Balto (New
Adventure)
Chapter 2
– Friendship
Far from
“So, her name is Lani,” Kodi thought,
remembering what his father had explained before, “And now, she stays there.”
By the time he was walking, he felt irritated
due to what she had done to him, making him looked like a toy. And now, he must
accept the fact that she would be always at there, even he wanted to disbelief
it.
“She will regret it,” Kodi thought,
determination in his mind, “Someday, she
will pay it.”
His mind started to shift, but came back to
normal when he was at his father’s boat. He climbed up and crept slowly, not
wanting to wake up him or her, which that would mean to be a bad news.
“What are
you doing in here?” someone asked behind him, “Are you looking for someone?”
Kodi
glanced around to find his bad news, Lani, was standing there, giving him a
curious expression.
“Oh, no…,” Kodi thought, “Not her again.”
At the moment, Kodi was just staring at her
until he began turning around, leaving her alone without any answer. Lani
noticed it and started to find out why he just did like that.
“What’s
wrong with you?” she asked, “Are you still mad at me?”
Kodi was
thinking about it for a moment, and then giving her an unexpected face.
“Of
course, I’m mad,” he said, almost shouting to her, “You made me like a fool
yesterday.”
“I’m
sorry…,” Lani replied, “I didn’t mean to do it.”
“Whatever…,”
Kodi said, turning around, “I have my business to do.”
“So…,”
Lani said, asking to him, “You forgive me now?”
Kodi then
stopped walking down from the boat. He began to think what he should say to
her, according of what she asked.
“Of
course, not!” he answered.
“What?”
she seemed shocked, “I thought you had already forgiven me.”
“No,” he
replied, shouting to her, “I’ll never forgive you until you pay it.”
Lani
became irritated and annoyed to what he had said, making her more guilty.
“Okay,
fine then…,” she snapped back, “Beside, you deserve it because you are so
useless.”
“What?”
Kodi shouted, glared at her, “Take it back or…”
“Or
what?” she cut him off, “Or you will attack me and get pinned down again.”
Kodi
became so angry. He bared his teeth to show her that he was serious now. Lani
was ready to make a move too, going to teach him some lessons. Before anything
happened, someone was approaching, walking towards them.
“Hello,
there…,” Alex said to them, not knowing what was happened, “What are you two
doing here?”
Both Lani
and Kodi looked Alex, hesitated to continue their fight.
“Nothing!”
they said in the same time, turning around.
“Huh…?”
Alex looked confused.
Both of
them began to go away, far from that place, leaving Alex alone in confusion
state.
“I wonder…,” Alex thought, looking at
them, “What they were doing back then?”
Meanwhile at
“How do
you feel it, Balto?” Jenna started, looking at him, “You know, living with Alex
and Lani?”
Balto was
thinking for a moment, remembering how it felt.
“Good,”
he answered, “I mean I can share everything to my own kinds now.”
“So…,”
Jenna said, curious on her face, “You mean they are better than Boris.”
“Of
course, not,” Balto replied, chuckling, “Boris is the best forever. Beside, he
looks like my father.”
“Well,
I’m sure of it,” Jenna said, giving him a soft smile, “By the way, how about
Kodi? Is he still mad at Lani?”
“I don’t
know exactly,” Balto answered, gazing at her, “The last time I saw him, he was
still mad to her.”
“He
always looks like that,” Jenna said, taking a deep breath before continuing,
“Anyway, is there something we can do to solve it?”
“Jenna…,”
Balto answered, looking through her eyes, “Let it goes by the time. I’m sure everything
will be fine.”
“Okay,
then…,” Jenna replied, smiling, “I trust you, Balto.”
Balto
then began to smile too.
At the
moment, they weren’t noticing Kodi who was heading to them until he appeared
right in front of them. His face looked sour mixed by angry. Both of his
parents thought that he was having a bad day.
“What’s
the matter, Kodi?” Jenna asked, “You look so different.”
Kodi just
stared to them, not wanting they knew the truth, he tried to smile.
