HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 3

by Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  The boy shuffled his feet. “Umm, he is here, but he didn’t think you’d recognize him if we didn’t say something first.”

  There was a light laugh. “I just saw him at Disneyland yesterday. I think I’d recognize my good friend.”

  “Maybe not like this.” Peter gave a sharp whistle. “Wolf! Here, boy!”

  They all heard an unmistakable growl come from the side of the house. “I told you not to call me that way, Peter.”

  At the familiar voice, the man looked in the direction from which it had come. “You hiding for some reason, Wolf?”

  “You might say that.” Wolf cautiously emerged from the shadows. Ears alert and tail up, his familiar blue eyes stared back at his friend.

  The blonde-haired man took an involuntary step back. “Wolf? Is that really you?” He came off the porch and went over to the huge animal. A hand lifted, but he paused. “I probably shouldn’t pet you, should I?”

  Wolf gave a light laugh. “Peter here does it every chance he gets. I’m getting used to it.”

  The man took a slow walk about the wolf. “So this is what happens. I’ve always wondered. You told me about it, but, it’s not the same as seeing it.” He suddenly stopped his rambling and had to clamp his open mouth shut.

  “You just figured it out, didn’t you?”

  The man slowly nodded. “You only change into a wolf when you go back to the past.” Walking back to the porch, he shakily sat down on the top step. “You’ll forgive me if I take a moment. This is quite unusual. Well, for me, that is.” He looked up at Kimberly and Peter who had remained silent through all this. “You’re from the future, too? Who are you?”

  Kimberly was about to answer, but looked to Wolf first. He gave a nod of his head. “It’s okay. You won’t affect the future in any way.”

  The tears returned to her green eyes. “Daddy! It’s me, Kimberly. This is your grandson, Peter. There’re two more boys, but they were too young to bring.”

  “Daddy?” The word was whispered as the man got slowly to his feet. He put out a tentative hand to touch the woman’s face, but stopped just short of her cheek. “That’s why you look so familiar. You look just like…the woman I’m dating.” He gave a laugh and turned to the wolf. “I guess we’re more serious than I realized!” His fascinated attention turned to the boy. “Peter, is it? Fine name.” He glanced up knowingly at Kimberly. “Fine name! Thank you.”

  “Can I call you Grandpa?”

  Peter’s question stopped everyone in their tracks. What do they call each other? It was possible the man would be seen by friends. He, an unmarried man, couldn’t introduce them as his daughter and grandson. Kimberly looked to be about the same age he was, maybe a little older—even though he knew better than to ask. Plus, it was known he was dating someone else, not this woman.

  “Perhaps that wouldn’t be best right now, Peter.” He put a fond hand on the boy’s light hair. “Let’s just play it by ear. Why don’t you all come inside in case one of my neighbors happens by and wonders why I have a wolf for a pet now? And then you can tell me why you need my help.”

  “Can I go up and see my room?”

  “Your room? You live here?” At his nod, Peter tore up the stairs. His grandfather’s green eyes followed him and tears came as he put an arm around Kimberly’s shoulder. “Gosh, that’s the nicest thing I’ve heard. It will all continue. Everything I’ve worked for will carry on. I’m so glad you came.”

  Disneyland — 1966

  “You’re going the wrong way! The parking structure is over on Disneyland Drive!”

  The black 1964 Lincoln signaled its lane change and swung to the right on the two-lane Harbor Boulevard. “Disneyland Drive? Where’s that?”

  “Over by the Disneyland Hotel and Downtown Disney.”

  “Peter, the Hotel is on West. What is Downtown Disney?”

  Kimberly turned from her place in the front seat. “Pete, honey, not too much information, all right? Remember what Wolf said.”

  Already in sensory overload, Peter didn’t listen. “Wow, look at all the little one-story motels across the street. Oh, oh, there’s a big sign out front! It has Disneyland’s hours and everything. Hey, it’s a parking lot! Where’s California…. Umm, never mind.” He was getting more and more excited. “Look! There goes the Monorail. It only has four cars and the operator is in a big bubble. Wow, parking is only twenty-five cents? Nice! Can I have that parking ticket?”

