Mad Seasons [Abandoned Story]

27. A hair-raising day!

The happy, fun times we'd spent in Disney's delightful park had officially come to an end the day before, and I was already as nostalgic as a child could be. I was still one in my head, and I'd discovered that Eddie was too. The reason we'd had so much fun. I'd loved it all. 

On this early Sunday afternoon, another very different adventure awaited us, that of the Mucky Duck Experience. He had phoned two hours before we were due to leave, to see if the activity in the amphibious vehicle was fully booked. Luckily, no, but Eddie had been right to listen to his intuition in making that phone call, because we had to reserve our place in order to be able to ride in this foolproof engin. 

The person on the other end of the phone had warned him not to forget to slather on sunscreen before setting off for the day, as with so much wilderness to explore, we wouldn't have the opportunity to hide in shady spots and the sun was liable to beat down. This wasn't a problem, as we'd brought sunscreen with us. The evening before we left for Orlando, Eddie had called to tell me that I should pack sunscreen just in case. Luckily, I still had a fresh tube that I hadn't used yet.

We were now ready to roll around in muddy puddles, get dirty, have our hair full of dust and swallow gnats if our mouths were open. Just like in the army. Despite all these little inconveniences, which were humorously written in the brochure, we were looking forward to it. Not forgetting, perhaps, the aches and pains. It had been fun to read that. Even more so when he had to give his full name to book this open-air activity. He paused for a moment when he told me about it outside the hotel. The man on the other end of the line made no comment, perhaps thinking that the name given was probably a homonym. Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam? No way!

We took a cab to Clermont, the journey taking less than an hour. When we got there, we went to the reception desk, where the man he'd been on the phone with earlier was stunned. Despite the fact that Eddie was wearing sunglasses and a cap with his hair tied back, the staff member had no trouble recognizing him, especially when he presented his ID card, which confirmed who he was. The man spontaneously stretched out a big smile as he widened his eyes, staring at the ID card and driver's license. Seeing this made me smile, lowering my head briefly.

"I'll remember this day," said the thirty-something employee with an ecstatic expression.

He continued to be professional as he went on to check my identity card and driver's license as well.

"Very good. Everything's in order."

He handed over the necessary equipment we needed a few minutes later before we were taken in by a guide to explain how the Mucky Duck worked, as well as the safety instructions that had to be followed. He also told us about the route we'd be taking, and how long it would take. We were already equipped with our safety helmets, goggles and life jackets, just in case. Eddie even joked about it, which made the guide, whose name was Evan, smile. He introduced himself after shaking our hands.

"I hope we've got a foothold in these waters."

We found ourselves in a small group of eight people, including a couple who were with their two children aged around 10 and 12. Some of them had doubts when they saw Eddie and had to wonder if it was really him or just someone who looked like him. However, they didn't dare say anything except to a guy who must have been in his forties and who was his play brother. After the briefing, this man came up to us, said hello and asked Eddie if he really was Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam.

"Yes," he replied without embarrassment.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" he exclaimed.

He shook his hand as if he were shaking the hand of the President of the United States, and told him how much he loved the band's music.