It was a long, hot day. But it got fun when we squeezed past the roaring crowd and finally saw the Roosters on parade by the riverbanks. Glad my three-year-old self remember that time when quarterback stars Jay Jones and Chuck Ward waved at me and gave me a thumbs up! But some idiots blocked the view. So I attempted to stop them.
As dictated, toddlers Lynn and Lincoln are able to get a clear vantage point on the fluvial parade of the Royal Woods Roosters. However, their view gets blocked by three older boys, who are around 6.
Lynn then politely calls out their attention. "Uhmm, excuse me? Big guys, we cannot see anything."
But the boys ignore her pleads. "Oh look, it's Jay and Chuck!" one boy with a bald top and the curly hair on the sides that reeks the resemblance of Larry Fine from the Three Stooges shouts.
"Are they? I thought they are Chuck and Jay?" one boy who looks like Curly Howard (complete with fat body, little hair and dimwitted personality) replies.
"No, Chuck is the blonde one. Jay is the toughest of them all. That dude with the body as mighty as a boulder, he rocks!" the Larry kid expounds.
"Boy! Wish I could be like him!" the fat kid adds.
With the boys ignorant, Lynn does not take this easily. "Hey! Hey! Hey, you blockheads!" she shouts to them, but they ignore her. "Hey blockheads! Get out of the way."
"Hey, did you say anything?" the Larry kid asks.
"I don't know," the fat kid answers.
And one more time, in a more aggressive manner, Lynn belches out, "I said 'Get out of the way, you blockheads!'"
Finally, at the moment, the boys hear her demands. Their presumed leader, the kid who has the resemblance of Moe Howard (because of his ridiculous bowl top), looks at Lynn. "What do we have here? Some kind of wimpy girly?" he mocks.
"I think she's lost," the Larry kid answers.
"Yeah, I think so too," the fat kid agrees. "Check out her shirt. She might be a Roosters fan."
"Please, if you don't mind, you're blocking our view," Lynn pleads.
But the boys laugh at them. "Us? Blocking your view?" the Larry kid defends, "You may not know this but we are all Roosters fans. Us, you, your baby brother who's sucking his own toes, we all get this view. So sad, we already have this spot."
"Yeah, why don't spot somewhere else where he can suck his toes?!" the fat Curly knockoff pesters them, making the boys laugh hysterically.
Lynn then looks back at baby Lincoln to see her brother truly sucking his own toes and mindlessly rocking on the grass like an otter lying on water. This triggers Lynn to become tougher to an extent. "Why don't you stay away, or else?!" she squeals.
However, the boys are not buying into this that they laugh continually. "Or else what, little girl?" the Moe kid mockingly pouts.
But with a mighty fist, even for a three-year-old girl, Lynn uppercuts the kid, making two of his cronies retreat to him in panic. "Moe!"
"Moe buddy, are you alright?" Larry asks him.
"Of course, it's all wrong. He's punched to shame," the fat Curly kid comments.
"You three stupids," mini Lynn utters.
Eventually, the Moe kid gets up from being assisted by his cronies but he still lambasts them mockingly, "What do you think? It's all right to see me being punched? Of course, it's all wrong, you maggots!" Then he pocks the eyes of the fat kid and pinches the nose of the Larry kid as a result. "Get her!" With that, the three "stupids" charge to Lynn, but Lynn evades their bullish tendencies.
With that away, Lincoln eventually gets bored, sitting on the grass as his sister is busy beating bullies up. Still not having awareness of his surroundings, his attention eventually points from a distance to a children's birthday party where a magician is performing. Once the magician pulls out his wand and summons a bright-colored force from thin air, Lincoln gets so attracted that he proceeds to crawl to the magician.
Minutes go by, and Lynn finally dominates the bullies, throwing them on one pile and standing on top of them. "Who's the boss now?"
"You'll regret this!" Moe utters.
Lynn then pounces on his head as she gets down from the pile. "That's for ruining the Roosters for me."
"We'll get you next time!" Moe shouts.
Lynn walks back to her baby brother. "Now that's how to show who's boss around here." But as she finishes bragging, the then three-year-old discovers her brother has gone. "Lincoln? Lincoln? Lincoln!" She searches him from her surroundings, but she can only spot park visitors flocking around the place. As more and more people come to her direction, Lynn panics out of finding Lincoln and herself lost in the crowd. "Lincoln? Lincoln! Help!"
I never knew as the older sister that I have the responsibility to take care of my baby brother. I was worried that time. I didn't know what to do, what to say or what to expect in this situation. Luckily I have my trustee helper by my side.
Speaking of which, Lynn Sr. phones his wife to check on the updates about Lincoln's birthday. Rita eventually answers while trying to pat Leni's back for her to spit out a balloon that she swallowed.
"Hello sweetie?" Rita answers hysterically.
"Hey, how's the party preparations going?" Lynn Sr. replies.
Rita ponders on her husband's questions. Just timely, a combustion occurs in the kitchen, where Lori arrives from there, covered in soot from the sudden casserole overheat. "Mom, the pot exploded and the spaghetti sauce splurged on my face!" she wails.
"I'll be right there at the moment, sweetie," Rita says to her.
"Is that Lori?" Lynn Sr. utters from overhearing Lori's voice through his phone.
"It was just nothing," Rita assures hesitatingly, "Things are smooth sailing here."
