Chapter 2: Arrival and the first day
The journey took us about seven and a half hours. I slept through most of the time, together with Nikki. After we entered the town, I heard my mother’s voice:
“Balto, wake up.”
Tired as I still was, I opened and rubbed my eyes, followed by a loud yawn. Everyone laughed, and while we left the Lincoln Tunnel, Mr. Kofi said:
“Good morning, sleepyhead. Look outside, we are finally here.”
Still barely awake, I looked outside. All I could see were large buildings, many cars, and humans. Nothing that really would have caught my interest. While we drove up the 8th Avenue, I could see many fancy shops, and countless Christmas decorations. Here I couldn’t decide where to look first.
A few minutes later, Mr. Kofi parked the car in the hotel garage, and we all stepped out to stretch our bodies. Afterwards, Nikki’s dad walked away to get one of these luggage carts, we moved up to the lobby for the check-in, then we walked to our rooms. Nikki’s parents and my mother had a room right next to Nikki’s and mine. Mr. Kofi told us that he needs some sleep after the long drive. Mrs. Kofi joined him. My mom wasn’t tired, so she, Nikki and I decided to get breakfast. Luckily, we were just in time for the hotel’s own buffet. So much tasty food!
After we were finished, it sadly was time for Nikki to leave. Mom and I accompanied her on the way. Since the Theater in which Nikki’s training should take place is on Time Square, we were able to visit this iconic place, after we had said goodbye.
All these lights, the sounds of the big city, the people, it was an overwhelming feeling for me. Mom had to tell me more than once to look where I was going, instead of looking at the things around me. I even almost tripped over a bag of garbage, that was lying on the edge of the sidewalk. We made our way to these big red stairs at the center of Time Square, where we used the opportunity to sit down for a moment.
Mom then excused herself, since she wanted to get a coffee from a vendor nearby. That gave me some time to look around a bit more.
The first things I saw were people in cheaply made cosplays taking money for photos, and heavenly armed police officers with their dogs standing guard. I could also see a man in a Santa Claus costume ringing a bell and collecting money. He had a surprisingly nice costume.
While I watched all these things around me, a little human child came closer. I haven't seen it coming, and startled with a wide-open muzzle, as this kid suddenly touched my snout. It must have been scared by the look of my bare teeth, and his mother, thinking that I wanted to harm the child, quickly pulled it away.
I saw the fear in this little human’s face, but also the anger in its mother’s, when I looked up at her.
She hastily moved her head from one side to the other, and shouted:
“Why it that thing not wearing a muzzle and a leash? Where is its owner? Police!”
I was frightened, my ears were folded back, and didn’t know what to do. I only sat there on the stairs, trying to hide in my hoodie. A police officer came by, and asked the lady what was wrong.
“Ma’am, is there a problem here?”
She pointed at me.
“Yes, this thing there wanted to attack my child. I demand it be taken away. It doesn’t even wear a muzzle or a leash!”
The officer took a closer look at me, and tried to calm down the woman.
“Ma’am, this boy is not an animal. He is an Anthropomorph, and he doesn’t need a leash or a muzzle. I am certain that the boy had no intention to attack your child. I am sure that this is all a big misunderstanding.”
But the lady didn’t calm down.
“A what is that?”
I tried to speak up silently:
"Ma'am, I'm sorry, I just got startled when your child touched my snout."
The woman seemed to be shocked when she heard me speak.
“That thing is talking?”
The police officer tried to stay calm and friendly.
“Ma’am, as I have said it before. He is an Anthropomorph. Not a thing, and not an animal. He has the same rights as everyone else here. And if he is saying, that he didn’t want to harm your kid, you should believe him. I am going to have to ask you to move along now.”
The woman was still mumbling in anger, as she took her kid and walked away. The officer knelt beside me, before asking in a calm voice:
“Is everything ok, kid?”
I only nodded, while my gaze was fixed on the ground.
“Heads up. I bet she was only in stress because of Christmas and everything. People always get nuts during this time of the year. Where are your parents?”
