The Urban Life
by Mike F.
Inspired by the "Hey-Arnold" series by Craig Bartlett
A/N: The kids of P.S. 118 of Hillwood City are no long kids! Almost twenty five years later, Arnold is returning home from his time working in war torn Darfur with Doctors Without Borders. But now he's back and ready to start his life in the city he was raised in. Follow as the future and the past twenty five years unravel as the lives of Arnold, Helga, Gerald, Phoebe and the many other familiar faces cross and collide in the neighborhood and city they grew up in!
The taxi-cab stops in front of the Sunset Arms Boarding House; in the middle of the street, a three story, red brick building dating back to the mid 1800's.
"That's-a thirty-three fifty, Mac." the cabby says.
He hands him a fifty dollar bill, "keep the change." he says, opening the door, grabbing his suitcase and hopping out of the cab.
The driver pulls away and the male in his late twenties is left standing there, at the curb of his childhood home, looking up. He takes a second to examine the building, looking for any signs of change. But no, not one thing looks different. The front door was still green, and the sign next to it still read: No Kids, Pets OK. He smirks as he remembers his past.
The young football-headed kid opens the large, green front door of his apartment house. A hoard of pets, cats, dogs and even a pig come charging out to the street in front of him.
"Hey Arnold, come on!" his friend yells, standing at the foot of his stoop.
He knew he was home. He walked up the five steps to the front door, reaching for the brass door knob. He took a deep breath and opened the door. As soon as he pushed the door in, the waiting animals did their usual and charged past him, out to the streets of the city. He smiled, feeling the happiness of nostalgia and seeing his pet pig, Abner is still going strong. The door enters to a fouer, followed to a long hallway where the stairs begin, but leads to the livingroom on the left and at the end of the hall is the kitchen.
He shuts the door and puts his suitcase down, then removing his brown leather jacket and hanging it up. He can't help but smile as he looks down the hall and notices that the kitchen still has the same blue and white tiling and same green wallpaper. No one seemed to be around. He took a few steps before noticing that his grandfather was sitting in the chair in the livingroom, sleeping.
Arnold walks over to the frail, bald old man and sits on the coffee table next to the reclining chair.
"Grandpa..." Arnold says, tapping his grandfather's right knee. "Grandpa..."
The old man's eye lids slowly lifted up. "Arnold," he said with a weak smile. "You're home!"
Arnold nodded and leaned in, giving Grandpa Phil a long await embrace. "I missed you so much, Grandpa!"
"Oh, Arnold - it was you who was missed!"
The two parted from their embrace, but Grandpa took his grandson's hands in his and held tightly as if Arnold would be pulled away from him.
Arnold shed tears he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back. "How's Grandma? Where is she?" he said looking around.
"Ah, you know your grandmother - she's over a hundred years old, still going strong and crazier than ever!"
Arnold laughed, "That's the Grandma, I know."
"Arnold, where have you been the last seven years? Everyone thought you were dead! Well, everyone but your grandmother and I, of course."
"I know, Grandpa. I'm sorry for not writing and letting you all assume the worst..."
Grandpa Phil interrupted his grandson, "We know you had your reasons, son. Whatever it was, you had your reasons. Just like your parents. But at least you're home now!"
He pulled Arnold into another hug. "Oh Arnold, how we've missed you."
"As I live and breathe!" was heard from behind Arnold from an old, familiar voice.
Arnold and Grandpa Phil separated and Arnold turned around.
"Look, Pookie - our boy is home! Arnold is home!"Grandpa Phil yelled.
Arnold jumped up and ran to Grandma Gertie. "Grandma!" he said as the two embraced. "I missed you so much!"
"Ah, Sambah. I knew you'd return one day!" she said as if she suddenly understood peace in this moment. "Let me get a good look at you." she said as they separated. "Same short, blonde, gell-spiked hair when you left... same round beautiful eyes, small shoulders and skinny physique. It sure is you, Sambah."
Grandpa Phil grabs the cane next to his chair and stands up, walking past Arnold and Grandma Gertie. He stops in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. "Hey - Arnold's home! Everybody - Arnold's home!"
The landlord's voice echoed through the old boarding house. No one could really make out what was being said, all they could hear was the yelling from in their rooms.
"Why-is-the-old-man-yelling?" asked a fast talking elderly Vietnamese man opening the door to his room.
Across the hall, another elderly, yet shorter man opened his door. "What's all the yellin' goin' on about?"
Next door to the midget-like man, an older Vietnamese woman opened her door. "What's going on?"
"Arnold's home! It's Arnold!" Phil yelled again.
