I just grinned and said, "That's right Larry, and I will never forget your face." I gave Larry one last hug, put the Grum in my mouth and slowly chewed on it. I watched Larry wave at me, his figure becoming dimmer and dimmer.
Chapter 17
When I awoke, I couldn't remember what had happened. I slowly opened my eyes and did not recognize the images before me. I saw bright metal lights above my head.
Suddenly, Jordan's face appeared above me. She had a giant grin that spread from ear to ear. "It worked!" she shouted to me even though she was right next to my face, "We are back!" she yelled again, "We are back in the gum factory!"
I felt stirring next to me and looked over to see Mr. Dooley slowly sitting up. "My goodness," he exclaimed, "I can't believe it" he said as he looked around the factory with large eyes, "We are back, indeed, what an amazing, most beautiful miracle."
I sat up too, and looked around the room. We were back in the small room with the original metal table where the empty Grum box now sat. We all shuffled around, stretched our legs, and stood up around the table.
"We have one and a half pieces of Grum left," Mr. Dooley said, "It is time to return it to the box, and I shall put it away where no hands shall discover it or its maddening ventures, ever again."
Mr. Dooley took the remaining gum from me, slowly put it back in the box, and placed it on a nearby shelf to be dealt with later.
We all ran to the metal door and pushed it open.
"Aunt Vicki!" I yelled as loudly as I could.
There was no sound. We continued walking through the factory, opening doors, and yelling out for Aunt Vicki and Doc. We heard no sounds, just the echo of an empty factory and our voices bouncing off the metal tables and cement walls.
Just a few moments later, I heard a sound coming from a nearby staircase. Suddenly, a large metal door flew open, and there stood my aunt and Doc.
"Oh my goodness!" shouted Aunt Vicki, "Praise the Lord, you two get over here and let me feel that you are truly alive! What, on earth happened to you?”
My aunt was asking a million questions all at once.
“Where have you been? Oh my heavens, you're father is sick with worry Carol, you have been missing for nearly a week!"
I hugged my aunt while Jordan hugged her grandfather, and Mr. Dooley just stood there, still unable to believe he was safely back in his beloved gum factory.
"You just won't believe it Aunt Vicki." I said to my aunt, "We ate this magical gum and were transported to this strange place! There were giant slugs, hagglers, Gertie, crazy mayors, oh...and Mr. Dooley, wonderful Mr. Dooley!”
I was speaking so quickly, I could barely get my thoughts out, “Mr. Dooley was the owner of this gum factory Aunt Vicki, the one who disappeared!"
My aunt looked at me like I was out of my mind but reached out to shake Mr. Dooley's hand. "Is this true? Are you really the owner who disappeared from this factory a couple of years ago?"
Mr. Dooley shook his head, "I know it sounds crazy, but your niece speaks the truth. She and Jordan helped same my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful."
Doc turned and gave me a hug, and even hugged Mr. Dooley. "Well, let's all collect ourselves and discuss this crazy event over dinner at my place. You must be exhausted and in need of a shower and a hot meal.”
We agreed that cleaning up, fresh clothing, and a hot meal was the best idea we had heard in a long time. We piled into the two cars and headed up to Doc's house.
Chapter 18
Doc fixed us a delicious dinner of lamb chops with apricot jelly, mashed potatoes, and fresh garden green beans. We ate it up like we had never had a homemade meal before. We also had a chance to shower and Doc. and Jordan lent us fresh, clean clothing until we had a chance to get into our own.
Everyone was so excited and talking at once, and suddenly the phone rang. It was my father.
"Dad, Dad I am ok, you will never believe the adventures we had, Dad! I was able to work out so many problems, and Dad, I even used a trick from Geometry to help fix a bridge!"
My dad was so proud of me and told me he would be returning is a few days to take me home.
As we all sat around a crackling fire later that evening, we began to discuss future events and how My aunt, Doc and Mr. Dooley would work out the factory business since it really belonged to Mr. Dooley, but my aunt and Doc had since purchased it.
