Chapter Thirty
Kermit’s head was spinning. He stared at his wine glass and tried to straighten out everything that had just happened. Most of his thoughts seemed to revolve around this most recent encounter with Doc Hopper. Miss Piggy had been so quick to defend him, and so vicious in her defense. And yet, he wondered if she knew…
He reached behind him and touched the spot on his back where he had felt the cold, hard metal. He didn’t want to think that it had been a gun, but… He didn’t know what else to think it had been.
He wondered if she knew that she had saved his life.
And he had almost kissed her. The scent of her skin still lingered with him. It was unlike anything he had ever smelled before, and he wanted to smell it again. There was something about it that he loved.
Love?
He frowned.
There was a rush of silk as she hurried back to the table. Words flew out of her mouth as she scooped up her handbag. “Kermie-I’m-sorry-but-Marty-got-a-commercial-for-moi-and-I-have-to-go-
now-so-“ She kissed his cheek. “Good bye!” she called cheerfully, and she was gone.
He stared after her, and his head was spinning once more. He didn’t even notice when the piano stopped playing.
“That didn’t exactly go the way you planned, did it?” a voice behind him asked.
Kermit turned around. “Rowlf?” he said, standing up. “What in the world are
you doing here?”
His brown-eared friend was poking his head out from behind the piano, his face grim with sympathy. “I was about to ask you the same thing,” he said. He ducked back behind the piano and resumed playing.
Kermit came around the piano and stood next to him.
“So what brings you to… whatever town this is?” Rowlf asked.
“You don’t know?” Kermit said.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t have asked,” Rowlf said.
“No, I mean, you don’t know what town this is,” Kermit said.
“Oh.” Rowlf shook his head. “I’ve stopped keeping track. So what brings you here?”
“Oh well, see, we’re all going to Hollywood,” Kermit said.
Rowlf did a double take. “Beg pardon?”
“Hollywood?”
“Who’s
we?”
“Oh!” Kermit brightened. “Well, me, and Fozzie, and Gonzo, and…”
Rowlf stared at him.
“Maybe I should start from the beginning, huh?” Kermit said.
“Might help,” Rowlf said, his paws brushing over the piano keys.
“Okay,” Kermit said as he sat next to Rowlf on the piano bench. “See, I was in the swamp, and this agent showed me an ad in the newspaper for auditions for frogs. He said I could make millions of people happy. So I talked to Jim about it, and- well, basically, I’m going to Hollywood, and the rest of the company is going to follow me.”
Rowlf nodded. “About time,” he said.
“Time for what?”
“Time to play the music.”
Kermit gestured to the piano. “You’re already playing it.”
“No, no, no,” Rowlf shook his head. “I mean, it’s time for you to lead us.”
“Us?” Kermit smiled mischievously at his friend.
Rowlf continued playing, but the rest of him froze.
“Freudian slip?” Kermit said, leaning against the edge of the piano. “You’re welcome to join us, you know.”
Rowlf looked at the piano keys. “I might,” he said thoughtfully. Then he nodded towards Kermit’s table. “So what about her?”
Kermit gulped, looked down, and squirmed.
“Uh oh,” Rowlf said.
“No- it’s just- I…” Kermit squirmed.
“You don’t want to talk about it here,” Rowlf said matter-of-factly.
“Well… sort of. I…” he squirmed. “I’m not sure I really
understand it enough to talk about it yet.”
Rowlf’s song came to an end, and he took the opportunity to stop playing, lean over, and examine Kermit from his eyes to his flippers and back. He sniffed. “I smell fresh wounds,” he said. He straightened up and started another song. “What did
she do to you?”
Kermit sighed and sulked. “Good question,” he said. After a moment, he lifted his head, with a hint of an embarrassed smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Rowlf… did you
see her?”
Rowlf nodded and looked at his friend. “Kermit,” he said, “You’re wrapped around her finger.”
Kermit immediately frowned. “She
walked out on me,” he said defensively.
“Well,” Rowlf said, “You
were wrapped around her finger, then.”
Kermit sighed. He didn’t like being wrapped around fingers.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Introductions had been made between Rowlf, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Camilla, Rowlf had finally agreed to come along to Hollywood, and Gonzo and Camilla had gone off for a bed time snack of some sort, leaving Kermit, Rowlf, and Fozzie in the hotel room. They were settling in for the night. They chatted mindlessly until Fozzie excused himself to the bathroom. Then Rowlf turned to Kermit. “Now,” he said, “About this lady pig.”
Kermit frowned. “I only meant to flirt with her,” he said.
“But you did more?” Rowlf asked.
Kermit looked at his flippers and squirmed. “I- I’m kind of kicking myself over it,” he said.
Rowlf did a double take. “Wait a second. You’re mad at
yourself?” he said. “You’re supposed to be mad at
her.
She walked out on
you. Remember?”
Kermit scrunched his face up and looked at him. “Well, I’m not exactly thrilled about that, either,” he said dryly.
Rowlf shook his head. “So what are you mad at yourself for?” he asked.
“Well…” Kermit sat down on the bed. He looked at his flippers for a long time. “It- it wasn’t really…
just flirting. But… I can’t quite put my finger on what it
was. And I’m not sure I want to.”
