SOLEBURY HOUSE PUBLISHING, LLC
PRESENTS

Leah Taylor walked through her empty house, making sure nothing was left behind. She closed the front door and joined her mother on the porch.

“Everything is out,” she told her mom, Joan, who gave the moving van the go-ahead to leave. Together they watched the large truck with all their belongings pull out of the driveway and begin its 800-mile journey from Charleston, Illinois to northeastern, PA.

When the truck left, several neighbors came over to say goodbye. It was particularly hard for nine-year-old Leah to leave her best friend Diana, who lived next door. Diana and her parents were more like family than friends to the Taylors.

Diana and Leah hugged each other and promised to text every day. Both moms agreed that Diana would visit Leah the minute they were settled in the new house.

Amid tearful goodbyes, Leah and Joan got into their car and drove down the long driveway for the last time.

‘I’m really going to miss Diana,” Leah said sadly.

“I know you are. I’m going to miss her entire family. They are wonderful people who will always be in our lives,” Joan told her daughter.

“Instead of being sad, why don’t we look at this move as an adventure? We have a new house, Dad has a wonderful new job, and you are going to make lots of friends. It’s going to be a happy, wonderful time for all of us.”

Leah agreed with her mom, but down deep she was not so sure. In fact, she was a little scared.

It was approximately 11:30 am when Leah and Joan headed east on Interstate 70 toward Pittsburgh.  They decided to drive until around five that evening, or however long it took to get to the hotel near Columbus, Ohio.

When they left Columbus the next day, Joan told Leah that she planned on going a little out of her way into Pittsburgh. As a special surprise she was taking Leah to Heinz Field, the home of the family’s favorite team, The Pittsburgh Steelers.

Leah loved sports. After reading the Steelers’ second children’s book in the Young Fan Series called, “A Jersey for My Dad,” Leah asked her mom if she could buy a jersey for her father plus an extra copy of the book. She couldn’t wait to get there. Leah was in awe of the stadium as her mom pulled into the parking area.

Both Joan and Leah enjoyed the Steelers shopping expedition. Leah got her jersey, plus another copy of Book I and Book II in the Young Fans series. Joan purchased several Steelers mementos for their new house.

The next stop was a Pittsburgh favorite – lunch at Primati Brothers. Leah and Joan really enjoyed eating Primati’s delicious sandwiches. Leah couldn’t believe they had fries and coleslaw inside the Italian bread.

After a great lunch, Joan headed east on the Pennsylvania turnpike. She had a hotel reservation near Gettysburg, and wanted to spend most of the next day showing Leah the historic battlefield and museum.

It took about three and a half hours to get to the hotel. Joan and Leah got settled in their room. A little while later they decided to go across the street to the local restaurant for dinner.

The restaurant was filled with teenage girls wearing some type of sport uniforms. Joan noticed the buses parked by the hotel.

“They must be here for a sporting event of some kind,” Joan said, “though I can’t tell what it is by the uniforms.”

“It’s soccer, Mom,” Leah proudly announced.  “I recognize the socks or whatever they are called. Diana and I were going to play in our county youth league this year, but when I found out we were moving, there was no point.”

‘Well, maybe they have youth soccer near our new home,” Joan said. “We can check it out as soon as we get there. I know you’re excited to learn the game.”

“It’s going to be hard because I won’t know anyone,” Leah replied.

“Don’t you worry, you’ll make friends quickly, you’ll see.”

Joan really hoped this was true. She noticed lots of children around Leah’s age in the neighborhood when they looked at the new house. It was the main reason they bought it.

The hostess seated Leah and her Mom next to a table of six girls. The girls were engaged in a vigorous conversation about the day’s game, or was it a match? Joan was not sure. Leah was only about five years younger than the girls, but she felt somewhat shy sitting there with her mother.

After talk of the game subsided, the girls started laughing and telling funny stories that Leah could not help but hear. When a roll skipped off the soccer players table and landed in Leah’s soup, howls of laughter filled the room. Much to the girls’ dismay, the hot tomato soup splattered all over the front of Leah’s shirt. Leah leaped from her chair, grabbed a napkin and accidentally elbowed a waitress carrying a tray of drinks. Iced tea, water and soda splashed everywhere. Glasses crashed to the ground along with Leah, the waitress and her mom, who got in the way trying to help.

Soaked and mortified, Leah tried to stand up, only to slip and crash back down to the floor. She reached for the table but grabbed the tablecloth instead. She pulled hard, bringing all the dishes and food smashing down on her head and the ground around her.

By this time the soccer players were out of their chairs trying to help the poor girl soaked with drinks and covered in tomato soup and whatever else was on the table.

Leah could not have been more embarrassed. The room was dead quiet. All eyes were on her.

Three of the soccer girls grabbed Leah and pulled her up. Another three helped the waitress and Joan.

Leah looked at her mother, the waitress and herself… wet and disheveled. She couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing, which contagiously filled the room. The entire restaurant soon roared with laughter.

The six soccer players, Leah, Joan and most of the people around them helped clean up. It turned into a fun-loving atmosphere.

Everyone became fast friends. The soccer team coach came over from across the room and invited Leah and Joan to join the players for dinner given the fact that Leah was “wearing hers”. Laughter once again erupted throughout the room.

“But it’s almost dry,” Leah said with a huge grin.

Dinner lasted longer than usual as the girls shared stories about themselves and their team. Leah found out all about soccer. It was one of the best moments of her life.

One of the young players then told Leah that she was moving to an area well known for girls’ soccer.

“You should really learn how to play. You will love it,” she said.

“I will,” replied Leah, who that night decided to make soccer a part of her new life.

Leah had great hopes for her future. When a potentially embarrassing, awful situation turns into a fun evening with terrific new friends, she knew her adventure was just beginning.