"What-did-he-say?" asked the Vietnamese man.
"Ardecrome?" asked the shorter man.
"No, Mr. Potts! Daddy, Arnold's home!" she yelled as she ran past her father and Mr. Potts and down the stairs.
From the kitchen emerged a young teenage girl with curly brown hair, her father's big round eyes, and her mother's nose. "Arnold's home?!" she came running into the livingroom. "Arnold!"
"Jenny?!" Arnold said in amazement. "What are you doing here?"
Jenny jumped and hugged Arnold - the boy who often babysat her as a child. He was like her big brother. "We thought you were dead! I can't believe you're alive!"
"Arnold!" yelled the Vietnamese woman as she came running down the stairs.
"Mia!" Arnold said before they embraced. "And Mr. Hyunh! Mr. Potts!" he yelled, seeing them coming down the stairs.
"Arnold!" they both said at the same time.
"Watch it, old man!" the midget Mr. Potts yelled as he tried to hold onto the banister and making down before Mr. Hyunh.
"You-watch-it-you-ol'-fool!" yelled Mr. Hyunh as he ran around Mr. Potts, holding the wall at his left for balance.
"Why the heck were ya racin' me for?"
The two men simultaneously took a step, speeding up until they made it to the fifth to last step when Mr. Potts shoves Mr. Hyunh and he pushes back - they both tumble down the last five steps to the wooden floor. "Ah! Ouch! Ow!" the two yelled as they hit the bottom.
"Daddy!" Mia yelled, running over to him.
"Mr. Potts, are you okay?" Arnold said as he knelt down before the bald old man.
"Ah, no! Now someone's got a broken hip. Pookie, call an ambulance." Grandpa Phil said as he turned and walked down the hall to the kitchen.
"Thankfully we have Arnold here!" Jenny said with a smile and look of pride on her face.
"Mr. Potts, does this hurt?" Arnold asked as he moved his legs.
"No, Arnold."
"Well, it's not a broken hip." Arnold said as he helped Mr. Potts back on his feet.
"Ah!"
"What is it? Your head? You might have a concussion." Arnold said.
"No, no. It's my ankle. I twisted it." Mr Potts explained. "If it wasn't for that Vietnames red-neck..."
"Bring the dwarf to the chair, Sambah." Grandma said as she helped Arnold with Mr. Potts to Grandpa's recliner.
Grandpa Phil came back into the livingroom with two glasses filled with Brandy. "Ah, now don't put 'em in my chair! I was just gonna sit there!"
"It's just for a second, Grandpa." Arnold said as he rushed over to Mr. Hyunh who was still laying on the floor, surrounded by Jenny and Mia. "Mr. Hyunh, are you in any pain?"
"Oh-Arnold! It's-so-good-to-see-you. After-all-this-time!" Mr. Hyunh said with a big smile on his face.
"I guess you got your answer." Jenny joked.
"It's great to see you too, Mr. Hyunh. Does this hurt?" he asks as he moves his legs.
"They-say-you-were-dead!" he replied.
"I'm not dead, Mr. Hyunh. I'm back... for good." he said smiling. "Alright Mr. Hyunh, let's stand up."
Arnold and Mia helped Mr. Hyunh back to his feet when he cried out in pain.
"What is it, Daddy?" Mia asked.
"My-ankle! I-think-I-twisted-it!" he cried out.
Arnold and Mia help him to the other chair, directly across from Mr. Potts.
"You're both nearly seventy, you fall down a half of flight of stairs and all you have is a twisted ankle?" Grandpa Phil said.
"You're lucky all you got was a twisted ankle. It could've been much worse." Arnold said.
"At least we would've had you here, Arnold." said Jenny.
"If the former Mexican cook wasn't racin' me down the stairs in the first place..." Mr Potts said.
"Thirty-years-I-live-with-this-man-and-he-still-has'n-grown-up!"
"Whad you say, you retired country singin' cocinero?" Mr. Potts asked as he struggled to get out of the chair. "I oughtta bulldoze you like I did that awful Mexican restaurant!"
"Mr. Potts stop!" Arnold says, trying to prevent any sort of fight. "You'll hurt yourself!"
"Bring-it-with-your-metal-plated-skull!" Mr Hyunh exclaimed as he tried himself to stand up.
"Daddy, cut it out!" Mia yelled.
Grandma Gertie puts her arm around Arnold's shoulders. "You haven't missed much, Sambah."
Arnold smiled almost nervously and watched as the two men yelled at each other back and forth and struggled to get out of their chairs.
