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For lack of more than one substantial scene, I kinda just wasted my time and had fun in this chapter. Written in haste and on an empty stomach last night. But never fear: next chapter should be better (I hope,) longer (definitely),and most importantly: the last chapter. So that being said:
CHAPTER SIX
It was very, very late. Very, very cold: and very, very tense that night. The Muppets could feign carefree-ness around their leader so long as he depended on it, but now that he was asleep and the theater was finally quiet, the group Miss Piggy had called into her dressing room for a conference let their problems out.
“Stage five is a wreck.” Clifford was saying. “There's no way we could rehearse on it: last night the chief nearly destroyed his cooking set trying to fix real food. It's trashed.”
“Yeah, normally we'd just take money out from the props to fix it, but there's not enough there.” Scooter agreed. “And we need what we have for groceries and stuff.”
“And who has the heart to tell Kermit?” Fozzie finished.
Miss Piggy ran a gloved hand through her pristine, long blonde hair. “How can we be so broke all of a sudden?” She asked in frustration.
There were only shrugs and murmurs.
“Maybe we should put on a few....you know, preview Christmas shows?” Suggested Scooter. “Just enough to pay the bills for this week. The big Christmas special should put us back on our feet.”
Clifford shook his head “No way man. It'd cost a ton more just to get this place into any kinda shape for an audience before then. That's just asking for debt.”
“What if we...had a garage sale?” Fozzie asked helpfully.
“Who in the world goes garage sale-ing in December?”
“...Warm blooded people?! Ah! Wocka wocka!!”
“Fozzie, your warm blooded.”
“I-I know that. It's a joke, see?”
“Guys!!” Miss Piggy interrupted yet another tirade. She instantly regretted being so loud as they all glanced around, listening for Kermit's flippersteps. “Guys.” She repeated quieter. “I called vous here to talk about the money problems, now does anyone have a real suggestion to offer?”
“Why don't we try and work for some of the money?” Rowlf spoke up. All eyes were on him. “Just a few of us who would really like to do something...all sorts of places hiring extra help before Christmas. If we really want to help Kermit, we might try something besides feeling sorry for him and ourselves.”
There was quiet for a minute.
“Well at least that might get some of the riff-raff out of the theater during the day.” Clifford noted. “....And maybe if we got them nearby, we could still work on the show—you know, do half time?”
“We've tried that before.” Noted Gonzo, who was sleepy and mostly interested in taking care of Camilla, who had come down with the flu.
“And it worked.” Scooter said.
Fozzie clutched the teddy bear he went to bed with a little tighter. “Work? During Christmas?”
“Just before Christmas. Just for the next few days. If we all got one paycheck...even just a little...it might go a long way towards easing Kermie's mind.”
“No.”
All eyes turned to the door. The frog stood there looking very tired, but smiling a little at his friends.
“Kermie...” Miss Piggy began. “We are all adults here...”
“It would do a lot to ease all our minds.” His voice was softer. “ I was listening to your plan, and about to put a stop to it: when I realized that it's not my place to make you feel stressed out during the holidays. If what we're doing here isn't working it's everyone of us's right to try something new.” He moved closer to Miss Piggy, taking her hand in his. “But together. Remember Piggy?”
She smiled at him, not sure what to say. A tidal-wave of relief flowed through the room. It was felt out in the hallway as well, as Henry realized that Kermit, standing beside miss Piggy with his arm around her, was looking straight at him and smiling. “Let's not make everyone feel like their obligated by announcing it though. Just our group. And Clifford?” The purple whatnot turned to look at him. “I want you in charge of the show while I'm gone.”
“No way, Kerm! You ain't gonna be working!”
Scooter shook his head. “Boss, there's no way the gang wouldn't think something was wrong if you had to get another job.”
“Kermit, I know you'd feel bad if we were workin' and not you, but you have to realize how much we need you here.” Rowlf agreed.
“What happened to 'everybody has a right to help'?” Asked Kermit.
Miss Piggy squeezed his hand. “Just let us try it, Kermie dear. If it's any more stressful than watching you pace the floor half the night, we'll quit and come back right away.” There were smiles and laughter all around. In the dark of the hallway, Henry heard someone close to him chuckle. It was Alice. They stood there together, not talking, not having to. They were sharing the same thoughts and emotions watching the happy group inside the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“And you say you've both had experience with shoe-sizing before?”
