Expect the Unexpected

Chapter 4: Isn't It Beautiful?

Since my family didn’t get to visit the Grand Canyon yesterday, we decided to try again today. We drove back to the Grand Canyon, for 2 whole hours, nonstop. When we arrived there, we bought some new tickets; it’s because the ones that we bought were already expired. After we bought the new tickets, we went to the shuttle bus.

 They drove us straight to the Grand Canyon; it took only about 5 – 10 minutes. We got off the bus, and there was the Grand Canyon. It was breathtaking.  Mom, Dad, and I took tons of pictures, while Katie and James stayed beside us.

After I wrapped up the pictures that I took, I looked towards my left side and noticed that Katie was gone. My heart passed a second, and looked for James. "James," I called out, and was relieved that he was beside my Dad. I walked towards James and asked, "Where's Katie?"

He shrugged and replied truthfully, "I don't know; I saw that she was right next to you." I moved my head to my right side and didn't see her there. I felt a tight tug on the back of my shirt and thought that Katie was behind me. But actually, it was Mom.

"Mom?" I questioned, "Where's Katie?" 

"I don't know; I was going to ask you that too." 

I looked around myself and and scanned throughout the area with my eyes trying to find a little girl wearing brown pants with a brown polka dotted dress with a brown monkey hat, since that was the costume my sister wore. 

"Katie," I called out. "Where are you?" 

An officer saw me screaming out for this person and walked right up to me from the Skywalk building. "Are you looking for someone?" he asked, tilting his hat to sheild the blaring sun.

"Yes, in fact, I'm looking for my little sister. Her name is Katie." I explained. I also told the officer of her image, her costume, and all that important information needed to find her.

"Oh Katie?" he asked, scratching his back in the most impolite way with his belly button showing. I thought officers were supposed to have manners. I twitched at his movement of scratching his back and continued on listening to his explanation. "I've actually had a play date with her just now. I saw her standing by this girl, in which I think is a teen. She wore jeans and an awfully bright pink shirt. She looks like you in which...uh..."

"You were saying?" 

"Sorry, I'm new here. The name's Josh, Josh Faculton." 

"Uh, back to talking about the missing Katie. Where is she now?" I asked, feeling like Officer Josh is trying to avoid the topic.

"Right, she's actually hanging out with Officer Tom, Officer Katie, and Officer Bethany." 

"My sister's an officer?!" 

"No," he chuckled,"apparently there's an officer who works here and her name is Katie. Anyways, let's get your sister."

"Let me get the rest of my family members." I walked away from Officer Josh and towards my family. I urged them to come along with me and Officer Josh to pick up Katie. 

We walked together towards the Skywalk building employees only room and went pass a couple of rooms, which to me, felt like walking through a maze. 

"We're here." Officer Josh said and opened the door in which we all saw the three officers Officer Josh explained and Katie.

"I can NOT believe you were here to whole time and didn't tell me that you were eating chocolate donuts!" James exclaimed jumping up and down from the frustration.

"Here you go." Katie said, standing up from her seat and gave him a donut. 

"Thank you." James said. When that situation was finished we talked for a couple of minutes and went out of the employees only room.

Then we went to the Skywalk building. As we entered, one of the employees scanned our bracelet tickets and told us to drop off our items in the lockers.

I asked Dad. “Why can’t we bring our items?”

He replied, “We can’t bring them, because then the one who owns the Skywalk won’t be able to make any money and our items might scratch the glass on the Skywalk.”

“But don’t they make money from selling the tickets?”

“They make more money if the employees take pictures of the tourists and sell them.”

“Oh,” I said understandingly.

We waited in line for the Skywalk. While we waited, one of the employees gave my family some shoe protectors. James asked, “Daddy, why do we have to wear this?”

Dad replied, “These shoe protectors will not scratch the glass.” James nodded back, meaning that he understood Dad's explanation.

After 15 minutes waiting in line for the Skywalk, a photographer guided us through the Skywalk.

He described, “The Skywalk was made on March 20, 2007, by David Jin; but it was not introduced to the public until March 28, 2007. The elevation from where you are standing to the bottom of the canyon is about 4,770 feet. That’s pretty deep if you ask me.” As he described to us about the Skywalk, I tilted my head down. Wow, that is deep. My spine was tingling with excitement and nervousness.

Just as the photographer was waving towards us to take pictures, Katie whimpered.

“What’s wrong honey?” asked Mom.

“Katie's a scaredy cat.” James teased.

“Stop teasing Katie, James. You’re embarrassing Katie and yourself.” Dad scolded. All of a sudden, James and Katie cried. This is just great; James and Katie didn’t only embarrass themselves, but they’ve embarrassed the whole family.

“Calm down children. Relax; you’re on the Grand Canyon now. Why don’t you and your family stand over there and we’ll take some pictures, ok?” asked the photographer, getting ready to take our pictures.

After the Skywalk tour, we took our things that we left in our lockers and toured around the western part of the Grand Canyon. As part of our schedule, we took pictures, headed back to the shuttle bus, and bought some souvenirs from the gift shop.