I See What You Mean, But it Isn’t Nineteen, in This Case, the Chapter is Twenty
The sun rose on Sesame Street.
Three weeks had passed since the day Alex Hooper tried to destroy Sesame Street.
Three weeks had given Miles and Gabi just enough time to plan their wedding.
Big Bird walked down the sidewalk with a skip in his step, singing a "la la la" song, saying hello to everyone he passed, all of them running around making last minute plans for the big day. Big Bird pulled at his black bow tie around his neck with his hands, each one wearing a white cuff link, as Bob came running towards him.
"Good morning, Bob!" Big Bird called to his friend.
"Oh, hi Big Bird," Bob said, rushing past him. "I can’t stop to talk right now. I’ve got flowers to pick up."
Big Bird shook his head. "Everyone’s busy this morning. Even Oscar is taking a mud bath!" he said.
He found his way to his favorite step on 123 Sesame Street, and sat down. "Gee, I wonder when the wedding will start." He pulled at his bow tie again. "This thing sure is uncomfortable."
Big Bird looked up and down Sesame Street, it was empty. Everyone was too busy inside getting ready to come out and play. Big Bird sighed. "Well," he said. "I guess this is why people write songs."
"If you feel lonely, and you need a friend," Big Bird started to sing.
"I know a place on which you can depend
A place that’s quiet, and always nearby
And you know there-" Big Bird got up off the stoop and began to skip down Sesame Street.
"No one’s a stranger, the door’s open wide
And what good things you’ll find waiting inside
The smiles, the kindness, all troubles behind
When you go there!"
A few kids came out to join Big Bird as he sang on his skipping trip down.
"You’re on the happiest street in the world
The happiest street, in a beautiful world
A place to be young, a place to be free
For you and for me!" Big Bird and the kids sang together, laughing and singing as the skipped down the street.
"Yes it’s the happiest street in the world
The happiest street in a wonderful world
Wherever I ever go
The happiest street I know!
"You’re on the happiest street in the world
The happiest street in the beautiful world
Wherever I ever go
The happiest street I know!"
By this time, Sesame Street was filled with monsters, animals, and Muppets of all sorts, as per usual. And they were all joining Big Bird in his gleeful song.
"Sometimes you worry, you’re down on your fears
But, when you’re with us, those fears disappear
We’ll be together, our friendship will grow
So you see here," Big Bird sang.
"The sun’s always shining, the sky’s always blue
And someone loving is waiting for you
It’s not so far from the place that you are
Please come be here."
"‘Cause it’s the happiest street in the world
The happiest street in a wonderful world
Wherever I go
It’s the happiest street I know!" Everyone sang together in beautiful harmony, frogs, bears, chickens, cows, horses, birds, grown-ups, kids, monsters, Ernies, Berts, everybody.
"We’re on the happiest street in the world
The happiest street in a beautiful world
Wherever we go
It’s the happiest street we know!"
Everyone cheered and nodded their heads happily. They were all staying home.
"Hey, what’s everyone standing around for?" Maria asked. "We’ve got a wedding to get to!"
-~-~-~-~-
"Oh, Baby Bear, I’m so nervous!"
"Easy Telly, easy. Miles chose you to be his best man because he knew you wewe the best monstow for the job!"
"Best monster?" Telly asked. "But I’m supposed to be the best man! I can’t be a man and a monster! Baby Bear! I don’t think I can do this!"
"But Telly," Herry Monster said from a seat in the front row. "If you don’t do it, the wedding will be ruined!"
"By all means Telly," Oscar said from his seat next to Herry. "Go ahead and don’t do it." Oscar laughed.
Telly fiddled around with his hands. "No. I can’t! I have to do this! For Miles! And for Gabi!"
"And for cake we get after wedding!" Cookie Monster declared.
"That too!" Telly said.
"Thanks Telly," Miles said.
Miles, Cookie Monster, Telly, and Baby Bear took their places up at the alter across from Rosita, Zoe, and Gina. "You look great, girls," Gina told Rosita and Zoe.
"Oh, gracias Gina," Rosita said. "You look very pretty too."
The crowd filled in nearly all the seats set up atop the roof of 123 Sesame Street, where the wedding was being held.
