1Talespin - Brenda
Chapter 1: Polka Promises
It had been a year since Rebecca Cunningham, or Becky as she was known to her friends, bought Baloo's cargo business and plane, renaming it 'Higher for Hire.' Over the year, they had all settled into a rhythm of life, with Baloo grudgingly working for Becky and enjoying his time as a father figure to her daughter, Molly.
The sun was shining brightly on a Wednesday morning as Baloo strolled into the Higher for Hire office. The annual Cape Suzette Polka Festival was just a few days away, and Baloo couldn't be more excited. He loved polka music and dancing, and the festival was the perfect occasion to indulge in his passion.
Becky, on the other hand, didn't share Baloo's enthusiasm for polka. She was sitting at her desk, going through paperwork and preparing for the day's deliveries when Baloo sauntered in, a broad grin on his face.
"Hey, Becky," he said cheerfully. "I've got an idea. What do you say we go to the Polka Festival together this Saturday? It'll be a hoot!"
Becky looked up from her paperwork and smiled politely. "Thank you for the invitation, Baloo, but I think I'll pass. Polka isn't really my thing."
Baloo, a little deflated but not defeated, decided to give it another shot. "Aw, come on, Becky. I promise you'll have a great time. I'll even buy dinner!"
Becky chuckled and shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, Baloo, but I'm going to have to say no. I have a lot of work to catch up on this weekend."
For the next couple of days, Baloo persisted in his attempts to convince Becky to join him at the Polka Festival. Each time, he sweetened the deal a little more, hoping she would eventually give in.
On Friday afternoon, as the sun began to set, Baloo made one final attempt. "Okay, Becky," he said, determination in his voice. "I've got a proposition for you. If you come to the Polka Festival with me, I'll not only buy dinner and do you a favor, but I'll also join you on a date of your choice later – without complaining about it. What do you say?"
Becky looked up from her desk, considering Baloo's offer. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, and it was clear he genuinely wanted her to join him. After a moment, she let out a sigh and smiled. "Alright, Baloo, you've got yourself a deal. I'll go to the Polka Festival with you."
Baloo's face lit up with joy, and he grinned from ear to ear. "You won't regret it, Becky! I promise we'll have a great time. I'll pick you up at your apartment at 6 pm on Saturday. Don't forget to wear your dancing shoes!"
With that, Baloo left the office, a spring in his step, excited for the weekend ahead. Becky couldn't help but smile as she watched him go, wondering if she might actually enjoy the Polka Festival after all.
Chapter 2: Polka Party
Baloo stood nervously outside Becky's apartment door, having paid Kit to babysit Molly for the night. He knocked, and after a moment, Kit opened the door to reveal Molly sitting on the living room floor where the two of them had been playing a board game. Kit had come over early to allow Becky uninterrupted time to get ready.
"Hey, Baloo," Kit greeted him with a grin. "Come on in. Becky's almost ready."
Baloo stepped inside and chatted with Molly while they waited. "So, what game are you two playing?"
"It's called 'Jungle Quest,'" Molly explained excitedly. "You have to navigate through the jungle and avoid all the obstacles to find the hidden treasure."
"Sounds fun!" Baloo replied, genuinely interested.
A few minutes later, Becky emerged from her bedroom, looking stunning in a beautiful red satin dress and perfectly styled hair. Baloo couldn't help but stare, his mouth slightly agape.
"Wow, Becky! You look... amazing," he stammered, clearly impressed.
"Thank you, Baloo," she replied, blushing slightly. "You clean up pretty nice yourself."
After saying their goodbyes to Kit and Molly, Baloo and Becky headed to the Khan Center, where the Polka Festival was in full swing. They secured a small table and hit the dance floor, laughing and chatting as they danced.
"You know, I never pictured you as a polka fan, Baloo," Becky teased as they twirled around the dance floor.
Baloo chuckled, "What can I say? It's just so upbeat and fun! How can you not love it?"
"I had no problem not loving it for a long time," countered Becky, "but right now I'm enjoying it very much." She smiled as she spoke and Baloo, who was already dazzled by how beautiful she was tonight, had that standard shattered as her smile upped the overall effect by a good 35%.
During one of their breaks, Becky told Baloo about her early years, before she had taken over Higher for Hire. She recalled her experiences working at her father's accounting firm and the lessons she had learned there. Baloo listened intently, fascinated by the journey that had led her to where she was now.
In turn, Baloo recounted a tale from his early days as a pilot, when he had been hired to transport a group of performers to a remote village for a show. The journey had been fraught with danger, as they had encountered a ferocious storm along the way. But, Baloo's skill and determination had seen them through, and they had arrived at their destination, much to the delight of the villagers.
"You know, Baloo," Becky said, dipping one of the shrimp hors d'oeuvres into her sauce, "I didn't think I'd enjoy the Polka Festival as much as I am. Thank you for bringing me."
Baloo grinned. "Well, I'm glad you're having fun, Becky. I knew you'd come around to the polka side eventually."
As the evening wore on, they continued to dance, chat, and share stories. They grew more and more comfortable in each other's company, and the conversation flowed effortlessly. They talked about their families, their favorite places to visit, and even their favorite foods.
Eventually, the festival began to wind down, and they decided to head to a nearby restaurant for a late dinner. They were both famished after all the dancing, despite the abundance of snacks available at the dance hall, and continued their conversation over their meal.
At the restaurant, Becky told Baloo about her adventures as a young girl, exploring the city with her friends and getting into all sorts of mischief. Baloo laughed heartily at her anecdotes, captivated by her storytelling.
As they finished their meal, they realized they had been talking for hours, losing track of time as the evening wore on. They decided it was time to head back to Becky's apartment, and they walked together through the quiet streets, still deep in conversation, but unknowingly walking hand in hand.
As they walked, they paused at several benches to continue their conversation. At one point, Baloo shared a story about a particularly challenging cargo delivery he'd once made through a treacherous mountain range.
"Wow, that sounds like quite the adventure," Becky remarked, her eyes wide with admiration. "You really are an incredible pilot, Baloo."
"Thanks, Becky," he replied, blushing. "I do what I can."
They continued walking, with Becky sharing a funny story about her college days and the time she had accidentally dyed her hair a bright shade of green while attempting to make a homemade hair mask. Baloo couldn't help but laugh, picturing the scene in his mind.
When they arrived at Becky's apartment, they both knew their magical evening was drawing to a close. Becky thanked Baloo for the wonderful night and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Since she had to indicate he should bend over, it wasn't a surprise, but he still appreciated it.
"Come on in, Baloo. I'm sure Kit and Molly are ready for bed," she said, opening the door.
As they entered the apartment, they found Kit and Molly dozing on the couch, the board game long forgotten on the floor. Becky gently woke them up, and Kit rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"So, how was the date?" Kit asked, trying to stifle a yawn.
"It was amazing," Becky replied, smiling at Baloo. "We had a great time."
"Yeah, it was a blast," Baloo agreed, grinning. "Thanks for taking care of Molly, Kit."
"No problem, Baloo," Kit said, yawning again. "I'm glad you guys had fun."
With that, Baloo and Kit said their goodbyes and began the walk back to their shed. As they walked, Baloo filled Kit in on the details of their date, sharing stories and recounting the highlights of the evening. Kit listened intently, happy to see Baloo so excited and animated.
By the time they reached their shed, both Baloo and Kit were exhausted but content. The night had been a memorable one for all involved, and as they settled into their beds, they knew it was an evening they wouldn't soon forget.
Chapter 3: Becky's Turn
On Monday morning, as Baloo entered the office, Becky greeted him with a warm smile. "Thanks again for a wonderful evening, Baloo," she said, her eyes sparkling with genuine gratitude.
Baloo grinned, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, it was nothin'. I had a great time too, Becky."
Her expression shifted to a more thoughtful and slightly mischievous one. "Now I just have to think about where we'll go when I plan our date. And I haven't forgotten about that promised favor, either," she added with a sly grin.
Baloo gulped nervously but chuckled, "Well, I guess it'll be worth it, no matter what you come up with." Inwardly he was pleased when she specifically stated that there would be another date.
