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Somewhere (because it’s SUPER SECRET) downtown, Leo and Jackson are plotting their next SUPER SECRET excursion. You see, Jackson and Leo are brothers. They have the same brown, white and black colors, they both like all natural food and would never ever eat corn, wheat or soy—that’s just not what dogs eat—and they both love and miss a little girl named… well, that’s SUPER SECRET too.
So today, Jackson and Leo’s mission is to get a message to their friend that they haven’t seen since before Leo’s birthday, July 27th, the last time they played with… hmmm… our friend needs a SUPER SECRET name. Any ideas? Gummy Bear? Nah, they’re too sticky. Milk Shake?
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Nah, they’re too cold. Fried Chicken? That’s YUMMY, but if you have fried chicken, then you have to have macaroni and cheese, and right now there’s no time for that! Hmmm… I GOT IT! Lemonhead! Our SUPER SECRET friend we’ll call “Lemonhead.”
So Leo and Jackson jumped on their scooter, whose name isn’t so much of a secret… Stink. Stink doesn’t really stink, Stink is a rickety old scooter that has a tail—a tail that just so happens to look like a skunk’s tail. And it’s because of that tail this little scooter was nicknamed Stink.
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Leo and Jackson drove Stink all over town looking for Lemonhead.
They drove past the house with the piggy on the roof.
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They drove past the purple building where Bootsy’s used to be; they scooted to the Market and even peeked in the pet store… still no Lemonhead.
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Feeling a little upset, Leo and Jackson started thinking of other places Lemonhead might be. They went to the theatre where they last saw Beehive, again no Lemonhead.
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They scooted to the pool and thought for sure they saw Lemonhead swimming underwater picking up dive sticks but DAG, it wasn’t her.
Then Jackson, because he’s the smarter of the two, had an idea: “We’ll climb the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown, and from there we can see EVERYTHING and then we can give Lemonhead her SUPER SECRET MESSAGE!” Off they went, whirling to the brrrrr…mmm…bapbapbap of Stink.
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When they got back downtown, Jackson and Leo jumped off Stink and looked up the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN. Leo looked at Jackson and said, “That’s a pretty big mountain, Jackson.”
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“Don’t worry Leo, we can climb this BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN, and I will be right beside you every step,” Jackson said.
Well, Leo was worried anyway. Leo worried about a lot of things. He worried if he told Jackson how much he loved him often enough?
He worried, what if something happened to Jackson, who would take care of him? He worried, what if Jackson wandered off someday and couldn’t find his way home; would Jackson know how much he
missed him?
Jackson looked down at Leo and saw how frightened he was of the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown. “Leo, don’t be silly. This is just a little pile of dirt; once we get to the top and see Lemonhead, we’ll find a way to deliver our SUPER SECRET MESSAGE, and then I’ll take you home and we can make fried chicken.”
Leo knew Jackson was just being nice and trying to make him feel like everything was going to be OK, because Leo knew that Jackson was allergic to chicken and there was NO WAY Mama would let him have any!
Just knowing that Jackson would always be there for him gave Leo the courage to climb the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown.
So, they set off, Jackson gently nudging Leo at first while Leo, trying his best not to look terrified, took some very big steps for such a small little puppy. “Oh Jackson,” trembled Leo,
“I-I-I-I-I dddon’t know if I can do this.”
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“Leo,” giggled Jackson, “what are you so afraid of? Are you afraid of being alone? Because you have me and you’ll never be alone. Are you afraid you’ll fall? Because you have me and I’ll never let you down. Are you afraid you won’t be able to get back down? Because you have me to make sure all of your travels are safe.”
“Jackson,” said Leo as he tiptoed up the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN, “I don’t think it’s any of those things. Without looking, I always know you are right here with me, wherever I go and whoever I’m with; without questioning, I know how much you love me and would never let anything happen to me.”
“Then what is it my little buddy? What is it you are so afraid of?”
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“Jackson,” said Leo, “I’m afraid that after driving past the house with the piggy on the roof, and the purple building where Bootsy’s used to be; after scooting to the Market and even peeking in the pet store, then going to the theatre where we last saw Beehive and scooting to the pool where we thought for sure we saw Lemonhead swimming underwater picking up dive sticks, what if we climb this BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown, and after ALL that, we still can’t find Lemonhead and she never gets the SUPER SECRET MESSAGE?