Inside the staircase leading up to the roof, Prairie Dawn was giving Elmo the talking-to of a lifetime. "Now, Elmo, I want everything to be perfect!" Prairie Dawn said. "This is my first time as a flower girl, and I won’t have you messing it up! I know, I know, you’ve been a ring-bearer before, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t do something wrong and mess everything up, ruining my big debut on the roof!"
"Um, Prairie Dawn?" Elmo said.
"Yes? What?"
"Elmo will try very hard not to mess up Prairie Dawn’s big flower girl on the roof show," Elmo said.
"Good," Prairie responded. "And don’t lose the rings, either."
Grover ran up to the door leading to the stairs and knocked. "Is everybody ready down there?" he called down.
"Yeah!" came a many-voiced response.
"Oh, good!" Grover turned around. "Alright, fire up the organ!"
Bob began to play the wedding march on an old organ they dragged up to the roof.
"Okay," Grover said. "That is the wedding march! Start marching!"
"Hold it! Hold it! Stop the wedding!" Kermit shouted, running in front of the alter.
"Froggy baby!" Grover shouted. "You cannot just stop the wedding all willy-nilly! These things are planned out!"
"Sorry, sorry," Kermit apologized. "But there’s someone here to see Bob."
"Me?" Bob asked. "Who would be here to see-"
Linda approached the organ bench. She was wearing a stunning red dress. She sat down next to him, and hugged him.
"Oh, Linda," Bob said and signed. "This is- how did you- what a surprise!"
‘I’m full of surprises, Bob’ Linda signed.
Bob grinned, and hugged Linda back.
"Can we get on with it, puh-lease?" Grover asked.
"Yes, yes, Grover go on," Bob said. He began to play the organ again, this time with Linda’s help.
"Alright, people, start marching again," Grover said.
"Wait! Wait!" Telly shouted.
Grover rolled his eyes (and his whole head at the same time). "What is it Telly?"
"When do I get the ring?" Telly asked.
"When Elmo gives it to you!" Grover said.
"Oh," Telly said. "When is he going to give it to me?"
"When they get to start marching!" Grover shouted.
"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Telly said nervously, reclaiming his spot at the alter.
"Any one else care to pose an interruption?" Grover asked.
"Yip! Yip! Yip!" a Yip-Yip Martian yipped from a seat.
"Yes, the wedding should be out of this world," Grover said. "That is, if we ever get to start it!" The Yip-Yip Martian covered its eyes with its bottom lip.
"Moving on!" Grover shouted. "Bob! Play that organ!"
Bob shook his head, and he and Linda started up the wedding march, one last time.
"March!" Grover shouted.
"But Grover, it’s May, not March," Elmo said, poking his head out the door.
"Just go!" Grover shouted.
"Yes sir!" Elmo said, scooting out from the stairs, and marching down the aisle, carrying the rings on a frilly pillow.
Prairie Dawn followed Elmo, throwing flowers behind her. She wore a silky blue and yellow dress and a big blue bow in her hair. "Well, aren’t you going to clap?" Prairie asked. The crowd laughed, and applauded for the flower girl.
Grover walked to the middle of the alter. Miles turned and looked at him. "Grover, what are you doing?" he asked.
"Ministering, of course!" Grover said. "Everybody rise!"
Miles straightened his bow-tie, Maria shed a tear, and Big Bird bounced lightly in his seat.
The crowd rose to their feet, and a beautiful young girl emerged from the stairs dressed in all white.
Gabi took her arm in Luis’, and the two began to walk down the aisle.
"Wow," Bert said quietly.
"Bert," Ernie whispered. "Pst, Bert!"
"What is it Ernie?" Bert asked.
Ernie grabbed hold of Bert’s nose and pulled it right off his face. "Didn’t you try and tighten up your nose for the big occasion?" Ernie laughed.
"Ernie!" Bert scolded nasally, lowering his eyebrow significantly. "We’re at a wedding! Try to behave yourself."
Luis kissed Gabi on the cheek as he gave her away, and took his seat next to Maria and Gordon.
Gabi looked at Miles, who grinned at her, his eyes glistening on the verge of tears. Hers were no longer on the verge, they were overflowing.
