Peter disappeared from view as he dropped into the crow’s nest to find the hidden capsule. Heads up, both Kimberly and her father were so intent on the scene above they didn’t hear someone come up behind them on the deck of the ship.
“Something I need to know about?”
At the familiar voice, Kimberly spun around. “Walt! I mean, Mr. Disney. I…uh….”
“Don’t hurt yourself, Kimberly. Walt, I’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Brentwood. That’s Peter up in the crow’s nest. He’s following up on that clue you left.”
Walt got a big smile across his face. “He is? Already? How could that be? We just got it into place. Er, nice to meet you, Kimberly.”
“Shouldn’t you be at Small World for the grand opening?”
Walt glanced sideways at his right-hand man. “You’re supposed to be there with me. That’s not for a couple of hours yet. Everything’s all ready. So, are you and Peter from around here?”
Kimberly realized she was still wearing the eye patch when she noticed Walt’s eyes go back to one side of her face. She hastily snatched it, only to have it tangle in her hair. “Oh, gosh.” With a frustrated movement, she let it fall and knew it now dangled down her back. Great first impression when I meet Walt Disney. She remembered he just asked a question. “We’re from, uh, Fullerton.” Her mind started to race when she wondered if she revealed something she shouldn’t.
If Walt noticed her nervousness, he didn’t let on. “First time here?”
She threw a frantic look at her father. He gave her a quick nod. “You might say that,” she managed to get out. At Walt’s confused expression, she had to add something. “I mean, it is our first time on the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship. And Peter climbing the mast, of course.”
They all heard a distracting yell and looked up to see Peter waving at them. Apparently he had found what he was searching for and began his climb down.
“Oh, gosh. This doesn’t get any easier.” Kimberly hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Walt again looked up at the youngster as he carefully made his way down the rigging. “Hmm. I guess I never considered the fact that a youngster would find the clue and have to do that.” Thoughtful, there was a soft grunt as he pulled a small black book out of his sweater pocket. A startled gasp from Kimberly had him look up from the note he was making in his diary. “Is there something wrong?”
“No, I’m fine.” Kimberly spread a wide, silly grin over her face. That looks like the diary all our clues came from. I’m watching Walt Disney write a note in his diary! Oh, my, this is so cool!
As Walt finished his note, Peter jumped down the last step from the ropes. Triumph written all over his face, his expression changed when he recognized the man with his family. “I…I…”
“You must be Peter.” With a warm smile, Walt held out his hand for a friendly shake. “You’re a brave boy. Worthy of the name Peter to be up in the ship’s mast like that! Did you know I played Peter Pan in a school play when I was a lad?” He turned to his friend. “Say, are you all going to be home later tonight? I’d like to come by and visit with your friends here.”
For Walt’s right-hand man, that was a common occurrence. He didn’t realize that Kimberly had to hold herself still and not bounce up and down in excitement. “Sure, Walt, any time you want. You want some dinner ready, or will you be later than that?”
Walt checked his watch and waved him off. “No, no, I’ll just grab something here at the Plaza Inn. I have to get over to Small World. See you around seven.” With that, Walt hurried off. As he got to the end of the wooden walkway, a security guard emerged from the shadows and walked off with him.
Kimberly’s mouth fell open. “Peter, did you see? That was Wolf. I’d recognize him anywhere. How can he be here and be back at your house at the same time?”
“You just met Walt Disney and you’re worried about Wolf?”
She had to laugh. “I know that sounds odd. You’re right. I met Walt Disney! Oh, how I wish I had brought a camera.”
“And how would you explain the pictures?”
She shook her head and let out a breath. “How would I explain any of this? Peter, are you all right? You gave us a scare for a moment.”
Eyes wide, Peter didn’t hear her. He was watching Walt until he could no longer be seen. “This is the coolest day ever! Oh. What did you ask, Mom?”
“Did you find the capsule?”
