chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next morning brought a light dusting of October frost that clung to the tree limbs like frozen cocoons and crunched lightly underfoot. Chris walked down Market Way, dipping and weaving through the crowd as easily as a hot knife cuts through butter. He was headed for the warehouse.

The warehouse was one of the biggest buildings in Dumberkew. It’s intention: to store valuables such as the hot air balloon. But what happened was quite different.

The townspeople, needing somewhere to put their old junk that they should have thrown out years ago (it is a well-known fact that 99.9 percent of Dumberkewians were certified packrats) stashed all their old garbage and trinkets in the warehouse. Now it was bulging with so much stuff that people were afraid the warehouse would pop like a balloon. But Chris didn’t really want to think about popping balloons when Sally was down there fixing to go up in one.

Chris ducked underneath the wild hedges that separated the warehouse from Market Way and came out in a large dirt lot (it is also a well-known fact that Dumberkewians don’t pave anything so driveways, roads, and trails are all dirt or pebble stone).

In the middle of the lot was Sally Dumberkew.

Chris was impressed. She had somehow managed to lug the cumbersome air balloon and basket out of the cluttered warehouse along with the burner.

Sally stood a ways off from the balloon, panting heavily. When she noticed Chris, standing stark still by the hedges with bits of leaves stuck in his hair, she beamed and beckoned him over. Chris walked slowly across the lot, stopping to run his fingers along the rim of the basket. It was cold to touch and sent shivers down his spine.

This was Reagan Dumberkew’s very hot air balloon.

“So, you’ve come to join me after all,” Sally said, breaking Chris’s thoughts.

Chris looked at her. Sally grinned back, her eyes sparkling, her blond hair swept back into a ponytail that was tied loosely. She was wearing her favorite straw hat, the one with the large red band around the middle with ribbons that were tied in a bow with the ends flapping loose. She wore a simple red dress that came down to her hips and were sleeveless with spaghetti straps, as she called it. Chris didn’t know what she meant by that because they were most certainly not edible.

Sally sensed Chris’s hesitation and stopped smiling. There was something about this boy that stood in front of her that was cold and unreachable. He was not here to have fun. Gently, she touched his shoulder.

“You aren’t coming, are you Chris?”

Chris stared at her for a long time and then slowly shook his head. Sally removed her hand as if she had been stung and took a step back. Chris’s eyes followed her every move.

“Well that’s too bad,” Sally said quietly. “We could have had so much fun together.” Sally moved farther away from him and then continued at her work pumping up the balloon. Still, Chris watched her.

She had all sorts of handbooks scattered all over lot and had already attached the burner system to the basket, attached the balloon envelope and laid it on the ground. A couple minutes later, the fan at the base of the envelope was on and slowly inflating the hot air balloon. Sally stood back and watched, triumphant, hands on her hips.

“Nice job, Sally,” Chris said, “but you need a crew to hold the basket down when you get on it, otherwise the balloon will just float away.”

Sally gave him a look. “I know that, Chris. I’m going to tie it down with rope and cut the rope when I want to lift off. Simple.” Sally gestured to five snakelike fingers of rope trailing in coils from the basket. “Now help me. I’ve rooted stakes all over this lot.”

“Five?”

Sally smiled. “Yes, Chris, exactly five.”

Painstakingly and tediously, Sally and Chris lugged each heavy finger of rope to one of Sally’s stakes and tied them firmly, while the hot air balloon filled up. Soon all the ropes were tied securely and the balloon was ready for final preparations.

“Help me with the burner,” Sally said, and together they turned on the burner system and stepped back as the blast from the burner heated up the air inside the balloon, filling it all the way and making it start to lift up off the ground. Soon it was upright and tugging on the ropes, like a dog would pull on it’s leash, wanting to break free.

Sally clambered into the basket and leaned over the side. “Chris, pass me one of those handbooks and that toolbox….no, not that handbook, the other one….no not…ok that one, yes, hand it to me.” Chris passed her the handbook and toolbox.

“Sally, I didn’t come to be your crew seeing you off,” Chris said. “I came to stop you from going at all. I don’t want to see you leave. How am I supposed to tell dad and mom? What am I supposed to say?”

“Nothing. I left them a note already. They’ll get it when mom gets out of your shower or your dads comes back from his hayin’ for breakfast.”

“Did you say anything about me?” Chris said anxiously.

“Nah, I wasn’t sure if you were coming. But if you did, I don’t think your parents would mind.”

I think they would.

“Last chance to come aboard.”

Sally held her hand out to Chris but Chris just stared at it, unsure of what to do. Sally was his little sister, his best friend. If she went alone, she would be hurt or killed, or never come back. And if Chris went…he would be a hero. He wouldn’t be a nobody, he would be a somebody. He’d finally win his place in the Dumberkew family.

“If you’re worried about supplies and such, I’ve got enough on board for the both of us.”

Chris still didn’t move.

Sally shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She produced a knife from a sheath strapped to her thigh and began to saw at a rope. It snapped easily and the balloon gave a jerk. “But you’re missing out.” She sawed at the next one and it broke, then the next one. The balloon gave a jerk upward at every rope she cut. Chris stepped back and watched her go around the basket, cutting ropes as she went along. Finally, she reached the last one. The hot air balloon was tilted and creaking and pulling hungrily at the rope. Sally looked up. “Goodbye Chris.”

And then she cut the rope.

The moment she did, something kicked into Chris. He couldn’t let Sally go. He couldn’t. He started to run.

The balloon lurched into flight just as Chris leapt up and snatched the rim of the basket.