Leo was upset, and Jackson thought long and hard about what to say. He knew how much Leo missed Lemonhead; Jackson knew because Jackson himself missed Lemonhead. He knew how much Leo loved Lemonhead;
Jackson knew because Jackson himself loved Lemonhead and it had seemed so long since they were at the house with a piggy on top playing Barbies, singing, and cooking fried chicken which Lemonhead loved so much.
Jackson looked up from the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown. He looked up and WAY out! They were there! They were just inches away from the top of the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown and Jackson could see EVERYTHING! “Leo!” he cried, “we made it! Look over there, do you see what I see?” Leo still had tears in his eyes, what with all the worrying he had been doing, but through the wetness in his eyes, he followed the aim of Jackson’s paw.
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“Over there, see way over there?” whispered Jackson. Leo squinted, and just then, Jackson picked Leo up by the nape of his neck and tossed Leo onto his back. Now, here sat Leo on top of the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown, on his big brother’s back looking out on the entire city, and what was Jackson pointing at? “There Leo! There!” Jackson exclaimed as his eyes followed a little blond girl walking on the sidewalk with a black backpack and pink trim, a pink lunch bag, black skirt with bright green psychedelic tights and canvas gym shoes.
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Leo wiped the tears from his eyes. “It’s her! It’s Lemonhead! Oh Jackson, that is what I was so afraid of. I wasn’t afraid of the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN — I had you with me — but I was so afraid we would not find Lemonhead. Right now, we have to get off this BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown and go see Lemonhead!”
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And with that, Leo jumped feet first high in the air, higher than he had ever jumped feet first in the air, and went sliding super fast down the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN, which no longer looked so big. It didn’t take Jackson long, and before you could say “I otta pound you,” they were scooting their way past yellow school buses, red lights and kids with pink hair to deliver the SUPER SECRET MESSAGE to Lemonhead.
Outside the big new building, Jackson and Leo weren’t sure exactly what to do. Leo wasn’t the smartest dog in the world, but even he knew dogs couldn’t just walk into school.
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Jackson looked around; he had to figure something out, they couldn’t come this far and not give Lemonhead the message.
“Look!” yelled Leo! “It’s Mama!” Leo was right, just as Jackson and Leo stood outside Lemonhead’s new school, around the corner came their Mama. Leo came leaping over and Jackson almost had to stop traffic from crashing around Leo. “Mama! Mama! It’s Lemonhead! It’s Lemonhead!” Leo cried out as he barreled into Mama’s shins. Jackson was excited to see Mama too.
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He wanted to tell her all about their travels, and how hard they looked for Lemonhead and how happy they were to see her for the first time since before Leo’s birthday on July 27th.
Mama looked down at her boys and saw that Leo had been crying and that Jackson had his “super serious” look on his face. “Boys, what are you doing down here, how did you get out of the house with the piggy on top?”
“Uh-oh,” Jackson thought, this could take some explaining, but right now, there just wasn’t enough time.
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Lemonhead was just a few yards away and, after all this time, there was no way Leo and Jackson could let another day go by without getting their SUPER SECRET MESSAGE to her, so Jackson decided to turn to Mama for help. “Mama,” Jackson said in his super serious voice.
Mama looked at Jackson; she knew that look, she knew that voice. Something was super serious with Jackson. “Yes Jackson, what is it?”
“Mama, Lemonhead is right over there, and we have something SUPER SECRET to tell her, but we have a problem; she is with the one who doesn’t like dogs, and we don’t think we are allowed in the doors anyway. We need your help.”
Mama turned and looked. Yes, she saw the one who doesn’t like dogs and yes, she knew that Jackson and Leo were not allowed in.
Jackson continued, “We need your help. Can you deliver the super secret message?”
Mama only had to smile. Of course she would. Mama knew all too well how important the SUPER SECRET MESSAGE was and how it had to be told to Lemonhead, especially today. “You boys stay here, I’ll walk over to the window and try to get Lemonhead’s attention.” As Mama walked over, she thought about all the days and nights she talked about Lemonhead.
