The further
adventures of Marty and Gillian the motorcycling giraffes
Story 7 Marty and
Gillian’s Venetian adventure
Marty has recently been working very hard and very long
hours in his job as a window cleaner’s assistant, working for his boss and good
friend Peter Ngono. As well as working hard on
helping to clean all the windows in Nairobi, Marty has also been cleaning
lorries and trucks in Mr Makuchi’s
transport yard and helping Peter with his balloon safari business at
weekends.
On top of this Gillian has also been working very hard on
Gloria’s (Peter’s wife how is expecting their first baby) smoothie bar
So both Marty and Gillian were very happy when Peter and Gloria
told them that the business was closing down for a week as everyone deserved a
nice holiday. Victor the trainee window cleaner was also delighted with the
news.
“You should take Gillian on one of your adventures, during
your week off” Gloria told Marty.
“I have already thought of that” replied Marty and he turned
to Gillian and said “how would you like to visit Venice
in Italy ” and he showed
Gillian a travel magazine with pictures of Venice
Gillian jumped for joy, and when a giraffe jumps they jump
very high indeed this made Peter, Gloria and Victor all scatter in case she
landed on them.
“That would be wonderful” cried Gillian “Venice
“Oooh gross” moaned Victor which made everyone else laugh
loudly.
Marty and Gillian then dashed off home to prepare for their
great Venetian adventure.
The next morning as they arrived at the airport to catch
their flight to Italy, Marty and Gillian were delighted to see that Peter,
Gloria and Victor and also their good friends Emmanuelle (the farmer) and Moira
(Emmanuelle’s girlfriend) had all turned up to wave them off.
“You have a wonderful time and bring me back something nice
from Italy
“And you be sure to look after yourself while I am gone, and
don’t have that baby until I get back” replied Gillian
“Oh you don’t have to worry about that, I have still a few
months to go yet” aid Gloria while rubbing her tummy with a very happy smile on
her face
Marty and Gillian then left to catch their plane while their
friends all shouted
“Kwaheri, kuwa na safari salama” (“Goodbye have a safe trip”)
and waved them off.
It was a long flight to Marco Polo airport in Venice Italy,
and Marty and Gillian were very pleased to get off the plane so they could
stretch their long legs and necks.
“Mmm that’s better” mumbled Marty while Gillian squealed
with excitement
“Oh I can’t believe I am in Italy the most romantic country
in the world, this is so exciting”
“Yes” smiled Marty “we are sure to have an exciting
adventure here”
After Marty and Gillian had booked into their hotel and unpacked
their cases they set off to explore Venice.
Marty and Gillian walked down the footpath alongside the
Canal Grande (Grand Canal) looking at the wonderful houses and were amazed by
the small side canals where the water goes right up to the houses.
“Wow” exclaimed Gillian “you can only get to those houses by
boat”
Then as some gondolas floated past Gillian got very excited,
“can we go for a ride in one those?” she asked Marty.
“Of course we can, but first let’s go and get something to
eat” replied Marty.
Marty and Gillian then when to a very nice restaurant in Piazza
San Marco (St Mark’s square). The restaurant serves some of the most wonderful
pasta dishes and pizzas but of course Marty and Gillian don’t eat this sort of food,
so they just ordered two large plates of twigs and leafs.
After they had finished their lunch Marty and Gillian headed
off to find somewhere that they could book a ride on a gondola.
They saw a spot on the Canal Grande where a lot of gondolas
were moored and thought that this must be the pace where you can book a ride through
the canals of Venice.
As they walked towards the gondolas Marty and Gillian
watched as a lady carrying a baby climbed into a gondola when suddenly she
slipped, dropped the baby into the gondola and fell into the canal, breaking
the gondolas mooring as she fell.
As the lady splashed around in the water the gondola with
the baby in it started to drift away down the canal.
“Aiuto! Help me! E aiutare il mio bambino” (“Help! Help me! And
help my baby”) shouted the lady.
“I’ll get the baby” shouted Gillian and she ran off down the
footpath to the nearest bridge across the canal.
While Gillian ran after the gondola, Marty stretched his
long neck forward towards the canal and grabbed the ladies coat with his teeth
and pulled her out of the canal.”
“Grazie! Grazie” (“Thank you! Thank you”) exclaimed the lady
"Ma dove è il bambino? Aiutate il mio bambino” (“but where is my baby?
Please help my baby”)
“Look” shouted a bystander “the other giraffe is going to
save the baby”
Everyone looked where the bystander was pointing and there
on the bridge stood Gillian and she was leaning right over so here head was
nearly in the water and as the gondola with the baby in it passed underneath,
Gillian gently grabbed the baby with her teeth and lifted her safely onto the
bridge.
“Oh Grazie! Grazie” (“thank you thank you”) cried the lady
as she ran to give hold her baby
Quite a crowd had gathered and they were all shouting that
Marty and Gillian were heroes. But the gondolier was worried about his boat
that was still drifting unmanned along the canal.
Marty knelt down and told the gondolier to jump on his back
and off they ran after the gondola. With Marty’s long legs they soon got ahead
of the gondola and they ran to another bridge across the canal and as the gondola
passed underneath the gondolier leapt off Marty’s back into the gondola.
The gondoliers was so delighted with getting his gondola
back that he offered to take Marty and Gillian for a free moonlight ride around
Venice in his gondola, and the baby’s mother told Marty and Gillian that her husband
runs the best restaurant in Venice and when they have finished their gondola
trip they will be guests of honour at the restaurant and can have free food and
drinks all night.
That evening Marty and Gillian had a wonderful gondola ride
through the canals of Venice with the stars lighting up the night sky, Gillian
cuddled into Marty on the boat and thought that this is the most romantic thing
she has ever done.
Later as they were eating there dinner in the ladies
husbands restaurant while being serenaded by a man playing a violin Gillian
whispered into Marty’s ear
“Asante sana for bringing me to this most wonderful place, I
do love being married too you Marty, because there always seems to be one
adventure after another for
Marty and Gillian the motorcycling giraffes,
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