Drooling Children and Cool Bikes

Jane was 4 ½ years old, Frankie was 2 ½ years old and Angela was pregnant with the third Rizzoli child. She was due in one month and Jane was pretty excited. She was hoping for another brother because she was kind of sick of Frankie. He followed her around, stole her toys and drooled all over them, peed on the floor and cried or basically screamed his lungs out. Jane was sick of all of it. She and the new baby were going to be best friends and Frankie would be all on his own with his crying and drooling and peeing.

"Mama! Frankie drooled all over my train set." Jane said annoyingly.

"I'm sorry honey, but it's just saliva, it doesn't ruin it."

"But it's still gross."

"I know, but it will dry. Why don't you go outside and play?"

The Rizzoli's lived in a nice quiet neighborhood where kids were allowed to play outside by themselves. Angela trusted Jane not to cross the street, and thankfully she had friends who lived on the same side of the street as them. Jane's best friend was Kelly who lived right next door. Kelly didn't have any brothers or sisters and Jane envied her a lot. Kelly had a bigger house, a bigger room and way more toys than Jane. Although Jane didn't really envy the toy selection Kelly had. Because Kelly had a lot of dolls and stuff to play house. Jane didn't like playing house. She was way too active for that. There needed to be guns or poison or bombs or something adventurous that happened.

"Okay. I'll go. But Kelly's not home."

"I know, but I'm sure you'll find someone else to play with."

"Fwankie go too." Frankie said, stumbling into the kitchen.

"Why don't you take Frankie with you? Then mommie can take a little nap."

Jane moaned and groaned, because she actually wanted to get away from Frankie.

"Please Jane?" Her mother asked her kindly.

"Fine."

"And don't take him across the street."

"I won't." Jane said a little pissed.

She took her brother's hand and led her brother outside. The weather was really nice. She was just wearing shorts and a t-shirt and her brother was wearing the same. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, which was the easiest way to deal with her curly mess. Her mother rarely got to brush through it and if she just left it loose, something always wound up stuck in it. If it wasn't gum it was tape or food or a toy. There was a constant struggle between the two Rizzoli women, trying to get Jane's hair to look nice. Jane usually won by screaming out of pain but Angela promised herself that one day, Jane's hair would look nice.

"Come on Frankie, let's go for a walk."

Jane knew how far she was allowed to take Frankie so she just walked to the corner of the street and then turned around. She felt responsible and grown-up, taking care of her brother like that, so she decided to embrace it. But then, on the other side of the street, she saw two guys riding the coolest bikes that Jane had ever seen. They were not tricycles like the one Jane had, the were real big kid bikes, with no training wheels. Jane stopped to look at them ride so professionally that she forgot herself staring until the older boy rode across the street right into Jane.

"What are you looking at punk?"

"Punk? I'm girl."

"So what, girls are stupid."

"Na-ah." Jane said.

"You like my bike?"

"Yes."

"Wanna try it?"

"Sure."

"Well you can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't have anything I want."

"I have a brother." Jane said, showing Frankie.

"So what?"

"He's like a private servant. He does everything I say."

"Oh really?" The boy asked, not really believing Jane.

"Aha."

"Show me."

"Frankie, clap your hands." She said in a commanding tone and Frankie clapped his hands. "Frankie, jump." And he did. "Frankie, gimme five." He did. "Stick out your tongue." He did everything Jane said, making the older boy impressed.

"Okay. I'll exchange you, your butler for my bike for one day."

"Really?"

"Sure. Unless you don't want to?"

"Oh I want to. Here you go." She said, handing Frankie over to the boy from across the street. "Bye bye, Frankie. Be nice to your new sister." Jane said and took the bike.

Jane had seen other kids ride their bikes and it looked so easy. Little did she know that riding a regular bike required mix between strength and balance, which she didn't have at all. She tried to ride it but she fell down immediately and scraped her knee.

Jane was not known for crying or complaining when things got rough. But since it was bleeding, she thought it would be best to go inside and get a band aid. She walked the bike into their yard and put it down gently. Then she sneaked into the bathroom, climbed up the toilet and opened the medicine cabinet to find the brand new alligator plasters that her mother had bought recently. She opened up the box, but she opened it wrong, causing all the plasters to fall on the floor. Jane didn't pick them up. She was in way too much hurry to get outside and try the bike again.

She tried and she tried, but she couldn't ride the bike on her own. She had trouble starting, but the minute she got it she fell down and scraped her knee again. Her legs were all covered in blood and plasters but she refused to give up. She needed to ride that bike. Maybe if her parents saw that she was a big girl, way too big for a tricycle, they'd get her, her own bike.

When she fell down for the twentieth time she heard a car approaching. Her father was home. Maybe he'd help her.

"Janie." Frank sr. said as he got out of the car and saw his little girl. "What are you doing."

"I'm riding a bike."

"That's great. How's it going?"

"Not so good. I need to practice more. Can you help me?"

"Sure. I'm just going to say hi to your mother first." Frank kissed Jane and went inside.

He put his bag down and called for his wife but she didn't answer. When he walked into the living room he could hear loud snoring. He knew Angela wouldn't want to sleep so late even though she was tired so he decided to wake her up.

"Hi sweetheart." Frank kissed Angela gently, but she got startled and basically jumped up from the couch. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"No it's okay. I was dreaming something about Jane and Frankie and the new baby and got confused. I should start dinner since you're home."

"That sounds great. I'm just going to help Jane with her bike riding. Where's Frankie?"

"Bike riding? Jane had a bike? She was watching Frankie for me. Where did she get that bike?"

"I don't know. It seemed a little too big. Maybe it belongs to the Finnegan boy."

"Yes. But where the hell is Frankie jr. then?"

Angela was pissed and worried and stumbled outside. She had gained a little weight from carrying Frankie and now carrying another one so she didn't move very fast.

"Where is Frankie jr. young lady?"

Jane had totally forgotten about Frankie. She was so busy with the bike and then just relieved not having to listen to him. She saw the angry look on her mother's face and got worried.

"Uhm, he's with a friend. He'll come back tomorrow though." Jane said, looking at the bike.

"Hmm… Frankie's disappearance might not have anything to with this bike could it?"

"No. I mean, no. Or maybe yes."

"Maybe yes. Aha. Whose bike is this?"

"It's the new boy from across the street. He let me have it for one day in exchange for Frankie for one day."

"YOU EXCHANGED MY BABY FOR A BIKE?" Angela was furious. She was overwhelmed with tiredness and hormones so she may have exaggerated a little.

"I'm sorry. I-I-…" Jane got silent and looked down. She was disappointed in herself. She was so excited about the bike that she had let her brother go with a stranger. What if he crossed the street? Jane started crying loudly. "FRANKIE?" She yelled. "I'm sorry mama."

"No-no. I shouldn't have let you go out with him alone. You're just not ready yet. It's my fault." She said comforting her daughter.

"I want my bike back. This butler sucks." The Finnegan boy said as he appeared with Frankie out of nowhere. "He just cries and drools and plus he made this nasty stink." The Finnegan handed Frankie to Jane and took his bike.

"FRANKIE!" Jane yelled with happiness. "I missed you so much."

"Maybe that'll teach you not to trade your little brother for a bike again young lady."

"Yes mama. I promise. I'm sorry. I love you Frankie."

"Come on in darling. I think I need to change your brother."

"NO MAMA! Don't change him. I don't want anyone else."

"I meant change his diaper."

"Oh. Sorry."