Summer 1975
"Well, here we are in Orlando!" said Matthias as he parked in front of the motel. The family had been on the road since early in the morning, stopping only for meals and bathroom breaks. It was now twilight. Matthias had gone through the drive through at Kentucky Fried Chicken and bought a bucket of chicken and sides for them to eat when they reached the motel.
Excited, Paula, Lili, and Benny got out of the back seat to stretch their legs.
"We're going to Disney World! We're going to Disney World!" Benny sang in a sing-song voice.
"You know he won't sleep a wink tonight," Ginny said to Matthias.
"Probably not!" Matthias laughed.
They checked in at the front desk, then found their room. Thankfully, the motel had only one floor. Matthias and Ginny carried the suitcases in while Paula carried the food. As soon as they were all inside, the hungry family tore into the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw. They'd brought their own drinks and ice along with them.
After dinner, the family members took turns showering and put on their pajamas, then settled in to watch a rerun of the television show Emergency! Paramedic Johnny Gage and his partner, Roy DeSoto, had saved a young woman named Valerie from a close call, and Johnny had subsequently fallen in love with her.
"Well, do you suppose Johnny will finally settle down?" asked Matthias.
Ginny chuckled. "I doubt it!"
Sure enough, Johnny and Valerie had broken up by the end of the episode.
"Roy has Joanne, but Johnny doesn't have anybody," Paula observed.
"He will someday," said Ginny.
The next morning, everyone was up early to eat cinnamon rolls and drink Tang, and then they were out the door and driving to Disney World.
The monorail was first. The children had never ridden on a monorail before and enjoyed zipping through the amusement park and getting an overview of its contents.
Next they went on the Jungle Cruise, where they enjoyed a boat ride with a waterfall as they watched various animals cavorting. Benny giggled at the hippo's wide-open mouth.
After that, they rode the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, the train, the Skyway, and the Small World boat ride. When the children were thirsty, they drank real juice from plastic oranges, apples, and grapes.
For lunch, they went to the Crystal Palace. It was in a huge room, with flowers hanging from the rafters and little round tables with chairs for people to sit in.
After lunch, they went to the Hall of the Presidents. When they got ready to leave, Benny was nowhere to be found. They walked all around each of the exhibits, calling his name, but in the end, they had to admit he didn't seem to be in the building at all.
"He can't have gone very far!" In a panic, Ginny dashed outside and began to stride down the nearest aisle. Matthias hurried after her and clasped her arm.
"Don't panic, sweetheart. I'm sure we'll find him soon, and if we don't, we'll alert park security."
Seeming not to have heard him, Ginny started to run, shouting his name.
"Benny! Benny!"
"Here he is, Mom," said Paula. Benny stood licking a lollipop and talking to a young man none of them had ever seen before. He wore jeans with holes in them and a tie-dyed shirt. He had a big bushy beard.
"Where did you get that?" Ginny demanded.
"John gave it to me," said Benny. "He's a nice man."
"What have we told you abut accepting candy from strangers?" Ginny ripped the lollipop out of Benny's hand and tossed it into the nearest trash can. Benny started to whine, but Matthias grabbed him roughly by the arm and pulled him away.
"She's right, Benjamin."
Benny sobered up right away. He knew when his father called him by his full name, he meant business.
"Never accept anything from someone you don't know. They might have put anything into it."
"I'm sorry, Daddy," Benny mumbled.
By now, Ginny was crying softly.
"Let's just go back to the motel. This isn't fun anymore."
Lili glared darts at her younger brother. "Thanks a lot for ruining our vacation!"
"At least we found him fast," said Paula.
"Why did you wander away from us like that?" Matthias asked his son.
"I got bored with that President thing, and I just wanted to look around some. That's when I met John and he gave me a lollipop." Benny's eyes widened. "Do you think he really put something bad in it?"
"That's something you wouldn't want to risk," said Matthias.
"Do we really have to go back to the motel now?" Paula whined.
"Your mother is very upset." Matthias put his arms around Ginny and held her close. "Benny promises he won't wander off again. Right, Benny?"
Benny nodded.
Matthias's hand slipped into his wife's. "Come, let's go look in the rose garden. I know how much you love pretty flowers."
Ginny was soon well enough composed to enjoy the sights again. They stayed until dark, when they watched a parade and then went back to the motel.
"I'm sorry for over-reacting," Ginny said later, as she cuddled in bed with her husband while the family watched TV together.
"That's all right," said Matthias. "It's perfectly understandable. I was afraid, too. You hear about kidnappings all the time in the news."
"It was fun, but I'm glad we're going back home tomorrow," Paula added.
"I wanted to go on more rides," Benny complained.
"Just be glad you didn't get in worse trouble for that stunt you pulled," Lili told him.
"I didn't pull any stunt!" Benny whined.
Lili crossed her arms and rested them on her knees. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Kids," Matthias warned.
The incident wasn't mentioned again for the rest of the night.