Chapter Twenty
“We won’t tell them what happened until after the show,” Miss Piggy said firmly as they took the elevator down. “It will only worry them.”
Fozzie nodded, wringing his former hat in his hands. “We need to focus on doing the show.”
“Right,” she said. “So don’t tell them.”
“I won’t.”
“Good. I won’t, either.”
They might have been able to manage it if the first number in the second half hadn’t been “When the River Meets the Sea.” It was the only number that had remained in the show after their huge revision, because it had originally been included in Robin’s honor—he sang this song so sweetly.
Fozzie and Miss Piggy stood next to each other, part of a large group that was singing. Knowing that Robin couldn’t join them made it hard enough to get through the song, but knowing how close he had been to never singing again made it almost impossible. So they each kept a tight grip on the other’s hand, trying to pull each other through.
“When the mountain
Touches the valley
All the clouds are taught to fly
Thus our souls
Shall leave this land
Most peacefully…”
Both of them had tears in their eyes. Fozzie knew that if he hadn’t been surrounded by other voices, he would not have been able to sing at all. But whether they knew it or not, his friends were carrying him. He wondered if Miss Piggy felt the same way.
By the end of the song, he had his answer. She was supposed to take a solo immediately after the bridge…. and she missed her cue. The lump in her throat was just too big. When the other Muppets looked at her to see what was wrong, they also saw Fozzie trying to dry his eyes with his hat. And then finally, she gathered herself.
“Like a baby
When it is sleeping
In its loving mother’s arms…”
Then, at a nudge from Floyd, Janice joined her—which hadn’t been planned.
“What a newborn baby dreams
Is a mystery…”
“But his life will find a purpose,” Gonzo sang.
“And in time, he’ll understand…”
Then all of them joined together.
“When the river meets the sea…
When the river meets the almighty sea…”
In room 396, Kermit was once again sitting by Robin’s side, watching the show on television. He watched as, at the first hint that the applause was dying down, Rowlf and Gonzo pulled Fozzie and Miss Piggy to the off-stage area—which was still visible on the screen. Rowlf had one paw on the pig’s shoulder and one paw on the bear’s. Gonzo was holding onto Fozzie’s arm, and the rest of the Muppets quickly huddled around them.
And Kermit knew what was happening. Fozzie and Miss Piggy had probably tried not to tell anyone what had almost happened to Robin during the first half of the show, and he didn’t particularly blame them for that. But now, they would have no choice but to tell. Even with as stubborn as both of them—particularly Miss Piggy—could be, they were in no state to resist the insistence of every single other Muppet.
And he knew the moment it happened. He saw the entire group sag under the weight of this news, and he silently urged them to keep going. They quickly straightened up, but did not budge from their huddle.
“Keep going,” he whispered under his breath. “Keep going, guys. Come on. Go on with the show. The show must go on. Come on, guys. It must go on. It must…” And for perhaps the first time, he truly understood why. Sometimes, the show was the only thing that could go on.
Like right now.
Jimmy was still holding Robin’s hand, only vaguely aware that there was a show at all. He glanced at the screen. “…They know?” he asked.
“They do now.” It was all Kermit said. Silently, he was still urging them on. The show must go on. The show must go on. Please, please…
“Kermit told us to keep going,” Fozzie was telling the others. “He said it’s important. We promised—” He looked at Miss Piggy. “We promised to make people happy, and to make ‘em laugh.”
“Then we will,” Rowlf said. “I’ll introduce the next number.” And he marched back to the space they were calling a stage.
“What happened?” someone in the audience called out—a sharp reminder that their ‘backstage’ was plainly visible, but also that they had fans who cared.
“Is it Robin? Is he okay?” someone else asked.
Rowlf raised his paws to quiet them. “Robin’s about where he has been,” he said, his voice perhaps a little gruffer than usual. “We just had a little scare. But the show must go on. We promised you folks some entertainment.”
And they delivered on that promise.
At first, they were visibly strained. But as they kept getting laughs and applause, the energy in the room propelled them forward, and they managed to focus entirely by the time they reached the closing number.
And that was a very good thing, because Fozzie had made sure to pull out all the stops for the closing number.
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? And when he's pulled out all the stops?
If he pulled out all the stops, what's stopping them?
Me no know, me still worried about little froggy.