Oswald: Chance and Change

Chapter 1: Surprises

The front door opened as Lillian Disney entered the household with the morning’s mail and newspaper in hand. She then proceeded to the kitchen, setting them on the kitchen table before getting out the ingredients she would need to start breakfast. She began mixing the ingredients together before pouring the batter onto the hot pan.

Within minutes, the pitter-patter of feet could be heard coming down the stairs. A small, black and white toon mouse poked his head around the corner, following the delicious smell of fresh pancakes cooking.

“Hi, Mom!” he greeted her, walking into the kitchen. She looked up from her cooking with a gentle smile.

“Good morning, Mickey! Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” Mickey responded with a yawn, stretching as he went to wait at the table. A short while later, Walt walked into the kitchen as well.

“Good morning, Lilly,” he said.

“Good morning, Honey,” Lilly said, looking up again with a smile, as she went over and pecked him on the cheek before returning to her cooking. Walt smiled, then sat down at the kitchen table, sipping some coffee as he began reading the daily paper. A short while later, Lilly set a plate of pancakes down in the center of the table.

“Get 'em while they're hot!"

“Oh boy!” Mickey exclaimed in childish delight, eagerly grabbing some to put on his plate and drenching them in maple syrup.  

Lilly giggled at him as she took her place at the table and put some pancakes on her own plate. Walt set down his paper and began his breakfast as well.

“These are wonderful, Lillian. You always make them the best.”

“Oh, it’s nothing special, Dear, but thank you,” Lilly replied with a soft giggle.

Then there was silence for a while as everyone was eating. Walt finished first and began to go through his mail.

“So, any plans for today?” said Lilly, in an attempt to break the silence.

Walt, who seemed particularly focused on reading a letter of his, didn’t answer her. He sat there in silence, then his eyes suddenly began to widen.

"Honey? Is something wrong?" Lilly asked in concern.

"Lilly, I won my case!" Walt suddenly exclaimed in excitement.

“Huh? What case?” asked Mickey in confusion.

"Really?! You mean..." Lilly gasped in surprise, realization of what he meant dawning on her, "Oh, Honey!" she exclaimed, springing up from her seat, tears of joy filling her eyes as she ran over and hugged him. Walt hugged her back, a huge smile on his face.

“What’s going on?” asked Mickey, completely bewildered.

“Mickey, I’m bringing home a big surprise for you,” Walt answered.

“Really, for me?!” exclaimed Mickey excitedly.

“Yes, Honey,” said Lilly with a smile, wiping her tears.

“I will be back,” Walt said, giving Lilly a quick kiss on the cheek before he headed out and got in his car.

~~~

“Hmmph! I’ll show HIM who’s a ‘bad actor’!”

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit sat in one of the planning rooms of Universal, throwing a rubber ball back and forth against the wall in order to help vent his anger and frustration. He was at the end of his rope. It had been at least 5 or 7 years (he had lost count) since his creator and “father” had abandoned him and left him here to suffer with these jerks.

For a time, Oswald had been so sure that Walt loved him and would never let anything happen to him and would always been there for him. But as the years passed, it became obvious that he had been wrong, as Walt had left him here without warning or even a simple “Good-bye, Oswald.”  

When Oswald had first asked where his father had gone, he had been told coldly by the Universal staff that he must have done something really bad to make Walt hate him enough to not even want to say “Good-bye” to him. This was something that constantly haunted Oswald in his dreams. What had he done to make his own father and creator hate him? Was it because of one of the pranks he had pulled? He never did seem too happy when he caught Oswald pulling pranks...

Oswald sighed sadly at the thought, his rabbit ears drooping in sadness and guilt as the rubber ball bounced to the floor out of his grasp. What he wouldn’t give to take back whatever it was that he had done wrong. To be given a second chance. He deserved it, didn’t he? Unless whatever he had done was unforgivable... He winced at the thought.

Suddenly, the door to the planning room opened and a stern-looking man stood in the doorway.

“Oswald, you are instructed to come with me,” he said plainly.

“Yes, Sir,” Oswald responded, knowing he had no choice but to obey. As he glumly followed the man out of the room and down the hall, he wondered what it was he was in trouble for this time. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

The man soon led him to a door at the end of the hallway and motioned for Oswald to go through. Oswald obeyed and went through the door, but was taken by surprise when sunlight hit his eyes and he found himself in the Universal parking lot. He looked back through the doorway at the man with a confused look.

“You no longer belong here,” the man said coldly, without explanation, as he slammed the door shut behind Oswald.

“Wh-What?! Is this some kind of a cruel joke or something?!” Oswald exclaimed in surprise as he went to try the doorknob, only to find it was locked. He tugged on it a few more times, then gave up.

“Fine then! I never liked it here anyway! Hmmph!” he yelled at the building before stomping away.

“Jerks...” He muttered to himself, kicking a stone as he walked across the parking lot. What was he going to do now? His father was long gone and now Universal didn’t even want him here anymore, not that he cared about the latter.

He continued to walk aimlessly through the huge parking lot for about 15 minutes, unsure of where to go or what to do next. He sighed. Then his ear twitched as he thought he heard a sound in the distance.

“Huh?” he wondered aloud, turning in the direction of where the sound had come from. As he squinted into the distance, he could just barely make out a figure standing by the gates. He moved in the direction of the gates, confused.

“Oswald!” the voice called out loud and clear this time. Oswald gasped as he recognized the voice. Was that...? No, it couldn’t be... Could it?

“D... Dad...?” Oswald called back in disbelief, his pace increasing.

“Oswald!” Walt called back to him, tears of joy forming in his eyes.

“Dad!” Oswald cried out joyfully, tears of joy also blurring his vision as he soon broke into a sprint. In no time at all he reached the gates and hurled himself over the walls of his prison with a great leap, right into Walt’s waiting arms.

“Oswald!” said Walt joyfully, tightly hugging his first creation close.

“Dad! You came back! I missed you so much! Why did you leave me?” Oswald asked, sniffling.

“Mintz took you from me. He betrayed me! But don’t worry, it’s all over now. I got you back and I’ll never leave you again.”

“R-Really? You still love me...?”

“Of course I love you! I’ve always loved you.”

“I didn’t do something to make you hate me and want to leave me...? Like that time I accidentally spilled ink on your drawings...?”

“Of course not! They filled your head with lies, Son.”

“What...?” Oswald narrowed his eyes. “Those jerks...”

“Let’s go home.” Oswald gave him a fake disappointed look.

“Aww, you mean I can’t beat them up first?” Walt laughed.

“No, you don’t want me to get in trouble, do you?” Oswald gave a mischievous smile.

“That’s what disguises are for.”

“Don’t worry, Oswald. Winning my case was insulting to them enough. Let’s go.”

“Aww, you’re no fun.” Oswald joked playfully, giggling.

Walt gently picked him up. Oswald happily hung onto his neck as he carried him over to the car. He couldn’t believe it. He was finally going home again. Everything was right again. Everything would be just like before and nothing would ever tear them apart again.