Over the next few days, Becky considered various options for their upcoming date. By Wednesday, she had come up with the perfect plan. "I've decided that I want to include Molly since she's important to both of us," Becky announced. "And Kit, you're invited too since you did such a great job babysitting."
Baloo and Kit exchanged glances, both curious and excited about the upcoming outing. Becky continued, "I found a nearby island with a beautiful sandy beach and lots of palm trees. There's also a great park with playground equipment just across the walkway from the sand. I think it'll be a fantastic place for a family day out. We can have a picnic and enjoy both the ocean and the park."
Much to Baloo's relief, the plan sounded far better than he had anticipated. He had been expecting something more like a sheep and wool festival. Eagerly, he agreed to the terms, and they decided to leave at 10:00 AM that Saturday.
Saturday arrived, and the four of them were excited for their day at the beach. Baloo piloted the Sea Duck to the island, while Kit co-piloted and Becky and Molly chatted animatedly about the fun they'd have that day. Both wore swimsuits so they could enjoy the ocean. Molly's was a typical two piece girls suit for fun in the sun. Becky's was a similar model. Not a bikini, of course, since they hadn't been available in the 40s, but being a strapless two piece that she could fill out quite well, she still was able to capture the attention of both Baloo and Kit.
"Mom, do you think we'll find seashells on the beach?" Molly asked with enthusiasm.
"I'm sure we will, honey," Becky replied, smiling. "And maybe we can find some pretty ones to take home with us."
When they landed, they were greeted by a picturesque scene. The sandy beach stretched out before them, bordered by tall palm trees and a walkway that led to a well-maintained park with colorful playground equipment.
As they set up their picnic area, Baloo and Becky worked together to lay out the blanket and prepare the food, while Kit and Molly raced each other to the water's edge, splashing and playing in the waves. Baloo took a moment to admire the scene before him, feeling content with their little group.
Throughout the day, the group enjoyed the various activities the island had to offer. Baloo and Becky took turns pushing Molly on the swings, while Kit showed off his skills on the monkey bars. "Hey, Baloo! Check this out!" Kit called, as he swung himself through the bars with ease. Baloo couldn't help but feel proud of the young bear.
They laughed as they built sandcastles, only for the waves to wash them away. "You know, when I was little, I used to make the biggest sandcastles," Becky shared. "My dad and I would spend hours building them up, trying to make them taller and stronger than the last one."
"That sounds like a lot of fun," Baloo said, smiling. "I bet you were the sandcastle queen!"
At one point, Baloo and Becky took a moment to sit on the beach and chat, the warm sand between their toes. "I really appreciate you putting this together, Becky," Baloo said sincerely. "It's nice to spend some time together like this, y'know, just relaxin' and havin' fun."
Becky smiled, gazing out at the crystal-clear water. "It is, isn't it? I'm glad we could all enjoy this day together. It's important to make time for the people we care about." With this thought, they looked into each other's eyes and Baloo put his arm around Becky, something she enjoyed very much.
As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, the group gathered their belongings and headed back to the Sea Duck. Baloo and Kit exchanged stories about their beach adventures as they prepared for takeoff, while Becky and Molly chatted about the seashells they had collected throughout the day.
Once they were back in the air, Molly couldn't contain her excitement. "Mom, can we do this again sometime? I had so much fun!"
Becky smiled at her daughter, gently tousling her hair. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm sure we can make this a regular thing."
The Sea Duck soared through the sky, the warm glow of the setting sun reflecting off its fuselage. Upon their arrival in Cape Suzette, they disembarked, their faces still wearing the smiles from the day's adventure.
As they said their goodbyes, Becky turned to Baloo. "Thank you, Baloo," she said softly. "Today was perfect."
Baloo grinned, blushing slightly. "It was my pleasure, Becky. Anytime you want to go on another adventure, just let me know."
She leaned in and after getting him to lean over, gave Baloo a quick kiss on the cheek, leaving him pleasantly pleased. "You're a good man, Baloo. I'll see you on Monday."
As Baloo and Kit walked back to their shed, they discussed the day's events, their hearts full of happiness and gratitude for the time spent with Becky and Molly. It had been a day to remember, and the memories they made would stay with them for a long time to come.
Chapter 4: Unexpected Visitors
The morning sun shone brightly through the windows of Higher for Hire as the team went about their usual tasks. Business had been picking up recently, and everyone was busy with their respective duties. Baloo was prepping the Sea Duck for an upcoming delivery, while Kit was assisting with the cargo loading. Becky, on the other hand, was busy handling the administrative side of things in her office.
As the day went on, the sound of the front door opening caught their attention. To their surprise, two familiar faces walked in – Rebecca's mother, Sylvia, and her younger sister, Jenny. Both women had decided to surprise Becky with a visit, as they were in town for a few days.
"Mom! Jenny! What are you doing here?" Becky exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise.
"We thought we'd surprise you, sweetheart," Sylvia replied, giving her daughter a warm hug.
Becky, initially flustered by their unexpected arrival, quickly adjusted and welcomed them with open arms. She introduced Baloo and Kit to her family, and they all exchanged pleasantries.
However, it was a workday, and Baloo and Kit had to leave for their scheduled deliveries shortly after the introductions. They said their goodbyes, promising to see everyone later that evening for dinner.
With Baloo and Kit gone, Becky and her family had time to catch up. They sat down on the more comfortable furniture in the customer area and Sylvia asked her daughter what she'd been up to lately. Becky described the two dates she'd had with Baloo, mentioning how good he and Kit were with Molly. Her mother and sister listened intently, smiling at the stories she shared.
Molly, who had been playing in her room, eagerly joined the conversation and excitedly showed her grandma and Aunt Jenny some drawings she had made. One depicted her, Kit, Baloo, and Becky at the beach, while another was a child's imaginative view of a polka dance, featuring Baloo and Becky smiling at each other.
Sylvia asked Molly about the pictures and what she thought of Baloo and Kit. Molly gushed about how much fun she had with them and how she liked spending time together as a family.
As the conversation progressed, Sylvia brought up the age difference between Baloo and Becky. "Have you thought about the age difference between you and Baloo? Do you think it could be an issue?" she inquired, genuine concern in her voice.
Becky hesitated for a moment, realizing that she hadn't given the matter much thought. "I... I don't know, Mom. We've only been on a couple of outings, and only one was a real date. I haven't really considered it."
Sylvia nodded understandingly. "Well, just remember that relationships can be complicated, especially when there's a significant age gap. But if you're happy and you both care for each other, that's what truly matters."
Becky took her mother's words to heart, appreciating the gentle advice. She knew she would need to think about it more seriously if and as their relationship continued to develop.
During their time together, they also discussed what brought Sylvia and Jenny to Cape Suzette and how long they would be staying. Jenny excitedly shared their plans for sightseeing, shopping, and attending a local theater production.
Later that evening, Baloo and Kit returned to join Becky, Sylvia, Jenny, and Molly for dinner at Becky's apartment. The evening was filled with good food, laughter, and shared memories. Sylvia took the opportunity to ask Baloo about his thoughts on his budding relationship with her daughter. Baloo, a little caught off guard, admitted that he hadn't thought too deeply about it yet, but he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Becky and appreciated the connection they were building. He mentioned that their only real date was just dancing. He hadn't expected things to go as well as they did and was surprised as anyone. The second 'date' was just a family outing. They'd already done those a couple of times and it also wasn't all that romantic. He then added that her happiness was important to him, and he was willing to work through any challenges that might arise due to their age difference.
The evening continued with more stories and conversation, as everyone enjoyed each other's company. Molly proudly showed off her drawings to Baloo and Kit, who praised her artistic talents and fondly reminisced about their beach outing.
As the night wore on, it was time for everyone to say their goodbyes. Sylvia and Jenny thanked Becky for a lovely evening and expressed how happy they were to have met Baloo and Kit. They also shared their hope to spend more time together in the future.
After her family left, Becky couldn't help but feel grateful for the support and love she had experienced throughout the day. She knew that her relationship with Baloo was still in its early stages, but she felt optimistic about the potential for a deeper connection between them. Baloo and Kit, meanwhile, appreciated the chance to get to know Becky's family and felt more connected to her as a result.