I lifted my head and looked into this man’s face.
“My mom only wanted to get a coffee. She should have been back by now.”
At that moment, I heard my mother’s voice. She sounded worried, after seeing this police officer next to me.
“Balto! Is everything ok? What happened?”
The officer stood up and faced my mother.
“Your kid is fine, don’t worry. There was a little misunderstanding with a lady and her child, but everything is ok. Have a nice day, ma’am.”
The officer walked away, while my mom was looking at me.
“Ok Balto, now tell me. What has happened here?”
I was a bit ashamed, wrapped my arms around my legs, before I answered her.
“I was sitting here, as the child of that woman suddenly touched me. I startled, opened my mouth, that must have freighted the child. Its mother began to shout around, why I won’t wear a muzzle and a leash, and where my owner would be. Then this officer came by to help. That is everything, I swear.”
My mother nodded and sipped on her coffee, which she was holding in her hand.
“Ok, I understand. Humans are so stupid sometimes. I am sorry that it took me so long. The waiting line was longer than I had expected it to be.”
She pulled a little bag out of her purse.
“Here, I bought a blueberry muffin for you.”
My tail wagged, as I took the bag out of her hand. It even was a bit warm, and tasted heavenly. Mom sat down next to me. Her hand caressed over my back, which made me relax while I ate the muffin.
“Ok, what do you want to do now? We could make a walk north to Columbus Square, or south to the Flatiron Building, before we go back to the hotel and see if Nicole’s parents are ready for a longer walk.”
I thought about the possibilities for a moment.
“Mom, can we go to the comic book store? It isn’t so far away from here.”
My mother took a sip of her coffee, before she answered.
“Sure, then we can cross that off our list. Where was it again?”
I took my mobile and started the navigation app.
“Here, see? It is only a few minutes away.”
Mom stood up, helped me to get on my paws, and together we walked south to the Comic Store.
It didn’t take us long, until we were reached a building with a big sign with a Spider-Man attached to it. What we didn’t find was the entry. It was a bit frustrating for me, what mom clearly saw, and she asked a group of kids, which passed by. They first looked a bit strange at her, but then they kindly explained where we could find the door. It was on the side of the building. A small door, and then up some stairs.
Mom excused herself once more, she wanted to go into a nearby tobacco shop. No, don’t worry, she doesn’t smoke. But her boss smokes cigars, and she wanted to get him some as a present.
She gave me 50 Bucks, said that we will meet again in thirty minutes.
With the money in my pocket and a smile in my face, I walked upstairs to the comic book store.
It was full of human kids, but they were too busy with reading and looking at the merch, so no one even recognized me. Or they just didn’t care. I was just another comic-loving kid.
As you might know by now, my favorite hero is Iron Man. The reason I wanted to come here was the Collector Edition of the first Issue of a new series, called “Captain America/Iron Man #1”. It has a special cover, which is why I wanted to have it. Our little store sadly never gets those special editions. Together with the money from my mother, I had more than enough to buy it.
As I browsed through the store, I saw and heard a group of kid chatting together. They always looked over to me, while I was searching for the comic book. And another pair of eyes also watched me. One of the coworkers seemed to be a bit annoyed by me, or he probably just had a bad day. I didn’t put more thoughts into it, as I slowly walked to the upper floor. There they had even more merchandise, action figures, toy lightsabers and such stuff. I have also seen some chess figures of Rocket Raccoon, what made me giggle. A sudden voice from behind made my ears turn around, what caused a loud laughter.
“Hey, cool costume, where did you get this? This looks so real.”
I didn’t know what to say, turned my head into the voice's direction, and saw the group of kids from before.
They waved at me, came closer and inspected my head.
“Where do you see out of there? Is it warm in there?”
I still didn’t know what they wanted from me, as I felt how one of them pulled my tail.
“Ouch, that hurts, please don’t do that.”
The kids got big eyes, as they heard me talking.
“Oh, he can move the jaws, too. That is so cool!”
