Fozzie, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, and Scooter carefully approached the stool that held the simple carrying case. All of their friends sat in the seats in rows they had set up when their human counterparts had left.
Fozzie carefully undid the clasp near the top of the box as Scooter did the same at the foot and they gently lifted the lid up together. Miss Piggy put her hand to her face and turned her head as she tried to hold her composure. Gonzo dropped to his knees sniffling, still unsure of what to think.
Finally Miss Piggy, Scooter and Gonzo took their seats in the front row and Fozzie walked to the makeshift podium that had been set up beside the head of the case. He looked around the room at everyone who had come to pay tribute, pausing last on the row where Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, the Swedish Chef, Waldorf, Ernie, Guy Smiley, Convincing John, and Cantus sat. Tears silently slid down their faces, each one more forlorn than the other Muppets, in their grief unable to make a sound in over a week.
“I want to thank you all for coming,” Fozzie said quietly. “Kermit is very special to us all and I know he’s still here with us in spirit even though…” He broke off in sobs. “Please, I need someone else to do this.”
Scooter quickly rushed over and embraced the bear. “It’s okay,” he whispered, “You can share your memories in a moment.
Scooter watched as Fozzie took his seat and picked Robin up for a hug as they each whimpered.
“Kermit,” Scooter started, “was always an inspiration to me. He made me feel welcome even when he was forced to give me a job because my uncle owned the theater. I learned a lot from him and I’m proud to say he was my friend.”
Not a man of many words, Scooter started to gently sing the only thing he felt fit.
“Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember the good times we had.
Much more to say, foolish to try.”
He cut off and stepped back from the podium, unwilling to sing the last line. They had been told by Brian Henson that this wasn’t the end, but he knew it would never be the same.
Big Bird, Gobo, Sam the Eagle, and Grover took turns speaking next, sharing the stories of how Kermit had inspired them, made them feel loved, and had fun with them. Each paused to look as Kermit lay motionless in his case before they went back to their seats.
Miss Piggy was the next to approach the case and gave up the fight to keep her composure as she did.
“Oh, Kermie,” she wailed as she leaned over him.
“Never before have two souls joined
so freely and so fast.
For me this is the first time,
And the last.
Is this the angel’s wish for men?
Never before and never again.”
Statler came forward, took Robin from Fozzie’s arms and carried him out into the hallway. Miss Piggy’s further show of grief for his uncle was not something that needed to be etched in the little frog’s brain.
“It’s not right,” Robin sobbed to him.
“Hush now, I know that.” Statler whispered back. “All you need to do now is remember.”
A tear slid down and hit Robin on the back, making him lean harder into Statler’s chest.
“Uncle Kermit is special. He knows how to make everyone happy and feel good. Why? Why did this happen to him?”
“When you know the answer to that kid, share it with me.”
The two sat in silence both immersed in their memories with Kermit the Frog, uncle and friend.
“I want to go back in now,” Robin said to Statler after ten minutes had passed.
They walked in to see Gonzo singing his tribute to Kermit. Music had always been a glue that held the group together and there was no way to get through this without singing.
“This looks familiar, vaguely familiar,
Almost unreal, yet, it’s too soon to feel yet.
Close to my soul, and yet so far away.
I’m going to go back there someday.”
Gonzo’s song had always been haunting and reached everyone in the group, affirming that they were going to go back to their friendships together somewhere, someday.
“Sun rises, night falls, sometimes the sky calls.
Is that a song there, and do I belong there?
I’ve never been there, but I know the way.
I’m going to go back there someday.
Come and go with me, it’s more fun to share,
We’ll both be completely at home in midair.
We’re flyin’, not walkin’, on featherless wings.
We can hold onto love like invisible strings.
There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met.
Part heaven, part space, or have I found my place.
You can just visit, but I plan to stay.
I’m going to go back there someday.”
Gonzo’s voice broke with a sob as he thought of the place where they would one day meet again “I’m going to go back there someday.”
Fozzie and Scooter took their places at the case again as the group filed past one by one paying their respects to the Kermit they knew. Even if a miracle happened and they found someone to help Kermit share his ideas, it wasn’t going to be the same. His inspiration, his most trusted friend in the world was gone. Tragically.
Fozzie and Scooter closed the lid to the case again plunging Kermit back into the darkness. He listened as the clasps were fastened again and tried to struggle against the case so that they would come back.
“This isn’t the end,” he shouted in only his mind. “Please, I need to go on.”
Clips from the past echoed around Kermit’s mind, disturbing the peace as he had to deal with his grief on his own.
“Life’s like a movie, write your own ending… But you see, there is no memory in Heaven. Nor guile. Souls forget… Turn the world around… Miss Piggy you are fired... the ticking of a clock… Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street… Hi, ho! Kermit the Frog here… But green is cool and friendly like… I’d like to visit the moon… Got some partners I can count on called the boogie woogie sheep… Saying goodbye… Someday we’ll find it… It’s time to get things started…”
No matter what he tried he couldn’t get away from it. There was still so much to say, to teach, he had to convince someone to help him.
“Jim, oh Jim. Didn’t you learn anything about staying healthy? We still had so much to do.”
Kermit fell into a sleep disturbed only by the memories of what they had done together. He didn’t know how much time had passed before his case opened again. Steve was starring down at him.
“I’ll get you a voice, Kermit,” Steve whispered to him, “You’ll go back on. There is still work to do.”
Kermit watched as Steve struggled with a way to help him. In the meantime Kermit started sending letters to Fozzie and Scooter, it was time to pay tribute to his friend.
The time passed quickly and soon Kermit was with Steve back in New York.
“Are you coming?” Steve asked him.
“I’ll be there. I just don’t want to scare everyone away from the special. After all, it’s going to give them a start to hear me now. I still have a little bit of that cold left over.”
“Okay, just know I’m there backing you up. We’re still going to get Jim’s message out there buddy.”
Kermit waited silently in the background as he watched Fozzie and everyone struggle through how to honor a person they didn’t know as well as he did. But they did it and Kermit entered silently during the song and let the words pour over him.
“What a great song.” He said to his friends as they finished, “I knew you guys could do the tribute for Jim.”
Fozzie and the rest of the gang started jumping up and down in excitement. They couldn’t believe Kermit was really here. Things were now looking up for the group again.
“Kermit,” Fozzie asked nervously, “was it really okay?”
“It was terrific. You guys were great, but do we have something silly to end with?” Kermit watched as they jumped for joy and prepared to do the number they originally wanted to do before finding the letters.
Slowly Kermit turned and said goodnight to the audience and then planned what he was going to do next.
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