As they settled down for the night, they all looked forward to the days ahead. Baloo, especially, wondered how his continuing relationship with Becky would pan out.
Chapter 5: Serious Discussions
That Friday afternoon, Becky approached Baloo with a personal request. "Baloo," she asked, "do you think you could come over to my apartment tonight around nine o'clock? Molly will be in bed and hopefully sleeping and I'd like for us to have some time to talk."
"Sure, Beckers," replied Baloo. "Do you want me to bring anything? Some wine? A walker? Geritol?" He had not forgotten that Sylvia had brought the subject up to both Becky and himself and although he acknowledged there could be a serious issue, it wasn't in his nature to not joke about it.
Becky dropped her head and sighed. "We'll talk tonight," she stated, not wishing to get into it at this point. She then added, "I'll make supper, Grandpa. Probably steak with roasted vegetables, so a merlot would work best." She then headed back to her office.
Baloo arrived at Becky's apartment just after Molly's bedtime, as she had requested, a bottle of Saint-Emilion Bordeaux red wine under his arm. When he knocked on the door, Becky greeted him with a distracted kiss, this time on the lips. She invited him in, and they sat down to enjoy the supper she had prepared.
After they had filled their plates with food, Becky brought up the issue that had been on her mind. "Baloo, as you apparently know, my mom brought up something that I hadn't really thought about before – our age difference. I've been doing some thinking, and I wanted to talk to you about it."
Baloo nodded, adding, "Well, we've only been on one real date, so far, and I got my first kiss on the lips about fifteen minutes ago, but I suppose the earlier we discuss it, the better."
Becky began hesitantly, "I know that we've only had the one date and one family outing, but we've known each other for a year, now. To be honest, I can easily see us staying together for the long term. After Mom brought it up, though, I've been thinking about how you'll be nearing retirement age in 20 years or so, while I'll still be in my 40s. And you're also only a couple of years younger than my parents. I can't help but worry about becoming a widow again while still relatively young."
Baloo listened and then said, "You're right, Beckers. It could very well turn out like you said, with you being a widow in your 40s. If you decide that it ain't worth taking the chance of that sort of pain again, I'd understand." He then added, "And don't hold this against your mother. It's all true enough and a good mother wants what's best for her kids, even if they're all grown up with kids of their own."
Becky looked down at her plate for a moment before responding. "I realize that Mom wasn't out of line for bringing it up and I did some serious thinking about what she said. She's absolutely right that I could find myself a widow again. But you know what else I think? Marrying Jack, who almost shared my birthday, didn't stop me from being a widow at twenty." She looked back up at Baloo, tears welling in her eyes. "Jack and I were so young and in love. We thought we had our whole lives ahead of us. But then he was in that terrible accident, and everything changed. The pain of losing him was unbearable."
Baloo reached across the table to take her hand, his eyes filled with compassion. "I'm so sorry, Becky. I can't imagine how hard that must've been for you."
"It was awful," replied Becky. "I don't want to go through that pain again." She pulled a few tissues out of the box and dried her tears. "But I also don't want to be a widow my whole life, either. Life has risks. Jack and I caught the dirty end of the stick, but we had a couple of fantastic years of a very real love before that. Was the love worth the pain? I think it was, but I'm still scared of what might happen." She paused at this point to gather more tissues and to see if Baloo had anything he wanted to say.
Feeling that it was time to share his own story, Baloo said, "You know, I had someone special in my life once, too. A wife, actually. Her name was Brenda. We rushed into marriage, for the usual reason, but I think we were happy. I so wanted to be a good husband and father, but I was even worse back then; always falling into temptation. Not with other women; I'd never do something like that, but if something caught my interest or a friend wanted to go on an adventure, I was only too willing to tag along. One time, about a month before out child was scheduled to land, I came back from one of those adventures to find an empty apartment. A note was on the table explaining that she didn't think I had what it took to be a good father or husband. She said she didn't blame me, cause that was the way I was, but she wanted somethin' better for our child. I looked for them, of course, and I prayed that one day I'd get a letter or somethin', but that never happened. It's not as bad as you had it; she's still alive after all, and our kid's almost grown up by now, I 'spose, but it's still painful. Despite all that, I'm not going to miss out on a chance to be a part of your and Molly's lives. If it ends, it ends, but I'll enjoy it while I can."
Becky squeezed his hand in return. "I'm sorry, Baloo. That must have been so difficult for you."
"It was," agreed Baloo, "but nothin' like if she'd died, like Jack. This is gonna hafta be your call, Beckers. I'd love ta have a real romance with ya, of course, but this past year, helping out with Molly and being your friend, that's nothin' ta sneeze at, either. Even if we don't work out as a real couple, as long as I could be Uncle Baloo or somethin', I'd be happy enough. You should be able to have yer options open to finding someone like Jack, who'll take good care of ya and treat ya right and grow old with ya."
"Jack was wonderful," agreed Becky, "but probably not as perfect as I remember. We had our fights, but making up was always fun." She looked at Baloo. "You're not exactly perfect either," she said with a smirk, "but I think you're better than Brenda gave you credit for. If I decided to wait for another Jack, or even a younger Baloo, I could be alone for a long time." She reached out to take his paw in hers.
They sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on the unexpected twists and turns that life had thrown their way. Finally, Becky spoke up. "You know, we can't predict every detail of our lives or expect things to turn out the way we want. But what we have right now, it feels special. And I think it's worth taking a chance on."
Baloo smiled at her. "I think so too, Becky. We don't know what the future holds, but we can face it together, come what may."
With a renewed sense of hope and determination, they continued their dinner, sharing stories and laughter, both willing to face whatever challenges might turn up, as long as they had each other.
Chapter 6: Kit is going to make a fortune.
The next morning, around ten o'clock, Kit and Baloo knocked on the door of Becky's apartment. Arrangements had been made the night before to spend part of the day together. Baloo would cover Kit's babysitting fee and any meals and Becky would pay for any other expenses that came up. Becky, wearing a casual blouse underneath a form-fitting sweater, opened the door and said, "Good morning, guys. Molly's..."
"Baloo!" shouted Molly as she ran into his outstretched arms. Quickly being raised to his height, she added, "Hi, Kit. Isn't it a great day?" She gave Baloo a big hug around his neck before he set her back down onto the floor.
"It sure is, button nose," replied Baloo. "Try to take it easy on Kit, today."
"What do you mean, Baloo?" asked Molly, confused.
"Well," answered Baloo, laughing, "You must have been a handful last time caus'in he raised his rates."
"It wasn't because of anything she did," replied Kit, picking up Molly for his turn. "I just figure I'd better make some money while I can before Becky comes to her senses." They all laughed at the jibe.
"He's not quite there, yet," countered Becky, "but I figure it's only a matter of time."
After giving a further $5.00 to Kit to cover his and Molly's lunch and supper and perhaps other entertainment expenses, Becky and Baloo walked towards the downtown area.
"So," began Becky, "what did you have in mind to start our day?" Becky had her hand hooked over the crook of Baloo's arm as they walked. They were making pretty good time, as far as she could tell, especially since they currently had no specific destination in mind.
"Well," replied Baloo. "First things first, I 'spose. Did you have anythin' fer breakfast?" He hadn't, himself.
"Just coffee," replied Becky. "Why don't we start with brunch, then, and figure out what comes next while we're eating?" She started looking around for a likely establishment as they walked.
"Works for me," agreed Baloo. "How about this place?" They were virtually in the doorway of a café called, 'Tony's Place'.
"Why not?" replied Becky as Baloo held the door for her as she walked inside. Tony's Place was a tavern; a sort of combination bar and restaurant. Due to staying open late to accommodate the drinking crowd, it had just been open for a few minutes when they arrived. Only a few other patrons were in the booths nearby. The motif seemed to be based on sports. Photos of baseball players and stadiums decorated the walls. Some signed photos of boxers could be seen as well. Some pennants of the Cape Suzette college in their traditional Green and Gold colors brought some brightness to the decor.
