Molly Hough, 10, of Morton, got more than she bargained for Friday afternoon at the Carius Root Beer Stand.
The bright young girl with a subtle sense of humor overcame defeat and embarrassment as she faced the music — her St. Louis Cardinals are not going to be better than the Chicago Cubs this year.
She said she never would have guessed this is how it would all turn out.
Back in May, Hough and her uncle, Mark Johnson, owner of Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home, made a bet with each other. Whoever ended up with the better record at the end of the season got to be treated to a chili dog and root beer at the Carius Root Beer Stand, courtesy of the loser.
As she sat and chatted with her betting partner, Johnson, she refrained from showing any weakness.
“I thought the Cardinals were going to win,” Hough said. “But, they let me down.”
Not too down, however — I was shocked at how well she held her ground as she was queried by another Cubs fan beside her uncle — me.
Hough talked highly of her favorite baseball team all season long, Johnson said. His phone lit up several times throughout the season whenever the Cardinals beat the Cubs.
Hough and Johnson fired text messages back and forth to each other. On certain nights, it was the last thing Johnson wanted to see. She seemed to be more persistent than him.
“I got several late-night text messages,” Johnson said. Those came on the heels of crushing losses the Cubs suffered against the Cardinals.
Hough was not afraid to constantly remind Johnson of those losses. She also reminds him of the number of championship rings the Cardinals have — 10.
But, Johnson did not forget about the taunting nature of her texts.
Nope — a free chili dog and root beer were not enough revenge for Johnson. I think Hough got the best of him.
Johnson decided to call me wondering if I would consider doing an article about their bet. He had bigger plans to get back at Hough.
He wanted to completely embarrass his poor niece, who was simply holding up to her end of the bargain.
Me, being a Cubs fan — had no soft feelings toward the young Cardinal fan. Young or old, that is just how it is. I agreed to do the story.
I showed up at the Carius Root Beer Stand and took a seat while I waited for both Johnson and Hough to show up and complete the terms of their bet.
Johnson stepped out of his vehicle with a Cubs jersey and hat on as his niece arrived with her Cardinals shirt and hat.
The two greeted each other and began walking toward what Hough probably thought was the end of their bet.
Instead, Johnson directed her toward me. I could tell by the look on her face that she knew something was up.
“Molly,” Johnson said. “This is a reporter from the newspaper. He is also a Cubs fan.”
Hough rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. “I figured there was going to be a catch,” she said.
I felt a bit of remorse as I shook hands with Hough. Really, I felt like a jerk. But, that was before I found out how genuinely snide she was.
She did not seem fazed by my presence. In fact, she quickly took a seat and prepared to answer questions, as if to say ‘bring it on you lousy Cubs fan.’
She crossed her arms and rested them on the bench while she stared me straight in the eyes. She was prepared to downplay any harassment from either me or Johnson.
The first thing she did was pull out the money she was going to use to pay for her and Johnson’s meal. She joked that she received the money from her favorite Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina.
“If he would have known you two were going to be here, he would have given me the money,” she said.
Let the trash-talking ensue.
Despite Johnson’s constant reminders that, recently, the Cubs have played better against the Cardinals, Hough asked him, “Don’t rings count more?”
“You said your teacher is a Cubs fan,” Johnson said. “At least I know you are getting a good education.”
Johnson was excited for that day’s baseball game between the two teams. He was hoping the Cubs would clinch the National League Central Division championship that day. He knew the Cubs were going to do it against the Cardinals.
“Oh, yeah,” Hough replied. “And, when we win, I’ll be texting you.”
The Cardinals won that day, spoiling any sort of celebration on the north side of Chicago. I have a feeling Hough was as happy as could be. Of course, the Cubs came back on Saturday to get the job done.
Hough contends the Cubs will not win the World Series. If they do, she said she will only clap with two fingers.
She cannot watch any Cubs games at home because her dad blocked all the channels on which they are broadcast.
Hough said she will remember the day when her uncle welcomed a reporter to the story of her failed bet.
“Just remember the word ‘payback,’” she told Johnson.
“Now she is starting to scare me,” he replied. “I’m starting to feel like I am the loser.”
Even with that, Johnson said he was surprised by how much Hough held back. But, she had her reasons.
“I’m actually being pretty nice, right now,” she said. “I want everybody (who reads this) on my side.”
The final term of their bet was that the loser had to wear the other team’s hat. Hough complied, but with a bit of reluctance, since she knew I was taking pictures.
She wore the hat for about 10 seconds before taking it off as she shook what she no doubt considered dirt out of her hair.
“I wore it for 5 seconds longer than I wanted to,” she said.
Hough was a great sport. She certainly knows how to handle a tough situation.
“This isn’t hard,” she said. “(The Cardinals) have 10 rings.”
It was all in fun. Johnson commended her for the way she maintained.
“I admire her,” he said with his arm around her shoulders. “She is true to the end.”
The two agreed that the bet will probably become a tradition. If it does — if she wins — I would be glad to help her get that sweet revenge.
