CHAPTER FOUR
Welcome to Pumpland
Captain Pump grabs George’s arm. George begins to feel weightless, no longer feeling as though he’s falling, but rather . . . flying. He opens his eyes to see a magnificent sight as he and a now full-sized six-foot-two Captain Pump fly over the incredible world of PUMPLAND.
“Wow! I’m flying! I’m really flying!” yells George.
“Yeah, with a little help,” chuckles Captain Pump.
Pumpland is a beautiful world filled with bright vibrant colors and a lush green forest with gardens sprouting everywhere. This is a place where fruits and vegetables thrive to monumental proportions and people are in great shape. It’s a place where the motto is to help each other, live healthy, and become better people every day.
“Welcome to Pumpland, George! A world where fitness, health, and wellness thrive, where being healthy is the way of life and everyone is welcome. It’s also my home. Come on, I’ll show ya around.”
Captain Pump and George float over the majestic land. “Kids are playing . . . outside!” shouts an excited George.
“Yeah! This is the way of life here. Everyone is active. They play Frisbee, kickball, swim, jump rope, shoot hoops, throw balls, ride bikes, go on hikes . . . and so much more.”
“Wow this is amazing!” says George, “Do you really live here?”
“You betcha,” Captain Pump affirms proudly.
As they fly by the CP Tower, Captain Pump says, “We develop Pumpsters there.”
“Pumpsters?” says George.
“Yeah! We teach the important things in life—being fit, healthy, and kind to each other. Someone who is all those things is what we call a Pumpster.”
“Wow, that’s cool. I want to be a Pumpster!” exclaims George.
“You think this is cool? Wait ’til you see the farm and the gym and all the Pumpland animals in the forest . . . there is so much to see and do here.”
“What’s that over there?” George points to a giant carrot emerging from the ground with a giant telescope and satellite popping out of the top.
“That’s where I live. It’s my headquarters. I designed it myself,” says the captain proudly.
“You have a CP School here, too. Just like mine.”
They land in front of three majestic purple buildings that look like giant eggplants. “What are those?” asks George. Captain Pump smiles.
“I had a dream about eggplants and decided to build this eggplant building. We aren’t sure what we’re going to use it for yet, but for some reason I felt drawn to build it, so we are. Construction should be finished in a few days. I can’t wait! And to think it all started with a dream.” Captain Pump smiles. “Dreams do come true, you know. Everything starts with a dream. You get what I mean, George?”
“I sure do, Captain, I sure do.”
“That’s how you create a great life, George . . . first you dream it and then you do it! You know, sometimes you just have to go for it, do what you feel is right like exercising and eating well. You just have to do it!”
George nods. Captain Pump reaches into George’s back pocket and pulls out the comic book that brought him to life . . . the MAGIC comic book.
“Now George, listen carefully. What I am about to tell you is crucial. The only way you can get back and forth between the real world and my world is through this magic comic book. Never lose it and make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Got it?”
“You can count on me,” says George.
“And one more thing. No one will ever remember being in Pumpland . . . except for you, of course.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that when they are here they will know who I am . . .”
“How? What are you gonna do, brainwash them?” asks George.
“No, don’t be silly . . . well, kinda. See, the magic comic book erases their memory of ever traveling through it, and, of course, the experiences they had while in my majestic land. When they return they will go back to the place in time they were at before the magic comic book swallowed them up.”
“So, no memory and no idea of what just happened?”
“Nope. Nothing but a subconscious idea of what could be a better choice.”
“A what?”
“A thought . . . a little voice of reason, you know?”
“Not really, but I’ll take your word for it.” George takes a second to think. “Oh! I get it . . . a MAGIC comic book.”
“Yes, George, a magic comic book. Okay, time for you to go back,” confirms Captain Pump. In the blink of an eye, he pulls George into the magic panels.
He moves, once again, through the pages like a speeding locomotive, screaming as he crashes through the scrolling pages until he comes flying out of the book. He lands back in the teacher’s lounge, crashing to the floor next to the famous ladder he just fell from minutes ago. Did any of that even happen, or was it all just a dream? Ashley kneels at his side as she did a minute ago.
“Are you alright, George?”
“Yeah, I am fine,” insists the dazed janitor.
“Maybe we really should get you to the nurse. This is the second time you have fallen in the last few minutes.”
George lights up like a Christmas tree.
“Wait. The second time?”
“Yes . . . okay, let’s go see Nurse Placebo,” insists Ashley.
“No, no, I’m alright, Ashley. I just need a glass of water and I’ll be fine.”
“You are a strange man, George. Okay. But if you fall one more time . . .”
“Yes. One more time and I will escort myself to the nurse’s office. I promise. What is that you are eating, by the way?”
“It’s leftover grilled eggplant from my dinner last night. It’s my favorite. Do you want some?”
“No thanks. I’m not really hungry right now.”
George remembers the giant purple building he just saw in Pumpland.
“Eggplant is your favorite?” repeats George.
“Yes, I love it!”
Ashley leaves the teacher’s lounge as George pulls the comic book from his back pocket and flips through its pages as the frames all of a sudden start to move. Like watching a live movie unfold in front of your eyes. “Wow! The frames actually move?” Out of nowhere the Captain himself appears and starts going through the pages with George.
“Yes, George, the frames move in real time. See George, this magic comic book lets you see what’s happening with the kids here in the real world. All you have to do is open it up and you’ll see what’s going on right now in this moment.”
“Really?”
“Here . . . look for yourself.”
George sees Guido and Myron sitting in detention with Ms. Barkelott, while the next frame shows Mr. Blunt fixing his bad toupee in the mirror, and finally, Mr. Svelte digging up the soccer field while Coach Moe shakes his head in disbelief.
“Okay, so how do we get these kids in shape?” asks George.
“Simple, we’ll teach them in my world to make them better here in your world.”
“What? What do you mean?” says George.
Little Captain Pump lands on George’s shoulder.
“I picked you to be my representative here in the real world, George, because you genuinely care for these kids . . . just like I do.”
“Why do you need a representative here anyway?”
“Well, here is the thing George. You are the only one that can see and hear me in your world. To everyone else I am invisible. In fact, I don’t even exist.”
“So you mean I am the chosen one?”
“You could say that. So what do you say George? Are you in?”
George furrows his brow as he mulls over the Captain’s proposal.
“Okay, count me in,” says George proudly.
“I knew I picked the right man for the job! It’s going to be great, George. I am going to help you get these kids on a path to health and wellness.”
George looks at him. “How are we going to do all that?”
“You’ll see, but right now I have a date with Tina Turnip. Can’t keep her waiting, you know.”
With that, Captain Pump disappears into the magic book while George is left standing there a little confused.
“Me, a superhero’s representative?”
The powerful voice of the Captain resounds in George’s ear.
“Remember, we are a team now . . . and whatever you do, don’t lose that book!”