“Wake up, wake up,” shouted Clark. “C’mon, Lewis, it’s almost time to go!”
“Mmpf,” snorted Lewis and snuggled deeper into his quilt.
“Oh, you are such a sleepyhead,” said Clark. “The limo is coming to get us in 45 minutes so GET UP!”
“Forty-five minutes?” asked Lewis, “at 3:15 AM?!!”
“Yes,” said Clark, “and I thought you’d want to get up and preen your feathers and check all your lists.”
“Seriously, Clark,” said Lewis, “between you and Beeba it would be impossible to forget anything! Plus I think that you are the last passenger on an airplane who still gets spruced up so you can be squished and jostled while flying.”
“Maybe you are used to flying,” replied Clark, a little hurt by Lewis’s remark, “but it’s still exciting to me.”
It was true that Lewis was more used to flying being as how he is a duck. Clark, on the other hand, enjoyed flying only in short hops rather than non-stop.
Beeba, Zayde, Clark and Lewis got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. In fact, the TSA inspectors were not ready to start inspecting until about 15 minutes after they got in line. Finally, they got on the plane.
“I think these are not as nice seats as the ones we had flying home from Italy,” complained Lewis. “I feel a little squashed.”
“I agree,” said Clark, “we had our own little compartments to sit in on our previous flight. Here we have to be squished in with magazines.”
“If I were you,” warned Beeba, “I’d adjust my attitudes. You know I could have put you in the luggage.”
“Gee,” whispered Lewis to Clark, “I think Beeba needs a little nap.”
Before too long the menus came for breakfast. Everyone brightened up considerably.
“What do you want to have, Clark,” asked Lewis, “Cereal or eggs with sausage?”
“Oh definitely the eggs. They sound way more exciting,” said Clark.
But the eggs were not too exciting. Clark and Lewis ate some but wished they had ordered the cereal instead. The best part of the breakfast was the bagel with blackberry jam.
“I wish there had been some nice over easy bugs for breakfast,” said Clark.
“I agree,” said Lewis. “I think we will have to wait until we get to Aunt Peggy’s to catch a few.”
Clark and Lewis spent the rest of the flight coloring in their American Airlines coloring book and singing songs about airplanes. They were disappointed that they couldn’t flutter and hop up and down the aisle. The flight was very bumpy and they had to stay in their seats almost the whole time. But soon enough they landed and took a ride on the luggage cart which made them happy.
“Whee!” shouted Lewis.
“Push us faster please, Zayde,” asked Clark.
Uncle Ted and Aunt Peggy picked them up and everyone was so glad to see one another. Aunt Peggy and Beeba gave each other big hugs. Then they all got in the car for the ride to Marco Island.
“I want to sit with Aunt Peggy,” said Lewis.
“No, I want to sit with Aunt Peggy,” said Clark.
“Pick me, pick me,” said Lewis as he tried to push Clark out of the way.
Aunt Peggy just laughed. “Here, you can both sit with me!”
After getting up so early and the excitement of the trip, Clark and Lewis were tired. They fell asleep sitting with Aunt Peggy and when they all got to Marco Island, Beeba picked them up gently and put them to bed.
“Goodnight, little travelers,” whispered Beeba. “There will be time for new adventures tomorrow.”