“Yeah, I tucked it down my shirt so I didn’t drop it.” With hands clasped in front of him, he put a wide smile on his face. “Can I keep the costume? Please?”
His grandfather looked at the upturned, pleading face. “My, he can turn on the charm, can’t he?”
“Just like his father.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting him, too.”
“Is Walt really coming to our…I mean, your house tonight? What about Wolf?”
“Yes, Peter, he really is coming over. And I have a feeling he already knows about Wolf’s special talent, shall we call it. This should be a fascinating evening. Say, let’s go on the Mine Train. It’s one of my favorites.”
“You mean Big Thunder.”
“No, I mean the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland.”
“Is it a roller coaster?”
“Of course not. The Bobsleds are the only roller coaster in Disneyland.”
“Oh. Then, no, thank you.”
Kimberly stepped in and took the decision away from Peter. “I would love to see the Mine Train, Daddy. And, so will you, Peter.”
They received an unenthused grunt for a reply as they retraced their steps through Sleeping Beauty Castle, the pirate costume now folded and stuffed into one of the bags of souvenirs Peter had already bought.
Fullerton — 1966
Wolf was extremely glad to see his boss again. The possible problem of him being an actual wolf and alarming Walt had quickly dissolved. Wolf reminded them that he had brought Dr. Claude Houser back in time in 1963 to visit Walt. The good doctor had found himself alone and at loose ends in the future. The trip back helped Claude get grounded and know all that had been done was for the good of Walt’s legacy. From then on his work flourished. And Walt, for the first time, had seen Wolf’s transformation.
Now, three years later, seated and relaxed in the living room that was familiar to everyone there, the eyes of three people and one wolf were glued on their guest.
After telling them about the New York World’s Fair and the grand opening of Small World in Disneyland, Walt went on to something else near and dear to his heart.
“Say, Peter,” he began with a twinkle in his eye. “Have you ever heard the story of Mowgli the Man Cub and Baloo the Bear?”
Before Peter could say he had seen the movie, Kimberly rushed in. “Yes, you’ve read the book by Kipling, The Jungle Book, haven’t you, Peter?” She hoped he would take her lead as she smiled widely at him, willing him to understand what she meant.
Taking that as an affirmative, Walt went ahead with his story. “Well, that’s what we’ve been working on. It’s going to be one of the finest animated stories we’ve ever done. Let me tell you about it.”
Walt stood from the sofa and began to slowly pace across the room. In that instant, he became Bagheera the panther who just found a baby boy in the jungle. As he stooped to pick up the bundle, Walt morphed into the she wolf who raised the man cub as her own.
The mood changed when evil Shere Khan was known to be in the jungle. Ever alert, Bagheera decided to take Mowgli to the Man Village for his safety. As darkness fell over the jungle, the snake Kaa came to Mowgli and hypnotized him. Walt was out of breath as the snake squeezed until Bagheera arrived to save the day.
An umbrella from the entry hall became the baton Colonel Hathi used to inspected his ranks of elephants. Cheeks blown out, Walt trumpeted the elephant’s call and marched around the sofa of rapt listeners.
The mood in the room again changed to lightheartedness as Baloo the bear lumbered into the
living room. Snapping his fingers and clapping, Walt sang them a few lyrics of the bear’s easy-going theme song. Now that Mowgli wanted to stay in the jungle, Walt became swinging King Louie and persuaded Mowgli that he wanted to be just like the man cub. The King’s palace in shambles—and one of the chairs overturned—Mowgli runs away from Baloo and is entwined once again in Kaa’s slithering grasp. The proper, English-accented Shere Khan saves the boy from the snake, but is he really rescued by the cunning tiger? In an arm-waving showdown, branches are set on fire by lightning—something Shere Khan is most afraid of—and Mowgli ties one of them to the tiger’s tail and he runs off terrified.
Mowgli discovers that his Papa Bear Baloo is injured, possibly dead in the rainy clearing in the jungle. Walt pleads with Papa Bear to get up, get up and the people listening cheer when Baloo finally rises from the ground.
