Life In The Gumball Machine – Vinnie And Gordy’s Return

by Maureen Bartone

Daisy sat back on her heels. “How can you be so sure they’re not down there?”

  “Because, even if they were washed in the washing machine, we would have found them,” Michael said.

  The other kids nodded as they each took a section of Daisy’s room and canvassed every area small enough to hold their two tiny pals.

  On her stomach, Daisy peered under her bed, feeling with her hand as she called out to Vinnie and Gordy. Across the room, Violet went through the dresser drawers, while Patrick and Michael split the area near the windows.

  For a few minutes, the only sounds coming from Daisy’s room were their grunts and groans, as they reached and pushed and pulled, desperately searching for Vinnie and Gordy.

  Michael stood to stretch his legs and glanced out the window. Down in the backyard, he saw Sammie sitting in the grass with his head in his hands.

  “Hey, you guys. Check this out. What’s up with Sammie? He looks like he’s crying.”

  “Sammie’s always crying about something. Forget about him. Keep looking,” Daisy said.

  But Michael continued watching Sammie. In the distance, he saw Daisy’s big brother Joe and his friend Zach walking toward Sammie, who quickly stood up. The two bigger boys grabbed Sammie and spun him in circles and yanked on his arm. Michael shook his head.

  Bullies.

  Then, the two bigger kids stopped spinning him. Sammie held his hand behind his back and stepped backward. He was obviously upset. The three of them talked some more, though Michael couldn’t hear the conversation. He watched as Sammie’s hand opened and the three of them looked down at it.

  Then, Michael saw Joe hold out his hand as Sammie handed him something, but Michael couldn’t see what it was. Then, Joe jerked his hand back and started to laugh. Sammie’s sobs could be heard through the upstairs window.

  “Something’s going on with Sammie and Joe. I’ll be right back,” Michael said. Daisy tried to protest, but Michael had already left the room and was running down the stairs.

  JOE IGNORED HIS LITTLE BROTHER and turned to Zach. Holding his hand out to show him, he said, “We could make a lot of money showing these little dudes to our friends.”

  “Yeah. What do you think? Fifty cents per peek?” Zach raised his eyebrows and smiled. He took the gumballs from Joe.

  “That sounds about right,” Joe said.

  Then Zach said, “And for a buck, they can do this−”

  Sammie lunged at Zach. “No!”

  Zach ignored him and jerked up his hand, tossing Vinnie and Gordy into the air like he was a juggler.

  Gordy screamed, but Vinnie had no strength to make the slightest sound. The two little gumballs saw nothing but sky as they soared into the air and then zoomed back into Zach’s hand. Zach continued to juggle them, and each time they landed back in his hand, Sammie felt the jarring pain in his back. He let out a muffled moan.

  Joe laughed and nodded his head. “We’re going to make some serious money.”

  Sammie fought back the tears as he tried to reach for them. “No. Give them back. You’ll hurt them.”

  Zach threw Vinnie and Gordy back to Joe who caught them, and then squeezed them in his hand and held it above his head. Sammie jumped and reached as he desperately tried to get Vinnie and Gordy back. It was useless. If he jumped his highest, his hands still only reached Joe’s wrists.

  Without thinking, he lunged at his big brother. He wanted to tackle him, but Joe just shoved him to the ground. Sammie landed hard and the pain in his back shot through him like fire. He fell back, moaning and holding his side. He heard Vinnie’s small moan too, as their pain melded. When Joe tightened his grip around Vinnie and Gordy, the crack in Vinnie’s shell grew and he screamed out in pain.

  Joe heard a tiny voice shouting up to him. “Please stop!”

  Joe and Zach heard this strange-sounding voice−so small and faint−and stopped to check out the talking gumball.

  Joe grinned. “This just gets better and better. These little guys can talk!”

  “That’s awesome!” Zach said. “Let’s get to work.”

  Joe nodded. “We might be able to charge more if we can get them to talk.”

  As the two older boys turned to leave the backyard, Joe called back to his little brother, still sitting on the ground holding his side. “Later, dude!”

  Sammie started to cry, and the two boys laughed as they turned the corner around the house, headed for the street in front.

