Incredible Summer - Chapters 1 and 2

CHAPTER #1

On the Last Day of School

    There's a story I heard once years ago. It began out on a hillside one beautiful day, early in the month of June. The sun was streaming down. Everywhere the feeling of summer was on everyone's mind. School was just getting out, and if hearing that doesn't send warm vibrations right through you, then it's been a long time since you were in school. Yes, it was the kind of day that made you want to drop whatever you were carrying and climb up into the hills, or skip rocks along the river, or lay down in the open fields and watch the clouds.
    In the middle of all this sunshine and warmth, a small boy made his way up one of the hills outside of town. No one else was with him. He was alone with his thoughts, and what those thoughts included isn't really ours to say. His destination was a small cemetery, and he went there every week to visit, for this was the year little Barnaby Plumber lost his family, his home, his parents, and it seems more than half of his young identity.
    If you had been there you would have seen him go over to one of the tombstones, kneel down, and stay there for a while, lost in thought and memories, and your heart would have gone out to him even while you stood there watching. One thing about Barnaby Plumber: he has a way of winning your heart.
    But even while he spent his few sacred moments on the hill outside of town, the afternoon mail was being delivered by Mr. Wilshire, the postman. He stopped to talk a moment on the front porch at 17 Spruce Lane.
    "Good afternoon, Mrs. Brindle."
    "Well, hello there, John. Got any mail for us this fine afternoon?"
    "Nothing for Barnaby this time."
    "Too bad. He could probably use a good letter. He's on his way home from school, but I think it will take him a little bit longer today."
    The postman didn't seem surprised to hear this. He just nodded a kind of understanding nod. "I do have a letter for you though," he continued. "Arrived from Benderburg this morning. I thought it might be from your brother, Al."
    "Oh good," said Grandma Brindle as she took the letter. "I wrote to my brother last week. I'm hoping Barnaby can spend the summer there. It would be good for the young lad."
    The postman laughed a wonderful laugh, as though he could see it all already . "Yes, a summer with Uncle Al-that might be just the ticket," he said. "Well, I better be moving along. Good afternoon, Mrs. Brindle."
    "Good afternoon, John."
    The postman moved off, and Grandma Brindle, opening the letter, began to read. She was just finishing when the young lad previously mentioned appeared on the front lawn and came walking up the porch steps.
    "Hello, Barnaby. Could you sit down for a moment?"
    "Sure, Grandma. What's up?"
    "Today was the last day of school, wasn't it?"
    "Yes. Summer starts now."
    "How would you like to spend your summer vacation in a more exciting place than this?" She paused to let her words take effect.
    "Where?" Barnaby asked.
    "I received a letter today from my youngest brother, Al. He lives in the town of Benderburg. I wrote him asking if perhaps you could come spend the summer there. It's a good place for a boy like you, and Uncle Al will help you get your mind off your sorrow. He wrote back and said to come right along. What do you say?"
    Barnaby thought a moment. "I don't know what to say? I guess I'll go."
    "The train leaves this afternoon," Grandma said. "I'll help pack your things, and you can make yourself a nice snack to take with you, alright?"
    So it was that little Barnaby Plumber, orphan of just a few months, stood with his grandmother at the country station one beautiful day in June, holding a ticket to Benderburg in one hand, and most of the rest of his life's belongings in the other. He climbed aboard and waved out the window. Grandma Brindle watched and waved till he was out of sight. She was going to miss him, for even in his sadness he had brought a ray of unclouded sunshine to her heart, but this was the best she had to offer. Now she had done all she could. The rest was in other hands.
    Barnaby looked out the window, while the train sped across the countryside, and breathed a quiet prayer.
    "Dear God, I don't really know where I'm going, but I know I need a place where there's love. Please help me find the love I need. In Jesus Name, Amen."
     So began "The Incredible Summer of Barnaby Plumber."

Song 1 - Somewhere There's Love For Me

Say, is there love for everyone in the world
Or for just a few who happen to be lucky
Hey doesn't it seem like every boy and girl
Should have a place where it's easy to be happy

Somewhere a place... somewhere a home...
Somewhere a spot you can call your own
And no one to tell you that you don't belong
A pocketful of reasons to be singing a happy song

"Rusty River. Rusty River Junction.
Rapid Falls coming up. All aboard!"