"Mornin' folks," said the full figured waitress. She set down some water next to each of them and then pulled out a pair of menus from somewhere. The top four buttons of her shirt were opened to allow her tip enhancers to properly breathe. "Need some time to take a look?"
Baloo was having a hard time determining what she meant by that, but Becky had it figured out already. "Yes, please," she said, making a point of handing Baloo the menu that was right in front of him, accidentally blocking his view of Maxine, whose nametag was leading the charge, so to speak.
"Be back in a minute," said Maxine, swaying her way to another customer.
"Baloo!" barked Becky, softly. He hadn't pulled his eyes from Maxine, yet.
"What!" asked Baloo, startled. Becky pointed to his menu. "Oh." The two of them started to look through the menu. After a few moments, Baloo had a question. "I'm not up on the rules for brunch, Beckers," he said. "Is this going to be it until supper?"
"Probably," relied Becky. "We might get a snack here or there, depending on what we do, but I'd fill up while you can."
When Maxine came back, she leaned over Baloo and asked if he saw anything he liked. He did, but he also saw the look on Becky's face and just said, "Gumbo Jambalaya Creole Filet, ala Antoine." Maxine wrote that down. Turning to Becky, she asked, "And for your daughter?"
Baloo was shocked, but Becky just laughed. "I'll have the Hasenpfeffer, ala Antoine." Maxine nodded and went off to give their orders to the cook.
Baloo still looked a little put out, so Becky asked, "Aw, what's the matter, Grampa?" Baloo tried to stay grumpy, but he could take a joke and laughed out loud and was joined by Becky. The day was starting off just fine.
They discussed some of the options available to them for after brunch, but nothing seemed to grab their attention. Finally Becky suggested, "Maybe we could see a movie. The Majestic has a great balcony."
"The balcony?" exclaimed Baloo. "You get a much better view on the main floor."
"True," agreed Becky, calmly, but the balcony is a little more private, especially off on the sides." She wondered how long it would take him to figure it out.
"On the side?" asked Baloo. "It's like yer tryin' not ta see the movie at all."
"Funny how that works out," replied Becky, generously giving him a clue.
"Huh?" said Baloo, squinting his eyes together to engage his brain. After another ten seconds, he suddenly said, "Oh." Smiling at Becky, he said, "I think I'll like the balcony, too."
After brunch, they walked over to the nearest news stand to get a paper. After they stood there for a few seconds, Becky asked, "Well? Aren't you going to get a paper?"
"That's not a food related expense," pointed out Baloo. Grumbling, Becky pulled out a nickle and bought a paper.
Let's see," said Becky. "There's a lot of good ones. Oh, here's one called Rebecca." She read about it a bit and said, "No, thanks. It seems that Rebecca is dead. What else do they have? Oh, here's one I've heard good things about. Fantasia. It's another great animated feature by the brilliant Walt Disney."
"Boot licker," said Baloo. "Sure, that'll do." They checked the time and walked towards the theater.
A while later, Baloo whispered, "Now what's going on? Dancing hippos and elephants in tutus? Every time I look up it gets stranger."
"Then perhaps you should stop looking up so much," suggested Becky. It was a sunny day and the balcony seemed to be getting warmer. Her sweater was folded neatly on top of the seat next to them. It used to be the seat that Becky had paid for, but arrangements had to be made to account for their size difference. The padded armrest worked quite well and since there were no other moviegoers upstairs, the usher was quite understanding. He did request that the sweater be the only article of clothing on the seat, though.
After the movie, they decided to find a bench in the park so that they could catch their breath.
"You know, Beckers?" asked Baloo as they found a nice bench, "I think I could get used to going to the movies more often."
"Me, too," agreed a quite contented Becky. "There's another one. Gone with the Wind. It's a Civil War epic."
"Uh," commented Baloo. "What's so good about a movie like that?" He was more into comedies, himself.
"It's four hours long," explained Becky. She smiled at Baloo and batted her eyelashes so he would be sure to catch on.
"Hmm," thought Baloo. "I wonder if they have a double feature." They both laughed.
As the noon sun moved across the sky, the areas of available shade in the park moved with it. Becky and Baloo had to scout out different benches as conditions changed. Their criteria had two main conditions. They wanted to be in the shade, too, and they'd prefer it if they were more or less out of sight. They had found such a bench and were enjoying a couple of bottles of soda while getting in the occasional smooch. Becky was seated more or less properly while Baloo stretched out on the remaining portion of the bench with his head on her lap. The bottles were currently setting on the ground beneath the bench while Becky looked for all the world like she was trying to inflate a Macy's Parade Balloon.
"Hi, Mommy. Hi, Baloo," came a high-pitched, yet familiar voice from about ten inches away from their heads. Becky's head snapped straight back, surprisingly not pulling out Baloo's tonsils from the suction. Baloo, not quite as young as he used to be, a matter that had been thoroughly discussed the night before, took a few seconds and an assist from Kit to return to a sitting position. He was still the first to reply to Molly.
"Hey there, button-nose," he replied, giving her a grin. "How did you find... er, what brings you here?" He took a moment to resituate himself better.
"Molly wanted to play on the playground equipment," explained Kit. He picked up Molly and the two of them sat on the far end of the bench. "She saw the two of you and decided to come over and say hello before I could stop her."
"It's always good to see Molly," proclaimed Becky, smiling at her daughter. "Are you and Kit having a good day?"
"Not as good as yours," answered Kit, smirking.
"Ya got that right," agreed Baloo. He figured they had been caught and there was no use denying it.
Kit then suggested, "Well, I suppose we'd better hit the playground so that you two can, uh, get back to what you were doing." He didn't notice, but Baloo did, that Molly seemed to be disappointed to be leaving so soon.
"Hold on there, Kit," said Baloo, standing up. "We was just figgerin' out what we was gonna be doin' next." He reached out a hand to Becky and added, "Come on, Beckers. I've got swing pushing duty." He helped Becky to her feet before putting Molly up on his shoulders. Humming one of the tunes they just heard from Fantasia, he trotted on down towards the playground. Becky and Kit followed along, trying to catch up. As she hurried after Baloo, Becky thought to herself that Brenda was a fool.
Chapter 7: Finding Brenda
Becky sat at her desk, pen in hand, writing a letter to her mother. It was a strange letter by anyone's standards. She was basically telling her mother to pound sand when it came to whether Baloo was a good match for her. She stated that she didn't care anymore about the age difference. She'd rather have 20 years with Baloo than 100 with anyone else.
Swallowing her pride and embarrassment, she explained what she and Baloo had been doing for most of the day, the day they had set aside as being just for them. She then explained that when they were accidentally discovered by Kit and Molly, Baloo immediately set aside what was destined to be another few hours of the same, or maybe more, in order to spend the afternoon with the kids. His dedication to both her and Molly and Kit was unmatched. If it came to it, he would make a great husband and father.
That brought her to the other reason for her letter. She needed for her mom to contact the right people to find out exactly what had happened to Baloo's wife, Brenda. It might need to be done anyway, if Becky and Baloo's relationship advanced that far, but she especially wanted to know what had become of Baloo's child. She only knew the first name of his wife and the approximate time frame of the marriage, but the people her mother knew would probably be able to piece the rest together.
When she was finished, she walked out of her office to meet Baloo, who had just pulled into the dock after his last run of the day. She greeted him with a kiss and said, "Welcome back. Once you're done with whatever it is you do at the end of the day, could you join me in my office?"
"What did I do now?" asked Baloo. He thought he had been good, or at least good enough.
"I'll explain in the office, Grampa," replied Becky, giving him another kiss to let him know that she wasn't mad at him. She then turned and walked back through the hanger to her office.
Baloo turned to Kit, who was eavesdropping during most of the quick conversation. Kit shrugged and said, "You'll have to hope for the best, I guess." He then went back to his part of securing the Sea Duck for the night.
About twenty minutes later, Baloo knocked twice on the door and stepped through the door of Becky's office. Taking a seat, he asked, "So what's up, Boss Lady?"
Becky held up her letter, taking a deep breath before answering. "Baloo, I've been writing a letter to my mom. In part, it was to tell her that I've decided to stick with you, if you'll have me, and the age thing is not a concern. I also asked for her help to resolve things from your past."