  Though they had already disappeared around the side of the house, Sammie still shouted, “No! Bring them back to me!”

  Joe and Zach heard his cries, but ignored him and continued on their way.

  Vinnie and Gordy were crunched up inside Joe’s fist. Their feet were bent up to their bellies, and their arms were smashed to their sides. But the worst part was that their faces were plastered against the sweaty palm of Joe’s hand. They couldn’t remember ever being this uncomfortable.

  As they walked toward the front of the house, Zach looked at Joe and said, “Can I hold them?”

  “No, you can’t hold them. I’m in charge,” Joe said. “You’re just my assistant. Don’t worry though. You’ll get a chance to juggle them for our audience.”

  Zach grinned. “Cool!”

  16

  They’ve Been Kidnapped!

  IN THE BACKYARD, Sammie tried to get up, but the pain in his back and side wouldn’t allow it. He cried even harder−both from the pain and from worry for his two new friends. They couldn’t be in worse hands.

  Just then, Michael opened the screen door and peeked out at Sammie. He saw that Sammie was crying and ran down the steps, calling out to him.

  “What’s wrong Sammie?”

  Sammie was sitting on the grass, legs folded, sobbing. Hearing Michael’s voice, he looked up and saw Michael running toward him.

  “J-Joe’s g-got them!”

  “Got what?”

  “Not ‘what’−‘who,’” Sammie cried.

  “Okay. Who? Who does Joe have? Stop crying. I can’t understand you.”

  Michael was beginning to think this was a waste of time.

  Sammie wiped his eyes and took a breath. “The−the g-gumball guys. The black one and the white one. You know−Vinnie and Gordy.”

  Michael raised his eyebrows and inhaled. He held his breath for a second and then slowly blew it out. He wasn’t sure if he should be happy that Vinnie and Gordy had been found, or worried that Joe had them.

  Sammie choked and cried between his words, but he continued to talk−to confess.

  “I’m sorry! I−I−just wanted to play with them. I took them from Daisy’s room and gave them a nice ride on Lola. I think they were having a lot of fun because they were laughing−or maybe they were screaming−I’m not sure. Anyway, Lola saw a cat run across the yard and she chased it. I screamed for her to stop, but she wouldn’t listen to me. And she was so fast. I couldn’t catch her.”

  Michael scrunched his face. “Uh-oh. Then what happened?”

  “Well, the little gumballs and the glasses−I had them taped to my sunglasses−they fell backward and down Lola’s back. Then they fell into the plants and flowers at the bottom of the tree, and I started crawling around looking for them.”

  Tears welled in his eyes as he continued telling his story to Michael.

  “That’s when Joe came snooping around, wondering what I was looking for. He started kicking the plants and stomping on them, so I screamed, ‘Stop! You’ll kill them!’ But Joe just smiled and said, ‘Kill what?’ And so I showed Vinnie and Gordy to him and his friend, Zach.”

  Michael shook his head. “Zach’s not a good kid, is he?”

  “No. He’s so mean. Anyway, they started spinning me around, and I was worried Vinnie and Gordy would fall out, so I showed them to Joe and Zach. Then I tried to hide them with my hands, but Joe started pinching me real hard. I started crying, but he wouldn’t stop pinching me until I told him they could see them. That’s when he tricked me.”

  �
�How? How did he trick you?” Michael asked.

  “He told me he would help me and that I should let him hold them.”

  “Then what, Sammie? Tell me!”

  Sammie started to cry as he continued his story. “He started juggling them in the air, and I was so afraid for Vinnie and Gordy. And they’re both hurt, Michael. Their shells are cracked. But Vinnie looks the worst. He’s real bad.”

  “Oh no!” Michael said.

  Sammie nodded. “And then Joe told Zach they could make a lot of money showing Vinnie and Gordy to their friends. He was very excited. Then they took Vinnie and Gordy and left. They kidnapped them! It’s all my fault. I believed Joe would help me and I let him hold them. He tricked me.”

  Sammie cried hard, brushing the tears as they poured down his face.

  As he listened to Sammie, Michael peered up at Daisy’s bedroom window. When he saw Violet look out, he waved his hand letting her know it was urgent. Violet disappeared from the window.