“Oh,
nothing,” he answered, “Everything is fine.”
“Are you
sure?” Balto asked him again, “You don’t look like that.”
“Dad, I’m
fine,” Kodi answered, starting to change the topic, “By the way, I have been
looking you. I don’t know you have already been here.”
“Well…,”
Balto glanced at him, trying to find some words, “I won’t miss your race, Kodi.
You have already known that, have you?”
Kodi
started to chuckle, realizing that he had a father who had so much care to him.
“Thank
you, dad,” Kodi smiled, “You are the greatest father that I ever had.”
Balto then
was laughing while Jenna was smiling to him. They both knew Kodi was so
enthusiastic about the race.
“So…,”
Balto started, “If you were looking me back then, you sure met Lani, didn’t
you?”
Kodi’s
face changed when he heard his father said about her, remembering about how irritating
she was.
“Dad,”
Kodi said, his expression shifted, “I don’t want to talk about her.”
“Why?”
Jenna asked, seeking an answer, “You still mad at her?”
“Of
course!” Kodi shouted, “Whenever I meet her, I feel so angry. I hate her so
much.”
“Kodi!”
Jenna warned, gazing at him, “Calm down!”
Kodi then
realized he was shouting to them, making both Balto and Jenna felt shocked. He
started to calm himself.
“Sorry,
mom,” he said, bowing down his head, “I was just angry at her, that’s all.”
Balto and
Jenna didn’t know what they should say to him in order to make him become quiet
again. It seemed that their words were locked by something.
“Oh, by
the way, I must ready to follow the race now. I will see you later,” Kodi
started, turning around while walking away, “Bye mom, dad!”
At the
moment, there was a silence between them. Still, they didn’t know what they
should do to Kodi from his problem.
“Well…,” Balto shrugged,
“At least, we know he is still mad.”
“Hey,
Kodi! What’s wrong?” Ralph said, looking at him in front of door of the boiler
room, “You look awful today.”
True to
what Ralph had said, Kodi began to come in where his friend had already been
there. He just wanted some refreshment, something that could make him happy
again. Hoping it would happen, he chose this place, but still, his face
remained.
“Yeah!”
Dusty added, “How you can race if your face likes that?”
Kodi
started to speak, not wanting his friends began to worry him, and even he knew
it, he still must face the problem.
“Nothing,”
he replied, “I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t
think so,” Kirby said, gazing thorough him, “You have a problem again with her,
don’t you?”
“How did
you know?” Kodi looked startled, “I mean… it’s true that I have it.”
“So, tell
us, Kodi,” Dusty said, trying to get some explanation, “What’s the problem? Is
it about yesterday?”
“No, it’s
not. It’s a new one,” Kodi explained, “This morning, I almost in quarrel again
with her. She told me that I was so useless. I then felt so mad to her…”
“Okay,
hold it off!” Dusty cut off, “We got the point.”
There was
a moment of silence between them. His friend had expected this that Kodi would
easily jump to trouble again.
“So,
Kodi,” Kirby started, “Do you want us to help you?”
“Us?”
Ralph looked surprised while Dusty and Kirby were gazing at him, making him
became hesitated, “Okay, it’s us.”
“No,
that’s fine,” Kodi answered, looking to them, “I will solve it alone. If I took
my friends with me, she would tease me more.”
“Fine,
Kodi,” Dusty replied, starting to change the topic, “By the way, ready for the
race? You couldn’t race if you were still like that.”
“Of
course, I can,” Kodi answered, his eyes were glimmering, “I can run with any
condition.”
“Hey,
watch out, Kodi!” Ralph warned, surprised at Kodi’s attitude, “I thought you
still had a problem.”
“Never
mind…,” Kodi answered, “Race is first, problem at last.”
His
friend was smiling and laughing due to him, changed in a sudden. They must
admit that he was always attracted when it came out about the race.
“What’s
the matter?” Kodi asked, confused of why they were laughing.
“Oh,
nothing,” Kirby answered, still laughing, “Now, c’mon. The race is going to
start.”