"Don’t cry, Gabi," Rosita said. "Miles is a nice guy."
"Yeah, you’ll both live happily ever after, I’m sure!" Zoe said.
Gabi sniffed and wiped a tear off her face. "Thank you, girls."
"Dearly beloved," Grover the minister said. "We are gathered here today to bond in holy macaroni, the lives of these two lovely lovers. If anybody has any objections to make, you should probably do it now, because no one will listen to you later."
All that the crowd could do was grin for the happy young couple. "Elmo thinks that Gabi and Miles should get married," Elmo said.
"Yeah," Big Bird said. "Because they love each other very much."
"This is givin’ me a stomach ache," Oscar complained. "Move it along, will ya?"
"Certainly," Grover said. "The ring, if you please, little Elmo."
Elmo ran up and handed the ring to Telly, who passed it on to Miles.
"Miles, repeat after me, please," Grover said. "With this ring, I do thee red."
"Wed," Miles corrected him.
"Whatever," Grover said.
Miles slipped the ring on Gabi’s finger. "With this ring, I do thee wed."
"Nicely done," Grover said. "Now, do you, Miles Robinson, take this pretty young lady who we all know and love, Gabi, as your awfully worded wife?" Miles shifted his weight, and stared at Gabi. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Grover asked. "It is not like it is a tough question. You love her, she loves you, now all you have to do is say ‘I do’."
Miles gulped. "I do," he said simply.
A sigh of happy relief swept over the crowd. "I love you, Miles," Susan said quietly.
"Good," Grover the minister said. "Now, do you, Gabriella Rodriguez, take this handsome young man, Miles, to be your awfully wounded husband?" Grover asked.
Gabi cried more tears of joy. She clenched her bouquet in her hands tightly as her lip quivered. "Oh, come on!" Grover said. "Do not tell me you actually have to think twice about it, too! Do you not remember that you love him?" Grover asked.
"I do," Gabi said.
"Good," Maria and Luis whispered.
"Oh! Great!" Grover shouted. "Now, by the power invested in me by Charlie’s Minister Degree in Less Than Five Minutes Department, I now announce you to be husband and wife!"
Everyone in the crowd sat quietly. "What is wrong?" Grover asked. "Why are you not clapping? They are married!"
Kermit walked up next to Grover and cleared his throat. "I think you’re forgetting something," the frog said.
"What?" Grover asked. "What could I, the minister, have possibly forgotten?"
Gabi giggled and bent down and pecked Grover on the cheek. Grover rubbed his furry, blue cheek. "Um, I think you are supposed to kiss him," Grover said.
Kermit, Miles, and Gabi smirked at Grover, waiting for- "Ohhh," Grover said. "You may now kiss the bride!"
Miles bent in to kiss Gabi, and Gabi leaned in close to him.
A furry brown trunk covered Big Bird’s eyes. "Thanks, pal," Big Bird said.
"No sweat, Bird," Snuffy said.
"Okay," Grover said. "They have kissed! Hit it, Hoots!"
Hoots flew atop the piano. "My pleasure." Hoots blew into his saxophone playing a swell of music on his saxophone, while Bob and Linda accompanied him on the organ.
The newlyweds began to walk down the aisle together, hand in hand.
"Oh, Snuffy!" Big Bird said. "Time for the rice!"
"Rice?" Cookie Monster asked.
Snuffy lifted his snuffle into the air, and blew out a shower of rice onto the newlyweds, and everyone else.
"Rice!" Cookie Monster shouted, holding open his mouth, trying to catch the rice.
Grover ran up to Maria, Luis, Gordon, and Susan. "Um, this may be a bad time, but I do charge extra for clean up services," he said.
"We’ll talk about it later, Grover," Luis said.
"Okay, good," Grover said. "Because I have to go drive the limo to the reception!"
"Limo?" Susan asked. "Grover, the reception is here on Sesame Street!"
"Yes, I know!" Grover said, running off after Miles and Gabi. "But every good wedding needs a limo!"
