Kombi And The Children

Kombi was a little green and white microbus. He lived in a garage with his parents and sister in the little town of Wolfsburg. His parents’ names were Käfer and Cabrio. His sister’s name was Karmann.

Kombi’s cousin Carrera lived in the garage next door to them with Uncle Coupé and Aunt Targa. Kombi’s Papa delivered mail in the town with the man who lived in the house next to the garage. Twice a week, his Mama took the man’s wife to the shops and to the grocery market. Sometimes the man’s wife would take her to town when she had to pick up a package at one of the shops.

Kombi’s sister Karmann was beautiful. She was a light blue convertible. She took the man and his wife’s daughter and her friends on rides through the countryside. Karmann had won blue ribbons at car shows in Wolfsburg and some of the other little towns close by.

His cousin Carrera was very sleek and fast. He ran races on the roads and tracks around town and won many of them. His trophies were proudly displayed on a shelf above where he parked in the garage.  

But Kombi didn’t have a job at all. He felt very odd and left out. One day in the garage he told his mother, “Mama, I have no purpose.” “Why, Kombi,” replied Mama, “why would you ever say a thing like that?” “Papa delivers the mail in town,” replied Kombi.   “You take trips to the grocery store and the post office. Karmann wins blue ribbons at the car shows and Carrera wins trophies at the races. I’m just a dumpy little bus who never delivers or picks up or wins anything.” He looked at his mother with his big, sad eyes. “Oh, Kombi,” said Mama. “You are a beautiful little bus. One day soon you will get the chance to prove to yourself and to others what you are capable of doing.” Kombi waited and waited for the opportunity, but it never arrived.

On the way back home after delivering the mail one day, Kombi’s Papa saw him parked down by the river looking sadly at the footbridge by the bend. After he took the man who lived in the house home, he went to the river to check on Kombi.

“Good afternoon, son,” said Papa. “”What are you doing this fine afternoon?” “Watching the children coming home from school cross the bridge,” said Kombi. The schoolhouse was on the opposite side of the river. He loved children and liked to come to the river to watch them coming home from school. “It is a beautiful afternoon’” replied Papa. “Very peaceful.” “Yes sir,” replied Kombi. “A little too peaceful.” “Whatever do you mean?” asked Papa. “How can it ever be too peaceful?” “I’m bored Papa. I never do anything useful around town like you and Mama,” said Kombi. “Kombi, you are a young and strong microbus,” said Papa kindly. “There will be a job for you soon, a very important one that only you can do. You’ll see.” “I guess so, Papa,” said Kombi wistfully. “Come on home to the garage soon. It will be getting dark.” “Yes, sir,” said Kombi.

The next afternoon a bad rainstorm came through Wolfsburg. It was raining so hard that Kombi decided not to go to the river but stay inside the garage instead. The mail had to be delivered rain or shine, so Papa and the man set out for their appointed rounds.

Kombi, Mama and Karmann were in the garage watching the rain when all of a sudden the man came running up the driveway, soaking wet, waving his arms and shouting for his wife to come quickly. “What is it dear?” she called as she ran out of the house. “The footbridge has washed away in the storm and the children are stuck at the schoolhouse across the river,” the man cried. “I’m going to take the little bus and get them!” “How are you going to get them from across the river?” she asked. “The little bus can float!” said the man. “We’re going to float across and rescue them!” Kombi’s oil leaped in his crankcase! “Float?” he said to himself. “What does he mean I can float?” But by that time the man had jumped onto Kombi’s front seat and the two of them went roaring out of the garage toward the river. The man’s wife followed in Kombi’s Mama and their daughter in Karmann. The family who lived next door hurried down in Uncle Coupé, Aunt Targa and Carrera.

When they got to the river the childrens’ parents were all gathered at the bank. Their mothers were hugging and crying, their fathers talking excitedly, rubbing their chins and pointing across the river. The children were on the other bank crying and waving at their parents. Their teacher was trying her best to keep them calm but she was just as frightened as they were.