With a cute wink of his eye and lift of his shoulder, Walt turned into the girl from the village who spots the entranced Mowgli hiding behind the potted fern by the sofa. Smitten, Mowgli follows her and Baloo and Bagheera know the boy won’t be back, but is safe and happy with his own kind.
Walt finished with a flourish and sat heavily on the sofa, wiping his face with a handkerchief.
The three people and one wolf were silent. They knew they had just witnessed something special, something brilliant. Words couldn’t express how they felt. They broke out into spontaneous applause and Walt stood to take one final bow.
Fullerton — 1966
“It will be quiet around here when you’re gone.” The blonde-haired man watched his future daughter and grandson make their final preparations. Wolf had instructed them to make Peter’s numerous packages as small as possible to take back through the portal. Since they would not be traveling through water, it was hoped all would arrive safely—people as well as souvenirs.
The man became silent as his mind replayed the unbelievable events of the day. The bits and pieces Kimberly and Peter had inadvertently revealed about the future were stored away in his mind. At some later point they would be taken out one by one to be examined and dissected. What came to the forefront now, though, was what Kimberly had said about him as her father and their relationship. It gave him a twinge when he recalled that, quite often, her words were spoken in the past tense, as if he was no longer in the picture in her time. When did it happen? Is there something I might do…. With a shake of his head, he tried to clear where his mind was headed. Whatever will happen will happen. He knew he mustn’t dwell on it and, instead, just be glad to know his future looked very…homey. A small smile crossed his lips. This huge house that Walt had built for him and his special assignment as Guardian echoed with silence. It won’t be that way forever.
“Did you say something, Dad?” Kimberly looked up from the condensed packages that would return with them.
The light from the Tiffany lamp next to her shone a myriad of colors over her beautiful face. He would remember that picture for a long, long time. “Nothing, really. Just talking out loud.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll…I’ll miss you, you know. After you’re gone.” Going over to Wolf, he put a hand on the silver-tipped black fur. “Thank you, my friend. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Wolf did know. Being able to go back and visit his own father whenever he wanted or needed to, he did know what it meant. He’d be lost without his special ability that some—including himself at times—would have claimed was a curse. “You’re welcome.”
“Is it time?” They all could hear the catch in Kimberly’s voice. She had tried to keep the excitement of meeting Walt on her mind just so she didn’t dwell on what she was about to lose for the second time. It didn’t work.
Wolf nodded. “I know this is the difficult part, but we really need to get outside. It’s dark enough to cover the portal. Not sure what time we’ll come out on the other side.”
With heavy hearts, they followed the wolf to the broad backyard. There were none of the improvements Lance and Kimberly had made to the property—the pool, gazebo, Disney ride vehicles. Even the swing set for Kimberly wouldn’t come until years later. It looked like what it was—the yard of a bachelor.
“Do you have everything you bought, Peter? Keep a tight grip onto the bags and your mom’s hand. And, Kimberly, do not let go of my tail. It’s our link to arrive together at the same time.” Wolf tilted back his head and let out a lingering howl. The pained, eerie sound caused the hair on the human’s necks to tingle.
Almost immediately a fog began to creep over the grass, its gray, cold fingers seemed to aim straight for them. Before it could touch the wide-eyed onlookers, the coldness recoiled and began to swirl in on itself. The clouds of vapor collided in a shower of pink glimmer as the vortex became larger and more violent.
The blonde-haired man gasped and took an involuntary step back at the moment when he wanted to protectively grab Kimberly and Peter to his chest. How does anyone survive that? “Wolf, be careful!”
Intent on the swirling mass in front of him, Wolf paid no attention to the words or looks or even the fears of those around him. He looked for that one, perfect, fleeting moment when…. “Now! Jump!”
In a moment’s hesitation, Kimberly looked back at her father. “I love you, Daddy.” The words came from her lips just as the trio fell into that angry pink portal. With a loud clap of thunder, in the blink of an eye, the hole collapsed into itself and went dark.