With it,
they were running fast through the alley to the main street where the race
would be taken. Together, they could feel the hot flowing around in their body,
forcing them to push it more and more.
Sometime
later, the race was about to begin. With every second passed down, all of dogs
became impatient, ready to run with full speed, giving the best for it. Kodi,
instead of nervous, he felt so excited. His blood seemed wanting to explode,
making him ready for anything.
“Get
ready, now!” the man yelled, warning every dog to prepare themselves.
“Kodi!”
Dusty called from the start line, “Ready to lose!”
“Kodi,
this time…,” Kirby added, trying to support Dusty, “It will be different.”
“Whatever…” Kodi thought, glancing at
them.
He had already prepared everything just for
this day, the day that was so important. His paws were ready to launch, running
and leaving everyone in the dust. As soon as he was ready, the signal was being
given.
“This is it…” Kodi thought, full of
confident, “I’ll do the best.”
“Go!” the man yelled again, echoing his sound
for the signal.
Without
wasting a time, Kodi and the others pushed themselves forward, going into the
race.
The race
was going fierce. During it, Kodi was on the first while Dusty and Kirby were
behind him, leaving Ralph and the others. Kodi didn’t notice that Dusty began
to catch up until it was too late. Dusty was on the first now.
“What?” Kodi thought, surprised, “How she could do it?”
One by one caught him up
until Kodi was on the fourth, with Dusty on the first, Kirby the second, and
Ralph the third. He began panicking, as far as they were starting to leave him,
he felt he couldn’t win this race.
“Oh, no!” Kodi thought, panicked and
confused, “I’m going to lose now.”
His
spirit began to disappear in the middle of race, losing his own hope to win.
Suddenly, he remembered what his father had said about the race, that he still
could become the winner even he was on the last position. Kodi was realized
from his frustration. He knew he could do the same thing too like his father
had done, giving him a new hope.
“Okay, Kodi!” Kodi thought, still
running, “Time to use your head!”
Thinking for a moment, he then smiled upon
them who were in front of him. It looked like he had already gotten an idea.
“Now!” Kodi thought, starting to make
his plan work out.
Instead of
speeding, he shifted his speed into low level, making him vulnerable to be
caught up. Slowly, he took the last position, but still keeping the distance
with the others.
“Balto,
what he is doing?” Jenna asked, watching Kodi from the distance. “Why he is slowing?”
“I’m not
sure, Jenna,” Balto answered, glancing at Kodi, then back to her, “But, I’m
sure he has a plan.”
True to
what Balto had said before, Kodi was sure to have something, hidden in his
mind. The finish line was about to appear, but still, Kodi wasn’t going to push
forward. It was going to be like that until suddenly, Kodi started run in
unexpected speed, chasing the others from behind. The others, by the way,
surprised at him that coming quickly to them.
Since
Kodi got more energy from the rest on the last position, he sped up, leaving
the others behind without glancing back. All the dogs, included Kirby, Ralph,
and Dusty, couldn’t after him, losing most of their energy at first. Finally,
Kodi was on the first again, making a great distance between them until he felt
the finish line.
“Yeah!”
he shouted, barking loudly, “I win!”
Pride was
felt by Kodi as everyone began to cheer him for winning the race. He seemed wanting
to explode into a thousand pieces, happy for doing the best. At the moment, his
parents came closer, starting to congratulate him. Kodi, by the way, didn’t
notice them due to the cheers that still continued from many people who were
standing at the distance.
“Congratulations,
son!” Balto said, making him realize from his fantasy, “I proud of you!”
“Oh,
dad…,” Kodi looked surprised, “Thank you very much.”
By the
time he was nuzzling his father, his friends were heading towards and
congratulating him as well as Balto did.
“Hey,
Kodi!” Kirby said, “I thought you were lost.”
“Yeah!”
Dusty added, “I almost became the winner if you were still on the last
position.”
“But you
didn’t, did you?” Kodi replied, kidding at her, “I’m the winner now.”
