A Proposition Wager At The Grove

The Grove is an outdoor mall designed in the faux-period style of several Las Vegas casinos, resembling a combination of Italian piazza and the town square of Hill Valley from Back To the Future.

As I was passing by the obelisk that stands in the center of a cobblestoned road, I noticed a group of boys gathered around the large flowerbed.

One of them was holding court, announcing to the others: "I will jump this." Some heated discussion ensued among the boys, during which the boaster reiterated: "I will jump from here, over these flowers, to the other side."

At this point, I stopped in my tracks and turned. The flowerbed was immense, around fifteen feet wide. The boys gathered around the boaster; money exchanged hands. Then the boys set up a defensive perimeter araound the flowerbed, each of them checking to see when his section of road was clear of pedestrians.

The defensive perimeter was not something that had to be discussed. It was instantly executed, as if the boys performed dangerous feats around one another on an hourly basis.

The boaster retreated towards the direction of Barney's Coop. Paused. The other boys gave him nods. He took a deep breath. And then charged directly at the flowerbed with a powerful but jerky, asymmetrical gait.

He sprang up and sailed across it, wobbling upon his ankles as he landed.

He cleared it with a foot to spare.

Even the moms pushing stollers cheered.