt-A-Whirl.
“Next you’ll hop back on the Leaf bikes and ride to the food truck area.” I knew where that was all too well. “Each partnership will be given a large vat of strawberry Jell-O with plenty of whipped cream on top. One competitor will hold the Jell-O and the other, with their hands behind their back, will eat their way to the single strawberry hidden in the bottom of the pan.”
“No hands?” Grandma said.
“You have to use your face,” I said.
“For Pete’s sake.”
“Jell-O was eaten clear back in Victorian times but was trademarked in 1897 when May and Pearle Bixby Wait mixed strawberry, orange, raspberry, and lemon flavoring with gelatin and sugar to make Jell-O in their kitchen. A couple put their heads together and came up with one of the most iconic desserts of the century.”
I really did love Jell-O.
“After you’ve found the strawberry, get on your bikes and ride back to this area. Once you get to where Keoni is standing”—he pointed to the back of the crowd, and I realized that there was a big sheet of plastic stretching in the middle of the seats from Keoni to right in front of the stage where we were sitting. I thought it was for keeping people from filling in too much—“you will Slip ’N Slide all the way to the stage and hit this bell.” A guy brought out a huge bell.
“Slip ’N Slide?” Grandma whispered. “Is he kidding?”
“The Slip ’N Slide was invented by Robert D. Carrier, an upholsterer who made the coverings for seats in boats. When he came home one day and found his son and his friends with the hose, sliding down his painted concrete driveway on their bellies, he had an idea. He brought some slippery fabric home and put on the water and watched the entire neighborhood have the time of their lives.”
Grandma sighed.
“I wanted to sponsor this competition because I believe in you kids! I believe in crazy ideas and intuitive invention! I believe in seeing problems and finding solutions! I believe in hard work and partnership! And I believe in all of these people up here!”
Clapping! Cheering! Laughing!
I loved Silvio Radleaf. I think Grandma did too because she was squeezing my hand very very hard.
“And today is the day, my friends! Today is when we celebrate young people and the bright future, full of new things, new stilts, new Tilt-A-Whirls, new Jell-O, new Slip ’N Slides, and new electric bikes!”
Even more clapping!
People were standing up!
My dad looked like he was going to burst—in a floral jumpsuit!
Silvio Radleaf turned and gave us all high fives, which was a little awkward, but I loved it anyway. I yelled, “Thank you, Mr. Radleaf!” Diego laughed but I didn’t care.
Silvio Radleaf then took his seat and things got serious.
Dawn Allerton got on the microphone. “Okay, people, okay. Let’s keep things down.” She warned all the spectators to stay out of our way. “We have roped off sections for observers, please be courteous.” And then she led us off the stage.
“We’re doing this, Grandma.”
“We are, my girl. We really are.”
52
Be Still, My Heart
“Please get on your stilts,” Dawn Allerton said into the microphone.
I helped Grandma onto hers. She helped me onto mine. We stood together.
Diego said, “How do you do this?”
Dan fell over.
Everyone was falling over. Grandma and I stood. Waiting for the signal to start.
People were lined up along the entire soccer field and we were right by the side where Grandpa and Jenny and Mom and Dad and Hattie and everyone else was. “You can do this,” Dad yelled.
“Go hard!” Hattie yelled.
“Think about dogs running in the ocean!” Jenny yelled.
“I’m nervous,” I said to Grandma.
“Oh, sis, it’s a piece of cake and you know it,” Grandma said.
I nodded. A piece of cake. We could do this.
“Stilters,” Dawn said. “On your mark. Get set. GO!”
Diego started walking fast and fell on his face.
Dan fell on top of him.
Mr. Bailey surged and also fell.
Zoe too.
“Slow and steady,” Grandma said, as we walked.
And we did go slow.
And steady.
Grandpa Arthur was walking along the sideline in his dress shirt and bow tie saying, “Focus, focus.”
Dad was saying, “Go faster! Mom, go faster! You guys can go faster than that!”
Grandpa said, “Stop distracting them.”
And Mom yelled, “Ignore them! Just keep going!” and we did.
When we got to the end of the field, the others were way behind us.
“And we have Team Stokes in the lead,” Dawn Allerton said over the PA. “Team Stokes, in their colorful, uh, body outfits, are now getting on Leaf bikes.”
I looked back. Diego and Dan were catching up.
“Hurry, Grandma.”
“How do you do this thing?” she asked.
“You just pedal and push the power button.”
I got on and started riding.
“Meg!” Grandma yelled.
I turned around. She was straddling the bike, studying the handlebars.