  Kimberly looked at her father with a wide grin on her face. “I have a feeling its going to be a long day. He won’t stop, you know.”

  An attendant waved the Lincoln into a two-car parking spot. Over in the next aisle, they saw a tram was winding through the lot to take new arrivals to the front gate. “Peter, that’s the Mark II monorail. I hear we’re going to get another train, a green one, pretty soon.” He turned back to answer Kimberly. “I don’t mind his chatter, honey. Oh, I guess I should call you Kimberly, shouldn’t I? Sorry.”

  As they approached the tram Kimberly tucked his arm into hers. “You always called me honey. I…I like it.”

  He could hear the catch in her voice and again marveled at Wolf’s ability to do this wonderful thing. How many people get a glimpse into their own future or their past? As they took a hard plastic seat on the tram, he just smiled as he watched his grandson. Peter was looking every which way trying to take it all in. There were unasked questions all over the boy’s face. Wolf had cautioned all three of them to not ask or reveal anything about the future. However, just by listening to Peter, he had already learned a lot. He figured he would learn much more before they returned home to Fullerton later that evening.

  “So, what day is this again? I know you told me, but it didn’t sink in at the time.”

  The tram pulled to a stop right in front of the entrance gate. The steam train at the Main Street Station blew its whistle and started its trip around the Magic Kingdom.

  “It’s May 28th, 1966.”

  “Why does that date sound so familiar?”

  Her father just shrugged. “It’s a Small World is going to open to the public today. Would that be something that will be remembered?”

  “That’s it! Wow, it’s brand new right now. The kids had to search.… Oh, never mind.”

  He gave her arm a squeeze and leaned closer for a conspiratorial whisper. “That’s all right. I helped Walt set it in place.”

  “Mom! It’s only four dollars and fifty cents for a whole ticket book! Can I buy an extra one for Catie? She doesn’t have an original entry ticket.”

  “That would be nice, Peter. Do you have enough money?”

  Peter pulled a beat-up wallet out of his back pocket. Kimberly saw her father doing the exact movement at the same time. They both looked up when she laughed. “Never mind.” She waved them off, her hand over her mouth. They had the exact stance, as well.

  Just before Peter could hand a twenty-dollar bill to the cast member in the booth, his grandfather snatched it from him. “Wait a minute, son. Let me see that.” He gave a surprised look at Kimberly. “That’s a lot of money for a child to carry around.”

  “It’s my allowance!”

  “Yeah, it’s not so much…from where we come from.” Kimberly had to amend her statement when other people were pressing closer around them.

  “No, that’s not why I grabbed it, Peter. It looks…different, that’s all. Our money doesn’t have color and so much printed on it. I just don’t want questions to start if they think it’s counterfeit. Here, take this one instead.”

  “Oh, okay. I get it. Can you swap this other one for me, too? I might want to buy some stuff to take back home with me.”

  Kimberly had to smile at the incredulous look on her father’s face. “Let’s just say that inflation has been at work. For example, it costs almost a hundred dollars to visit Disneyland for a day. Well, both Parks, that is, if you buy a Park Hopper…. No tickets, though. We just pay admission at the gate and ride whatever we want.” She suddenly
stopped. “Oh, that’s probably too much information. Gosh, this is going to be harder than I thought.”

  Peter thumbed through his fifteen-adventure junior ticket book as he led the way into the Park. “We always go in through the left side tunnel.”

  “Me, too!”

  Peter almost skipped in excitement as they emerged onto Main Street. Expecting to see new and glorious things, he stopped dead in his tracks.

  “What’s the matter, boy?”

  His head swiveled in all directions. “It…it looks just the same.”

  “You sound so disappointed.” His grandfather gave a low chuckle. “I, on the other hand, find that incredibly reassuring and fascinating.”

  “Peter, of course it looks the same. It is the same Main Street.” Kimberly looked around with a fond smile on her face. “The trees are smaller and some of the buildings are different colors. Look, there’s the Mod Hatter shop! Oh, that’s right. Mr. Lincoln was already open. Bank of America is still here.”

