Life In The Gumball Machine – Vinnie And Gordy’s Return

by Maureen Bartone

  “Sammie!” Patrick urged. “Can you hear us? Wake up!”

  Sammie’s eyes rolled under his eyelids and then he blinked. The kids grabbed each other’s arms, hope rising in all of them.

  “Come on Sammie,” Joe said. “Please wake up.”

  He clapped his hands over Sammie’s face.

  Nothing.

  They waited for several seconds, still leaning in, watching when Sammie’s eyes again began to flutter. And then, they opened−staring blankly at first−but after a couple more blinks, he looked up at his big brother, Joe, and smiled. He then looked over at Patrick and Violet.

  “Oh, thank goodness!” Patrick said. He turned his back to the crowd and ran his fingers through his stringy, crusty hair, and then bent over, his hands on his knees, as he tried to calm his racing heart.

  “We did it!” Violet shouted.

  Patrick turned around and they gave each other a high-five. Joe fell to his knees and closed his eyes. After a moment, he looked up to the sky and said, “Thank you!” He took a deep breath and crawled over to Sammie.

  The crowd of gumball people erupted in cheers, thankful that Vinnie, Gordy, and their new friend, Sammie, were all okay.

  After a wild celebration of cheers and applause, Joe helped Sammie sit up. When he was ready, he stood up. Patrick, Violet, Joe, and Sammie embraced−the weight of the journey finally lifting from their shoulders.

  After some minutes, Sammie walked over to Vinnie and Gordy. They embraced and talked over the hard times they’d endured together, and they knew at that moment, that no matter what happened, or where they were, they’d be friends forever.

  37

  The Waterfall

  AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, Patrick noticed his face, fingers, and toes were getting stiff. He looked down at his pink-covered body and realized what was happening. The pudding was hardening and he was quickly becoming a pudding statue.

  “Uh-oh!”

  Violet, Joe, and Sammie also felt the pull of the tightening pudding grip.

  Gordy jumped into action. “Quick! You need to get to the waterfall. Follow me!” He ran toward a hill in the distance and pointed. “We need to get to the other side of that hill.”

  Vinnie and the children followed. He had no trouble walking, but as the pudding on the kids’ legs stiffened, he noticed that they could no longer bend their knees and had trouble putting one foot in front of the other.

  Violet looked at Joe, Patrick, and Sammie as they struggled up the hill. “We look like mummies,” she said.

  Sammie raised his arms up and scowled his face like a monster. “Yeah. Argh! Rawr!”

  They all laughed and pretended to be scary monsters looking for their next victim. They growled and bumped into one another, their stiff legs making them wobble side to side. Their fun was short-lived, however, as Gordy pressed them to hurry along.

  As they continued the trip up the hill, it was a struggle that took their breath away. And it was a tricky journey because there were large, sharp rocks and huge boulders covering the rugged terrain. They held hands to keep from falling, as they slipped and stumbled up through the thick, dark forest of gumball trees and shrubs that poked their arms and smacked their faces.

  The kids struggled to keep up with Gordy and Vinnie, who pranced and bopped up the hill with no trouble. Occasionally, they turned back to check on them.

  Patrick smiled to himself as he held Violet’s hand. She didn’t seem to notice, but he didn’t care. He’d never held a girl’s hand before today and he liked it.

  By the time they reached the top of the hill, they were too tired and stiff to celebrate. They leaned against some trees to catch their breath and take in the beauty of the purple and pink gumball world that was spread out below them.

  Up ahead, near the edge of the hill, they heard the thunderous roar of rushing water. They followed the sound and came upon an enormous hole in the ground with purple and blue water rushing−first straight up−and then over−and then down the hill, crashing over the jagged rocks. They felt the cool spray of water caress their skin. They couldn’t see what was at the bottom of the hill, but as they neared the edge of the cliff, they saw puffs of white water billowing up from below.

  As they approached the purple and blue waterfall, they paused to admire it.

  “Wow! This is amazing!” Violet said.

  “It’s huge!” Sammie said. “How does all of this fit into a regular old gumball machine?”