“Sure!”
“Of course! Moi practically invented the pig-styled pump.”
The manager shrugged. “Alright. I guess I need all the help I can get right now what with the Christmas shoppers.” He handed Piggy and Scooter their T-shirts. “Just remember, the customer is always right!” She said perkily.
“Moi has been a customer enough times to know that.” Laughed Miss Piggy as she walked away.
“Gee, I'm not sure what pairing up accomplishes. I'd rather not work in a shoe-shop. Anyway, I could get my uncle to find me a job...” Scooter said grudgingly.
“We want no favors from that man.” Said Miss Piggy stubbornly trying to wedge her foot into a red Prada.
“Yeah I guess not...”
“Excuse me!” A woman huffed up with a pair of shoes, tossing them down violently in front of Miss Piggy. “Either these shoes are defective, or your sizing chart is wrong!” She shouted. “I'm a size seven. I've always been a size seven and I always will be a size seven, and if another one of you empty-headed employees tries to tell me I'm not I swear I'll march straight up to the manager and get you all reported!”
Miss Piggy gave Scooter a familiar glance. He shrugged. The working day had begun.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gonzo, Pepe and Rizzo stood and stared at the rows of display beds it was their job to re-make.
Pepe hopped onto the edge of one, digging under the covers until he was out of sight. “This is my spot, hokey? And don't disturb me while I'm working!”
Rizzo was grinning from ear to ear. “You, my friend, have a very accomplished technique.” He hopped into a massaging bed, turned it on, and allowed it to bounce him like an automatic trampoline.
Gonzo shook his head. “You guys can't call in sick already.” He turned back to Camilla. “Which reminds me baby, how are you feeling?”
The chicken let out a mournful “Brawwk.”
“That does it.” Gonzo felt her feathered forehead. “Your burning up. Come on, you can get in a bed.” He ushered her into a king sized. “Look Camilla, it's nice silk fabric and genuine feather pillows....” His eyes widened. “F-F-feathers?!” He ripped a little hole in the fabric and felt the soft down inside. “Oh my gravy!! Pepe, Rizzo!! Get off those beds! There are birds in there!!” He flapped the pillow around in the air. “I'll get you out!!”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Hey! Wocka, wocka! My name is Fozzie bear, and I will be your waiter for today!” Fozzie spouted in a sing-song voice.
“Great. I think we'd like...”
“You know, the last customer I got said called me over and asked what a cockroach was doing in his soup. So I said 'it looks like the backstroke!' Ahh, Wocka wocka!!”
The young couple he was serving looked thoroughly disgusted.
“...There was a cockroach in his soup?”
“That's really horrifying.”
“It's a classic.” Appreciated Fozzie. “Now please, what can I get you?”
“We'd...”
“The band takes requests, but you'd be the fifth person today to request that the band stop playing!”
Silence from the couple.
Fozzie was undaunted. “You know, once two guys walked in here, and one goes: 'I'd like a clean glass, the last one you gave me was dirty and greasy.' So after a while the waiter comes back, and asks 'which one of your ordered the clean glass!” He finished each of these performances as if expecting the drummer to play a sting.
“Yeah, you know, I think we're gonna try somewhere else instead.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After being turned down twice, Rowlf wandered out into the lobby area of the large busy mall where most of the Muppets had ended up. Here it was relatively quiet, with nothing but a piano and a large Christmas tree. He noticed Alice sitting on the piano bench, staring off into space.
“Not much luck either, huh?” He asked her smiling.
“Oh...no, guess not.” She said back, startled.
“I didn't know you had come to help.”
She looked at him, and smiled, not sure how he meant it.
“We sure appreciate it though.”
“Thanks, Rowlf.”
The dog turned grabbed the sleeve of a well-dressed nervous looking man with a managers name-tag running past wiping his brow.
“Hey, you mind if I play your piano?”
The man stared at him like he was crazy. “Can you play?”
“It's what I do for a living, I'm no Heifetz, but I get by.”
“Well sure! Sure, sure! And thank you!!” He scurried off. “But only Christmas stuff if you don't mind!” He called over his shoulder.
