Going 'Up North'

Day 147

His family had just returned from the grandparents home in Houghton Lake. It had been a long ride for any five year old but Ryan was ready to face another 3 hours on the road, even with his two sisters, to go back again.

It wasn't that Ryan didn't like living in the city. It was the only life he had ever known. But after spending a week with grandma and grandpa; fishing and walking in the woods and riding in the golf cart, home just wasn't exciting anymore.

His friends were all here in the city but he would see them everyday once school started. And there was so much to do up north. So much that grandma and grandpa needed his help.

After a short few hours Ryan had decided to make the trip back up north to Houghton Lake by himself. He pulled his plastic tricycle called a Big Wheel (because the front wheel was so large), out of the family garage. His dad had stored it there before Ryan left on his week long northern vacation.

Ryan sat at crossroads of driveway and sidewalk deciding which way was 'up north'. He made a quick right turn, his rear wheels fishtailing from side to side before straightening out, and he was off on his new adventure.

He was just passing the second neighbors house when he spotted his friend Jimmy.

"Hey Ryan. Where are you going? Stop and play for awhile."

"I can't play right now," replied Ryan. "I'm on my way 'up north'. Gotta keep going to get there before dark." Ryan wasn't allowed outside after dark.

Another three houses down the road and he saw Mrs Brown working in her flowerbed.

"Hello Ryan. Where are you going in such a hurry? Would you like to help me pull weeds? I'll give you a shiny new quarter."

Ryan had to think about this for a minute. He enjoyed pulling weeds and the shiny quarter would be a huge windfall for his piggy bank.

"I'm going 'up north' to my grandparents. They need my help too." Ryan rode on.

After what seemed like endless riding Ryan reached the end of the block. This was as far as his parents allowed him to go by himself.

 "It sure is a long way to go 'up north'. I'm getting hungry and tired," he thought. "Maybe I should return home and go 'up north' another day. Yes, that would be best."

And so he turned his Big Wheel around and headed home. He would go 'up north' another day. But first he would help Mrs Brown pull weeds and then show Jimmy his shiny new quarter. What an adventure that would be.

Until tomorrow,

Ken