  Joe put his hand on Sammie’s shoulder and shook his head. “It can only be magic,” he said.

  “Um−I hate to rush you,” Gordy said. “But you need to get rinsed−soon.”

  The kids agreed and started their journey down the steep hill. It was just as rugged and slippery as the way up, but gravity helped them along. After only a few short and stiff steps, one-by-one, they fell and then rolled down the hill. They couldn’t even tuck themselves into a ball because they were too stiff from the pudding. They bounced and banged down the hill, hitting rocks and bushes, their long legs stretched out−straight and stiff. Surprisingly, they were uninjured when they crash-landed at the bottom.

  “Wow! What a ride!” Joe said.

  He sat on the sandy beach and held out his hand to help the others up. Once standing, Patrick bent his stiff body as far forward as he could to give his hand to Joe. Joe held Patrick’s hand and wrist while Violet and Sammie helped him pull Joe up to his feet.

  “Yay! Water−finally!” Sammie yelled. He took off through the sand and stumbled into the cool blue and purple lake.

  The others followed. Once in the water up to their waists, they waded over to the waterfall where they were quickly doused with neon blue, purple, and green water. The pudding instantly loosened from their skin and washed away. Now able to move again, they ducked in and out of the waterfall for a swim. Gordy and Vinnie joined them. Gordy floated on his round back while Vinnie pushed his arms and kicked his feet to make large splashes that fell over the kids.

  “Hey, Gordy,” Joe said, “how come you can swim in this water, but you couldn’t get wet when you were outside the gumball machine?”

  “Well, Joe,” Gordy replied, “As you can see, this colorful water is very different and special. It’s as essential to our lives as your water is to yours. It keeps us alive.”

  “Wow. That’s cool!” Sammie said.

  The other kids nodded in agreement as they continued to jump, float, and dunk themselves in the refreshing magical rainbow water.

  After a while, Gordy and Vinnie swam to shore and let the kids stay in the water for a while longer. Patrick, Violet, and Joe laughed and splashed each other, finally enjoying a fun moment in the gumball world.

  While they celebrated, they watched Sammie wade under the waterfall. The water changed from purple to deep blue, to green.

  “Watch this you guys!” Sammie shouted as he walked under the pounding water.

  As Joe floated on his back, he shouted to his little brother. “Be careful, Sammie!”

  Sammie smiled and waved. He turned back to face the waterfall and walked directly under its mighty downpour. Joe, Patrick, and Violet watched as the water clobbered Sammie’s body.

  Patrick laughed. “Ooh! He is getting pounded by that water!”

  “Yeah, it sort of hurts. I don’t know how he can stay under that long,” Violet said, as she ducked beneath the water to her chin. She waved her hands back and forth, watching the colors swirl around her hands and body.

  Still watching Sammie, Joe frowned. “What’s he doing now?”

  Violet and Patrick turned in time to see a white fog creep around Sammie’s body. Joe stopped splashing and stood up.

  “That’s weird,” Patrick said.

  “What’s going on, Joe?” Violet asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Joe put his hands to his mouth and called out to his little brother. “Sammie! Get back here−now!”

  Sammie didn’t move. From where they were standing, he seemed to be in some sort of t
rance. He just stood there, watching the swirling fog surround his waist and climb up his body. A rumbling thunder startled the three children as it rolled across the darkening sky. Two more deafening bursts of thunder vibrated in their chests, as they watched the fog transform from white to gray, and then to black. The swirls of black fog turned into fingers and wrapped around Sammie’s waist and started spinning him in rapid circles.

  “What’s happening?” Joe said. “Sammie! Come back here!”

  As Sammie turned toward them, they watched as his body started to fade away. In a matter of seconds, they could see right through him.

  “What should we do, Joe?” Violet shouted.

  Joe started sloshing through the water toward Sammie. The others followed−all screaming out to him, but Sammie could neither hear them nor see them. The closer they got to him, the faster he seemed to disappear, and soon, he was gone.

  “No!”

  Joe pounded his fists on the water. He looked around−helpless. His little brother was gone. Patrick and Violet stood next to him, silent.