  Sammie whimpered as he continued telling Michael everything that happened, including his magical experience with Vinnie and Gordy. Then he told Michael about his terrible pain, and how his pain was because of Vinnie’s pain.

  Michael shook his head. What a story! And Sammie looked so sad. He knelt down and put his arm around him. “Don’t worry. We’ll get them back from Joe and Zach.”

  The butterflies in Sammie’s stomach settled a bit. It was nice to have someone on his side. He didn’t feel so alone. Michael was pretty cool.

  Michael continued. “We may need your help. Do you think you’re up to it with your sore back?”

  Sammie nodded. He thought about his sister. “Daisy will be so mad at me.”

  “You can bet on that. But don’t worry. She’ll get over it.” Michael smiled. “Then she’ll be mad at Joe, and you’ll be off the hook, okay?”

  Sammie took a deep breath and nodded. “We have to go after them, Michael. We have to. Vinnie is in real danger, and I’m afraid Gordy will be too, once they start their juggling act.”

  “Okay. Here, let me help you up.”

  As Michael helped Sammie, they turned to see Daisy, Violet, and Patrick come out the back door and run down the steps. Daisy’s anxious and worried expression made Sammie nervous.

  Before she even got to them, Daisy started yelling at Sammie. “Did you take them?”

  Michael put his hands up to interrupt her. “Daisy, just listen.”

  Daisy ignored him and glared at her little brother. “Sammie, you are in so much trouble. I should have known it was you who lost them. If we don’t find Vinnie and Gordy, I’ll never speak to you again!”

  Sammie sat back on the ground and started bawling. “I’m sorry Daisy. I−I j-just wanted to give them a nice ride. I’ve ruined everything. Now they’re gone!”

  Her face was snarled and twisted as Daisy lunged at her little brother. “So you did lose them!” Her eyes stung and tears welled over.

  Michael jumped in front of Sammie to protect him from his angry sister. Reaching out his hand to stop her, he said, “Wait a minute, Daisy. Just stop and listen, okay?”

  “Listen to what? Where are they?” Daisy shouted.

  Michael explained the whole story, and all the while, Daisy shook her head and glared at Sammie.

  “If Joe hurts them or loses them, this will be your fault, Sammie.” She brushed a tear from her cheek.

  Sammie stared at the ground. “I’m so sorry, Daisy. I just wanted them to have a little fun. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  Daisy’s opened her mouth to say more, but seeing the look on Michael’s face made her stop. She could tell from his expression that whatever was happening−it was bad.

  “Vinnie and Gordy are in serious trouble and we need to help them−now,” Michael said. “We have no time to argue, yell or scream. Tell them what you told me, Sammie.”

  Sammie tried to talk, but he was so upset, he couldn’t get the words out. Michael helped him by repeating his story. Sammie only interrupted if he needed to correct him. Daisy, Patrick, and Violet stood in stunned silence, listening to every word. They occasionally looked over at Sammie as they listened. Once they heard the whole story, they understood why Sammie was in so much pain.

  Daisy knelt down to Sammie and wiped a strand of curly hair from his face and then wiped the tears from his eyes.

  “I’m sorry I yelled at you, Sammie.”

  Sammie gave her a sad little smile. “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not okay. I should have listened to you and I shouldn’t have made you cry. We’re family and I’m sorry. And don’t worry−we’ll get Vinnie and Gordy back, okay?”

  Sammie gave her a weak smile. “Okay.” They bumped fists, and then Daisy and Violet helped him up.

  “Okay,” Michael said. “We’re wasting time. We need to find Joe and get our little buddies back.”

  “Let’s go get ‘em!” Patrick shouted.

  17

  The Plan

  IN THE BACKYARD, the five kids gathered in a circle as Michael took charge.

  “Okay. Let’s first find out where Joe and Zach went and then we’ll come up with a plan.”

  Daisy, Patrick, Michael, Violet, and now Sammie, felt a rush of excitement as they realized they were now Vinnie and Gordy’s rescue team. They took off running around the side of the house. When they reached the front, Joe and Zach were nowhere to be seen.

  “I’ll go check inside,” Sammie said.