Rowlf sat down at the piano and tickled the keys fondly, running up and down the scales. “Now let's see...Christmas stuff....” He played a few simple chords, gradually building them up and making them flow into a rhythm which grew faster and jazzier. “Know what that is?” He asked Alice.
“Sure, 'Let it Snow'.”
“Well, you know how the words?”
She blushed. “I'd rather just listen to you play.” He ran the chorus up and down the minor keys. “Well I wouldn't, and neither would Henry.” He leaned back over his shoulder without skipping a beat of the song. “Would you Henry?”
“Oh! I didn't see you there.” Alice apologized.
Henry looked as if he'd been caught shop-lifting. “I just got here.” He mumbled.
“Look kids, I'm gonna run through this first verse one more time, and if one of you don't sing, we're gonna forget the whole thing.”
Alice and Henry smiled, automatically looking at each other as they did so. The first verse was played, as promised, but this time Alice's clear beautiful voice accompanied it.
Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Rowlf launched into a jazzy bridge. “Now Henry, you take the second verse.”
“Erm...no, I really don't sing.”
“You want I should get us all kicked out?” The dog threatened playfully.
“Oh come on, if I have to you have to!” Laughed Alice, she took his hand and pulled him closer to the piano. Henry turned out to have a decent voice after all.
Well it doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I've brought some corn for popping,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Alice accompanied him on the last part, joining in with perfect harmony.
“Now take it one line at a time.” Rowlf instructed.
Alice sang: When we finally kiss goodnight,
And Henry followed her: How I'll hate going out in that storm,
Alice: But if you'd really hold me tight,
They harmonized: All the way home I'd be warm!
Without any instruction from Rowlf they lined up the last verse in the same way:
Oh the fire is slowly dying...
And my dear, we're still goodbye-ing,
But as long as you love me so,
They finished staring into each other's eyes: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Some shoppers had gathered around to listen, cheer; some were snapping pictures or taking video with their cellphones. The manager was among the crowd, he squirmed his way through to Rowlf, shoving a twenty dollar bill in his hand, he addressed all three of them. “What can I pay you by the hour to do that?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The exchange going on in the shoe store had attracted almost as many viewers as Rowlf's impromptu music number. For about the last thirty minutes the debate had escalated.
“I will have vous know that Moi is a lady, and furthermore, I'm gonna rip your extensions out if you ever call me that again!!”
“Miss Piggy....Miss Piggy....”
“Well I will have you know that I am a *black belt*at Karate, so we'll just see who's...” “Ha! Platinum belt with an unlimited line of credit!”
“Miss Piggy....”
“Who do you think you are, pig! You wouldn't know shoe size if it was carved...” “HI-YAH!!”
“Miss Piggy!”
“What Scooter?!”
The go-fer pointed behind her. She turned to find the supervisor staring with her mouth open at the costumer who was now groaning on the floor. She tried to speak, and despite no sound actually coming out her two words were pretty easy to decipher. Piggy turned to Scooter. “Please tell moi that vous's uncle owns this mall?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They wandered the shopping center to sound of music, finding Gonzo, Pepe and Rizzo, covered head-to-toe with feathers, and Fozzie with the same 'I just got fired' look as the rest of them. But the music: It was familiar voices.
“I'll be home, for Christmas,
You can count on me--
We'll have snow,
And mistletoe,
And presents under the tree.”
It was Henry, Alice and Rowlf harmonizing perfectly. The rest of the defeated Muppet group wandered up, receiving a welcome look from the performers.
They took it as a cue, joining in:
Christmas eve will find us,
Where the love-light gleams,
We'll be home for Christmas,
If only in our dreams!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That night they came into the theater, cold, hungry and more or less empty handed. But Henry was holding Alice's hand, and all of them felt a surging feeling of hope and home as they came in the alley-doorway to the crowded backstage.
Until Clifford came running up. “We are really in trouble now.” He announced as he slid by them.
Ok, this is what I have to offer since my brain flew south for the winter. But like I said, next chapter is the finale, so.....oh please....it should be better. In the meantime, I'm re-dedicating this to dear Figgie who's been so wonderful to me with her story.