“Okay,
enjoy it!” Dusty answered, “But, someday I will beat you.”
“I will
be waiting…,” Kodi said, laughing to her.
His
friends were laughing too, knowing it wasn’t the matter again because they did
the best that they could do. With everything they had done, they felt
satisfied.
“Kodi!”
Ralph called, ending his laugh, “Do you want your medal? Because if you didn’t
want it, I would take it.”
“Of
course, I want it!” Kodi answered, excited at this, “That will be my greatest
satisfaction.”
With
that, Kodi launched himself towards to the place where the medals were given. He
was so happy, even he couldn’t hold it for a moment because it was his first
medal. The thing that could make him to feel like a real champion.
“Look,
Balto!” Jenna started, pointing at Kodi, “It looks like he is so happy.”
Balto
just gave a smile upon him.
“Oh, by the
way…,” Jenna continued, “I have something for you.”
“For me?”
Balto looked surprised, “What is it?”
“Hold on,
Balto,” Jenna answered, “I will give it tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?
Why?” Balto asked, couldn’t wait for any longer, “Why not today?”
“Balto…,”
Jenna answered him, smiling, “You should be patient. Beside, you will know by
the time.”
“Okay,
then…,” Balto replied, seemed to be a little disappointed, “At least, you can
give me some clues.”
“Oh,
Balto…,” Jenna started to chuckle, nuzzling him lovely.
By the
time they were talking each other, Kodi and his friends went to the beach,
celebrating his victory. They were just playing and playing without paying any
attention to the eyes that watching them far from the distance, looking
thorough them with joy and sad.
“I wish I could join them,” Lani
thought, attracted to play too.
From
there, she only could see, staring on how much fun was made with friends
around. Sharing everything in the mind, making all of it became easy to face.
Unfortunately, Lani only could dream, wishing everything would be different.
She took a deep breath before leaving that place.
“You
can’t win this one, Kodi!” Ralph said, assuming a position, “I will beat you in
this game.”
“Try it!”
Kodi replied, challenging Ralph.
By the time
he was saying, Ralph moved towards him, trying to pin him down. Two dogs were
wrestling now, but instead of hatred, their face was full of joy.
“Hey,
that was fun!” Kodi said, stumbled with Ralph while laughing.
“Yeah…,”
Ralph replied, laughing with Kodi.
“Okay,
stop it!” Dusty commanded, ending their laugh, “Let’s go there!”
Both of
them looked of what Dusty had said, a small river that flowing from the top of
the cliff. It was looked so beautiful and peace.
“Okay…,”
Kodi agreed, “I’m first.”
“Hey,
Kodi! Wait!” Kirby shouted, “You can’t just leave without us!”
With
that, everyone went off, looking for some beautiful scenery at there. But
unfortunately, something important was left behind, abandoned from their
attention. Something that was more precious than all of treasures for someone,
neglected at the dirt. It was Kodi’s medal.
“Oh, man…,” Kodi thought, frustrated, “Why do I loss it?”
The day had shifted into night and the snow
had fallen down from the sky, forcing everyone to stay inside while dark was
lurking outside. Kodi, for the moment, had been looking for his medal,
searching everywhere he had been, but his search was nothing. His only hope now
was a miracle.
“Kodi…,”
Dusty started, walking with him and the others, “Don’t be so sad! Tomorrow, we
will search again.”
“Yeah,
Kodi…,” Kirby added, trying to encourage him, “We will find it.”
Kodi, by
the way, knew he mustn’t be sad for all the time. He then was trying to smile,
not wanting his friends became sad too.
“Thank
you, guys,” he said, smiling, “Now, I need to back home.”
With it,
he went off, leaving his friends in silent. He felt he was a looser now,
thinking he was so easily loosing something precious. Kept walking, he seemed
so depressed until he saw something that made him felt energetic again. It was
his medal, hanging around on Lani’s neck at the middle of street.
“How
could you?” he looked surprised, then began to suspect Lani, “You stole it,
didn’t you?”
