It might be Labor Day, but that won't stop me from updating. Enjoy Chapter Four.
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"Hi-ho. Kermit the Frog here."
"Hello Kermit."
"Sam, what a surprise. I didn't expect to hear from you during your vacation. Is everything all right?"
"Well, that's what I'm calling about."
"Did something happen?"
"Possibly. I wanted to let you know that Andrew and Hillary will be coming back to Los Angeles with me."
A pause. Sam could hear Kermit put his hand over the other end of the phone and talk to someone in the background.
"Wow, Sam. I wasn't expecting that, but we would love to have them spend some time with us here."
"Will there be room in the house or should I place them in local group homes for troubled youth?"
"Don't be silly, we have room. Zoot and Lips moved out into the pool house, so we have a spare room for Andrew, and Hillary can stay with Annie Sue."
"That's good. We'll be leaving Virginia in a couple of weeks."
"We can't wait to see you guys. It's been ages since you had the kids come visit. It will be a lot of fun to see them around the theater."
"I'll be making them get real jobs if you don't mind, something they can be proud of, something that will teach them the values of hard work."
"The Muppet Theater does that just fine! But regardless, it'll be fun seeing them around the house, and we always have space for two more in the theater should that be what they want."
"I've got to go Kermit, but thank you for approving this move."
"No problem Sam. See you soon."
"Goodbye."
Kermit placed his cell phone down on the table and turned to Miss Piggy, who had paused their movie.
"Can you believe that? Sam is bringing his kids back with him."
"His kids? Aren't they all grown now?"
"Yeah, I think they just graduated from college."
"Shouldn't they be working or something?"
"I think that's the point of them coming with him, they can't find jobs."
"Well, I could use a new assistant or two…"
"I don't think Sam will go for that."
Three weeks later….
Sam stood on his front steps, tapping his clawed feet up and down impatiently. He was supposed to leave for the airport with his children at 9:00 AM, and it was 9:10. Ten minutes down the drain, that could have been valuable time if they had hit a traffic jam, needed to stop to use the bathroom, or had been swept away by the wind. He opened the front door again; no sign of his children.
"Andrew! Hillary! What are you two doing?"
A duffel bag was tossed near Sam's person, nearly knocking him over.
"Hey Dad! I just couldn't decide what to bring with me, how many pairs of socks I needed, how many comic books, how many of my taxidermy tools. I was up all night last night!"
"You cannot bring taxidermy tools on the plane! They won't get through security. Do you want to be on the No-Fly list! Have to take a bus everywhere?"
"Didn't think of that! Maybe I'll have Mom ship them to me later on. Mom! Mom!" Andrew scurried back into the house, leaving a pile of bags in the doorway. Sam grabbed them and put them in the trunk of the SUV he was renting. He sighed all the way.
What in the world was he doing to with Andrew in Los Angeles? He hadn't even meant to invite the kids out there; it just slipped from his mouth in frustration. But the kids had been for it; Andrew thought it would be a great change of scenery, and give him the opportunity to sightsee and visit different beaches, while Hillary seemed to have no real opinion either way. Neither of them seemed to be interested in actually working.
Matty thought it was worth a try if that was what the kids wanted to do. She agreed that Andrew could have a chance at finding employment in Los Angeles, and that a change of place might do Hillary some good. She was sad to see her children leave; it had been a long time since she lived without having anyone else at home. The nest was empty now, and it might not ever be filled again, but that was how life worked. People grow up and move on.
Sam shuffled slowly out to the car, double-checking his own luggage for what was probably the twelfth time that morning. Everything was in its right place, just like he wanted. That feeling of everything being in the right place was not going to last. There was so much he had to account for once in Los Angeles; he had to help Andrew and Hillary find jobs, he had to make them want to work, he had to make sure that they kept their distance from some of the most unsavory characters in the boarding house, and he had to continue working at his job as moral center of the Muppet Theater. A lot of responsibility was suddenly under his wings.
The front door cracked open again, sending all three eagles outside. Matty and Hillary carried her bags to the car, while Andrew ambled outside sipping on an incongruously large coffee.
"I imagine we're going to have to make a stop for the bathroom on our way to the airport, seeing as you're drinking coffee out of an oil tanker there."
"Yeah, probably."
Sam shook his head, then shifted his focus to Hillary and Matty, who were placing the luggage in the trunk. "Is that everything?"
"Yes, Dad." Hillary made her way into the car.
"She seems to be a bit more talkative recently."
Matty nodded as she closed the trunk. "I think she's a bit excited to go to Los Angeles, though she won't really admit it."
"That's good. Are you going to be all right by yourself?"
"I think so. I'll miss the kids, but they could use some space and new surroundings. It's time they live on their own. But Sam, you have to promise me something now. Let them make their own mistakes. Guide them to the right thing but don't force it on them."
"I'll do my best."
Matty caught the uncertainty in Sam's eyes. "You better." She gave him a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "I love you, Sam. Don't let me down."
"I'll do my best."
"Thank you." Matty then scurried into the car to say her last goodbyes to the kids, while Sam went back into the house one last time. He didn't need to double-check anything now; this was just to compose himself before the journey began. It was too late now to back out of anything.
"It's going to be all right," he said to no one in particular. It didn't sound too convincing.
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Coming up in Chapter Five: A new season at the Muppet Theater kicks off, and Andrew and Hillary are welcomed to the Muppet Boarding House.
Welcome to the Muppet Central Forum!
Jim Henson Idea Man
Back to the Rock Season 2
Bear arrives on Disney+
Sam and Friends Book