"From my past?" asked Baloo. "What sort of things from my past?" He was wondering if he was in trouble after all, despite having two kisses that said otherwise.
"Brenda," answered Becky, quietly. "If you don't want to know, I won't send it, but I would have totally misjudged you if you didn't want to at least find your child. The people my mom knows will find out what happened if anyone can."
Baloo looked torn. He did wish to know his child, but he had already been down this road. He searched as much as he could, but every lead turned up dry. He didn't want to set himself up for disappointment, again, but Becky had a lot of faith in the people her mother knew. Perhaps he could try this one last time.
"Okay, Becky," he said at last. "I do want to know what happened to my kid, and Brenda, too, for that matter. Always have. I'm willing to go one more round, but I ain't gonna hold out a lot of hope, this time. If it doesn't pan out, I don't want to do it any more." He had the look of a bear who had searched for a long time and wa ready to accept that it just wasn't meant to be.
Becky came over and sat in his lap to give him a good hug and kiss. "I hope this works. You have a right to know your child and he has a right to know you." He got another kiss. They stayed that way for quite a while.
About two weeks after sending the letter, Becky received a call from her mom.
"Hi, Mom," said Becky, once her mother had identified herself. "You did? Thanks, Mom. What did you find out? What? Why? Well, if you insist. Saturday morning would be fine. Would you prefer for us to fly up to your place? Okay, then. See you Saturday." She put down the receiver and sat thinking for a bit before getting back to work.
When Baloo and Kit finished work that afternoon, Becky dispensed with the delays and just went to talk to him. "Hey, Grampa," she called. She had found this pet name to be fun and fairly appropriate, given the comments made by Maxine.
"What's up, whippersnapper?" asked Baloo, also up for a little kidding.
"Mom called," explained Becky. "She says her people found out some things about Brenda and she's coming down on Saturday to tell us about it." By this time, Baloo was withing range of a kiss.
"What did she find out?" asked Baloo, tying up his mooring line. Kit was pulling his end over the post, but it would still take Baloo's strength to finish the job.
"She wouldn't say," answered Becky. "Said she'd be down Saturday morning to talk to us about it all."
I wonder why," wondered Baloo. He thought for a moment before giving up with a shrug. "I guess we'll find out Saturday." He then had another thought. "We should probably postpone our plans until we see how long this will take."
"I was thinking the same thing," agreed Becky. "Mom can be a little long winded when she wants to be." She held up her arms in the accustomed position to let him know that they had been talking for quite some time and she had yet to give or receive a hug or a kiss. Baloo obliged by setting her on a nearby empty crate. She was still half a foot shorter than him, but at least she was in range. With a hug around his neck, they held their kiss long enough for Baloo to swing her completely around his center of gravity and place her gently back on the crate.
"Baloo," said an impatient Kit, holding on the cinch rope.
"Coming, Kit," replied Baloo. He walked over and gave the end of the rope a good pull to secure it for the night. They then started to head back towards the hanger when Becky called, "Hey, Grampa. Are you going to leave me here all night?" She was still on top of the crate and didn't feel like jumping down in her high heals.
"Coming, Princess," answered Baloo. Taking a quick look around to see if Kit was watching, he picked Becky up by her waist and after setting her down, maintained contact as he slid his hands up her sides. She gave a quick shiver at the unexpected touch, but didn't seem to mind it very much.
"Oh, my," she gushed. "Grampa's getting frisky." She gave him a broad grin, suggesting that they might want to try that again, later. With that, she did her best impersonation of Maxine sashaying back to her office.
Chapter 9: A lot to Learn
On Saturday morning, Sylvia knocked on the apartment door of her daughter. There was no response. This was actually expected since it was only 6:30 AM. She knocked again, this time a little harder and a little longer. This worked better and about a minute later, Becky, in her robe and slippers, opened the door.
"Mother?" she asked. "What in the world are you doing here?" Becky's eyes were still mostly shut to protect them from the very early rays of the dawn.
"What do you mean?" asked Sylvia. "We agreed that I would talk to you today." She had that all to familiar look to her face that Becky was quite aware of.
"I meant," explained Becky, irritated, "Why are you hear at..." She looked at her watch, which wasn't there. Checking the wall clock, she said, "Six thirty?" That wasn't her usual time to wake up during the week, much less on a day off.
"I'm sorry, dear," said Sylvia, insincerely. "I thought we might have a lot to cover today and could get an early start." She tired of waiting for an invitation and just walked inside. "Is Baloo here?"
"Baloo?" asked Becky, groggily. "Of course not. Why would..." It then hit her on why this entire morning had started as it had. Placing her hands on her hips, she simply said, "Mother."
"How should I know?" asked Sylvia. "After what you said in your letter, anything was possible."
"I..." started Becky, indignantly, before remembering what she had put in her letter to her mother. It had been intended to illustrate Baloo's character by showing what he gave up for the kids, but in the clear view of hindsight, it didn't reflect on Becky quite as well given what she implied Baloo had foregone to be so noble.
"Well, give him a call," ordered Sylvia. "I'll take you all out for breakfast."
"He doesn't have a phone," replied Becky. "Although he might be able to hear the one in the hanger ringing." She walked over to her phone to give it a try.
"He doesn't have a phone?" asked Sylvia, surprised. "Does he sleep in the hanger?" She wasn't really sure what to think about this.
"No," replied Becky, dialing the number. "There's a sort of a shed out behind it, though. Baloo, Kit and Wildcat have beds in it." Seeing her mother's look, she added, "They really only use it for sleeping. The office is right there and even the hanger, if they want it. It's more of just a bedroom than their home." After there was no answer, she hung up. "I guess we'll have to stop by. If you could wake Molly, I'll go get dressed."
"Sure, sure," agreed Sylvia. She walked over to Molly's room and let herself in.
About an hour later, the six of them were finishing up some very nice breakfasts at a well regarded café located two blocks over from Higher for Hire. "Thank you very much for breakfast, Sylvia," offered Baloo as they got up. He quietly covered the tip before Sylvia could do so. This put him up a click in her book since he had not asked or expected for her to pay their way in the first place and had automatically done what he could to contribute. Wildcat and Kit also offered their thanks.
"My pleasure," replied Sylvia, pleasantly. She had managed to take a quick peek in the shed where they had their beds and found it as Becky had described it; basically a place to sleep. When the pot-bellied stove was taken into account, it would have been much more economical and practical to heat just that one small room in the winter than the entire office and hanger. "Now, I suppose we could head back to either your business or apartment to discuss the, er, matter at hand."
Becky addressed the group. "My mother has found out some very personal information that I asked for her to look into. It involves Baloo. If he wants to tell you all about it later, that's his business, but for now, I think we should keep it just between us." She waited for a response.
"Sure, Becky," agreed Kit. Wildcat nodded in agreement. "Is it something appropriate for Molly to be included with?" He got the impression that it might not be age appropriate if it was that personal.
Becky thought for a moment before stating, "I'm not sure, but probably not at this time. Could you two watch Molly for a while?" She guessed that that was what Kit was hinting at.
"Of course," replied Wildcat. "I'll show her how to tune the exhaust in the Sea Duck. We'll have her purrin' like a kitten." Molly seemed to be enamored by the idea.
"Okay," agreed Becky. "Have fun." With that, Becky, Sylvia and Baloo climbed back into Becky's car and headed back downtown.
Once back at Becky's apartment, Becky and Baloo took a seat on the sofa while Sylvia pulled out an envelope from her large purse. She then took a seat within reach of her daughter. "Well," she began, "from what you've told me about what you knew of Baloo's former wife..." She paused before asking, "She isn't former, though, is she?" It was almost like she had just realized that information. Becky, however, had known Sylvia all of her life and knew she knew that from the start.
"Yes, Mom," she agreed. "That's why I asked for your help in the first place, as you very well know. If we ever do get to the point of thinking of marriage, something will have to be done about making his current wife his former. That's still a long ways off, though. It's his child that has been kept from him that we are really interested in. Did you find out anything about him... or her?" She wondered what other plans her mother had, but as long as the information she had asked for was eventually released, she didn't really care all that much.