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How no matter where she went, someone always asked about Lemonhead and how we were doing. Mama loved it when the whole family, including Leo and Jackson, would walk down Main Street saying “Hello” to everyone, and listen to music, get a street pop, or maybe buy a new necklace or purse. The days we would shop at the Market, come home, make fried chicken, sing, dance and play Barbies in the house with the
piggy on top. Our Sundays. She thought about how much the rest of the week really didn’t matter, how Sundays were Mama’s most favorite day of the week for it was the day she always got to see Lemonhead.
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Mama walked up to the window and caught Lemonhead’s eye. When Lemonhead smiled, the whole room lit up! She gave a quick glance to the one who doesn’t like dogs, and then back at Mama, still smiling. To everyone’s surprise, the one who doesn’t like dogs motioned Mama in! Leo and Jackson high-fived each other and Leo almost peed on the sidewalk! Mama walked by Lemonhead and, knowing she had to tell her the SUPER SECRET MESSAGE for Leo and Jackson, she leaned down and hugged Lemonhead. Mama told her that she loved her and missed her. When Mama stood up, she looked down and was so proud of Lemonhead. She was absolutely adorable on this first day of school. With a smile as big as the sky on Christmas morning, and her eyes as bright as sunshine on the ocean, Lemonhead posed for a picture.
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Mama told her she was proud of her and to have fun at school. Knowing the one who does not like dogs would not be happy about Mama being there, Mama turned and left as quickly as she had come in. Looking back, she saw Lemonhead smiling and for a moment all time stopped as Mama took a picture in her head, one she could
keep long after she got Leo and Jackson back to the house with the piggy on top.
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“Did you tell her!? Did you tell her!?” yelled Leo and Jackson as soon as Mama turned the corner, Mama having to jump out of the way, the boys were so excited.
“Tell her what?” asked Mama.
“The SUPER SECRET!” they both cried.
“SUPER SECRET? What SUPER SECRET?” asked Mama.
“That we love her and miss her EVERY DAY!” the boys shouted.
“Leo, Jackson,” said Mama as she looked at the two boys, “the fact we love and miss Lemonhead every day is not a SUPER SECRET. Why, it’s not a secret at all. Lemonhead thinks about us the same way we think about her.
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She misses all of us, and her house with the piggy on top. I’ll bet every morning she drives downtown and passes that BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN, she thinks about climbing to the top and looking around
at all the things she misses downtown. If she could, I bet she would go by the purple building where Bootsy’s used to be; she would go to the Market and even peek in the pet store; she’d go to the theatre where we last saw Beehive and then to the pool to swim underwater and pick up dive sticks; she’d take you boys and walk down Main Street saying “Hello” to everyone, listening to music, maybe get a street pop and buy a new necklace or purse. Lemonhead loves all the things we do, boys. She loves the days we would shop at the Market, come home, make fried chicken, sing, dance and play Barbies in the house with the piggy on top.”
Mama saw sadness in Leo and Jackson. They wanted to say “Hello” and give kisses to Lemonhead, to watch her giggle and fall to the ground. Jackson wanted Lemonhead to lie on him like
a pillow, to pull out the couch and watch silly movies on tippy-top. Leo thought about how easy it is to steal beef jerky from Lemonhead and his mouth watered just thinking about the beef jerky.
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“Boys,” said Mama, “today was a wonderful day. We saw our favorite little girl in all the world. Let’s go to the house with the piggy on top and figure out our next adventure, and how we can find our Lemonhead again! And maybe, if Lemonhead asks the one who does not like dogs just right, maybe, just maybe, the one who does not like dogs will let Lemonhead call and tell us she misses visiting on Sundays and let us all have another day together.”
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Leo and Jackson looked up at Mama, and trusted the sound in her voice. “Yes,” said Jackson, “let’s go home and hope that Lemonhead is allowed to call us and we can tell her all about today’s adventure and how we found her from the BIG DIRT MOUNTAIN downtown, ok Leo?”
Jackson looked down. Leo lay just at Jackson feet, sleeping hard from his big day. Mama picked up Leo and slipped him in her messenger bag. Jackson showed Mama where they left Stink and within minutes they were scooting up Milton Street hearing the words, “I see the piggy, I see the piggy” coming from a not so far away memory.
“She’ll be back,” Mama whispered to the wind. “I love you and miss you everyday.”
Not THE END