"We must simply return it to you, Mr. Dooley, it is, after all, yours." My aunt said.
Doc asked, "Perhaps you could reimburse us the money we left to your accountants for the sale of the factory?"
Mr. Dooley rubbed his chin. "Maybe we could work out a deal that would suit us all?" He suggested. "Vicki, you and Doc are both inventors. I could certainly use your expertise since I am always in need of the latest technologically advanced equipment for the factory. I am also always trying to come up with a better bubble gum, and could really use your help."
Aunt Vicki looked as if she would cry, "That would be so kind of you, Mr. Dooley. I think I can speak for us both when I say, we really were going no where with our past inventions. This would give us an opportunity to work towards something substantial, and we would be just thrilled."
She beamed at both Doc and Mr. Dooley. Mr. Dooley replied, "Well, I can certainly pay you handsomely, as you both know I made quite a large sum when the factory was up and running in the past." Doc smiled and agreed gratefully to Mr. Dooley's generous offer.
When my dad picked me up a few days later, I had to say my goodbyes to everyone. I hugged Mr. Dooley, Aunt Vicki, Doc. and Marlin, and thanked them all for a summer I would never forget. I went to give Jordan a hug goodbye too.
Mr. Dooley winked at us both and said, "How would you two like to work summer jobs at the factory from now on? It won't be glamorous, just mainly clean-up, but I will pay you well, and most importantly, you two will be able to spend time together."
Jordan and I screamed with glee, and hugged each other tightly. We then ran up and hugged Mr. Dooley once again.
Jordan said, "Thank-you so much Mr. Dooley, we will be the best workers ever! We will keep the factory so clean, you will be able to eat off the floor if you want to!"
Jordan and I were so excited, we could barely wait to get through a school year so we could be together again, working at the factory.
The seasons changed slowly, in fact they seemed to drag, but the school year finally came to an end. I finally received better grades on my report card...even in geometry. I packed my bags and Dad drove me back to Aunt Vickie's house ready to begin work at the gum factory. It was so good to see everyone, and Jordan and I couldn't wait to begin exploring and cleaning out the factory for Mr. Dooley.
On our first day of work, Jordan and I gathered all of our supplies. We had buckets of soapy water, brooms, and window cleaner. We tied bandanas around our heads to keep the hair out of our eyes. We scrubbed the old cement walls and metal tables downstairs until they sparkled. We had so much fun. As we cleaned we threw soapy water at each other and then laughed while we cleaned it up. We carried our supplies upstairs. We both stopped and looked quietly at the door where our crazy adventures had begun only the year before.
Jordan looked at me, "Well, that room needs cleaning too. Besides, we have nothing to worry about, Mr. Dooley has taken care of that grum so nobody will ever get their hands on it again.”
We opened the large metal door. It was pretty dirty, I don't think anyone had been in there since we had the summer before. I took out a sponge and started cleaning off the table with foamy warm water. Jordan picked up the broom and began sweeping piles of dirt together.
I reached up and began to clean off the filthy metal shelves above and something caught my eye. There, covered in cobwebs, sat the last amount of Grum. Mr. Dooley had forgotten to dispose of it last summer!
"Jordan" I whispered, "Get over
here! You are never going to believe what I just found!"
Jordan quickly joined me and her eyes were as large as saucers. "I can't believe Mr. Dooley forgot to put it away!" she said.
I sat quietly staring at the Grum.
Jordan hesitantly reached over and grabbed the last remaining whole piece of gum from the pack.
"Jordan!" I said loudly, "What do you think you are doing? We shouldn't even be handling that crazy stuff!"
Jordan looked at me with a look of bemusement on her face. She slowly unraveled the piece of gum, tore it in half and handed me the other half.
She smiled as she put the piece in her mouth and chewed slowly. "Crazy huh? Well let's have ourselves the craziest summer ever Carol!"
She slowly began to disappear just as she had a year ago. "Jordan!" I screamed, "This is unbelievably crazy!" I yelled after her.
Then I felt a slow grin cross my face, I carefully put the half piece of grum in my mouth, and slowly began chewing.
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