Donkey Kong: The Fan-Adapted Novelization

Chapter 4: The Great Ape Escape!

"You've been staring at the clock in the kitchen for twenty minutes, Mario. Are you sure you're not nervous at all?"

"I promise, bro. I'm fine."

Contrary to this past statement, Mario was, in fact, not fine at all. At a quarter to 7:00, with time inching ever forward by the second, he had hardly touched his pollo alla parmigiana. "You're normally finished with this thing in a matter of minutes, Mario. I don't think you're fine."

"I'm just taking my time."

"You're only halfway done. Mangia; your food is getting colder by the minute."

"You sounded exactly like mamma saying that just now," Mario quipped, as he finally took another bite of his food. "I always knew you took after her more than I did."

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

He swallowed his food and drank some water. "You see what I mean, yeah?"

"I do. But you have some pollo to finish."

"Va bene," he answered as he cut another piece of chicken, but not before he got another teasing word in. "With you it's always business...mamma."

Luigi nearly snorted as he held back a laugh. "...Shut up."

Interrupting their brotherly banter was a knock on the door. The brothers looked at each other in shock. "She came early?!" Mario whispered.

"You'll be fine," the green-clad twin answered. "Apri la porta!"

Mario's hand was shaking furiously as he reached for the doorknob, slowly pulling the door open. Lo and behold, there was the lady in question. She was still towering over him in her black heels as before, but instead of a red pantsuit, she wore a long red sleeveless dress instead, one that was fitted, but flared at the knees so it gave her ample space to walk. On her wrist was a gold bracelet, accompanied by matching earrings. To top it all off, she wore a little purple sunhat on her head, along with her signature purse she always carried slung over her wrist. "I hope you don't mind if I swing by early," she said.

He smiled. "That's fine with me! I was just about ready to head out, too!"

"Oh, and I checked the weather earlier today; apparently it's supposed to rain later this evening, so I brought this just in case." She removed one of her arms behind her back, brandishing a pink-and-white striped umbrella. "It should be large enough for the both of us to fit under."

"Fantastic! So I suppose we're both ready to go?"

"Absolutely!"

With that, the two of them walked down the hallway towards the elevator as Luigi waved from the apartment.

***

So far, in the half hour that they were at the zoo, Mario had gotten to know a lot more about Pauline, most of which was quite impressive. She was also Italian, as her last name had implied; however, her family was not from Florence, but from Milan, instead. She graduated from college a year early before going to law school, and was actually inspired to study law by her father, who was a partner in a law firm in a few blocks away from City Hall. As for her mother, she was a businesswoman with two successful ventures under her belt. Her first foray was with a toy company. After transferring the ownership to one of her assistants (to focus on family), she opened a department store, which eventually opened several new locations worldwide.

"Wait, so you're telling me that your mother started the Crazy Cap chain?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep, that's right," Pauline giggled nervously, looking away in embarrassment. "But tell me more about you. I'm sick of talking about my life. What about yours? Do you have any friends back home? What are they like?"