Much, much love and hugs, and cookies, and hot-chocolate, and warm socks! Many, many pairs of warm socks!
CHAPTER SIX
It was very, very late. Very, very cold: and very, very tense that night. The Muppets could feign carefree-ness around their leader so long as he depended on it, but now that he was asleep and the theater was finally quiet, the group Miss Piggy had called into her dressing room for a conference let their problems out.
“Stage five is a wreck.” Clifford was saying. “There's no way we could rehearse on it: last night the chief nearly destroyed his cooking set trying to fix real food. It's trashed.”
“Yeah, normally we'd just take money out from the props to fix it, but there's not enough there.” Scooter agreed. “And we need what we have for groceries and stuff.”
“And who has the heart to tell Kermit?” Fozzie finished.
Miss Piggy ran a gloved hand through her pristine, long blonde hair. “How can we be so broke all of a sudden?” She asked in frustration.
There were only shrugs and murmurs.
“Maybe we should put on a few....you know, preview Christmas shows?” Suggested Scooter. “Just enough to pay the bills for this week. The big Christmas special should put us back on our feet.”
Clifford shook his head “No way man. It'd cost a ton more just to get this place into any kinda shape for an audience before then. That's just asking for debt.”
“What if we...had a garage sale?” Fozzie asked helpfully.
“Who in the world goes garage sale-ing in December?”
“...Warm blooded people?! Ah! Wocka wocka!!”
“Fozzie, your warm blooded.”
“I-I know that. It's a joke, see?”
“Guys!!” Miss Piggy interrupted yet another tirade. She instantly regretted being so loud as they all glanced around, listening for Kermit's flippersteps. “Guys.” She repeated quieter. “I called vous here to talk about the money problems, now does anyone have a real suggestion to offer?”
“Why don't we try and work for some of the money?” Rowlf spoke up. All eyes were on him. “Just a few of us who would really like to do something...all sorts of places hiring extra help before Christmas. If we really want to help Kermit, we might try something besides feeling sorry for him and ourselves.”
There was quiet for a minute.
“Well at least that might get some of the riff-raff out of the theater during the day.” Clifford noted. “....And maybe if we got them nearby, we could still work on the show—you know, do half time?”
“We've tried that before.” Noted Gonzo, who was sleepy and mostly interested in taking care of Camilla, who had come down with the flu.
“And it worked.” Scooter said.
Fozzie clutched the teddy bear he went to bed with a little tighter. “Work? During Christmas?”
“Just before Christmas. Just for the next few days. If we all got one paycheck...even just a little...it might go a long way towards easing Kermie's mind.”
“No.”
All eyes turned to the door. The frog stood there looking very tired, but smiling a little at his friends.
“Kermie...” Miss Piggy began. “We are all adults here...”
“It would do a lot to ease all our minds.” His voice was softer. “ I was listening to your plan, and about to put a stop to it: when I realized that it's not my place to make you feel stressed out during the holidays. If what we're doing here isn't working it's everyone of us's right to try something new.” He moved closer to Miss Piggy, taking her hand in his. “But together. Remember Piggy?”
She smiled at him, not sure what to say. A tidal-wave of relief flowed through the room. It was felt out in the hallway as well, as Henry realized that Kermit, standing beside miss Piggy with his arm around her, was looking straight at him and smiling. “Let's not make everyone feel like their obligated by announcing it though. Just our group. And Clifford?” The purple whatnot turned to look at him. “I want you in charge of the show while I'm gone.”
“No way, Kerm! You ain't gonna be working!”
Scooter shook his head. “Boss, there's no way the gang wouldn't think something was wrong if you had to get another job.”
“Kermit, I know you'd feel bad if we were workin' and not you, but you have to realize how much we need you here.” Rowlf agreed.
“What happened to 'everybody has a right to help'?” Asked Kermit.
Miss Piggy squeezed his hand. “Just let us try it, Kermie dear. If it's any more stressful than watching you pace the floor half the night, we'll quit and come back right away.” There were smiles and laughter all around. In the dark of the hallway, Henry heard someone close to him chuckle. It was Alice. They stood there together, not talking, not having to. They were sharing the same thoughts and emotions watching the happy group inside the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“And you say you've both had experience with shoe-sizing before?”