“What button?” she yelled.
Now Dan was at the bikes. And Diego wasn’t far behind.
“Grandma!” I said. “Just go. Just go.”
She looked at me. “I will not go
. Come back and help me.”
Oh my gosh. I rode back. “This button, Grandma. If you pedal, and then push that, the motor will start. You can make it go as high as you want, the engine will help you go.”
Diego rode by us! Dan too!
Grandma saw them. “Oh puffo,” she said. She got on. “Let’s go!” she said.
She started pedaling and then clearly pushed the button because soon she was zooming ahead. “Wait!” I yelled, and I got on mine.
We reached the Tilt-A-Whirl as Diego and Dan were getting in their car and the operator was about to close the gate. “We’re coming!” I cried, and we barely got on.
“That’s not fair,” Diego said.
“They made it,” the operator said.
“We did make it, Diego,” I said, trying to catch my breath. We rode those bikes fast.
Zoe and her dad and Ellie and were pulling up but it was too late. They’d have to do the ride after us. I could see Cooper and Mr. Bailey getting on their bikes back at the soccer field. People were lining the path all the way from the soccer field cheering us.
“All right everyone, buckle up,” said the operator said.
I sat next to Grandma, who was sweating and fanning her face. “Those bikes are amazing. I must have been going twenty-five miles an hour. I want one.”
I laughed. “That’s the whole point, Grandma!”
I looked over at Diego and Dan, who were pointing at the gate and whispering. We had to run as fast as we could to the bikes once the ride was over. “Grandma,” I said, “see the back exit? That’s where we go.”
“Okay.” Then she said, “Diego and Dan. You two really hustled. Good job.”
Oh my gosh.
“Thanks, Mrs. Stokes,” they said.
“There’s Grandpa,” I said. He and Dad and Lin were red-faced and pushing through the crowd. Mom and Jenny and Hattie weren’t far behind.
The operator started checking all our seatbelts and my stomach plummeted.
Grandma turned to me. “Now listen up. Close your eyes.”
“Close my eyes?”
“Close them. And say to yourself, ‘This is going to be fun. I’m not going to get dizzy. This is no problem.’ ”
“Are you sure?”
“Close them. Think good thoughts.”
“Here we go,” the operator said. I closed my eyes and there was a whirring sound and soon we were moving. Slowly at first and then faster and faster. Music blared over the speakers and now we were spinning and jerking.
“Oh no!” I screamed. My stomach lurched. “Is it supposed to do this?!”
“You’re fine!” Grandma yelled.
“No, I’m not!”
“Yes, you are!”
I opened my eyes. The world was blurring and our bodies were being thrown around and there was Dad’s red shirt and now there was a girl in a pink dress and now a lady with a big hat, and Dad again. Grandpa.
“Grandma! I’m going to throw up…” But then the ride slowed down and I tried to breathe. Breathe.
“You’re okay,” Grandma said. “You’re okay.”
“I’m okay.”
“You’re okay.”
“I’m okay.” The ride stopped.
I stood up. I covered my mouth and it almost happened. Almost.
“Keep it together, Meggy!” Grandma said.
“Go without me,” I gasped.
“No way.”
I stumbled toward the back gate. Grandma put her arm around me. “Meg.”
“Go without me,” I said again. “I’ll catch up.” My belly was bubbling and I couldn’t see straight. Why would anyone go on those things?
“I’m not going to leave you,” Grandma said. “Just think mind over matter. Think, ‘I’m okay.’ ”
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” I said.
Dad and Lin were cheering. The other competitors were on the Tilt-A-Whirl now. I saw Silvio Radleaf in the crowd. I could do this.
Then I realized Diego was on his bike, but Dan was sitting on the ground with his head between his knees. He was worse off than me.
“Dan!” Diego yelled.
Grandma and I stopped by him. “You okay?” Grandma asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “I hate those things.”
“Come on,” Grandma said. “Get up. Keep moving.”
We helped him stand.
“Thank you,” he said.
Grandma gave him a little hug and then we ran-hobbled to the bikes.
Grandma rode in a straight line. I did not ride in a straight line. The crowd was oohing and aahing at my almost crashing and my weaving.
Someone yelled, “Team Stokes!”
Then a bunch of people were doing it. I couldn’t believe it.
“Team Stokes!”
“Team Stokes!”
I pushed the fastest speed on the bike and shot ahead. Grandma yelled and caught up. We were going to do this.
At the Jell-O station, there were five huge pans piled with whipped cream.
“I’ll find the strawberry,” I said to Grandma.
