Chapter 7
The Fraggles and their silly creature friends were on a journey. Karen took out her notepad from her small purse and knew what her plans were for the rest of the day. First, they want to have a visit to St. John so they can see him more time before he is buried, Next, have a stop somewhere to eat so Prell can make one call to Mike. Finally, stay at a hotel to figure out what songs to do even though all of the Muppets will only appear in the last song, or the closing number as Scooter would describe to end the funeral service.
Gobo was so excited that he could hardly wait to explore Outer Space. He strummed his guitar knowing that he is definitely enjoying being the way he always was as an explorer.
“It sure is great being an explorer.”
Headed down the road I'm going round and round.
Walking through the light and through the free and easy land.
All I want to know is how the world goes round.
All I want to be is a traveling, be a wandering man.
(Then, a silly creature appears next to him.)
Well you go one way.
See it's some kind of fun way.
Start exploring the two way
Wow it's just like a thruway.
When you get to the three way.
Can't be sure it's a free way.
Got to find me the true way.
That's the only way home.
Well you go one way.
See it's some kind of fun way.
Start exploring the two way.
Wow it's just like a thruway.
When you get to the three way.
Can't be sure it's a free way.
Got to find me the true way.
That's the only way home.
When his song ended, he heard someone say, “Pssssst, Gobo?”
“Huh,”
“It’s just me, Gobo! It’s Amy, remember?”
“Well, hi Amy!”
“I’m sorry about my disguise, but I don’t want Trish to see me.” Without hesitation, she took off her brown coat and swung it to her shoulder to carry.
“You know Trish is your best friend.”
“I know that, Gobo, but I missed her. So I kind of followed you guys, but it almost looked like nobody could see me. Well, the reason why I came here was I had a fight with my sister Beth and she really wanted to go with me, but I said no to her. That’s when we started arguing and finally Beth yelled at me and went to her room crying.”
“Gosh, maybe you hurt her feelings.”
“I guess I did make her feel bad, but my sister doesn’t want to have fun anymore. She’s like Boober Fraggle, Gobo. She no longer goes to parties or hangs out with her other friends, except Trish and I.
“She’s got her true friends?”
“Exactly! If Beth were here, I will probably make an apology to her and we will be great sisters again. When she started yelling at me last week, I thought she was crazy.”
“Don’t you hate it when you and Beth yell at each other. It almost sounded like the time when Uncle Mat and I were fighting.”
“Well, we don’t like to get mad at each other and if I didn’t have her, I would be the only girl and have one friend.
Gobo knew what it was like have a fight with a friend, then your friend is trying to make someone else feel bad. His friends had a fight before, but that didn’t stop them from ending their friendship and they would still forgive each other.
Trish then saw Amy. “Oh no,” she thought. “Amy is here! ”
“Trish,” Amy said in a quiet tone. “I’m sorry that I woke up Gobo last night and had an argument with you. You were right! I do see Fraggles after all, once they touch my hand. They’re so magical and considered to be the most intelligent creatures I ever seen.”
“I accept your apology, Amy.” Trish said with a sigh. “So, uh, you ready to go St. John too visit him even though you have not see him in person”
“Sure,” Amy said calmly. “Well, I am glad you’re keeping an eye on Boober, because this place is pretty dangerous. Otherwise, let’s not keep the group from waiting. We have to go to the St. John church.”
“Wait a minute,” thought Beth. “Amy and I are really getting along? I don’t believe it! She is my best friend. Might as well visit Jim even though he is no longer here anymore. Now I really like crying.”
Then she heard something from Jerry Nelson and others while they were still walking along the path of sidewalks.
“According to his instructions, from Jim,” Jerry started. “He wants us not to wear black and his last request was to have a jazz band, because he loves jazz.”
“Karen, you said the church was located at 1047 Amerstrdeam Avenue at New York, New York?” asked Richard.
“That’s right,” answered Karen.
“We’re far away from here,” Richard said panicking. We need a train or a taxi.” Then he thought for a moment for a moment and when they saw yellow cab coming, he yelled, “TAXI!”
The taxi finally stopped and every one of them one at a time got into the cab before it drove away.
“What’s a taxi?” asked Red curiously.
With that, the girls laughed except Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, and Boober, because they knew it was no joke. Silly creatures really don’t understand what the twenty-two inch creatures are trying to say. Karen looked at Red feeling bad that laughing at her was just like teasing.
After being quiet for a while, she paid the ride to the taxi driver. Finally, the cab finally stopped to the entrance of St. John and everybody including the Fraggles and the silly creatures got out of the taxi before it speeded away. They got out so quickly that they forgot to say thank you to the driver. When they entered, they saw of people crying, not just the silly creatures, but the Muppets too.