"All in good time, Becky," replied Sylvia. "Let's start with Brenda." She handed a few of what appeared to be recent photos of a still quite lovely anthropomorphic bear to Becky. She passed them on to Baloo after taking a look at them herself. While it was difficult to be sure, Brenda seemed to be quite a bit closer to Baloo's size than Becky's. She also had a little more in common with Maxine than Becky in some key ways.
"That's Brenda, all right," stated Baloo, nodding. "Still has it after all these years." He looked at the photos a bit longer before setting them onto the coffee table. He then returned his gaze to Sylvia, expectantly.
"The reason you couldn't find her was she had not gone back to her maiden name," explained Sylvia. "She chose, instead, to go back to her grandmother's; Chanticleer."
"Chanticleer?" asked Baloo. "I don't think I ever even heard that name."
"It's French, isn't it," asked Becky. She picked up one of Brenda's photos, again. Maybe she wasn't a fool after all.
"Yes," replied Sylvia, "it is. She clearly didn't wish to be found. Moving 500 miles away with a name you had no way of guessing? Her only mistake was keeping her Christian name. Otherwise, I don't think even my, ah, friends could have found her."
"Your friends?" asked Baloo. "Who exact..."
"We don't ask that sort of question, Baloo," interrupted Becky. "It's best not to wonder at all." She sat back with a nod to her mother.
"Quite right, dear," agreed Sylvia. As if to take her own advice, she said, "Now as to your child. That in itself was a mistake on your parts."
"A mistake?" asked Baloo. "What sort of a mistake?" He was a little upset that anyone, even Becky's mother... her increasingly frightening mother, would suggest that looking for his own child was a mistake.
"Perhaps more of a poor assumption, then," modified Sylvia. "You see, they were twins."
"Twins?" asked Becky at the same time that Baloo simply said, "Twins," as if acknowledging the fact. Eagerly, he asked, "Do you have photos of them, too?" He looked longingly at her purse.
"I have photos of the daughter," replied Sylvia. She handed them over. Once again, both Becky and Baloo examined them carefully. "Her name is Lily," said Sylvia. "Lily Chanticleer. Quite a lovely girl, for only 14. She seems to favor her mother."
"Thank God for that," said Becky, giving Baloo a quick jab in the ribs. He nodded his head in agreement.
"She's doing well in school," summarized Sylvia. "Plays on the school softball team at 2nd base. She's learning to play the clarinet in their band. Has quite a few friends and has had one boyfriend, although it isn't as serious as the two of you."
"I should hope not," responded Baloo, not thinking it through.
"And just what do you mean by that, Grampa?" asked Becky, semi-angrily.
"Oh, ah," said Baloo, trying to think. "I just mean that at her age, she doesn't need to be quite as... as..."
"As what?" joined in Sylvia, assisting her daughter in putting Baloo on the spot.
"As, ah, aggressive," replied Baloo, upon reviewing his choices. Deciding to go on a little offense, he added, "I mean with Becky, it's fine, but she's an adult and can control herself."
"That's not what I hear," countered Sylvia, with a smirk at her daughter. She remembered what was written in the letter.
"All right," said Becky, giving up. "All right, I admit it. All Baloo would have had to do was ask and your assumption from this morning would have been true." That got the point across to her mother quit clearly without giving her boyfriend enough information to act. "Now that that is taken care of, may we move on, please?"
"Of course, dear," agreed Sylvia, with a smile. "The boy's name is Curt, or it was."
"What do you mean?" asked a shocked and upset Baloo. "What happened to my boy?" Becky put her arm around him and he her as they waited for the answer.
"No one, knows,"replied Sylvia, compassionately. "The family was visiting friends when the small town they were in was attacked by pirates. They were stealing everything they could, but also tried to take some of the younger children. From the police records, Brenda was chased down by several pirates. Her children were only 3 years old at the time and couldn't help much with their defense, or even run with her to get away, so when Curt was caught by a group of them, she had to make a choice to either fight and probably lose them both, and maybe even her own life, or grab Lily and get out of there." She paused for a moment to gather herself before finishing with, "Don't judge her by her choice. It was really the only one she had."
Baloo sat still and quiet; a few tears running down his cheeks. Becky, who was still holding him tight, increased her grip and kept repeating, "I love you, Baloo. I love you so much.. We'll get through this together." They sat in mutual support for a few minutes longer with Sylvia waiting patiently.
Finally, Baloo asked, "Is there anything else?" This had been both a good morning and a very tough one. He needed to get somewhere, maybe with Becky; maybe not, and think this all over.
"Just one more thing," said Sylvia, handing over the last piece of paper. "Here is her address and telephone number. She has not re-married, but has had a couple of boyfriends. No new children, though."
Baloo looked at the paper. He would have to decide what to do, but not this instant. "Thank you, Sylvia," he said, somberly and sincerely. "This means a great deal to me." He rose and instinctively both Becky and Sylvia followed suit. Giving her a hug, he said, "Thanks for taking the time, Sylvia."
Sylvia, coming to some new conclusions of her own, said, "Call me Mom."
Chapter 9: Kit's revelation
Sylvia spent the rest of the day with Becky and Baloo. Actually, she spent the rest of the day with Molly and anyone else who happened to do the same. Unlike last time, she didn't have Becky's younger sister with her and was able to devote a lot of time doing the things with her granddaughter that would bore a nineteen-year-old to tears. This involved seeing her kindergarten artwork, hearing all about flying with Baloo, showing her grandma where she had a small desk next to Mommy's at her office, and of course watching as a specially commissioned drawing of her entire extended family, including herself, Mommy, Grandma, Baloo, Kit, Wildcat and even the Sea Duck. That masterpiece, of course, went with Sylvia when she left that evening.
The next morning, Sunday, at around 11:00 AM, Baloo carried the small grill, that they sometimes used for impromptu summertime meals, around to the small slab of concrete off the north side of the hanger. It had originally served a purpose; the concrete slab, that is, but what that might have been has been lost to time. It did a fair job of steadying the grill and supporting the chef's stool. Baloo then dumped the remainder of the current bag of coals into the bottom of the grill before returning to the storage shed to retrieve the starter fluid. Not finding any, he briefly considered using some gasoline before an even easier method came to mind. Putting the briquettes he had just dumped out back into their bag, he then lit the bag.
While the means to cook food had been moving along in the direction to have some success when needed, Becky and Molly pulled up with some ground beef, hot dogs, buns, fresh tomatoes, onions and some cheese. Assorted condiments were already available in the office, so before long, everyone had at least their first hot meal of choice.
While they were eating, Baloo banged his tongs on the grill and announced, "Welcome, everyone. I wanted you all to hear some news that has been years in the making." Everyone quieted down. "As a couple of you know, many years ago, I was married. For some reason, she seemed to think that I was a lazy, no-good bum who would never be able or willing to work any harder that I had to, and sometimes not ever that hard."
"What kind of crazy woman did you hitch yourself to?" asked Kit, in bewilderment. Everyone laughed.
"A fairly perceptive one, actually," replied Baloo. "I won't argue that she didn't have a point or two. However, about a month or so before our first kid was supposed to arrive, she acted on her belief and left." He didn't make light of this comment, nor did anyone else. "I did search for her," continued Baloo. "Wildcat was with me at the time and he'll back me up on this."
"That's true," agreed Wildcat. "We looked everywhere we could think of to find her, but she just wasn't anywhere."
"That's right," said Baloo. "When there's nowhere else to look, you sorta have ta give up lookin'. And that's what I did." He paused for a moment to flip and adjust the items still cooking on the grill. "A little over ten or eleven years later, a tiny little puff of a woman came into our lives. She really annoyed me at first."
"Hey!" said Becky, feigning being insulted, but quickly putting on her smile.
"It turns out," continued Baloo, "that her tiny little head holds some brains. I told her about my wife and how she left me before I ever even met my kid."
"I know Mrs. Cunningham is pretty smart and all," said Wildcat, "but are you tryin' ta tell us that she figured out where Brenda skeedattled off to?"
"I didn't," said Becky, taking up the story. "However, my mother knows people who know people. With just her first name and approximately when they were married, they found her."
