The Jungle Story

chapter 6: Plane Crazy

The field trip for San Lorenzo was set. Mike was to meet Mr. Simmons and the others at the airport. She felt very nervous about her trip, but excited at the same time. She was really looking forward for Arnold to being able to possibly meet his long-lost parents. Mikhali and Chuck would hug Mike really tight before she would go on the plane and let her go for a while. They didn't know when they would see their daughter again. They weren't sure and no one was either. Mike joined her friends as Chuck and Mikhali joined the other worrying mothers and determined fathers.

"Hey, guys." Mike greeted.

"Hey, Mike." the fourth grade class greeted her.

"Hey, Mike, your mom or dad ever think you'd rather live at Sunset Arms?" Arnold asked one of his best friends in the whole school. "Rent's only a quarter."

"Thanks, Arnold, but they say they're okay," Mike shrugged with a smile. "We wouldn't want to be a bother."

"You wouldn't be, I love all the borders like a family," Arnold smiled in thought. "Mr. and Mrs. Kakoshka were always like the parents I never had, Mr. Potts felt like an uncle, of course there was Grandma and Grandpa... Mr. Hyuhn was like another dad sometimes though more than Mr. Kakoshka was."

"What about that woman who used to live with you?" Mike asked. "Wasn't her name Lana?"

"Oh, you mean Ms. Vali?" Arnold visibly shuddered at the brown-haired woman's name who left the boarding house for 'personal circumstances'.

"Yeah, before I knew you really well, I thought she was your mom."

"I rather not talk about her," Arnold shrugged. "She got too creepy for me..."

"Creepy?"

"Yeah, she always wanted me to do my chores with my shirt off and stuff like that... Grandpa made her leave."

"She sounds like a creeper."

"Grandpa said she was a 'cougar', whatever that's supposed to mean."

Mike just shrugged off the euphemism as another one of Grandpa Phil's ramblings and rants. After all, he always called Arnold 'the shortman', and called Helga 'the friend with the one eyebrow'. For some reason, he always called her 'Milk' instead of 'Mike'. She then smiled once she saw her other friends coming.

"How soon until we can get out of this joint?" Sid sounded impatient. "I'm so bored right now!"

"Give it time, Sid, it'll be even longer once we board the plane." Mike tried to chill him.

Sid grunted.

"Well, I'm really lookin' forward to it," Gerald leaned back, folding his arms. "As long as I don't have to be seated with Helga G. Pataki."

"I'm with ya on that one." Sid agreed.

"If she's behind me she might just kick my seat," Arnold added, being a frequent TARGET of Helga's. "What's she got against me anyway?"

"Trust me, you have more important things to worry about." Mike informed.

As if on cue and karma, Helga's ride was coming up. The unibrowed girl left the CAR and grumbled as her older sister, Olga came out.

"Mr. Simmons, I hope it's okay, but our parents thought it would be best if I accompany my baby sister on this dangerous ride out of the country." Olga informed their teacher.

"Oh, that would be absolutely fine, Ms. Pataki," Mr. Simmons smiled brightly at the older girl. "I'm sure we would all enjoy it, wouldn't we boys and girls?"

The class as a whole just glanced at him, though Stinky looked as though he were smitten for the girl.

"Helga, have I ever told y'all that your sister is mighty pretty?" Stinky came behind the younger Pataki sister with a cheesy grin.

"Put a sock in it!" Helga snapped at him.

"Hold on, don't go without me," Principal Wartz's voice was heard and he came over with them, dressed in his jungle clothes. "I hope it's not too late. I'd like to come on this trip with you all too."

"P-Principal Wartz?" Mr. Simmons sounded surprised to see him. "If you're here, who'll watch the school while we're gone?"

"Haven't you heard of vice principals, Simmons? The school will be fine in my abcense."

"But, Principal Wartz, why are you coming with us?" Mike butted in.

"Well, young lady, it just so happens I have an extensive knowledge on the jungle," Wartz explained calmly. "I've always been charmed by animals, you name it! Lions, tigers, bears..."

"Oh, my!" Eugene buried his face behind the magazine he was carrying.

"Oh, Eugene, it'll be alright, I'm sure we won't be handling any animals of the type as long as we all stick together." Sheena soothed him in her high-pitched voice.

"Whatever," Rhonda shrugged as she combed her hair. "As long as my hair doesn't get too frizzy, we'll all be fine."

"And as long as we got enough food!" Harold added.

"It's cool, guys, we'll handle this, plus Arnold has a map." Mike informed them all.

"Yeah," Arnold took out his father's journal. "Hopefully this'll lead me to them... I hope they like me..."

"They're your parents, why wouldn't they like you?" Mike coaxed.

Arnold shrugged, but kept up his confidence.

'Attention please, attention,' the intercom boomed. 'The flight for San Lorenzo for PS 118 School is now boarding. Please attend the flight and claim your tickets. That is all.'

"Oh, my," Mr. Simmons hiccupped. "Quick, everybody say goodbye to your parents and let's hussle onto the plane to have a safe travel!"

Everyone went to their parents one last time and hugged them tight. The mothers gave smothering kisses to their children as they went off. Harold's parents cried, Big Bob and Miriam seemed indifferent, Rhonda's parents gave her words of wisdom, Arnold's grandparents wished him a lot of luck and hope for him, Mike's parents were deeply concerned about her going, but they let her go. All of the fourth graders got on the plane and took off to leave Hillwood. 

Mr. Simmons hummed slightly.

"Are you alright, Simmons?" Wartz asked the teacher.

"Yeah, I... I just feel like we're forgetting something..." Mr. Simmons admitted.

"Hey, guys, wait for me!" Eugene was running down the runway with his bags, but then fell in the middle of the sidewalk. "I'm okay..."