Badly timed, Luan accidentally summons an ostrich from her magic trick, and it chases her across the house. "Mom, help! A giant bird is after me!" Lori puts herself in the situation and gets chased as well.
Luna, on the other hand, helps on stopping the ostrich from chasing Luan with her guitar. "Slow down, you fella! Stop chasing my sisters!"
Rita sees the unusual but uncontrollable sight, but tries to hide it from her husband with reassurance. "Anyway, how are you and the kids?"
Lynn Sr. then proceeds to the sandbox with two Sundae ice cream cones for Lynn and Lincoln. "Oh, we are definitely having fun, a day-off drive around the city. The kids are having fun. We're definitely cool." But as he walks to the playground, he gets shocked to see his kids gone from the sandbox that he crushed the ice cream cones with his bare hands. Nearly and loudly gasping, he attempts to hide his shock to his wife.
"Lynn, honey, are you okay there?" Rita replies from the brief dead air.
"Ahhmmm yes honey. Yes, most definitely the kids are here and not gone or what," Lynn Sr. nervously implies, "See, Lynn is building a sandcastle while Lincoln is helping her. Talk to your mommy, Lynn. 'Uhmm yes, honey, I mean mommy, I am playing sandy castle with baby Lincoln now. Yey!'"
"Really?" Rita replies suspiciously.
"Yes, of course mommy," Lynn Sr. replies via a failed voice impersonation of Lynn.
"Well, tell daddy that mommy needs time in the house. And have fun, okay?"
"Oh yes mommy. We will!"
"Good. Now bye and say bye for your daddy for me." With that, Rita hangs up the phone and returns to her situation.
"Mommy, was that daddy and Lynn?" Leni replies in a raspy voice.
"Yes Leni sweetie, and they told me they are having fun, or at least if they really are," Rita answers as she pushes Leni's stomach once more. "And I think your father has lost them. I don't know for sure. But if he does, he will surely not get away with that!" And just at that escalating rage that Rita was able to make Leni spit out her balloon that directly strikes to the head of the hurtling ostrich, knocking it unconscious.
Dad was a national hero. I can tell. He knows how to act on whatever situation comes to him.
"Lynn! Lincoln! Lynn! Lincoln!" Lynn Sr. repeatedly shouts at the top of his lungs. He searches for his two kids everywhere. From the premises of the playground to the park vicinity, from the bushes to the trees, from the drinking fountains to the water fountains, from the fish ponds to the mud puddles, from birds' nests to the squirrel's burrows, from other baby's strollers to other babies, from busting family picnics to crashing a wedding, and from stalling bikers to trolling some bikers, he tries his best to search for them. But he also goes through their resulting comeuppances.
Eventually, he spots the crowd gathered on the riverbanks. "Of course, the parade!" Recalling the promise he made to Lynn about seeing the Royal Woods Roosters on a fluvial float, Lynn Sr. goes to the crowd, in hopes of spotting them there. "Lynn! Lincoln! Lynn! Lincoln!" he calls them out again, to no avail. The crowd starts to pack the park on the riverbanks premises, making it harder for the Loud patriarch to search for his children.
Dad was a hero, I guess. He kept bragging how much he is the best in everything he does. It is hard to believe but he promised me that whenever I called out for help, he would always be there for me, to rescue me. And that is exactly what I did when I got lost in the crowd. If he can see me...
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" young Lynn yells at the top of her lungs. Realizing that her father has not heard of her pleads, she yells again, "Daddy! Daddy! Linky! Help! Anybody!" Slowly, as more people start to pack the park, Lynn panics in horror, seeing footsteps as giant steps. Of course, she is still 3-years-old, and the thoughts of a big world are still on standby for her to grasp on. She flees in tears and desperation to a nearby tree and clings on it like a teddy bear. Despite her feeling tough, she also finds a soft spot in her that she cannot deny.
Scared, toddler Lynn clings on the tree badly, demanding for her father to turn up to her. "Please daddy. Please let him see me."
But suddenly, she is taken by the hips and lifted up to the air. Naturally, she gets frightened by the sudden lifting. "Let go off me! Let go off me! Please!" she shouts while she tries to shake her whole body to let loose from the clutches of her schemer. But as the light in front of her clears up, she learns that the person who lifted her up is none other than her father.
"Junior, are you okay?" Lynn Sr. asks her lovingly.
Knowing that it is her father, Lynn embraces him instantly and sheds tears on his shoulders.
"Lynn, Lynn Jr., it's okay," he assures, patting her back with care. He then kisses her forehead and wipes her tears away. "Oh Lynn..."
"Daddy, don't leave me, okay?" Lynn tearfully pleads.
"I am sorry, my dear. I won't leave you and your brother. Speaking of which, where is he?"
"I lost him daddy. I'm sorry I lost Lincoln. I'm sorry!"
"Junior, it is fine. I am worried about your brother too. It is not your fault. You know what, let's find him."
"Sure daddy."
Lynn Sr. then places his daughter on his shoulders. Lynn Jr. then tugs her dad's side hairs to hang on to. "Ready there, honey?" Lynn Sr. asks, to which his daughter nods in assurance. "Alright, Lincoln!"
"Lincoln!" Lynn shouts along.
And with that, it's me and my dad, in search for little Lincoln. What troubles may come in our way, it is for us to find out.
[Part 3 will come up.]