"Did you say her name was Brenda?" asked Kit. He had asked the question calmly enough, but the blood had drained from most of his face.
"Yeah," confirmed Becky. "She goes by the name Chanticleer, now... KIT!" Becky ran over to Kit as Wildcat and Baloo did the same.
"What's the matter, Kit?" asked Baloo, concerned.
Kit didn't respond right away. Instead he looked around the entire group before settling on Baloo. "You said she was expecting your kid when she left, right?"
"Yeah," confirmed Baloo, "but it turns out..."
"It turns out that she was expecting twins," said Kit. "A boy and a girl."
"Oh, Kit," said Becky, giving him a hug as tears ran down both of their faces. "Kit. You have your family back."
"What?" asked Baloo, catching up, but not all the way. "You mean that Brenda's your mother and Lily's your sister?"
"That's right," said Kit. "Her name was Lily. I remember that."
"It still is, little britches," said Baloo, happily. "We're fixin' ta give them a call and maybe fly up to see'um today, if we can."
"Baloo," asked Becky, "do you know what else this means?" It wasn't that hard of a leap and she held out hope.
"Hmm," said Baloo. "I'm not sure. Let's see, Lily is kit's sister and Brenda is his mother and... and... and..." Baloo was about ready to tip over this time.
"It means you're my dad, Baloo,"said Kit, not quite believing it himself.
"This day is getting crazy," said Wildcat in the understatement of the decade.
"So how long have you known?" asked Kit, accusatorial. "Where you ever going to tell me if I didn't bring it up?"
"Whoa, there, Kit." said Baloo. "We just found out where Brenda was last night. We didn't think you had anything ta do with anything until you brought it up."
"So now it's my fault?" said Kit, getting madder.
"What are you talking about?" asked Becky, jumping to Baloo's defense.
"I, well, ah... I don't know," said Kit, calming down quite quickly. "I just sounded like you knew all along, but I guess you didn't. It made sense for a moment."
"That's okay, Kit," said Baloo, putting his hand on Kit's shoulder. "Like Wildcat said, this is a crazy day."
"Let's give Brenda a call," suggested Becky. "If she's free, it's only a two-and-a-half hour flight from here."
"Yes," said Baloo. "Let's give her a call." Looking at Kit, he asked, "Are you up to the trip today, if she's home? We could wait a day or so if you want."
"No," answered Kit. "We have most of the day free and it's great flying weather." With a grin at Baloo," he said, "Let's pull chocks."
Chapter 10: Meeting Brenda
They were only a half hour away from the large town of Jasper Forks. Brenda was home and after hearing that Baloo had finally found her, said that she very much wanted to see him. They didn't want to give her too many shocks, but at the least she could believe their main story of him wanting to come and meet his daughter. Baloo did the talking, but Becky could hear well enough. She heard some crying on Brenda's end. She could see it on Baloo's end. Baloo told her that he forgave her for running off like that. She thought she could hear something about love before Baloo said "me, too." A question was asked about whether or not an airport was nearby. There was. An estimated time of arrival was given and a warning that there might be a few more than just Baloo before they all headed to the Sea Duck.
After about an hour of flight time, a very real fear came over Becky. They were on their way to see Baloo's wife; his current and still legal wife. They were to meet with his daughter, who he had never seen. They were taking Kit, who they just found out was Baloo's son. That also made him Brenda's son, who she hasn't seen for over ten years. Emotions would be high. The desire to be a family again would be higher, still. The siblings might want some time to get to know each other again. Would helping Baloo find his family rip him out of her life? She didn't have time to come around to being noble. Right now, she would fight for her man, but did she have the right? What would the end of this day find? Would she be on the outside looking in? She could do nothing but wait.
During the flight, Kit also had a few questions. Fortunately, they had brought along the entire info pack that Sylvia had given them. He read for himself that the memory of his three-year-old self might have been a little distorted. She didn't sell him to the pirates. She probably would have fought for him as hard as Baloo if she didn't also have his sister with her. What would he have done in a no-win situation like that? Probably what she did; save what she could.
Wildcat wasn't sure what his role was on this trip. Other than being the only one on the plane besides Baloo that knew Brenda from when they were married, he was probably just moral support, but also an emergency back-up. If Brenda started in on Baloo, Wildcat was there. He knew the truth and would have to go against his nature if he needed to. He hoped he wouldn't need to.
Molly was happy to be going on a long airplane ride with everyone in her family. Well, Grandma wasn't with them, but she had seen her just yesterday. She knew that they were going to see Baloo's daughter and gathered that his wife would be there, too. That part she didn't understand. Baloo and her mommy were getting very close, lately. They had been hugging and kissing a lot and mommy had even said that someday, Baloo might be a real new daddy for her. She didn't know what that meant. Baloo already was like a real daddy. What more could he do? And what did this Brenda have to do with any of this? That's the part that confused her. She hoped that it would all make more sense once they got there.
Speaking of getting there, Baloo saw the airport coming up and asked Kit to contact the tower.
Kit grabbed the handset and said, "Jasper Forks Tower, this is Sea Duck One, a twin engine sea plane with inboard landing gear, inbound for landing. Requesting clearance to land."
Over the radio came the reply. "Sea Duck One, this is Jasper Forks Tower. Winds are currently 10 knots from the east. Altimeter setting is 29.92. Cleared to land on Runway 18."
Kit came back with, "Jasper Forks Tower, Sea Duck One is cleared to land on Runway 18. Thank you."
The radio acknowledged the information. "You're welcome. Contact ground on 121.9 when you reach the terminal."
Kit signed off with, "Roger that. Switching to ground on 121.9. Sea Duck One, out."
"That's my boy," said Baloo, proud of Kit's professionalism. At that pronouncement, Becky suddenly burst into tears.
"What's the matter, Mrs. Cunningham", asked Wildcat who was sitting next to her. Molly also reached over to take her mommy's hand.
"Oh, I'm sorry," replied Becky, quickly regaining her composure. "It just hit me that in a few minutes, he won't be my boy anymore." She lost her composure, again.
Baloo picked up the radio handset and pretending to press the key, said, "Attention, crew. Attention, crew. Beckers is going to be highly emotional. Repeat. Beckers is..."
"Oh, knock it off," interrupted Becky, laughing. "I'm a woman. What do you expect at a time like this." Inwardly, she thought, 'If you want to see emotional, just let this Brenda broad try to get her hooks into you, again. I'll show you emotional.'
Baloo brought the Sea Duck around to land on runway 18, as instructed. As they were rolling up to what looked like an unused apron, they could see two anthropomorphic female bears; a somewhat small one and a somewhat larger one, jogging over to meet them. They were obviously Lily and Brenda.
Wildcat grabbed the door and opened up the seldom-used air stair. It wasn't needed when they were floating on their pontoons, but the wheels and landing gear put them a few feet higher. Turning to help Becky and Molly down, he quickly looked over his shoulder and said, "Hi, Brenda. Long time, no see." He took Molly first and set her on the ground. Becky also needed a little extra help. The pontoon wasn't all that big, but neither was she.
"Hello," she said, extending a hand to Brenda. "I'm Becky Cunningham and this is my daughter, Molly."
"Pleased to meet you," replied Brenda, giving her a quick handshake. "This is my daughter, Lily." Lily didn't step forward, but gave a quick wave as you would expect from a shy 14-year-old.
Kit wasn't any taller than Becky, but he was a boy. He jumped off the pontoon and walked up to his mother. He knew that they didn't say he'd be with them, but he hoped that his own mother would recognize him.
Brenda didn't say anything, but she looked at Kit carefully. Turning to look at Lily for a moment, she then looked back. Kit could see that there was some suspicion on who he might be, so he counted that as good enough and said, "I'm Kit. I mean Curt. I..." He was engulfed in his mother's strong grip and nearly suffocated in her ample busom.
Brenda couldn't say anything at the moment, but her tears started to fall. This was so totally unexpected that she couldn't do anything other than hold her long lost son. Naturally, Becky broke down, again.