I sure hope there's love for everyone in the world
I have my own kind of personal reason
Cause if there's love for everyone in the world
Then somewhere there's love for me

"Come on! Let's get a little life on this train."

Somewhere a place... somewhere a home...
Somewhere a spot you can call your own
And no one to tell you that you don't belong
A pocketful of reasons to be singing a happy song

"Rapid Falls. All passengers for Rapid Falls.
Next stop, Benderburg. All aboard!"

I sure hope there's love for everyone in the world
I have my own kind of personal reason
Cause if there's love for everyone in the world
Then somewhere there's love for me

"Benderburg. All passengers for Benderburg. Thank you for riding with us, young man. Have a wonderful summer."

"Thank you, sir."

    Barnaby waved at the conductor and watched the train pull away and around the lazy bend. Then he looked around to see where he was. "So this is Benderburg," he said to himself, and then, because no one was there to meet him, he sat down on a nearby crate.
    Presently a man came walking across the platform, whistling as though he hadn't a care in the world. He wasn't in a hurry, and didn't appear to notice Barnaby at all till suddenly it flashed into his consciousness that he was staring at a small bundle of humanity sitting on a box. The man's whistling stopped while he sized up the situation. Then he laughed a little, and walked a few steps closer to the boy.
    "Hello," he said. "I was wondering if you could help me with something. I'm looking for a young man who answers to the name of-," and here he snapped his fingers as if he couldn't quite remember the name.
    "Barnaby Plumber?" ventured Barnaby.
    The man stopped short. "How'd you know?" he asked, obviously pleased, since he had guessed all along who it was, and he certainly hadn't forgotten the name.
    "It's me!" said Barnaby, jumping up.
    "It is?" said the man. "Well, now, what a coincidence," and he sat down on one side of the crate. "Pleased to meet you. My name's Uncle Al."
    Barnaby reached out to shake the man's hand and said, "Pleased to meet you too," mostly because he didn't know what else to say, and he did want to be polite.
    Uncle Al sensed the boy's uncertainty and decided to put him at ease as soon as possible. "Hey, turn around and let's take a look at you. Yes-sir-ree," he said as Barnaby spun around, "I see an intelligent young man with a bright future ahead of him."
    "Well, I don't know about a bright future," Barnaby said, and he sat back down on the other end of the crate. "Right now all I'm hoping for is a good summer."
    Something about that line, or maybe the way Barnaby looked down when he said it, took Uncle Al by surprise. It was one of those sayings that arrives unannounced, carrying more than the usual amount of significance. He paused. "I understand, " he said at last. Then trying to steer the conversation toward something brighter, he said, "Let's take a look at your knapsack? Watcha got? A treasure map from some exotic island? Gold and silver coins? A fake mustache so you can sneak through enemy territory?"
    Barnaby shook his head no, amused as Uncle Al spun his imaginative questions. "Nope," he said. "Just sandwiches."
    "Sandwiches!" said Uncle Al. "Let's have a look." He opened the sack and pulled one out.
    Barnaby explained. "Peanut butter and jelly." He said the same thing when Uncle Al pulled out the second one. By this time Uncle Al was beginning to get the idea, so when the third sandwich appeared, they announced it together. "Peanut butter and jelly."
    But when Uncle Al reached for the last sandwich, Barnaby interrupted. "Just jelly," he said.
    "Just jelly?" Uncle Al asked. "How come?"
    "Cause I ran out of peanut butter," said Barnaby. And then without warning he just started laughing, as if it was one of the funniest things to make a jelly sandwich when the other important ingredient was no longer available. He laughed a little, and then a little more, then finally, abandoning himself to his sense of humor, lifted his hands over his head and fell over backwards onto the crate.
    Uncle Al watched in amazement, for just one minute before the child's honesty had left him searching for words, and now the young boy's humorous view of the world had turned the tide before he himself could make the adjustments. All he could do was watch as Barnaby laughed his way back to life's brighter side. Then, finally, he couldn't contain himself any longer. Laughing out loud, he concluded, "Barnaby Plumber! I think we're going to get along just fine. Come on, let's go."
    And if you had been there you would have seen a crate on an empty railway platform, and two people walking down the street who were already good friends.