"Let me at 'em!" Mr. Potts said as he tried to pull himself up.
"Help-up-your-father-Mia!" yelled Mr. Hyunh.
"Daddy, stop!"
"I'll kick your guitar playing bum across this livingroom!"
"I-choke-you-with-your-suspenders!"
"Ah, shut up!" Grandpa Phil yelled, standing in the center of the livingroom and throwing the drinks in his hands at Mr. Potts and Mr. Hyunh; the drink in his left hand soaking Mr Hyunh and the drink in his right splashing all over Mr. Potts.
Everyone stood in silence for a moment after that. Mr. Hyunh and Mr. Potts were both in shock as was everyone else. The shock wore off quickly and the two arguing men shifted their anger from each other to the "old man".
"You lousy old landlord!" Mr. Potts yelled. "Is that Brandy I taste?"
"What-did-he-do-that-for? The-old-man-is-crazy!" Mr Hyunh yelled.
Grandpa Phil shook his head and walked back out of the livingroom and to the kitchen, ignoring both of the comments.
"Come on, Daddy. Come upstairs and change your wet clothes." Mia said, helping her father up and over to the stairs.
"I'm sixty-eight years old and the old man throws Brandy on me! It's the beginning of winter - what does he want me to catch pneumonia?" Mr. Potts complained. "With the cheap heating in this place, it's not unlikely."
"Maybe if you got pneumonia, we'd have some peace around here." Grandma Gertie whispered under her breath.
"Grandma!" Arnold said in disapprovement. "Come on, Mr. Potts." he said as he helped him up.
"Come on, Mr. Potts. I'll help you upstairs." Jenny said, taking the old man off Arnold's hands.
"Arnold," Mr Potts said, grabbing his arm. "I'm so glad you're back! I knew you weren't dead! I'm sorry your welcome home was ruined by the old cocinero - Hyunh."
"It's okay, Mr. Potts. It's good to see you too. I hope you're okay after that spill."
"I'll be alright." he said as Jenny helped him up the stairs.
Arnold turned to Grandma Gertie who wrapped her arms around him. "It's so good to finally have you home, Arnold."
Arnold and Grandma Gertie sit at the table in the kitchen while Grandpa pours tea for her. He puts the tea in front of her and then passes Arnold one of the two empty glasses on the table. Arnold and Gertie are deep in conversation and he doesn't notice this.
"So other than Roscoe's Funky Rags and El Patio, what other places are gone?" Arnold asked.
"Uuuuuh...Oh, Slausen's Ice Cream Parlor went out of business two - or was it three years ago? Hm... I was getting my appendix removed... or was I getting that blood clot removed? Yeah! I was getting my appendix removed." she laughs. "I wanted to take it out myself, but Ol' Steely insisted a hospital be the proper environment."
Arnold gives his grandmother an odd look as she smiles at him with her wrinkled skin and completely white hair. Grandpa fills Arnold's glass with some Brandy and then pours some for himself and puts the bottle down on the table.
"Uh, Grandpa - this isn't tea." Arnold says.
"Oh, Arnold. Have a drink with your poor old grandpa. I know you never touch the stuff, but come on. It's a cause for celebration!" Phil insisted as they shared a cheers and took a sip.
"Actually, Grandpa I haven't had a drink in seven years. Not since the night before I left... with you ironically."
"They really tortured you out there, huh?" Grandpa said.
Arnold and Grandpa Phil traded stares, but Arnold never answered. Grandma Gertie just sat there.
"Where's my drink?" asked Grandma.
Grandpa laughed. "Haha, Arnold you're not the only one whose last drink was the night of your going away party."
"What he doesn't know can't hurt him." Gertie whispered.
"Don't you remember?" he asked Arnold.
"Uh, yeah. I thought she was acting..." he struggled to find the words. "a lot more passive?"
"Normal!" Grandma yelled out.
"Too damn normal for me!" Grandpa said as he took a swig of his filled glass.
"Your grandfather loves a wild woman!" she said as her and Phil traded passionate stares.
"So how did Slausen's go out of business? They were so popular." Arnold asked, changing the subject.
"Ah, Sambah. Some find luck when they least expect it. And sometimes they're not so deserving." Grandma Gertie said.
"That old grump, Willie the Jolly Olly Man finally won the lottery. He stopped driving the truck and opened up his own ice cream parlor - Willie Olly's Jolly Olly Ice Cream Parlor. The ice cream just aint as good." Grandpa said, shaking his head and taking another swig.
"Wow. Lucky for Willie. He's not that bad once you get to know him, Grandpa. I remember spending career day with him when I was going to P.S. 118." Arnold thinks back and laughs.
