Chapter1: The Idea
Summer of 1970 Missouri
A twelve-year-old little boy with about a two-inched pick-afro and medium brown complexion waddled his feet in the cold riverbank of the Lake Mississippi. He has a fish net strung out in front of him and chewed on something rather tough. A stick of bubble gum he had bought from the old corner store. He started a-whistling as a rowboat came into view.
A young fair-skinned girl about his age, rather timid-looking, holding a white parasol, over her shoulder gave him a quick glance. Her mouth spread open, exposing all her pearly whites. Her frilly dress hung over the side of the canoe almost scathing the water that makes ripples as it floated by. The boy's mouth gaped open causing the ball of gum to fall out. He stared at her as if she was the best thing he ever saw. He'd seen her before. Infact, they were good friends.
He quickly rolled his overall pant foot one leg at a time. Then after yanking a dry twig off of the nearby bush-bunch, he waded out towards her. Immediately the girl told her rower to stop the boat by gently touching his arm. The boat stopped.
"Hey there, perdy lady," the lad cooed as he stuck the twig in the corner of his mouth and tilted his straw-weaved hat. The girl giggled lightly.
"Why, Michael, do you got to be so proper?" she asked, still giggling.
"You're right, Rosie. Never got me nowhere anyhow," he grinned, hanging unto the boat's edge.
"Ma' name's Rose! How many times-" she began.
"…you gotta tell me that, I know Rosie - uh - Rose," Michael smirked. He then looked ahead. "Where ya headed?"
"Over to by the lily pads," Rose answered softly.
"Ah, up yonder them trees there?" Michael asked pointing.
"Mmhmm." Rose nodded in agreement.
"Aint that next to the Doom Phantom…phantom of doom…doom of a phantom...uh…" Michael felt confused.
"Don't be silly," Rose giggled. "Our folks told us not to believe in such things…" Rose declared.
"Well, I for one believe in 'em. Folk or no folk" Michael announced. "I wonder…"
"Don't you even dare!" Rose almost shouted, trying not to laugh.
"Me-lady, the sun's a-settin', do you wish to go back home?" asked the boat rower."Well, ok, I guess. Michael need a ride?"
"With something as pretty as…" Michael began.
"Oh Michael…" Rose blushed.
"…as the mud under yo' shoes? No way!" Michael squealed with laughter.
"Why you…!" Rose scolded, cupping water in her hands to dash at him. But he was too quick for her liking.
"Save it, Rose! You're never gonna catch me! Even if I jog!" Michael hollered. He took a deep breath and dived beneath the boat.Rose giggled.
"Michael…Michael!" she yelled.Rose looked on either side of the boat."Michael stop playing! Ok, I won't catch you. I CAN'T catch you!" Rose yelled again.
Michael didn't come up.The man in the boat was ready to jump out to fetch Michael.Rose got serious.
"He-he does this all the time…he'll come back up…" Rose said, stopping the man.They waited some more. Nothing.
Michael's head then shot up, which was followed by a deep gasp for air.
"One minute, thirty seconds! Ha-ha!" he yelled, wiping his face and trembling. He grabbed unto the boat with one hand to pull himself in."Michael! How dare you scare me like that?" Rose exclaimed, upset.
"Whadya mean, Rose?" Michael asked still panting and sniffing, whilst wringing his shirt. "You know I have to break a record someday."
"Well, you didn't come up for an awfully long time, 's all." she replied. "You know how I get."
"Yeah...girly," Michael rolls his eyes. "At least Tess aint like that."
"I'm just saying, be more careful." Rose commanded him.
"Hey, only my Mama is allowed to tell me that." Michael complained. He then stared at the boat rower whose hat hid his face."Say, mister, can you just drop me a mile and a quarter? Is where I live." He told him.
"That's right, I'll do, " the man said and continued paddling.
"What's your plan for tomorrow?" Rose asked Michael, slightly smiling. Michael looked as if he was thinking as he gazed at the tress and birds they passed. He then picked up a pebble from the deep corner of the canoe and skipped it across the water.
"Uh, Ima just lay low for a while..." Michael said in a tired tone.
"Aren't ya gonna go on one 'o your lil' escapades?" Rose inquired, her eyes sparkled.
"Why ya ask?" Michael replied, lazily.
"Well, uh, I dunno...I, uh..." she rocked from sided to side. "I guess I wanted to come with ya this time." Rose said quietly.
Michael nearly choked on his own saliva."You? Rose?" He scoffed. He pitched another stone across the riverbed. "You wouldn't last FIVE seconds!" he declared holding out five of his fingers.
"Humph!" said Rose folding her arms. Her parasol slipped from her fingers over the side of the boat falling in the water.
"Rose! You want me to get that?" Michael asked, quickly.
"No, leave it." Rose replied, careless.
Michael's eyes widened as he watches Rose's frilly umbrella bop away, down the river.
"Don't you even want it back?" Michael asked, his eyes still following the now lost umbrella.
"No." Rose said without expression.
"Oh...ok." Michael replied, making himself comfortable again in the canoe.
Suddenly it started getting windy. Michael's straw hat flew off of his head.
"Hey!" he said placing his hand on top his bear head. The hat hadn't gone very far and was stuck on the bow of the boat."Whew! Took me an awful long time to make this. 'Can't afford to lose it." Michael said, retrieving his hat.Rose still folded her arms and stared into the multi-colored sky marking the dusk of the evening. Her large dainty brown curls flared across her expressionless face. Her jaw was knit shut.
"Rose..." Michael waved his hand in front of her eyes.Rose didn't respond. Michael leaned back puzzled. He sighed, propping himself up with his elbows on the seat ledge behind him. He just stared at Rose, who still hadn't blinked for a good minute."Rose?" he called again.
"Michael, I'm trying not to blink for two minutes." she mumbled between partially closed lips."Tryna break YOUR record."
"Wow, Rose. By the looks of it, I think ya did beat it." Michael lied slyly in order to cut her eerie trance.
"I did?" Rose asked turning her head toward Michael. He looked so relaxed and a smirk was always on his face.
"Are you sure?" Rose questioned him. A smirk too, was on her face.
"Yeah, yeah!" he quickly replied. "You passed the stupid initiation, okay?"
"So I can skip school with you tomorrow?!" Rose squealed.They then looked at the boat rower to see if he'd heard that.
"Don't worry yo' self, kiddo. I wont tell a soul." the man said.
Michael gave him a weird stare."Cross your heart, hope to die? Stick a needle in yo eye?" he asked him.
"I swear," the man replied.
"If yo angry, grumpy, mean, I can surely take your spleen?" Michael asked again.
"A bit graphic, don't ya think?" the man snickered.Rose and Michael both giggled.
"But please don't tell mother, father?" Rose pleaded to the man.
"Don't worry darlin'. I wont." the man replied, lifting his hat a bit.
"Mr. Jakens?!" Michael cried out shocked standing up. He then fell backwards over the boat, into the river.