CHAPTER #2

Who's Who in Town

    Perhaps I should tell you a little more about Uncle Al. He is indeed the youngest brother of Mrs. Brindle, Barnaby's grandmother, which I suppose makes him Barnaby's great uncle. He's kind of an inventor more than anything else, though none of his inventions have succeeded, as far as I know. Still, that doesn't keep him from trying, or from enjoying his work. Everyone seems to know him, and his heart is big enough to include them all, which makes it hard to tell whether he adopted the town or whether they adopted him.
    The town looks typical enough at first, but appearances can be deceiving. For one thing, none of the names in town are connected to the right people. It's so mixed up that a local poet wrote some lines, the band director set it to music, and the town radio station, WBRG, broadcasts it every morning for all the visitors and tourists. Better listen in, or else when you visit you'll be hopelessly confused.

Song 2 - Benderburg's Crazy Names!

Nobody has the right name here in this crazy town
Don't ask me how it happened but somehow
    everything's mixed around
And the only way to keep from getting confused is
    don't pay attention to the names you use
Cause everyone's got the job that they're not
Benderburg's Crazy Names

You'd think the postman would be Mr. Post
But he isn't - Mr. Post bakes really good bread
But that doesn't mean he's the baker, you see
He owns the Restaurant just down the street
And if he owns the Restaurant, then Mrs. Cook
Can't be the cook - not any more
She owns the hat shop right next door
THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS

You'd think the pastor would be Mr. Church
But Mr. Church owns an orchard at the end of the street Call on Mr. Button if a pastor you need
And the tailor's name is Mrs. Appleseed
THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS

Nobody has the right name here in this crazy town
Don't ask me how it happened but somehow
    everything's mixed around
And the only way to keep from getting confused is
    don't pay attention to the names you use
Cause everyone's got the job that they're not
Benderburg's Crazy Names

Now the eye doctor's name is not Mr. Blink
Mr. Blink pumps fuel into everyone's tank
If you need a loan talk to Mr. Farmer
Don't bother talking to Mr. Banks
Cause he runs the pet shop just over there
And Grandpapa Snips won't cut your hair
Mr. Snips is a farmer - has been for years
Mr. Fuel trims your hair when it's over your ears
THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS

Nobody has the right name here in this crazy town
Don't ask me how it happened but somehow
    everything's mixed around
And the only way to keep from getting confused is
    don't pay attention to the names you use
Cause everyone's got the job that they're not
Benderburg's Crazy Names
Benderburg's Crazy Names - Yeah!

    The second thing that sets Benderburg apart from the rest is this: the girls softball team. They're the best for miles around. In fact, they're better than the boys baseball team - a lot better. They throw harder, they hit harder, and they practice harder. The boys don't like it very much, but what can they say? Every summer at the big game, the girls destroy them. Of course, this sets the normal social order on edge too, since none of the boys wants to show any affection for their arch rivals. That's why all the boys in town started to like this one girl named Robin, and I might as well tell you the main reason. She's the only girl who doesn't play on the girl's softball team.
    Robin's dad runs the pet shop - you remember, his name is Mr. Banks - and instead of playing sports, Robin enjoys helping with the animals. Of course, all this was too much for the local poet and band director to resist. Here they go again!

Song 3 - All The Boys In Town Like Robin Banks

All the boys in town like a girl named Robin
But what does she like? She likes the animals
Her father owns the Pet Shop in Benderburg
And every morning she walks the dogs

(Walking the dogs)

It used to be that boys would send you flowers
Or maybe write a letter saying something nice
But even though roses are on sale at the Flower Shop
All the young men said, "No Thanks!"
Cause every boy in town, every boy in town
Every boy in town likes Robin Banks.

All the boys in town like a girl named Robin
But she hardly notices... she likes zoology
Her father owns the Pet Shop in Benderburg
And every morning she walks the camel

(Walking the camel)

It used to be that boys would send you chocolate
Or maybe write a letter saying something nice
But even though candy is on sale at the Flower Shop
All the young men said, ''No Thanks!"
Cause every boy in town, every boy in town
Every boy in town likes Robin Banks
Robin Banks... Robin Banks...
"She makes my head spin"
Robin... Banks!