Now I finally got it. They were thinking that I was a human wearing a costume. I have heard of those humans who like to dress as Anthros. They call themselves “Furry”.
While I caressed my tail, I looked at these curious kids, and told them:
“This isn’t a costume. I am an Anthro. My name is Balto.”
They gasped.
“You are a real Anthro? I have never seen a real one. This is so cool. Can we see your teeth again?”
Still unsure why this was such a big thing, I opened my mouth to show them my teeth once more. To my surprise, we had a rather nice conversation after that. I showed them my comic book collection on my phone, my Iron Wolf Armor and some photos from the comic con, also a few pics of Nikki as Black Widow. Then I looked at the clock.
“Damn, my mother is waiting for me. Does one of you know where to find the Iron Man Comics?”
They explained to me where to find them, and luckily, I found what I was looking for.
With the comic book in my hands, I went to the cash register. This employee from before was standing there and looked at me. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't too happy to see me. But I thought I could just ignore that. All I wanted was the comic.
After I gave it to him, he told me in a harsh tone:
“That's 90 bucks.”
I found that a bit odd, since I have looked at the price tag before. Which is why I asked him:
"That sticker says it costs 76,50, why do I have to pay 90 bucks?"
He looked at me, and his tone became even harsher:
“That is a cleaning fee. You lost fur all over the place, dog boy.”
The line behind me became longer, the other costumers began to mumble.
Maybe that was the reason for the manager to show up.
“Is something wrong here?”
The coworker answered him, now surprisingly friendly:
“The boy can’t pay and won’t move.”
My hands were shaking, as I protested loudly:
“There is a price tag with 76,50. He says I have to pay 90, because of a cleaning fee. Is that true?”
The manager looked a bit confused at his coworker, before he asked him:
“A what? There is no such thing, this kid is a costumer like everyone else. The comic costs 76.50, why do you want to take 90 bucks from him?”
The man tried to defend his actions:
“Because he makes everything dirty in here with his fur. Those Anthros are filthy creatures.”
Now the manager shouted at him, what scared me. My ears folded back, and I clamped my tail between my legs.
“Your stupid racism has no place in my store. You are fired. Take your stuff and get out of here.”
Angry about that, the man left his place. After he passed me, he suddenly turned around, raised his hand and shouted:
“You stupid dog!”
I ducked, put my arms around my head to protect myself, and closed my eyes. Then I heard a growling. As I reopened my eyes, I could see my mother, who showed her bare teeth to this man. Her fur was standing up, she must have been really pissed off in that situation, as she shouted:
“If you dare to touch my son, I will make you regret the day you were born.”
The kids behind me cheered, as this man slowly crawled out of the store. I could swear that his pants were wet, after he had to face the bared teeth of my angry mother.
The whole store became silent for a minute, before the manager took the word:
“Ma’am, I am deeply sorry. Please, let me give your son this comic as a gift, as an excuse for this unsettling situation.”
Mom was still in a rage.
“A comic? Was all this because of a comic? This man wanted to hurt my son because of a stupid comic book?”
Carefully, I took my mom’s hand. I could feel her hardened muscles, her pulse was racing. I spoke to her with a silent voice:
“Mom, it’s ok. Nothing happened. Please, can we go? Everyone is looking at us.”
Her head turned to me, and luckily, she calmed down. I felt how she relaxed, after she took a deep breath.
“Sure, Balto. Let us go back to the Hotel. That really was enough trouble for one day.”
She took my hand, and together we left the store. Back on the street, we heard the store manager calling for us from behind. After we turned around, I could see him holding a paper bag in his hand.
“Ma’am, please. I want to assure you, that this is not what our company is standing for. Please, accept my deepest apology for what happened today.”
Mom crossed her arms, while she looked at him in silence. The manager continued:
“And please, let me give your son this book as a present.”
My mother just nodded wordlessly. The manager knelt and looked at me, as he reached the bag to me.
