DM Margo Alone Chapter 10
After the flight, Margo got off the plane and couldn't see her family anywhere. ''Mom? Dad?'' she called out, ''Uncle Dru? Edith? Agnes?''. There was no answer. Margo looked out of the windows. There was a lot of tall buildings and snow, but it didn't look like Tampa at all. ''Excuse me?'' Margo said to one of the ladies behind a desk, ''What city is that over there and where am I?''.
''That's Toronto, Canada's largest city madam'' the lady replied, ''And you're in the Billy Bishop Airport''. ''Yikes!'' Margo said quietly, "I did it again". At that moment, miles away the rest of the Gru family had arrived in Tampa and were getting their baggage. ''Give this to Margo'' said Lucy to Agnes. "OK, Mom," chirped Agnes. She turned to look for her eldest sister. "Margo?".
''Er Margo's not here!'' Edith pointed out. "Mom!" Agnes called to Lucy. ''What's wrong sweetie?'' Lucy asked. "Margo isn't here!" Agnes blurted out. ''What?!'' cried Gru. ''MARGO!'' Lucy screeched and passed out. THUD! Meanwhile, Margo was thinking about what had happened. ''My family's in Tampa and I'm in Toronto!'' she said to herself.
Margo took a yellow cab from the Billy Bishop Airport to the city of Toronto. She realized this was her chance to do whatever she wanted on vacation. Margo walked around exploring the city doing some sightseeing as she went. Toronto was certainly a magical place to celebrate Christmas.
She watched a parade of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police go by on their horses. She went to the Island Park. She walked through Queens Park. She saw City Hall. She even went to the top of the famous CN Tower. Margo was amazed by the special glass floor for people to stand on where she could see the massive foot drop below her making everything on the ground look tiny like toys.
Margo was even more fascinated still when she went to have lunch in the tower's 360 revolving restaurant. Margo had never seen a restaurant like this in all her life! The tables and chairs went round in a circle like a merry go round. She could see the view of Toronto move slowly round while she had her food and drink.
Little did Margo know was that somewhere else in Toronto, Balthazar Bratt and El Macho were there to plan their next scheme, having escaped from prison! They approached from the truck, snickering. ''Here we are Bratt'' said El Macho, ''Toronto''. "Yeah," Balthazar Bratt sneered. Meanwhile Gru and Lucy had gone to the Tampa police in the airport security to report their daughter missing.
''What's the girl's name?'' asked the police officer writing it down. "Margo!" Lucy yelled, ''M-A-R-G-O''. ''When did you see her last?'' asked the police officer. ''I saw her at the door. She was with us in the terminal'' said Gru. ''Most people get separated at security check points'' said the police officer, ''Did everyone get through security?''. ''I don't know'' sighed Lucy, ''We were a hurry'' Gru explained, ''We had to run all de way to de gate''.
''When did you notice she was missing?'' asked the police officer. ''When we picked up our baggage here'' said Lucy, "Then she disappeared". ''Has the girl ever run away from home?'' asked the police officer. "No," Lucy explained. "We lost her".
''Actually'' said Gru, ''Before Lucy came along, Margo did run away from home on Christmas eve which was my first Christmas with her and her sisters as a family. You see I was staying over at de Harrow Hotel cos my vehicle had broken down and it was snowing heavily dat night and de temperature was well below freezing.
But Margo wanted me back for Christmas so badly she left the house without telling anyone to come and find me. Then I got a phone call from my good friend Dr Nerfario to tell me Margo had gone missing and then I found her lying unconscious in a cardboard box in an alleyway, so I knew she had suffered hypothermia and dere was frostbite on her nose, ears, fingers and toes.
Therefore I carried her into the hospital and she awoke in confusion and distress and spent ages getting better''. ''Has she ever been in a situation where she's been on her own?'' asked the police officer. Gru and Lucy looked at each other. ''As a matter of fact. This has happened before'' said Lucy, ''It's becoming a sort of Gru family travel tradition''. ''Funnily enough'' said Gru, ''We never lose our baggage''.
''She was left at home by accident last year'' said Lucy. "What's her age?" asked the police officer.
"12." Lucy responded. ''That's what Lucy meant by a Gru family travel tradition'' said Gru. ''We'll call the police of wherever you're from'' said the police officer, ''And notify them of the situation''. ''Ok thanks'' said Lucy. ''It's very unlikely she'll be anywhere else'' finished the police officer''.
Back in Toronto, Margo was walking through Queens Park again. She remembered a hotel she'd heard of in Toronto and it sounded good! ''The Chelsea Hotel'' Margo thought, ''The most exciting hotel experience!''. As Margo walked along, she saw a lady covered in pigeons standing by the edge of the path and thought it was sickening. ''Gross'' she thought and hurried on.
Margo arrived at the Chelsea Hotel and went inside. ''Excuse me, where's the lobby?'' she asked a gentleman. ''Down the hall and to the left'' replied the gentleman, ''Thanks'' said Margo. In the lobby, she stood in a corner and spoke into her talk girl, ''Hello. This is Lucy Gru the mother. I'd like a hotel room please with an extra-large bed, a TV, and one of those little refrigerators you have to open with a key. Credit card? You got it!''.
Then Margo stopped the recording and punched in the hotel number on one of phones. ''Chelsea Hotel reservations'' said the lady on the other end, ''May I help you?''. Margo played most of the recording of her voice in slow motion into the receiver of the phone. ''Yes madam'' came the reply, ''You'll need a major credit card check in''. Margo played the ending part of the recording, ''Credit card? You got it!''. ''Thank you. Enjoy your stay'' said the voice.