Baloo, having completed his shut down check-list, came down the ladder at that point. Seeing Kit getting his hug and Becky standing there with no one, he made the right call and comforted his girlfriend before greeting his wife.
Brenda became more overwhelmed and her sobs became quite audible as she let herself go. This put Becky further over the edge, of course. Wildcat said, "I'm going to the terminal to get some coffee until you all get under control."
Becky had managed to regain control, again, so Baloo went over to rescue Kit. "Brenda," he said, "let the boy breathe!" He stepped up once Kit was released. "Hi, Bren..." He was then engulfed in his own hug, with a kiss to match. This went on for about 15 seconds, with Baloo seeming to enjoy it more than was prudent.
"Baloo!" said Becky, loudly. She was no longer in tears, but their remains were turning to steam as her anger rose. Baloo, realizing that he'd be a dead man walking if he didn't end Brenda's hug right away, started to push away from her. Unfortunately, the closest and most sizable places to push didn't please Becky any more than the hug and kiss themselves.
"Baloo!" she shouted, louder. This helped calm Brenda enough to turn from shocked crying to plain, ordinary joy.
"I'm sorry," she said, catching her breath. "I was looking forward to seeing just Baloo, and to be reunited with my son. Our son. It was just too much." She calmed down enough to smile at Becky. "Hello," she said. "Are you Baloo's new wife?" She didn't seem to hold any animosity towards Becky, even if that was the case.
"No," replied Becky. "I'm just his girlfriend." Initial claim on Baloo made. More were loaded if necessary.
"Surely more than a girlfriend," countered Brenda. She indicated Molly.
"Molly's Becky's child with her first husband," explained Baloo. "He died 5 years ago." This last part was said softly and with compassion.
"I'm so sorry," said Brenda, moving to give Becky a hug. Becky realized that it was well intentioned, but didn't want to get quite that close to someone who could be a rival. Brenda noticed the hesitance and stopped at just a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't we join Wildcat in the terminal and get caught up on... everything!"
"Now you're talking," said Baloo, "but I need to say hello to this young lady, first." Walking over to Lily, he said, "Hello, Lily. I hear you're pretty smart, but just in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm your dad." He put his hands on her shoulders, but wasn't going to force a hug on her. He left himself open to one, though. Lily considered it, but decided to keep her distance for now.
"Well, let's go find Wildcat," said Baloo. He started towards the terminal before stopping. "That's if you girls are done annoying my mechanic."
"That's my mechanic," corrected Becky, kidding. She was ready to return to a more laid back and friendly encounter.
Chapter 11: A Friendly Heart to Heart
In the terminal, they found Wildcat drinking his cup of coffee. You could tell that he and Baloo, and to a certain extent Brenda, had been friends for a long time just by their banter. While she wasn't able to keep up on that, she comforted herself by thinking that she was still his current girlfriend. That shudder she felt on the dock when he slipped his hands up her ribs was still fresh in her mind. Of course she had just seen him do something even more direct about ten minutes ago, but that was more self defense than anything else. She also planned to even that score as soon as possible.
"So you spent almost 9 years with those horrible pirates," said Brenda, trying to get up to date on her son's life. "Then Baloo and Becky were able to rescue you?" She was looking for some verification.
"Well," said Baloo, "It was a little we rescued him and he rescued us, if you know what I mean." He cracked open another bottle of root beer.
"Like the Rusty Turtle," suggested Brenda, taking another bite. She seemed to have some sort of an obsession with warm, buttery cinnamon rolls.
"Without the towel," added Wildcat. They all laughed. Well, Brenda, Baloo and Wildcat laughed. Becky didn't have a clue on what they were talking about. Lily did, though.
"You were able to pull that off with a Conwing L-16?" she asked, impressed.
"You bet," replied Wildcat. "That one right out there." He pointed in the general direction of the Sea Duck.
"I take it you're interested in airplanes, too?" asked Becky, trying to contribute something to the conversation.
"Oh, yes," replied Lily. She had come out of her shell as they talked about the good old days, which generally revolved around airplanes. "Mom never told us that she even knew Baloo, much less was married to him."
"And that we were his children," added Kit. He was tilted back in his chair, drinking his root beer, just like his dad. This was not something new. He had been doing that since they had met him, but they had never noticed the similarity until now.
Brenda sighed. No one noticed except Becky. While the rest of them shared their stories, she quietly scooted her chair over and asked Brenda what was the matter.
"I know what's going to happen," she replied. "Baloo's been training Kit on being a pilot, if I'm not mistaken."
"You aren't," confirmed Becky. "And navigation. And aircraft maintenance and repair. Wildcat's been doing most of that, of course."
"Of course," agreed Brenda. "Lily's been wanting to learn for so long, but I can't afford to pay for her lessons. Now that she knows that her dad's a pilot; and not just any pilot, but Baloo; she'll want to be with him."
"She might want to come long enough to learn to fly," agreed Becky, "but after that, she'll want to be with you, I'm sure." She was starting to see where this was going, but didn't want to take away all of Brenda's hope.
"Why?" asked Brenda, sadly. "I'm just a short order cook in a run down diner. Why would she want to stay with me when her dad's 'Baloo'? Excitement is his trademark."
"Excuse me," said Becky. "You keep talking about him like he's the greatest pilot in the world. I haven't seen that side of him, myself, but if you felt that way, why did you leave him in the first place?"
"You have seen that side of him," corrected Brenda. "We get the news, even in Jasper Forks. Remember when Don Karnage was attacking Cape Suzette with the lightning gun? Who saved the city? Baloo. When that horrible El Gato was trying to start a volcanic eruption that would have destroyed Macadamia; who stopped him? Baloo. When the Thembrians captured Shere Khan to get important information on the city's defense; who rescued him? Baloo."
"I was with him for the lightning gun," said Becky, thoughtfully. "That was when we picked up Kit."
"You helped rescue my son?" asked Brenda. She hadn't realized that.
"A little," said Becky. "As you said, it was mostly Baloo. The tires and rubber was all his idea."
"It was a crazy idea," said Brenda. "That, in a nutshell, was why I left him. We were married. I was expecting. I wanted him to be there to help raise our kids and support our family instead of being out somewhere, getting himself killed."
"Stop!" said Becky, a little louder than their conversation had been. The others at their tables looked to see what the problem was, but Becky waved them off.
"Oh, man. You're in trouble," said Wildcat. "Mrs. Cunningham and Brenda are over there talking real quiet like. I'd make a run for it while you still can." They all laughed, including Becky and Brenda. Becky then stood up and indicated that Brenda should follow her. They sat at a table further away and resumed their conversation.
"I think you might be right, Wildcat," said Baloo, watching them. No one laughed this time.
"Okay," said Becky. "You were talking about not wanting Baloo getting himself killed by being a hero. Well, my husband, Jack, was a good man and would have been a great father. He never did anything heroic or dangerous, but he still died. He died a week before Molly was born. It was a stupid automobile accident that took away my husband and Molly's father. Let me tell you something else. From almost the moment I bought his business and plane, he's been like a father to Molly. He's taken an interest in her drawings. He's talked to her for hours on his days off. He's been there for her. The same was true with Kit. He was like a father to kit, not because he actually was his father, but because he cared. I'll tell you right now that not a thing will change between Kit and Baloo because he's always treated him like a son. If you are ever fortunate enough to find someone like Baloo again, take my advice and don't let him go."
The two women had noticed that their conversation had picked up a little. Their assorted family's conversations had stopped. Looking over that way, Becky asked, "Did you hear any of that?"
"Every word," answered Baloo. "Thanks, by the way."
"You're welcome," replied Becky. Turning back to Brenda, she had one final question for her. "Can you make Hasenpfeffer?"
Epilog:
And so the Baloo families got a little bigger, Lily started her lessons almost immediately, Kit soloed the following year, and Tony's place gained a good cook. Tony's also gained a framed photo of Becky and Baloo on the bar with a caption that read that the big one wasn't allowed in unless the little one was with him.
As for Becky and Baloo, their relationship continued to flourish. Becky learned how to hug and kiss him until he was forced to push her away properly. He practiced picking her up and setting her down as much as she wanted and she never did stop calling him Grampa. One day, it was true.
The End