  “The Magic Shop. Main Street Cinema. Why is it called Swift Market House? It’s just supposed to be the Market House.”

  “Oh, look, it’s the Upjohn Pharmacy. Want to go pick up a box of vitamins to take back, Peter?”

  “Vitamins? Yuck. Ooh, the Candy Palace! Can we go in there?”

  “Peter on sugar is not a good idea,” Kimberly whispered to her father. “Maybe some popcorn later. Or we could go back to the Sunkist Citrus House.”

  “It’s all the same cars on Main Street, Mom. There’s the horse pulling the Street Car.” As they neared the Hub Peter blurted out, “Where’s Walt’s statue?”

  “Peter, Walt doesn’t want a statue of him anywhere. He’s quite firm about that. The Park speaks for him.”

  “Oh, that’s right. It’s just the Hub looks so plain without it. The castle isn’t pink, either.”

  “Pink? Really? They painted it pink?”

  Kimberly turned to her father when she heard the shock in his voice. “It looks really nice. Really it does! But, the purists would like it to go back to this look.”

  “I think I like these ‘purists.’ Pink, indeed.” He gave a disgusted sniff.

  “Mom, can we go ride Pirates before we go into Fantasyland?”

  “Pirates is still being built, Peter. I might be able to get you behind the barriers if you would really like to see it.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Walt won’t get….”

  “Peter!” His mother’s sharp voice cut him off. “Remember what Wolf said.”

  The boy looked stricken. Eyes wide, he glanced from his mom to his grandfather. “I’m sorry. It just slipped out.”

  His grandfather looked like he needed to find a place to sit. Perhaps the boy meant something else. Maybe Walt would be in Florida when the ride opened. Maybe that’s what he left out. He knew his boss had some health problems, but it was Walt… Well, Walt would live forever, wouldn’t he? No, I can’t ask. I can’t know something like that. Whatever comes will come. Kimberly was right. This is harder than we thought. He turned to look back at Peter. The boy looked like he was ready to cry. Putting a kind hand on the boy’s shoulder, he gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t fret, son. You didn’t really tell me anything. So, let’s just forget this and get ourselves to the Pirate Ship. I have a surprise for you.”

  The promise of something special immediately picked up Peter’s spirits. “What is it? Will I like it? Where do we go?”

  Kimberly leaned into her father. “That worked. Thanks.”

  “My pleasure. Well, Peter, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?”

  “Gosh, that’s what Mom says all the time.”

  “Where do you think I learned it, Peter?” as she gave her father’s arm another squeeze.

  When they stepped through the Castle, Peter’s eyes widened as he looked around. “There’s Peter Pan, but look at the front of it! It’s all…flat.”

  “Did you ever hear what Walt said about Fantasyland? ‘What youngster has not dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London, or tumbling into Alice’s nonsensical Wonderland? In Fantasyland, these classic stories of everyone’s youth have become realities for youngsters–of all ages–to participate in.’ It was a proud day for all of us when that drawbridge lowered for the first time.”

  “Remember, Peter, Walt ran out of money and decided to go with a medieval tournament look for Fantasyland. What you’re used to wasn’t built until….uhm, later.” Kimberly shot a quick glance at her father. “Gosh, Wolf is going to kill us for talking too much.”

  Their guide just smiled. He wasn’t concerned about Wolf. “You know so much about…well, I guess it would be history for you. Current times for me. It warms my heart to know that the love of the Park has lived on through my family line. Don’t worry about Wolf. I don’t plan on telling him anything!”

  “Me, either!” Kimberly pointed ahead for Peter. “See? The Skyway is working. Maybe we can ride that later. Oh, and there’s Dumbo.”

  “Where’s the water….”

  “Pete.”

  “Well, this is hard! It’s all so different, but it’s still the same. It’s kinda confusing.”

  “Yes, it is, Peter, but we’re here to do a job. Don’t forget that.”

  “Yes, Mom.” At the mention of his upcoming task, Peter walked past the Tea Cups and a big smile came across his face. “Wow, that’s really big!”

