Dispatch From Disneyland
Page 2 of 2

Now that you're onboard, it's time to explore the ship's nooks and crannies. Grabbing your little sis by the hand, you wave goodbye to your mom. Ignoring her protests you run off.

First stop, the boiler room. A gray haired engineer holds his greasy hands around a large green lever. He's looking around at a few gages on the wall, tapping those that seem to have the wrong readings until they register correctly, and generally mumbling to himself. The look on his face seems very serious to you.

In her sing song voice your little sister asks him "What are you doing?"

Not startled, but pulled out of his focus, the engineer smiles at her and says, "I'm awaiting the Captain's orders to get under way."

"When I pull this lever," he continues, "it gives steam to the two large pistons that drive the sternwheeler. The more steam I let through, the faster she goes."

"Ooooooh," utters your little sister. You can tell she's about to ask another question, but before she can formulate her query a loud bell rings and she covers her ears in protest.

From out of a little hole in the wall you hear someone yell, 'Engine Room. Ahead one quarter speed.' The engineer winks slyly at you and moves the giant lever forward just so slightly while keeping a close eye on the gages.

Everything gets much louder. You realize your little sis has the right idea by covering her ears. Copying her you strain to hear as the engineer yells back into the pipe, "Aye Sir. Engine one quarter speed." The floor lurches under your feet and the great sternwheeler is underway.

Off to your right you notice the loading dock, and your past, slipping away. Suddenly you get the urge to go find your mother. Peeling one of your sister's hands off her ears, you grab a hold of her and race up a nearby flight of stairs.

As the sound of the engine room falls away a new sound encroaches. At first you hear what sounds like a gaggle of geese honking away. As you turn the corner you realize the deck is full of busy adults. They're all talking lickety-split and you can't understand a single word they're saying. "It sounds like geese!" exclaims your sister, confirming your observation.

You'd be willing to bet your best marble your mom and dad are out there among the crowd. If there ever was a couple of adults who liked to talk, it was them. The floor is thick with adults as you weave your way around their legs and baggage. Occasionally your sister breaks free of your grasp and you have to go back and retrieve her. But a lollypop from your secret stash keeps her quiet.

You still haven't found your parents, but you notice a subtle shift in the mood of the adults. Their attention has shifted toward the back of the boat, the direction you're heading. At last you break through into a little clearing in front of a small stage. Four young men in matching clothes are stationed there. The one holding a long black stick blows into it and a low soulful note pulls out across the boat deck silencing everything else.

A second band member picks up a large bass fiddle and comes in below the note with a slow steady under-rhythm. Then the pianist chimes in with some minor chords. Now you recognize the tune. It's a gospel number that you've heard sung at the Baptist church down the street from your old house -- A Closer Walk With Thee.

Just when the song hits a solemn bottom chord and you think to yourself 'I don't need to hear this church music,' the banjo player strums in with an upbeat tempo that counters the dark mood. The band shifts gears into a bright and shiny Dixieland version of the song. You've never heard gospel music played this way before, but something about it strikes a chord deep inside you.

You feel a hand on your shoulder and look up. It's your Dad smiling at you and tapping his toes to the music. To your side your mom picks up your little sister and dances around a little bit. Despite the fact that you're on the water, travelling north to a new life, you feel at home. All the worries of your uncertain future fade into the waters below you. Together your family can handle anything.

The band slides into it's second song, a more familiar tune - Alexander's Ragtime Band, and the mood of the Mark Twain's passengers becomes more joyous. Some even sing along. It's going to be a fun trip north to St. Louis and your new life.

-- Indigo

-- Posted March 1, 1999