Karen, Kathy, Jerry, Richard and the Fraggles went closer to the casket since the people carried it in earlier that day.
Gobo went first and Jerry put him on his back so he could take a closer look. Then, he cleared his throat before saying something to him.
Well,” Gobo started. “I can’t believe you’re dead. I never got to tell you so many things. We both were great explorers and-” He started sobbing into his purple handkerchief after wondering so many moments he had with Jim, but he couldn’t help it.
“Everyone loved you and I… I guess this is goodbye.” Gobo said between sobs. Jerry then hugged him while he sobbed into his purple handkerchief.
Red was next! Karen lifted her up and put her on her back.
“You were my best friend. We would sing songs, play silly games, and maybe tell great jokes. I-I didn’t want you to say goodbye to you.”
Then, she couldn’t say anything else and started sobbing as Karen was patting her back to calm down.
Boober, meanwhile felt like he lost all hope, but maybe it will come again soon. Trish then nicely asked him to be on her back. At first, he refused because he was afraid of heights. Finally he sort of gave up his complaining and she put him on her back.
“You let us had fun and you had fun with us. Sometimes you help me with the laundry and the cooking. Why did you have to die like that? I hate long goodbyes, but terrible that you’re gone.”
Finally, he sobbed and Trish put him back down, gave him a clean handkerchief and a good hug.
“Tosh?”
“Yeah, Boober?”
“I hope you’re clean.”
“Don’t worry Boober! I’m fine and I am not sick, okay?”
“I lost a great friend and “fearless” leader.” Mokey said. “Cantus showed me that you have to listen and have an eternal “ping.”
When you long for the height of the mountains,
When you long for the blue,
Leave your heart where it’s deep and it’s down again,
Lose your heart til it’s new (Mokey sang)
Seek your heart on the high blue skyway,
Keep your heart and it’s bound.
Steep your heart in the deep of the earth again.
Lose your heart and it’s found. (Everyone except, Karen, Kathy, Steve, Jerry, and Richard sang)
One I thought I could fly like an eagle can.
Once I thought I was brave.
Now I wait till my heart starts to beat again,
Deep in the heart on the cave
Seek your heart on the high blue skyway,
Keep your heart and it’s bound.
Steep your heart in the deep of the earth again.
Lose your heart and it’s found.
Lose your heart and it’s found.
Lose your heart and it’s found.
Lose your heart and it’s found.
Thank you for everything for what you taught us, Jim,” Mokey said.
Last but not least was Wembley. He couldn’t decide whether or not what to say about Mr. Henson. Instead of talking to his silly creature Steve, it was best to talk to his best friend
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye to him. I really miss him, Gobo.” Wembley said. “It was just like Mudwell, the mud bunny except he didn’t into a mud puddle.”
“Well, Wembley Gobo said. “Sometimes life isn’t fair, but there are times where we do have to say our goodbyes.”
Time to say goodbye to your home,
Places you’ve known,
Heart like a stone,
As you go.
Time to scramble down from the stream,
List rock and stream (?)
Golden and dreamed while you go, (??)
(Wembley joins in the song with Gobo)
Goodbye, Goodbye,
And every eye is dry.
Leavin’, there’s no grevin’ just a rainbow in the sky.
Goodbye, Goodbye.
Goodbye, Goodbye.
Time to say goodbye to our own,
To our only home,
Only place we’ve known like a glove.
Every dream we dreamed happened here,
Laughter and tears,
Moments and years that we loved
(Everyone except Karen, Kathy, Jerry, Steve, and Richard join in and sing)
Goodbye, Goodbye.
And every eye is dry.
Leavin’, there’s no grievin’ just a rainbow in the sky.
Goodbye, Goodbye.
Goodbye, Goodbye.
Goodbye, Goodbye
Goodbye
With nothing else to say, Karen, Kathy, Steve, Jerry, and Richard with the Fraggles now know it is time to go somewhere to eat and relax, because they have a big day tomorrow. They quietly left the church while everyone else didn’t notice what the Muppets or Fraggles were even up to.
Beth woke up from her sleep. She realized that she was no longer sleeping on a porch swing. She was in her comfortable bed even though she was not changed into her nightclothes. With nothing else to do, she started walking around her room to find someone to talk to. Unfortunately, she finally found a Red Fraggle toy even though she did not look like a stuffed animal.