  Michael looked down the street and said, “Wait a minute Sammie. I just saw them turn the corner a couple of blocks up the street. Where do you think they’re going?”

  “There’s only one place I can think of,” Daisy said. She and Sammie said it together. “Zach’s house.”

  “Who’s Zach?” Violet asked.

  “Zach is Joe’s best friend,” Daisy said. “And if you think Joe is a big, mean bully, you haven’t seen anything.”

  “Yeah,” Sammie said. “One time, when I was younger, Zach hung me up on a big tree branch by my overalls straps and left me there. And another time, he and Joe locked me in the basement for two hours while my mom and dad were at the movie theater.

  Daisy nodded and described to Violet how the kids at school scatter whenever they see Zach coming down the hall because they know how much he loves shoving people into the lockers.

  “He doesn’t seem to like anyone. I’ve actually seen him in a couple of fights on the playground. He always wins.”

  Patrick and Michael agreed Zach was trouble.

  “We need to rescue Vinnie and Gordy before Joe and Zach do something terrible,” Michael said.

  The five kids stood on the sidewalk outside Daisy and Sammie’s house, unsure of their next move. Daisy spoke first. “Let’s go inside and work up a plan.”

  The five of them turned and headed up the front steps and into the house. They walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. As Daisy was taking some paper and pens from a drawer and passing them around, Sammie winced in pain. Daisy turned to him.

  “What’s wrong Sammie? Is it your back again?”

  Sammie nodded. “It felt like somebody just poked me−hard. It’s a little better now.”

  Daisy turned to the others. “You guys, we need to hurry. I’m really worried about Sammie.”

  Sammie wrapped his arms around his stomach and this time, he buckled forward. “A-a-h-h! Somebody’s hurting Vinnie!”

  “We don’t have much time. We need to think fast,” Violet said.

  They started calling out their ideas, while Patrick wrote the best ones on a piece of paper. After about ten minutes, their plan was in place, and they were ready to get started. They gathered the supplies they needed and placed them in two backpacks.

  “I’ll meet you out front. I’m almost done,” Sammie said, as he continued stuffing his backpack. His pain had subsided and he knew that for the moment anyway, Vinnie was alright.

  “Okay, Sammie. But hurry up,” Daisy said.


  Ready for battle, Daisy, Patrick, Michael, and Violet left Sammie in the kitchen. They marched through the living room and out the front door.

  As they walked down the steps, Violet said, “I have to run home and get my bike. Don’t leave without me.” She was already near the street.

  The others climbed onto their bikes. “Don’t worry, Violet. We’ll wait for you. We need you!” Daisy called.

  Violet turned and smiled as she reached the other side of the street. After a few minutes, she returned with her bike. She had a plastic bag hanging on the handlebars.

  “Ready for action,” she said. “My mom wants me home by four-thirty. Look. She gave us a snack.”

  She opened the bag to show them some juice boxes and small packages of crackers. “We might need these later.”

  “Good idea!” Patrick said. “I called my mom. She wants me home by four-thirty too.”

  Michael looked up at Daisy’s house. “What’s taking Sammie so long?”

  “I’ll go get him,” Daisy said. “He’s such a slow‑poke.”

  Sammie was packing the last of the items he needed for the battle with Joe and Zach when Daisy peeked around the kitchen door.

  “What’s taking you so long, Sammie? Come on. Grab your backpack and let’s go. Everyone else is on their bikes and ready.”

  “Sorry Daisy,” Sammie said. “I’ll be right there.”

  “Hurry up.”

  Daisy let the door swing, walked back through the living room and outside.

  After packing binoculars, balloons, and a Frisbee, Sammie zipped up his backpack and started for the back door. His mother’s voice stopped him.

  “Where are you off to in such a hurry, Sammie?” He turned to see her standing at the in the kitchen doorway.

  “A-h-h … We’re all going to Zach’s.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Zach’s?”

  “Yep. He and Joe have some secret game they’re playing, so we’re going to check it out.”

  “Hmm.”

  Mrs. Lannon thought this was odd. None of them ever wanted to play with Joe or Zach. She shrugged her shoulders. Maybe they were growing up.

  “Okay. Be careful on your bikes, watch out for cars, and don’t be gone too long.”