They were gone.
In a daze, he walked over to the place where they had just vanished. Expecting to find a wide circle of trampled, scorched grass, all that remained was just one glowing pink ember. As he tentatively reached out to touch it with the toe of his shoe, it fizzled and went out.
He turned a full circle, looking, as if they might emerge from the trees with a laugh and say it was just an illusion. But, he knew better. They were safe in the future.
He knew they were safe. He knew in his heart that they had made it safely back. It couldn’t be any other way.
With a heavy sigh, he returned to his living room. There was a wadded gift bag from Disneyland Peter had carelessly dropped on the floor. Bright yellow, it was covered with balloons and streamers. With infinite care, he smoothed out the wrinkles and set it on the table next to the sofa. His wallet was taken from his back pocket and he removed the two odd-looking twenties he had swapped with Peter. As he held them up to the light, he marveled at the holographic pictures he could see.
In spite of his despondency, a thought entered his mind and mixed in with the sadness. It began to light the darkness and gave him something he could do to reconnect with those who had just left. He glanced up at the ceiling as if he could see the War Room on the third floor. They will live here. This is their house.
A smile broke out on his face as he turned to go upstairs. The security code was punched into the small hidden panel next to the thick door. Without even seeing the map of Disneyland that hung in the middle of the room, he stood in the doorway and looked around. His eyes narrowed. Where would they find it? What would they keep?
Behind a picture on the wall? No, too obscure. The desk? Perhaps. The largest filing cabinet? Probably.
He sat at the desk and set the money and paper bag to the side. A sheet of monogrammed paper was taken from the top drawer. He tapped a pen against his lips as he thought and then began to write.
Fullerton — Current Day
“We made it! We’re home!”
Peter and Kimberly happily danced around the yard as Wolf slowly pulled on his security uniform. The weakness was still with him and he felt none of their exuberance. Once the last button was fastened, he sat heavily on the grass, mindless of the dew that seeped into the cloth.
A light came on in the kitchen and they could see the outline of someone peering out the window. Immediately the door flung open and Lance rushed out into the yard. He embraced his family while simultaneously trying to check and see if they were all right.
“I want to go text Catie and
tell her what I got for her!”
With a laugh that revealed the anxiety and relief he felt, Lance put a restraining hand on Peter’s arm. “Hold on, buddy. It’s after midnight. You’ll have to wait until after school tomorrow.”
“School? Aww. I’m too excited!”
Lance gave him another hug, just to feel his son in his arms again. “Bed, bud. It’s late.”
“Can I say good-night to Wolf?”
Lance looked over to where their friend was still sitting on the grass, his head in his hands. “Yeah, that would be a nice thing. Then, go brush your teeth and hit the hay.”
Unwilling to let go of his wife, Lance drug her along as he went to check on his partner. “You all right, Wolf? You look a bit…tired.”
There was a low growl. “Is my head still attached to my body? I can’t tell.”
“Yeah, you’re good.”
Wolf made an effort to stand, but immediately decided it was a much better idea to remain where he was. “You’d think I’d be used to it by now.” Kimberly and Lance each took one of his arms and helped him to his feet. He had to be exhausted to allow it. “At least Peter and Kimberly seem all right. That’s good.”
“That’s because they’re true and pure in heart.”
Wolf glared at Lance with the one eye he could get open. “Dandy. You can let go now. I’m fine.”
In a disguised effort to help keep Wolf upright, Kimberly gave him a huge hug. “Thank you, Wolf, for that opportunity. It was…well, terrifying, but totally worth it. You can’t imagine how I feel after seeing my dad again.”
In a rare show of emotion, Wolf leaned his head against her shoulder. “Yes, I do know.” His words were soft, almost unheard. “Just don’t start crying again.”
She gave a small laugh as they headed toward the house. “I’ll try. Lance, you’ll never guess who I got to meet!”
HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 3 Page 17
