Chapter 7
Two Months after Janice’s Return
Camilla sat at the desk in her classroom trying to concentrate on grading papers. Gently she picked up Henrietta’s paper and tried to read about the history of chickens in performing arts.
Why am I doing this? She thought carefully about the decision she had made to take Victor Sims up on his offer.
I know why, but I don’t. This isn’t making me happy. Unaware to herself, she let out a huge sigh.
Nothing is making me happy anymore.
“Those papers aren’t grading themselves you know,” the tall dark haired man said as he slowly made his way to the desk with his cane.
“I’m sorry,” Camilla scrawled quickly on the pad she kept with her to talk to the other staff in the school.
“Please, don’t be. It just means that your creative mind is at work.”
“I really haven’t been doing much creating,” she responded back to Mr. Sims.
“We all go through ruts,” he said gearing up for the reason he had come to see her, “from my understanding, you’ve been in one for quite a while now. It’s something we need to change.”
Camilla stopped for a moment, panic building up inside her.
This was wrong for me to do. I knew I should have never accepted the position. Carefully she brought her wings closer to her side, lowered her head and wrote, “I know that I haven’t been the best. I still am carrying my personal problems and letting them interfere with my work. If you want me to…”
“Stop right now. I don’t want to know what the remainder of that sentence is. I did not come here to fire you.” Carefully Victor sat down on the desk and remained quiet until Camilla looked up at him. “You are an incredible teacher and are an inspiration to more than just the chickens here. You’ve got the passion in your teaching that I was looking for.”
He paused for a moment to catch his breath and decide how to proceed in the next step of this plan. Manipulation is hard to accomplish when the recipient is wallowing in despair.
“It’s the passion in the rest of your life that you need to get back. Camilla,” Victor had never lied to any of his staff before, this was going to be a huge first. “We’ve had a call from a popular group of… artists for the talents of a chicken.” Well, at least that part was true. “They are having a very hard time filling the role and were wondering if we had any who would be interested in the part.” Starting to stretch the truth, Victor thought at the same time before he took a sigh and continued. “Unfortunately I think the role requires a seasoned veteran of the stage. The only one who fits that description is you.” Victor paused to look down at Camilla.
You could almost see the smoke starting to rise from Camilla’s head. She started to shake from head to toe as she started to write out her response for Mr. Sims. He started to wring his hands, knowing she had just seen through the entire plan.
“I am so sorry that you have been dragged into this.” She began as Victor looked on. “The only people I know, producing a show filled with artists, as you put it, that need a chicken is the Muppets.” Victor wasn’t quite expecting this reaction and was worried about what was going to come next. “At this time I am unable to work with the Muppets. If it had been Kermit or Scooter who had called, they would have told you that.” Now Victor was confused. “Unfortunately my former husband must have seen the task on the list and wanted to manipulate me into joining the show.”
“Wait a minute,” Victor started interrupting. Unfortunately the plan was not as Camilla saw it and still had to be carried out. Kermit was going to owe him big for this one. “It is the Muppets, but Gonzo did not contact me and Kermit only asked for…” he swallowed hard as he began the lie, “a chicken to fill the role. I thought it would be good exposure for the school if we could show off the talent of our teacher and bring in more chickens as students. I did not realize it would cause a personal conflict. We’ll just have to get someone else to do it. Maybe we can get a student ready in time but I really think you’re the only one who could take on the role.” Victor looked back at her, thankful for his actors training.
Camilla shook her head to rid herself of the anger she was so quick to jump to and swallowed hard to repress the glimmer of hope starting to build up inside.
To be back on stage, to be back with the gang, to see… Carefully she wrote back, “Don’t start looking yet. I’m going to think about it and tell you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Victor wiped his hands down his face in relief, “Let me know first thing so we can get it all straightened out.”
The time passed quickly after Victor left the room although Camilla still found that she could not concentrate enough to grade the papers. Now her mind was filled with memories of the stage, talking with her friends, being a family.
Camilla found herself making her way home, knowing that she was going say yes. She missed it so much. It was in watching old episodes of The Muppet Show when she was still un-credited that she realized what she had missed and regretted cutting herself off from the group. She regretted not joining in at the party.
She knew there was so much to make up for and only one place to start. Carefully she picked up the phone and dialed the number. After four rings the voicemail picked up.
Must still be in rehearsal she thought to herself as the message played through. At the tone Camilla left her gently clucked message and then hung up.
Now all she could do was wait.
Gonzo and Camilla’s kitchen the same day as the appointment
“And that,” stated Gonzo looking across the table to Floyd and Janice, “is what we were told.”
“Well that’s slick Mr. Blue Whatever, but why are you only telling this to us? Where do we play into this groovy number?” Floyd replied, not sure what to think of the meeting.
“Well,” Camilla began, “We wanted to know if…”
Janice slowly started to squirm in her seat. She often felt as if Camilla and she were long lost sisters at heart and just knew where this was going.
“We wanted to know if Janice would be our surrogate for us,” Camilla finished.
Janice looked over at Floyd who simply stated, “Babe, if you want to help them, you know I’m not going to stand in your way.”
Immediately she turned back to Camilla and said, “Like definitely! When do we tell the others?”
The plans went smoothly from there. It wasn’t long before the theater was abuzz with Gonzo and Camilla’s plans to start an extension of the family. Doctor’s appointments were easy as the first trimester of the pregnancy passed and the enthusiasm was displayed in the shows that audiences were now coming to in droves.
The Muppets started talking in terms of weeks of pregnancy and how the baby was changing with each week, what ultrasound pictures were showing, and wondering exactly what this new something would look like in person. They all agreed that there had never been a better, more exciting time for the Muppets in all of their lives.
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