“Here, my boy. I hope you will enjoy reading it. I also put my business card in there. Should you need anything from our store, just write me an email, and I will send it to you without any additional costs. You would only have to pay for the article itself. I will also give you a discount, if possible. I hope you can forgive me what happened up there.”
My look went up to my mom, then back to the manager.
“Sure. I am just sorry for this man who lost his job because of me. Thank you for the comic, sir.”
He smiled at me, after he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to be sorry for him. It wasn’t the first time he showed this attitude. And now I finally had enough of it. Besides that, I have to thank you, my boy. Have a nice day, and I hope you will still be able to enjoy your time here in New York. By the way, at the end of the week, I will get Issue Number 2.”
After he left us, mom mumbled:
“You feel sorry for that racist? Balto, he insulted you, wanted to hit you. And you feel sorry for him?”
She sighed, before she continued.
“Once more I can see your father in you. Always trying to find balance, to see the good in people. Let us go back to the hotel. I can’t believe that you had to face two such stupid people on just one day. What has happened to this city. The last time I was here, I didn’t have any problems like that.”
I tried to see the positive things. With a smile in my face, I showed the price tag of the comic to her.
“It is ok, mom. Look, we just saved 76 Dollars.”
Her eyes became big, as she saw the tag.
“You wanted to pay 76 Dollars for a comic? Seriously? Balto, you shouldn’t spend so much money on stuff like that. There are much more important things than comics. And let me tell you another thing. The only reason this man was giving it to you was that he wanted to prevent us from suing him and his company. In that case he would have lost much more than an overpriced comic book. But now let us go back and see if Idrissa and Asha are awake.”
As we walked back to the hotel, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Nikki. She wrote what an idiot the human is who should play her partner Mungojerrie. That this person was constantly staring at her butt and breasts. My poor Nikki.
Mom and I walked up the 7th Avenue and passed the big M&M Store. The sweet smell out of it watered my mouth. Unfortunately, we cannot eat chocolate for humans. It is not healthy for us. The chocolate and cocoa we use is especially made for us Anthros, but this smell was breathtaking. Mom joked that it alone was enough to get diabetes.
The way back took us over an hour. This town is so much bigger than ours. We entered the hotel and went up to our rooms. In front of the doors, mom told me I should read a bit, relax, and she will see if Nikki’s parents are already awake.
I opened the door, laid down on the big bed and read the first pages of my new comic, as someone knocked. I mumbled and stood up to see who it was.
To my surprise, it was mom. After she came in, she explained:
“Sorry, Balto. Idrissa and Asha are… well… busy. I hope you don’t mind if I quickly use the shower here.”
I chuckled softly because I could imagine what kind of being busy my mother was talking about.
After her shower, which took her a bit longer than usually, and after she wrapped herself into a big towel, mom sat down next to me on the bed. We used the time to watch TV and to talk a bit. Thirty minutes later, we heard someone else knocking at the door. This time it was Mrs. Kofi, asking if we want to join them for a little snack.
We all went downstairs to the hotel’s lobby, got some food and talked about what has happened today. We also made plans for the next few days.
It was decided to visit Liberty Island tomorrow morning, the afternoon was reserved for the Intrepid. On Wednesday, we want to go to Central Park, since Nikki could come with us that day. Thursday was reserved for the Natural History Museum. On Friday we wanted to see the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center.
Saturday was Nikki’s play, so we decided to take another look at the Time Square and the surrounding area on that day. And on Sunday we will travel back home after breakfast.
It was late in the afternoon, as Nikki finally called. Since we all wanted to enjoy dinner together, we walked over to the theater to pick her up. Luckily, we found a good restaurant not far from the theater.
Well, it wasn't some fancy place, just a small pizzeria in a side street. But the pizza was fantastic!
After our dinner, we all went back to the hotel. Nikki and I took a shower together, then my girl asked me for a paw massage. Nikki was so tired, that she fell asleep during it. My kitty looked so cute! I cuddled up close to her, and it didn’t take me long until I also felt into a deep slumber.
One day done, five more to go!