Rowlf gave his friend a good hard look and immediately knew the problem. Kermit wouldn’t want to look it straight in the face- he probably wouldn’t even be honest with himself about it. Rowlf would have to be cautious about this. He carefully considered his words. “You were starting to fall in love with her,” he said quietly.
Kermit silently stared at his flippers for what seemed like a very long time. When he lifted his head, he was on the brink of tears. “I can’t do that to Melinda,” he said.
“Who’s Melinda?”
Rowlf looked up, alarmed. Fozzie had emerged from the bathroom.
The bear looked from Kermit to Rowlf and back. “Did I- should I leave?” He put his hands over his ears. “I didn’t hear anything,” and he turned to go.
“No, Fozzie, you can stay,” Kermit said.
Fozzie looked at him and lifted his hands an inch from his ears. “I can?”
“Yeah,” Kermit said. “You can.”
Fozzie came and sat down at the other end of the bed, and Rowlf leaned his back against the wall. “So who’s Melinda?” Fozzie asked.
Rowlf mutely looked at Kermit.
Kermit took a deep breath. “Melinda…” A tear threatened to escape his eye. He took another deep breath. “Melinda… was my wife,” he said quietly. “And we had a son, named Ray, but…” He swallowed, and the first tear rolled down his cheek. “Well, see… a few years ago, we… Well… There was a car accident, see, and…” Kermit fell silent.
Fozzie frowned with confusion and turned to Rowlf for help.
“Melinda and Ray both died in the accident,” the dog gently explained.
“Oh!” Fozzie looked at Kermit, horrified and sympathetic. “That’s terrible! Kermit, I’m so sorry…”
Kermit nodded vaguely. After a moment, he turned to Fozzie. “I shouldn’t have done what I did today. Or tonight, more specifically,” he explained.
Fozzie looked confused. “Why not?” he asked.
Kermit straightened up, his tears gone now. “Because I felt more for Miss Piggy than I should have,” he said. “And I love Melinda.” He stood up and started walking towards the bathroom. “Shouldn’t have even flirted,” he muttered to himself.
When the bathroom door was safely closed, Rowlf turned to Fozzie. “How many days have you known him?”
“Kermit?” Fozzie said. “Um…” He counted on his fingers. “Three?”
“You must’ve gotten really close in three days,” Rowlf said. “There’s people he’s known for
years who don’t know about Melinda and Ray. In fact… Anyone who didn’t know when it happened, doesn’t know. Except for his little nephew Robin, and now you.”
Fozzie slowly let this sink in. “Wow,” he said.
“You must’ve gotten pretty close,” Rowlf said.
“Yeah, I- I guess so!” Fozzie said, bordering on pride.
“Well,” Rowlf said, stepping forward, “Anyone who can earn
that much of Kermit’s trust
that quickly, is a good friend of mine, too.” He held his paw out for shaking.
Fozzie took it. “Really?” he said excitedly. “You mean it?”
“Absolutely,” Rowlf said.
They shook hands. Or perhaps they shook paws.
“Great!” Fozzie pulled him into a backslapping bear hug. “We’ll be friends forever!”
Rowlf did a double take, and then returned his new friend’s hug. “Right,” he said. “Friends forever.”
The bathroom door opened, and they broke their embrace to watch as Kermit sulked himself straight into bed. They looked at each other and shrugged. Rowlf turned the light off, and they climbed into the bed.
Rowlf only knew one appropriate way to try to comfort the frog before sleep came. “Good night, Kermit,” he said softly.
“Good night, Rowlf,” came the agitated answer.
A moment’s silence.
“Good night, Kermit,” Fozzie said hopefully.
“Good night, Fozzie,” Kermit said irritably.
Another moment’s silence.
“Good night, Fozzie.”
“Good night, Rowlf.”
Yet another brief silence.
“Good night-“
“Who
else is there to say ‘good night’ to?” Kermit snapped.
Fozzie hesitated. “The moon?” he said meekly.
Kermit sighed. “Good night, moon,” he said grouchily.
“Good night, moon,” Fozzie said peacefully.
“Good night, moon,” Rowlf said. He hesitated. “That’s a good book.”
“What is?” Kermit asked.
“Goodnight Moon,” Rowlf said.
“That’s a book?” Kermit asked.
“Yup.”
“Haven’t you ever read it?” Fozzie asked.
“If I had, I would know it was a book,” Kermit pointed out.
“Oh yeah.”
“It’s a children’s book,” Rowlf explained, “A bed-time story. Robin would probably like it.”
“Hm. Okay,” Kermit said. “Well, good night.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
The room was quiet for a long moment. Then three voices spoke in unison. “Goodnight, moon.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On the roof of the hotel, Gonzo sat with Camilla by his side, and quietly finished reciting a book. “Goodnight stars. Goodnight air. Goodnight noises everywhere.” He sighed. “Boy, I tell ya, Camilla. Sometimes, I just can’t fall asleep without it. I like the end. Something about saying good night to the stars…”
Camilla nuzzled closer to him and set her head on his chest.
“I wonder where that pig went that walked out on Kermit. That wasn’t very nice of her, was it?”
“Bur, buck bu-gaw buck,” she clucked.
“Yeah, he is nice,” Gonzo agreed. “I’m glad we ran into him again.”
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