Kombi and the man pulled up right in front of the children’s parents. “Don’t worry, folks, the little bus and I are going for the children right now,” said the man. “But Mr. Kagelmacher, how are you going to get across?” sobbed one of the mothers. “This little fellow can float,” he replied. “We’ll be back across in no time!” And with that, they took off toward the boat ramp. It was raining even harder by now. “All right, little fellow, I know you can do this,” said the man. Kombi was terrified. They went down the ramp and splashed into the water.

Kombi’s front wheels and his face went under the water, followed by his back wheels and bumper. But then something strange happened. He leveled out and began to float. His oil leaped in his crankcase again and a feeling came over him he had never felt before. He could float and he was determined to get across the river to the children! “Ha, ha, I knew it! Full speed ahead!” shouted the man. The boat ramp on the other side of the river was ahead of them but further downstream. The river was flowing rapidly, so Kombi turned first right and then left to move in a straight line through the current. The children saw Kombi coming for them and began to cheer wildly. Their parents were cheering and clapping across the river, too. When they were almost at the other side of the river, Kombi turned to ride the current to the boat ramp. His wheels hit the riverbed right in front of the boat ramp and he and the man roared up the boat ramp. They stopped in front of the teacher and the children. The man swung Kombi’s two side doors open along with the passenger door. “Come on, kinder, your parents are waiting,” called out the man. The children all climbed in the side door and the teacher jumped onto the front seat with the man. They shut the doors, took off down the ramp and into the river. Kombi was not afraid this time.

 

He bobbed front and back like before, then started across the river. The children were all laughing, talking excitedly and looking out of Kombi’s windows. The current was getting stronger and suddenly the teacher shouted, “Oh, no! Look!” She pointed at a big rock that was in the middle of the river, right ahead of them.” Kombi saw the rock, and felt the courage and determination rise up from his crankcase. He turned to the left and let the current take them right by the rock. His right side scraped against it and the children began to shriek and cry. The scrape hurt badly. Kombi could tell there was a big scratch on his side and some of his paint was missing, but he did not care. He moved back and forth, keeping in a straight line until he reached the riverbank. But because he had to swerve to miss the big rock, they were further down the river from the boat ramp. When his wheels hit the riverbed, he dug in with his back wheels and, using every bit of his little fifty-three horsepower engine, climbed up the bank and onto the road beside the river.

 

The children were all jumping up and down, cheering and shouting. The teacher was laughing and clapping. The man was banging his hands on Kombi’s steering wheel and shouting, “I knew it! I knew you could do it!” They started down the road toward the children’s parents, who were running toward them. Kombi stopped when they reached him, but his two side doors would not open because of the scrape across the big rock. The man opened up Kombi’s back hatch and the children all climbed out and ran to the open arms of their parents. It had almost stopped raining by now. The man rubbed his hand along the scrape on Kombi’s side. “That’s a nasty gash, little fellow. We’ll get you to the shop and have you fixed up in no time,” he said kindly. Up ahead, Papa and Uncle Coupé’s headlamps were beaming bright with pride. Mama, Karmann and Aunt Targa’s windshield washers were squirting and their wipers kept moving back and forth. Carrera gave him two toots on his horn and revved up his turbo. Kombi felt a warm and happy feeling in his crankcase. He was a hero.

 

After Kombi had his side repaired in the auto shop, the little town of Wolfsburg had a big parade for him and the man. All the cars of the town were in the parade, along with Mama, Papa, Karmann, Uncle Coupé, Aunt Targa and Carrera. At the very back of the line was Kombi. The man and the teacher were on the front seat, waving at the crowd. Kombi’s canvas roof was open, and the children were all waving at their parents and friends from it. At the end of the parade, the Mayor of Wolfsburg made a speech and presented Kombi and the man each a big blue ribbon. The teacher kissed Kombi on his face and the man on the cheek. Then a photographer for the newspaper took pictures of all of them together.

 

But the best thing of all was what happened afterwards. The footbridge was replaced with a stone bridge wide enough for a microbus to drive across. When the bridge was completed, the Mayor declared that from that day forward, Kombi would be the school bus. He and the man would take the children to school. Then the man and Papa would deliver the mail. In the afternoon they would pick the children up from school, bring them back across the bridge and deliver them safely home. Kombi had proven himself, just like Mama had said he would and found a job only he could do, just as Papa had said. He was a very happy little bus.