"Mrs. Vitello died recently." Grandpa says.
"Really? Oh, man. That's sad to hear."
"Yeah, she left the flower shop to your old friend with the crazy hair - Nadine." Grandma said.
"Nadine? That doesn't surprise me. She's been working there since we were in high school. It's how she payed her way to a degree in entomology." Arnold said. "How's the rest of my friends? Have you seen any of them? Man, it's been so long!"
"Uh, well your friends Gerald and Phoebe..." Grandpa was interrupted by Arnold.
"Did they get married? I knew they would!" Arnold said excitedly.
"No, they're not married... not yet. They're famous!" Grandpa said as he held up a newspaper with them on the front page.
Their big picture was centered on the front page of the Hillwood Gazette saying: GERRY & PHEBES TO FINALLY TIE KNOT. The caption read, "Popular celebrity couple, third base man Gerald Johanssen and city council woman, Phoebe Hyerdahl are officially engaged as of last night when the allstar proposed to his girlfriend of almost twenty years at the popular Chez Paris restaurant downtown. Continue reading on page 2"
"Gerald is an allstar now? And her and Gerald are famous? Wow... things sure have changed!" Arnold looked at the paper again. He laughed. "You know what hasn't changed? No one can spell either of their last names correctly." he joked.
Arnold went to page 2 and looked at "G & P'S ROMANTIC TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE" and seen a picture of Mr. Simmons fourth grade class with the both of them pointed out. "There I am!" he exclaimed, pointing himself out. There was also a picture of them at their senior prom and one of them walking in Tina Park and one of Gerald hitting a grand slam, while Phoebe is being sworn in as Hillwood City Council Member. "Wow, I miss these two!"
"And do they miss you!" Grandpa Phil said. "They stop by every once in a while and have dinner with the rest of us."
"They're not the only one's who missed you..." Grandma says.
Arnold doesn't respond, but thinks for a second. He thinks back, years ago when his life was completely different from what it is now.
He stands at the edge of the curb, holding an umbrella to guard himself from the dropping rain all around him. He stares across the street at the blonde hair soaked from the rain, the shivering body covered by the wet pink jacket, white t-shirt and pink and white striped skirt. She stands under the canopy of a closed store and takes a pull from her cigarette, looks down the block, hoping for the bus to show up. No bus can be seen.
He runs across the street, stepping in a puddle and soaking his pants and shoes.
"Helga!" he yells as he crosses the street.
She looks. "Hey-Arnold!" and smiles.
He comes under the canopy and holds the umbrella over her head. "Can I walk you home?"
She agreed and the two walked under his umbrella all the way to her house. The next thing he knew they standing in front of her stoop. He wraps his free arm around her body, pulls her close to him and kisses her passionately.
After the surprising kiss, she gets awkward and paranoid. She's afraid her parents saw the kiss or they may be watching. Someone may be watching. She tells him to leave.
"You should go! We'll meet tomorrow!" she says, running up her stoop.
He walks away and then stops a few feet away and turns to see her in a moment of bliss, leaning up against her door in the pouring rain. She realizes she's caught watching him walk away. She snaps out of it and stands up straight.
"Move it football head!"
Arnold sits at the table with a giddy smile on his face.
"Arnold. Arnold! Hey-Arnold!" Grandpa says. "You awake there?"
"Yeah, Grandpa." he takes a breath. "How's Helga?"
To Come...
Arnold shocks the neighborhood with the reveal that he is not dead after all.
Everyone's adult lives are shown.
Arnold comes face to face with Helga.
Arnold's welcome home party.
References to the original "Hey-Arnold" show
Mr. Hyunh's daughter, Mia was in the episode "Arnold's Christmas" where Arnold finds her. Now she is much closer to her father and lives in the boarding house.
Can you guess whose child Jenny is?
Mr. Hyunh worked in a Mexican restraunt called "El Patio". He was the cook and he also played the guitar.
Cocinero means "cook" in Spanish.
Mr. Potts has a metal plate in his head and wears suspenders.
Roscoe's Funky Rags was where Arnold and Gerald got their groovy clothes when they needed new ones to get rid of their fruit outfits from the "Downtown as Fruits" episode.
How ironic is it that the mean Jolly Olly Man has finally made something of himself.
Mrs. Vitello owned Mrs. Vitello's Flower Shop.
Nadine loved nature and the wild life.
Phoebe and Gerald's last names have been spelled a number of different ways throughout the series.
Arnold and Helga met in the rain when he let her come under his umbrella.