Chapter 2 – On The Road Again
Wil, Dustin, Joey, and Sue sat around the living room in shock after hearing the news that Mr. Rogers was scheduled to come with them. It was horrible! Their minds were reeling. How were they supposed to take care or even put up with him again? What kinds of peculiar and seemingly impossibly elaborate situations would he pull them into this time? These were the thoughts that went through their minds. Dustin was the first to break the deafening silence that hung in the air.
"I know this seems bad. Mr. Rogers has caused us a lot of grief in the past. But who knows? Maybe his stay in the prison has straightened him out? And he wasn't that big of a problem before. Let's think of Mr. Rogers as a tumor: an unnecessary and annoying extension of the family that you can't get rid of no matter how hard you try!" The others looked at him and nodded, accepting the inevitable.
Just then, they heard a loud high-pitched horn blaring outside the house to the tune of It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. "The adventure has begun," said Wil as they made their way to the front door with their luggage. Dustin held his breath and reached forward tentatively to pull open the door. When they peered outside, they saw him.
Mr. Rogers stood in a patch of dirt in the yard just beyond the door. He wore his usual attire: a red sweater, kaki pants, and blue sneakers. His hair was combed back like it always was and his trademark creepy-looking grin played across his lips. On his right hand there was what looked like a glove at first glance. Upon further inspection the group discovered that it was none other than Lady Elaine, the creepiest and most disturbing of all of the puppets and the one that Mr. Rogers loved the most.
"Hey Neighbors! We are just gonna have so much fun! I've never been to Japan! I can't wait to eat some authentic sushi! I know! We can go spend a quiet evening together at one of them hot springs and go sing karaoke! I just cannot wait!" Mr. Rogers spoke with a lisp and a slightly southern accent. His eyes twinkled with a mysterious light.
Dustin spoke up excitedly. "Well, we're ready to go! Let's hop into Wil's car and we'll be on our way!" Wil, Joey, and Sue followed Dustin towards Wil's Kia. They suddenly stopped when they realized that Mr. Rogers wasn't following them.
"Um… Fred? Are you coming?" Sue asked as she climbed into the passenger's seat and began to put on her lipstick. Mr. Rogers just stood and smiled at the group. "Fred! Get in the car already!" Dustin yelled as he climbed into the backseat.
"But neighbors!" Mr. Rogers responded as he stood by the car. "I brought my RV with me so we could go in it instead of that car!" Everyone's attention was instantly attracted to the ramshackle RV parked on the other side of the driveway. It seemed to be attached to an old Volkswagen car and a few extensions hung off the sides like malignant tumors. Across the top was written the word "Buggaroo" and "Every Miles a Memory". The group sat in complete silence for a few seconds. Then Wil got out of the car and sighed. "Well I suppose… we have no other choice." And with that everyone got out of the car and began to put their luggage inside the RV.
Now I suppose at least some of you people have been camping before. So you know that most of the storage on an RV is on the outside in compartments unreachable while inside. All of the clothes and important items have to be stored in the minimal inside compartments. Other things such as unusable lacy lingerie and pool toys go in the other compartments.
Finally, everything was packed and the group began to pile into the death trap. The RV was pink and cream-colored on the inside. The rusty front side of the RV contained a small kitchen with a sink, a microwave, and a stove. There was also a small kitchen table that looked like it could seat about four people. Even farther up there were the driver's and passenger's seats that contained a small table in between them to place maps and knick knacks: perhaps a McDonald's cup or two. Behind that was the small living room area that contained a couch that was directly behind the driver's seat. A swivel armchair sat directly beside the door. In the back was a small bathroom. Basically it was arranged so that when you open the door you step right into the shower.
"It's small… but it Will work for the time being." Dustin responded as he plopped down on the couch behind the driver's seat.
"Is everyone ready to go?" asked Mr. Rogers as he buckled into the driver's seat. "Let's hit the road Neighbors!" And with that he started the RV and they began their adventure as they pulled out of the development it began to rain. Fog set in and the wind picked up. Dustin was lying on the sofa flipping through the three channels on the TV: PBS, ABC, and NBC. Wil was standing by the sink putting plastic cups into their places inside the cabinets above the stove. At the same time Joey was sitting on the other side of the room in the armchair by the door reading "Twilight: The Evermoon Chronicles." Then there was Sue, who was seated at the kitchen table hot-gluing sequins to a pair of old Nike tennis shoes. And of course, Mr. Rogers was driving.