“Sure!”
“Of course! Moi practically invented the pig-styled pump.”
The manager shrugged. “Alright. I guess I need all the help I can get right now what with the Christmas shoppers.” He handed Piggy and Scooter their T-shirts. “Just remember, the customer is always right!” She said perkily.
“Moi has been a customer enough times to know that.” Laughed Miss Piggy as she walked away.
“Gee, I'm not sure what pairing up accomplishes. I'd rather not work in a shoe-shop. Anyway, I could get my uncle to find me a job...” Scooter said grudgingly.
“We want no favors from that man.” Said Miss Piggy stubbornly trying to wedge her foot into a red Prada.
“Yeah I guess not...”
“Excuse me!” A woman huffed up with a pair of shoes, tossing them down violently in front of Miss Piggy. “Either these shoes are defective, or your sizing chart is wrong!” She shouted. “I'm a size seven. I've always been a size seven and I always will be a size seven, and if another one of you empty-headed employees tries to tell me I'm not I swear I'll march straight up to the manager and get you all reported!”
Miss Piggy gave Scooter a familiar glance. He shrugged. The working day had begun.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gonzo, Pepe and Rizzo stood and stared at the rows of display beds it was their job to re-make.
Pepe hopped onto the edge of one, digging under the covers until he was out of sight. “This is my spot, hokey? And don't disturb me while I'm working!”
Rizzo was grinning from ear to ear. “You, my friend, have a very accomplished technique.” He hopped into a massaging bed, turned it on, and allowed it to bounce him like an automatic trampoline.
Gonzo shook his head. “You guys can't call in sick already.” He turned back to Camilla. “Which reminds me baby, how are you feeling?”
The chicken let out a mournful “Brawwk.”
“That does it.” Gonzo felt her feathered forehead. “Your burning up. Come on, you can get in a bed.” He ushered her into a king sized. “Look Camilla, it's nice silk fabric and genuine feather pillows....” His eyes widened. “F-F-feathers?!” He ripped a little hole in the fabric and felt the soft down inside. “Oh my gravy!! Pepe, Rizzo!! Get off those beds! There are birds in there!!” He flapped the pillow around in the air. “I'll get you out!!”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Hey! Wocka, wocka! My name is Fozzie bear, and I will be your waiter for today!” Fozzie spouted in a sing-song voice.
“Great. I think we'd like...”
“You know, the last customer I got said called me over and asked what a cockroach was doing in his soup. So I said 'it looks like the backstroke!' Ahh, Wocka wocka!!”
The young couple he was serving looked thoroughly disgusted.
“...There was a cockroach in his soup?”
“That's really horrifying.”
“It's a classic.” Appreciated Fozzie. “Now please, what can I get you?”
“We'd...”
“The band takes requests, but you'd be the fifth person today to request that the band stop playing!”
Silence from the couple.
Fozzie was undaunted. “You know, once two guys walked in here, and one goes: 'I'd like a clean glass, the last one you gave me was dirty and greasy.' So after a while the waiter comes back, and asks 'which one of your ordered the clean glass!” He finished each of these performances as if expecting the drummer to play a sting.
“Yeah, you know, I think we're gonna try somewhere else instead.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After being turned down twice, Rowlf wandered out into the lobby area of the large busy mall where most of the Muppets had ended up. Here it was relatively quiet, with nothing but a piano and a large Christmas tree. He noticed Alice sitting on the piano bench, staring off into space.
“Not much luck either, huh?” He asked her smiling.
“Oh...no, guess not.” She said back, startled.
“I didn't know you had come to help.”
She looked at him, and smiled, not sure how he meant it.
“We sure appreciate it though.”
“Thanks, Rowlf.”
The dog turned grabbed the sleeve of a well-dressed nervous looking man with a managers name-tag running past wiping his brow.
“Hey, you mind if I play your piano?”
The man stared at him like he was crazy. “Can you play?”
“It's what I do for a living, I'm no Heifetz, but I get by.”
“Well sure! Sure, sure! And thank you!!” He scurried off. “But only Christmas stuff if you don't mind!” He called over his shoulder.