I knew she had spent a lot of time on her makeup that day and plus I’m an excellent swimmer on account of the lake. I can hold my breath forever.
“Are you sure? You almost just threw up.”
“I can do it,” I said.
She hurried to get the Jell-O.
Diego and Dan pulled up. Dan still looked a little green. It made me like him more, not that I didn’t like him before, it just made him seem more normal, is all. I guess UFC fighters are bad at the Tilt-A-Whirl. “I’ll get the Jell-O,” Dan said. “I’m not eating that stuff.”
Diego looked at me. “Good luck.”
“Same to you,” I said, and I meant it.
Grandma walked over, balancing the pan. “Okay, Meg. Eyes on the prize.”
I nodded. My stomach had scaled down. I put my hands behind my back, and I looked over at the crowd, my family, Dawn Allerton. Silvio Radleaf. This strawberry was all ours.
I took a big breath and smashed my face into the cream and Jell-O.
I moved my face all over the place until I hit something!
I hit something solid!
I came up for air and someone said something, but I didn’t hear because I went back down and got the strawberry! I got it!
I got it and everyone screamed.
Dan and Diego looked at me, Diego’s face covered in cream.
I had it! They didn’t!
Grandma yelped and hugged me. I yelped and hugged her! Cream and Jell-O was everywhere.
We ran to the bikes.
We rode to the Slip ’N Slide. Hoses of water were pouring down the thing.
“Oh my,” Grandma said.
“Grandma,” I said. “Piece of cake. Let’s do this.”
I held out my hand. She took it and then we slid on our stomachs to the finish!
53
Freedom!
Grandma and I got first place in the Radleaf Relay and won five thousand dollars for the Alzheimer’s Association! That meant we raised six thousand, five hundred and forty dollars for people who had Alzheimer’s like Great-Grandpa Jack!
And we got second place overall in the Strawberry Ambassador Competition behind Diego and Dan, who slid in just a few seconds behind us.
That’s not too bad coming from last place in the Food Truck Round-Up, even if second is the first losers.
We sat on the stage while Silvio Radleaf awarded Diego and Dan the two bikes of my dreams.
I clapped very hard.
“Thank you, thank you very much,” Diego said.
He shook Silvio’s hand. Dan did too. Diego smiled at me and I smiled back. They had done a fantastic job. As much as it hurt to say it, they
deserved the bikes.
Silvio then said, “We also want to recognize the winners of today’s race, Meg and Sally Stokes!”
Everyone cheered. Dad whistled his loudest whistle, Aunt Jenny waved her hat in the air, and Lin was jumping up and down.
I laughed.
“It was a valiant effort,” Silvio said, once it quieted a bit.
Then he had us all stand up and take a bow. I hugged Ellie and Cooper and Zoe and Diego. I saved the last hug for Grandma.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Like I said, best time of my life.” She wiped some cream off my face.
Dawn Allerton went to take back the microphone—probably to tell us it was all over and we could now go buy corn dogs and get on the Tilt-a-Whirl again—but Silvio Radleaf said, “I have one more thing to add if that’s alright with you, Dawn.”
“Oh,” Dawn said, her face turning red. “Of course.”
Silvio looked at all of us. Then he said, “I’m just so inspired today. I’ve decided to donate two hundred electric rental bikes to the town of Jewel,” he said.
I gasped! Two hundred rental bikes!
“Not only that, all the participants and their families in this week’s competition will have one year of free access to the bikes.”
I about fell off my chair.
Lin screamed.
Grandma laughed.
And that’s how the Strawberry Ambassador Competition and the War with Grandma ended in victory!
54
Summer Sweetness
That summer was the best summer of my life.
Hattie and I rode rental Leaf bikes to Lin’s side of town every single day. We drank frozen lemonades and went swimming and played night games. Mom and Dad rode the bikes on dates and went to the movies and Dad even wrote an essay about the beauty of seeing nature from the road.
I got a job taking flyers around for Jesse Pizza’s truck. Jesse even added Meddlesome Meg’s Dessert Pizza to his menu and it’s one of his bestsellers!
I’m saving up to buy my own Leaf bike next year. Lin is too.
Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and we got to ride around on Leaf bikes to see all Grandma’s new friends: Jesse Pizza, Melanie Bacon, Diego and the rest of the contestants; Silvio Radleaf, who bought a vacation house on the outskirts of town right by Knudsen Strawberry Farms; and of course, Dawn Allerton, who is now Grandma’s acting partner! Turns out Dawn is a student of the stage too!
The War with Grandma Page 19