“What?”
Lani replied, shocked, “You dropped it at the beach, remember?”
Kodi was
surprised, not wanting to believe it, but he must admit that she might be
right.
“Oh…,” he
hesitated, “Thank you…”
“Okay…,”
Lani started, turning around, “I will leave now.”
By the
time she was leaving, she fell down to the land below, shivering from the cold.
“Hey…,”
Kodi startled, “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing…,”
Lani answered, struggling to stand up, “I’m just clumsy.”
But,
instead of standing, she fell down again, looked so suffered. Kodi could tell
that she wasn’t fine by the condition. He began moving closer, checking by
using his paws.
“Huh?” Kodi thought, “She is very cold.”
Without wasting a time, Kodi began to help her
stood up, leading her to somewhere warm. He just couldn’t leave her there
alone.
“Hey,
you! C’mon, stand up!” Kodi shouted, helping her, “Don’t sleep at here!”
Lani then
opened her eyes slowly, revealing her soft blue eyes. Struggling to her feet,
she followed Kodi step by step as snow began to fall down heavier, making them
hard to see. Finally, they reached it, an empty boiler room. Without asking
much, Lani entered that warm place as Kodi was helping her to walk.
“Thank
you…,” Lani said at the moment she was laying down, still shivering.
“It’s
okay…,” Kodi replied, joining to lay down beside her, “You need a rest now.”
There was
a moment of silence between them. While the wind was blowing hard, they were
still steady, making no sounds. Kodi started to look her, resting with closed
eyes while still feeling a little cold inside. He looked thorough and knew he
must admit that she was so beautiful. Her face was so soft and peace, making
Kodi’s heart melting. But, instead of it, he quickly glanced around.
“By the
way…,” Kodi started, “Why did you return it? I thought you hate me so much.”
“Your
father…,” Lani replied, opening her eyes slowly.
“My
father?” Kodi asked, didn’t understand, “What do you mean?”
“Your
father told me that it was a precious thing for you,” Lani answered, gazing at
him, “He said you had wanted it so much for a long time.”
“Yeah, it
means a lot to me,” Kodi chuckled, and then looking at her again, “So, you have
been waiting for all the time at there?”
Lani just
nodded, smiling to him.
For a
moment, they were looking each other, gazing through the eyes.
“Kodi…,”
Lani started, glancing around, “I’m sorry for everything. I wasn’t thinking
back then.”
“It’s
okay, Lani…,” Kodi replied, shrugged, “I wasn’t thinking too.”
“Hey,
it’s a first time you call my name,” Lani said, smiling.
“And you
too…,” Kodi replied, smiling too.
Together,
they spent the time for a night in the boiler room, waiting the snow that still
was falling down. Slowly, they were drifted into deep sleep, a long rest for a
whole day. However, they didn’t realize something was appeared in their heart.
A new friendship was created.
“Wake
up…,” Kodi said, “It’s morning.”
Lani
slowly opened her eyes, still yawning. It was early, but the sunshine had come
through the window, making everything could be seen clearly. She then realized
she must leave before the human saw her.
“Thank
you…,” Lani replied, walking to the outside, “For waking me up.”
Kodi was
just laughing at her.
“By the
way, Kodi…,” Lani said before leaving, “You forgive me now?”
“Hmm…,”
Kodi thought for a moment, “I forgive you, but just a half.”
“Half?”
Lani looked very confused, “What do you mean?”
“I
forgive you when we met at first, but…,” Kodi explained, starting to smile,
“Not for the second time when you told me that I was so useless.”
“What?
That is enough!” Lani seemed irritated, “You must pay for this one.”
“Uh…oh…,” Kodi thought, “Time to run.”
With that, Kodi was beginning to run while
Lani was chasing him, feeling irritated to what Kodi had said. Like cat and
dog, they were running nowhere, going into any direction. Kodi, instead of
panic, he just smiled because he could make her mad too.
To be continued…
Alex - Lani @ Silverion
Any similarities in this story are purely coincidental and not
intended.