  With his hands on his head, Joe closed his elbows to hide his face. He bent his head down and started to cry. He felt lost and afraid. Where did his little brother go?

  38

  It’s Time

  BACK IN THE SHED, Michael and Daisy were arguing about when to put the nickel into the gumball machine, when they heard Sammie make a noise. Startled, they looked over at him still lying in the corner. First, he grunted and then he started rolling his body back and forth as his legs started kicking the air.

  Daisy’s jaw tightened as she grabbed Michael’s arm. “Oh my gosh! He’s doing it again! What’s happening to him?”

  “I−I don’t know!” Michael said.

  Sammie looked terrible. His twisted face and snarled mouth scared Daisy. His body continued to thrash as he moaned and whined. They watched for a moment when suddenly Sammie blurted−“I’m over here, Joe! Can’t you see me?”

  Daisy raised her eyebrows and looked at Michael. “Joe? He’s not back yet.”

  “He must be having another bad dream and talking in his sleep,” Michael said.

  Daisy took a deep breath. She was worried.

  “I hope that’s all this is.”

  As she spoke, Sammie bolted straight up and opened his eyes.

  “Hi Daisy,” he said. He rubbed his forehead and smiled as if waking from a nice nap.

  “Sammie!”

  She ran and knelt beside him, brushing his hair back from his forehead.

  “Are you okay? We were so worried about you!”

  She closed her eyes as she gave him a big hug, holding on tight. Sammie winced and tried to push her away.

  Yuck. What is she doing?

  But Daisy wouldn’t let go. She was so relieved to see him awake and talking.

  Suffocating from her grip, Sammie struggled to answer.

  “I’m fine. Geez!” He pushed her. “Hey−let go, will you?”

  With one hard shove, he was able to get her off of him.

  Daisy chuckled. “Sorry. I’m just so happy to see you awake and back to normal.”

  “What are you talking about? I told you, I’m fine. Where is everybody else? Did they come back yet? The last thing I remember, we were playing in the waterfall. It was so cool!” Sammie’s eyes lit up. “You should have seen it−or−wait. Did you guys see the blue and purple waterfall yesterday when you were there? Man. That place is awesome. I’m so pumped I got to go!”

  Daisy scrunched her face. “What are you talking about? You didn’t go up there. You didn’t go anywhere. You’ve been lying here, very sick, the whole time.”

  Sammie frowned and shook his head. “Nope. I was there.”

  Daisy rubbed her forehead but said nothing. He must have had one heck of a fever to make him have such a crazy dream, but she let him tell his story. She was surprised at the detail of his dream. It sounded very much like what she saw yesterday−except for the waterfall and the part about the green peacock on a lightning bolt that dropped him from the sky. That was new.

  He went on to describe how he sailed down a big slide with Violet, and how they went under a huge multi-colored waterfall. Daisy shook her head and looked up at Michael.

  Michael interrupted him. “Sammie, we were there yesterday. There was no green peacock on a lightning bolt and there was no big waterfall. You were dreaming. I’m telling you−you’ve been here the whole time.”

  Sammie folded his arms and pouted. “I was there. I’m telling you the truth! I saw everything with my own eyes!”

  He was getting angry and continued to argue with them. Finally, they decided it was easier to agree with him.

  “Okay, Sammie. If you say all those things happened, then we believe you.”

  Sammie looked at Daisy and then Michael. They still didn’t believe him. He sat back and pouted again, but said nothing. He decided to wait for Joe and the others to get back. They’ll tell them exactly what happened. Then they’d have to believe him.

  Daisy turned to Michael. “Do you think they’re ready to come back? Should we put the nickel in?”

  Sammie jumped up to join them. “Yes! Yes! They’re ready. Can I put the nickel in?”

  Daisy and Michael looked at each other. Michael nodded and Daisy handed Sammie the coin.

  “Sure, Sammie. Go for it.”

  Sammie bent over, placed the nickel into the slot, and slowly turned the crank. They watched as the gumball machine creaked and shuddered a bit, and then a green gumball started rolling down and around the tunnel. Sammie reached in and took it out of the slot.

  “What do we do now?” he asked.