“Oh Red,” cried Beth while talking to the delicate Red Fraggle toy. “I don’t know what to do. You’re not stubborn, but you are an energetic playful Fraggle. I’m scared and I miss my sister, Amy. Well, she’s my best friend too you know. I remembered when you sang a lullaby to Landford, even though you think lullabies are mushy and gushy I guess. I am not being mean to you, Red. It’s just well… after all of these years; I was acting like Boober, which sounds dumb. It was like you tried to be Mokey, because all of your friends were into Mokey’s poem. Now, I know exactly how I feel now. I am really a boring and dull silly creature. What should I do now? I wish you were here. I used to enjoy swimming and playing games. Oh, I wish I were in my sister’s footsteps instead of Boober’s or my dad’s.
Then she sang a slow song while rocking her Red Fraggle figurine.
Down a dark path through the willow woods,
There is a pond where,
Dream boats are docked in the cattail reeds,
I know, I've been there.
At the end of the trail,
When the last light has failed,
You can turn in your day cares,
And hoist up your sails.
Catch a ride out on a dream,
No fears, no cares.
I know, I've been there.
Wind on the pond strums the lily leaves.
Stars come, twinkling,
Moon on my cheek like a silky sleeve,
Starts me to thinking,
That the wind wafts and blows,
And the pond ebbs and flows,
And the moon comes and goes as it pleases to.
The wind, and the pond, and the moon and me,
Dreaming, our dreams.
With a quiet sigh and a groan, she put her toy back on the shelf where it belongs. Then, she noticed something that hasn’t seen before and also found a note. “What’s this?” she asked herself. “It says,
Dear Beth,
We know how much you miss your sister Amy and your best friend. We made arrangements and now you have an airplane ticket plus passes to New York for Jim’s funeral at St. John.
Love,
Mom & Dad
P.S: We took you and your guitar case as long you have your guitar to your bedroom so you will not feel crummy anymore.
“That does it,” Beth cried slamming the note back to her chair. “I am going to New York as soon as I packed up all my belongings. I don’t want my friends to miss me any longer. I am going to see Red and she’s my favorite. I don’t care if I have to stay here all cooped up any longer. I’m glad my parents went on vacation. I care about my friends and my family, not death or laundry.”
Finally, after she packed up and put her tickets and her notebook in her small bag. She took one set of keys and locked after herself with her stuff and was ready to go find her friends. She didn’t know that she was standing up for herself so she might see her friends after all. As she got to the airport, she went through security; making sure she had her tickets and finally got a plane. She hopes she finds Amy soon before it is too late. After getting on an airplane, they asked her if she wants any drinks. She always said no unless all she wanted were blankets and a pillow. She was so tired that she fell deeply asleep.
In her dream, she now has an alter ego named Belle. Something wasn’t right. Unlike Sidebottom, she was not a Fraggle, since Beth and Belle were silly creatures. Then, the worse came. Belle, the fun girl brought in Sidebottom, which was Boober’s alter ego. Two funny creatures! Now she claims that Belle has a She couldn’t stand it anymore. She finally woke up, because her dream was no longer strange, it was a nightmare.
“I gotta tell Boober,” Beth said with panic. “Side-bottom’s in my dream, not his.”
Then, she fell asleep although she had troubles with her dreams before.
After a long taxi cab ride back to New York City, They all decided to take a walk. Then, Amy had an idea. She said,
"Trish, we need to talk."
"Great," thought Trish. "Now she wants to have an argument with me instead of being grateful for what I done to her.
"Everyone knows you are a traveler, miss know-it-all." Amy said smirkly.
"Well, I am more of an explorer and stop calling me "miss know-it-all." Trish yelled.
"Oh sure! You are so scared of death."
"I am not scared."
"Then, admit that you are a coward."
The argument continued! Boober and Gobo tried to stop them from arguing, but it was about to heat up.
"Then, I demand you to apologize."
"I demand an apology to you? There is no way I would do that."
"You know what?
"What?"
"You are stubborn!"
"That does it," yelled Amy. "You said my secret and you cannot say it. I am not your friend anymore, Trish. Mybe your name's Tosh, isn't it?"
"You're the one who called me Tosh?" Trish asked.
"Yes," said Amy. "It's your fault that Boober's here. That paranoid fraggle."
"I did nothing to him. Mokey took him to Outer Space."
"Really?"
"Yeah! You are such a Doozer!"
"I am not!"
"Yes you are!"
"Fine! Why don't you take Boober with you. I am never ever going to SPEAK to you again."
Then, Amy walked away to follow the rest of the group and Fraggles.
Gobo and Boober were now with Trish. She was so wrong to argue with Amy, but she just couldn't stand her. Now it was like Uncle Mat and Gobo fighting all over again.
"Gobo," Trish said. "You go with Amy. Boober and I are going to take a walk. We'll be with you guys later."
Gobo nodded with a "yes" and walked away to find Amy while Boober and Trish went to a different direction to clam down.