Rowlf sat down at the piano and tickled the keys fondly, running up and down the scales. “Now let's see...Christmas stuff....” He played a few simple chords, gradually building them up and making them flow into a rhythm which grew faster and jazzier. “Know what that is?” He asked Alice.
“Sure, 'Let it Snow'.”
“Well, you know how the words?”
She blushed. “I'd rather just listen to you play.” He ran the chorus up and down the minor keys. “Well I wouldn't, and neither would Henry.” He leaned back over his shoulder without skipping a beat of the song. “Would you Henry?”
“Oh! I didn't see you there.” Alice apologized.
Henry looked as if he'd been caught shop-lifting. “I just got here.” He mumbled.
“Look kids, I'm gonna run through this first verse one more time, and if one of you don't sing, we're gonna forget the whole thing.”
Alice and Henry smiled, automatically looking at each other as they did so. The first verse was played, as promised, but this time Alice's clear beautiful voice accompanied it.
Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Rowlf launched into a jazzy bridge. “Now Henry, you take the second verse.”
“Erm...no, I really don't sing.”
“You want I should get us all kicked out?” The dog threatened playfully.
“Oh come on, if I have to you have to!” Laughed Alice, she took his hand and pulled him closer to the piano. Henry turned out to have a decent voice after all.
Well it doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I've brought some corn for popping,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Alice accompanied him on the last part, joining in with perfect harmony.
“Now take it one line at a time.” Rowlf instructed.
Alice sang: When we finally kiss goodnight,
And Henry followed her: How I'll hate going out in that storm,
Alice: But if you'd really hold me tight,
They harmonized: All the way home I'd be warm!
Without any instruction from Rowlf they lined up the last verse in the same way:
Oh the fire is slowly dying...
And my dear, we're still goodbye-ing,
But as long as you love me so,
They finished staring into each other's eyes: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Some shoppers had gathered around to listen, cheer; some were snapping pictures or taking video with their cellphones. The manager was among the crowd, he squirmed his way through to Rowlf, shoving a twenty dollar bill in his hand, he addressed all three of them. “What can I pay you by the hour to do that?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The exchange going on in the shoe store had attracted almost as many viewers as Rowlf's impromptu music number. For about the last thirty minutes the debate had escalated.
“I will have vous know that Moi is a lady, and furthermore, I'm gonna rip your extensions out if you ever call me that again!!”
“Miss Piggy....Miss Piggy....”
“Well I will have you know that I am a *black belt*at Karate, so we'll just see who's...” “Ha! Platinum belt with an unlimited line of credit!”
“Miss Piggy....”
“Who do you think you are, pig! You wouldn't know shoe size if it was carved...” “HI-YAH!!”
“Miss Piggy!”
“What Scooter?!”
The go-fer pointed behind her. She turned to find the supervisor staring with her mouth open at the costumer who was now groaning on the floor. She tried to speak, and despite no sound actually coming out her two words were pretty easy to decipher. Piggy turned to Scooter. “Please tell moi that vous's uncle owns this mall?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They wandered the shopping center to sound of music, finding Gonzo, Pepe and Rizzo, covered head-to-toe with feathers, and Fozzie with the same 'I just got fired' look as the rest of them. But the music: It was familiar voices.
“I'll be home, for Christmas,
You can count on me--
We'll have snow,
And mistletoe,
And presents under the tree.”
It was Henry, Alice and Rowlf harmonizing perfectly. The rest of the defeated Muppet group wandered up, receiving a welcome look from the performers.
They took it as a cue, joining in:
Christmas eve will find us,
Where the love-light gleams,
We'll be home for Christmas,
If only in our dreams!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That night they came into the theater, cold, hungry and more or less empty handed. But Henry was holding Alice's hand, and all of them felt a surging feeling of hope and home as they came in the alley-doorway to the crowded backstage.
Until Clifford came running up. “We are really in trouble now.” He announced as he slid by them.
Ok, this is what I have to offer since my brain flew south for the winter. But like I said, next chapter is the finale, so.....oh please....it should be better. In the meantime, I'm re-dedicating this to dear Figgie who's been so wonderful to me with her story.
Much, much love and hugs, and cookies, and hot-chocolate, and warm socks! Many, many pairs of warm socks!
LOL. Btw, I'm writing chapter 13 right now, so it should be up soon!