  “Pictures don’t do it justice.” Kimberly came up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. “The colors are so vivid and bright. And the sails are out. Will that make it harder for Peter…. Are you sure it’s safe for him to climb up there?” The higher her eyes went, the more nervous she became.

  Her father patted her hand. “It’s all right, Kimberly. I did it. Not that long ago, either. He just has to go slow and steady.”

  “What’s my surprise?”

  “My, you don’t forget anything, do you, my boy?”

  Peter smiled up at his grandfather. “Nope. Dad says I’m like a sponge. Hey, there’s the mermaid on the front of the ship! I’m hungry. Can we get lunch while we’re here?”

  As they walked across the plank walkway, Kimberly noticed something. “There’s no one else in here. Did you shut down the area?”

  The sharp green eyes, so like her own, turned on her. “Now, how did you know I could do that? Never mind. Don’t tell me. In a word, yes, I did.” He led them downstairs into the serving area. Brass lanterns hung from the low beamed ceiling and the menu was printed onto fish-shaped signs. “You can change down here, out of sight.”

  “Change into what?”

  His grandfather’s eyes sparkled. “Why, into a pirate. What else? How else can you climb the ropes?”

  “Well, you just went into the history books as the coolest grandfather ever.” Kimberly saw his mischievous smile when her father turned to face her. Her heart started to pound again and her eyes welled up. It was the same look he always gave her whenever they were about to do something special that Mom wasn’t to know about. She had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump in her throat. Everything that had happened since they arrived brought back all the reasons why she missed him every day since he died. “What’s that smile for? I know from experience that it can’t be something good.”

  “I have a ladies pirate costume for you.”

  “Mom! Cool! You can climb up there with me!”

  “Umm, no, I don’t think so. I…I need to be down here in case you fall. I’ll catch you.”

  “Lame, Mom, really lame.” Peter shook his head as he started to dress in his pirate costume. “Can I keep this?”

  “Gosh, Peter, you’ve been buying things left and right. I’ll need a suitcase to take back with us. I don’t know how Wolf is going to feel about that.”

  Her father adjusted the costume’s red plumed hat to the proper rakish angle on Peter’s head. “Now you look just like Captain Hook. But, I don’t think the eye patch is a good idea. You’ll need to watch where y
ou put your feet.”

  “Aww.” Peter reluctantly removed the item in question and handed it to his mom.

  She promptly put it on. “How do I look?”

  “Perfect.” Her father shook his head as he looked at her. “I don’t know how I’m going to wait for you to come along. I have a feeling we’re going to have a wonderful time together.”

  “Yes, yes, we are. You’re the best dad a girl could have.”

  “If you two start crying again, I’m leaving.”

  Kimberly dabbed quickly at her one eye that was showing. “You’ll understand when you have kids of your own, Peter.”

  “Ewww.”

  She glanced at her father and sighed. “Which might be a lot longer away than we thought.”

  “Can I get into the rigging now?”

  “Impatient little thing, isn’t he, Kimberly?”

  “Yeah. He’s just like me.”

  “Oh, great. Now there’s something else to look forward to.” He motioned to the stairs. “Come on, Peter. Let’s get you aloft.”

  “Oh, my stars. It looks so much taller from here. Are you sure….”

  “Kimberly, the boy will be fine. Trust me.”

  “How come Walt didn’t use forced perspective here and the mast is only a couple of feet tall?”

  Kimberly just received a low chuckle for an answer. As Peter started his slow climb into the ropes, all conversation between them ceased.

  “Steady, boy, hand over hand. Don’t rush it. That’s right. One step and then another.” As he muttered the instructions to himself, Peter’s grandfather found his heart rate had sped up as Peter got higher and higher. Three steps from the crow’s nest, Peter missed his footing and his leg slipped through the rope.

  Kimberly let out a terrified gasp when he floundered. A firm hand on her arm kept her from starting to climb herself.

  “He’s all right. See? He got his foot on the rope like it should be. He’s fine.”

  “You sound a little breathless yourself, Daddy.”

  “There! He’s in the crow’s nest.” He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “It’s different when it’s someone else. Someone you…love. And don’t start crying again.”