  “We wait. And don’t eat that!” Daisy said.

  Sammie frowned as he examined the gumball in his hand.

  39

  The Shake-Down

  JOE, VIOLET, AND PATRICK−now waist-deep in purple and blue water−stared at the waterfall. Sammie had disappeared. They each saw it happen. He just washed away. Joe let out a scream and pounded his fists into the water, sending it up and over them.

  Turning to Violet and Patrick, his voice only a whisper, Joe said, “Did you guys see that? He just disappeared−into−nothing.” He rubbed his face with his wet hands and shook his head. “He’s gone.”

  Tears welled in his eyes. At once, he thought of so many things. He thought about what a rotten brother he’d been to Sammie and Daisy; and what a rotten son he’d been to his parents. It was starting to sink in. He didn’t protect his little brother and his family would be changed forever. His parents would be so sad that Sammie was gone. Daisy would be sad too. Of course, they’d never forgive him, and it was all because he didn’t care enough to be the big brother he should have been. Then, when he did try to help, he loused it all up. He was a failure. He felt a heavy weight of sadness in his stomach that made him sick.

  Violet and Patrick watched helplessly, each realizing how serious this was. They’d be going home without Sammie, and they’d have to tell Daisy and Michael−and then their parents.

  Poor Sammie.

  A faint rumbling under their feet interrupted their thoughts. The three of them froze for a second and then looked at each other.

  “Shake-down!” Patrick yelled. He turned toward the shore and started running.

  Joe and Violet followed him, running and splashing their way to safety.

  “What’s a shake-down?” Violet yelled. She was panting as she tried to keep up.

  As they neared the shore, the rumbling stopped. They slowed their pace and Patrick caught his breath enough to explain.

  “Remember when I told you about the gumball avalanche?” Violet nodded.

  “Well, the shake-down is what’s supposed to happen when Daisy and Michael put the nickel in the machine. It helps us get back home. The whole gumball world starts to shake and rumble, and then, the gumball avalanche starts. It’s like what just happened−only ten times worse. And it’s so scary. Yesterday, when it happened, the avalanche s
ent thousands of plain gumballs rolling down the hills and falling all around us. Then, like I told you, Michael got trapped by them. It was a real mess. So, we have to get out of this water and head for the latch before we get crushed.”

  The ground again started rumbling and shaking, and rocks tumbled all around them. The water started swaying and thrashing, causing huge waves to slap them across their stomachs. Patrick and Violet turned toward shore and started to run. Glancing back to make sure Joe was behind them, Patrick stopped short. Joe was wading through the rough waters headed back toward the waterfall.

  Patrick shouted to him over the crashing water. “Joe! This way. We have to go−now!”

  Joe turned to Patrick and shook his head, a worried look on his face. “You guys keep going. I want to wait a little longer for Sammie.”

  “No, Joe. You don’t understand. We have to go−now! You can’t wait any longer for Sammie. It’s too dangerous. Besides, he could be waiting for us at the latch.”

  Violet waded up and heard Patrick’s words to Joe. She could see Joe’s anguish and worry for Sammie, but at the same time, she knew if they didn’t get moving, they may never escape. She continued wading, headed for Joe. Patrick followed her. When she caught up to Joe, she reached for his arm, just above his wrist, and touched it gently. Joe looked at her. This girl−a stranger to him−was risking her own safety to help him.

  Her big brown eyes looked into his blue ones−as she said, “Joe, I saw what you saw. Sammie disappeared. He’s not here. He’s not under the waterfall.”

  Joe jerked his hand away from her. A lump formed in his throat. “No! He’s back there−behind the waterfall. I’m going to get him. You guys go on. I’ll catch up to you.”

  “Joe,” Violet continued, “I’m not sure where he went, but one thing I do know−this place is magic. Vinnie and Gordy are magic. I believe that Sammie is okay. Now, we just need you to believe. Can you try?”

  Violet’s soothing voice reassured him, but he shook his head. He wanted to believe her, but what if she was wrong? Joe swallowed the lump in his throat. He stared at her for a moment, hoping she was right. He knew he had to believe her.