-~-~-~-~-
The reception was held in the middle of the street (which, upon thinking on it more, was a rather unsafe idea), with tables and chairs everywhere, and a long table for the bride and groom and the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
The cake was cut, and devoured, within a minute, thanks to Cookie Monster. Luckily, Alan was prepared with a back-up cake provided by Hooper’s Store, along with the rest of the catering.
Hoots provided music on his saxophone with the Birdland band accompanying him. Susan and Gordon danced, as did Maria and Luis, The Count and The Countess, Rosita and Telly, Gina and Alan, Big Bird and Zoe, Elmo and Prairie Dawn ("Elmo! Will you let me lead?"), even Oscar and Grundgetta, and of course, Miles and Gabi.
Kermit sat at a table with Bob, who sat staring at Linda who was dancing with Snuffy. "You know, Bob," Kermit said. "I don’t think she can see your sign language from over here."
Bob turned around and looked at Kermit. "Kermit, I’m not doing sign language."
"No," Kermit said. "But you should be. Don’t you think it’s time to patch things up with her?"
Bob looked at the ground and nodded. "Yeah, you’re right, Kermit."
"Of course I am," Kermit said. "If I wasn’t right, do you think they would’ve kept me on this street all these years?"
Bob grinned. "I bet they would have," Bob said. He stood up and made his way towards Snuffy and Linda.
"May I cut in?" Bob said and signed.
"Oh, of course," Snuffy said, backing away, letting Bob and Linda dance.
"Linda, I’m sorry for being jealous," Bob said.
‘I’m sorry too’ Linda mouthed.
Bob’s eyes widened. "You can read my lips?" he asked.
‘I told you, Bob,’ Linda mouthed. ‘I’m full of surprises. Linda laid her head on Bob’s chest, and the two of them continued to dance.
When the dancing ceased, Kermit called everyone to attention by clinking his glass with a fork. "Um, everybody? I just wanted to give a toast."
"I am sorry sir," Grover, who was now a waiter, said to Kermit. "We are out of toast. Would you like some bread?"
Kermit scrunched up his face. "No, thank you Grover."
Everyone laughed and kept their attention on Kermit. "Well, it’s certainly been a long run, hasn’t it?" he asked rhetorically. "We’ve all been through a lot. For nearly forty years we’ve been together, and, well, now that we’ve got these two kids coming to spend the rest of their lives together here, well, I think we may be in for another forty."
"I’m up for it," Susan spoke out.
"Me too," Gordon said, wrapping his arm around his wife.
"Ah, me three, three for me," The Count said.
"Me too!" shouted a head of the Two-Headed Monster.
"No, me too! You one!" shouted the other.
Kermit smiled. "Anyway, everybody, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for being my family for all these years, even when I’m not around."
"We love you, Kermit," Gabi said, holding up her glass to him.
Kermit raised his glass as well. "Here’s to Sesame Street."
"Here, here!" Everyone responded.
Here’s to Sesame Street.
-~-~-~-~-
Big Bird snuggled Radar to his chest as he cuddled up in his nest. Kermit, Bob, Linda, Grover, Ernie, and Bert all stood in his nest area with him.
"Good night, Big Bird," Bob said.
Linda reached up to kiss Big Bird on the cheek. She signed her farewell and walked away. "Bye, Linda," Big Bird said.
Kermit turned to look at the framed deed hanging next to Big Bird’s drawing of Mr. Hooper. "I couldn’t think of a better place for it," Kermit told Big Bird. "Or a better bird to have it."
"Thank you, Kermit," Big Bird said.
"Sleep well, Big Bird," Bert said. "We’ve had a long day."
"We’ve had a long month, Bert," Ernie said.
"Yeah," Bert agreed. "It’s too bad Ashley had to go home to start her new job with the New York Times."
"Too bad, Bert? It’s wonderful!" Ernie said.
"Yeah, I guess you’re right," Bert said.
"Well, Big Bird," Grover said. "I guess I will see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Alright Grover," Big Bird said. "Hey, Grover?"
"Yes, Big Bird?"
"Do you think we could play together tomorrow?" Big Bird asked.
"Well, of course. It’s not like Sesame Street is going anywhere!" Grover said.
Big Bird grinned. "Yeah," he said happily. "And neither are we."
-~-THE END-~-
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