My thoughts were drawn into how God sticks with us. Portions of today’s post are taken directly from His word and from The Covenant of Peace • Devotional
And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all]. Matthew 18:2-3 AMPC
My Word Will Not Return Void (without accomplishing what He wants).
The rain and the snow come down from the sky, and they do not immediately return there. Instead, they give water to the earth, so that crops will grow there. Then the farmer has seeds to plant, and people have food to eat. It is the same when I give my word to people. It will not return to me without any result. No! My word does what I want it to do. What I promise to do will certainly happen.’ Isaiah 55:10-11 EASY
His Word is not empty — His Word is full. His Word is alive.
His Word carries weight.
Psalms 27:10 NLT declares, “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”
Even in the midst of your enemies. God is there!
You prepare a big meal for me while my enemies watch. You put olive oil on my head. You bless me so much that my cup is completely full. Psalms 23:5 EASY
Don’t focus on your enemies —
focus on God.
Don’t focus on the chaos around you —
focus on Christ.
Let the Promises of God overtake you. Let the Promises of God lead your footsteps. Let God’s Peace shield every aspect of your life. Let God keep you.
His Mercy will not leave you. His Kindness will not abandon you.
Lay at His feet —
lay before Him and
yield your heart before Him.
Lay your cares before Christ —
He is greater than your problem.
Christ is greater than your circumstance.
May we give every aspect of our heart over to Christ. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. He will never abandon us.
I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you. John 14:18 AMPC
Submit to Him.
Ioften need reminders and may this post remind us…
God is with us wherever we go. His Peace surrounds us. His Peace will not abandon us. His Peace will never leave us. His Peace surpasses our circumstance. His Promise will not return to Him void. My prayer is that we may let His Peace consume us even when things around us are dark. May we diligently surrender to His Peace.
Most recently I’ve come to realize how much Christ loves me and now, in my walk with Him, I need to consider how much I love Him back and what that means.
Psalm 26:3 MSG puts it so well…
So I never lose sight of your love, But keep in step with you, never missing a beat.
Isaiah 55:7-11 EASY Wicked people need to change the way that they live. Evil people must stop thinking their evil thoughts. They must turn back to the Lord our God, because he will be kind to them. Yes, God will completely forgive them, if they turn back to him. The Lord says, ‘Remember! My thoughts are not the same as your thoughts. The way that you do things is not the same as the way that I do things. The sky is far higher than the earth. In the same way, I do things in a much better way than you do. Also, my thoughts are much higher than your thoughts. The rain and the snow come down from the sky, and they do not immediately return there. Instead, they give water to the earth, so that crops will grow there. Then the farmer has seeds to plant, and people have food to eat. It is the same when I give my word to people. It will not return to me without any result. No! My word does what I want it to do. What I promise to do will certainly happen.’ Isaiah 55:7-11 EASY
You prepare a big meal for me while my enemies watch. You put olive oil on my head. You bless me so much that my cup is completely full. Psalms 23:5 EASY
Before we were singing to God, He was singing a song of love over us.
The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.
ZEPHENIAH 3:17 (NIV)
It’s no secret or mystery that one of the best ways to calm down a distraught baby or young child is by the parent holding them tight and singing over them. I know this from my own three daughters. Lullabies and soft melodies in the dark of night to ease their distress and quiet them. It’s no surprise then to hear this truth from scripture that we have a Father who sings over us.
Our concerns, our fears, our insecurities all become quieter when we are tuned to the melody of Love. We have to be still and hear the Father sing over us.
If there is ever any temptation to doubt your worth or the love God has for you, it’s important to go back to the very heart of the Christian faith: 1 John 4:9–10 says:
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
This is the Gospel of love. It’s the song that echoes through eternity and was sealed on the cross. You are loved. I am loved. This amazing passage in 1 John goes on in verse 18:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
When we can really begin to tune in to the Father’s song over us, it leaves no room for any other frequencies in our heart. Fear is pushed out. Love is louder, stronger, and clearer.
Fears and worries in our life can create a noise that we start to live by. Instead we need to make sure we are walking to the rhythm of His song.
Find time today to be quieted by His love.
Be still.
Let your Father’s voice cut throughthe noise.
There are times to sing to Him. We won’t ever stop doing that. But first let Him sing to you.
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 JOHN 4:19 (NIV)
Go with God. Walk to the rhythm of His song.
God’s Word
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17 NLT
You can choose between surrendering to the enemy or surrendering to The One who loves you most.
-Me
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
-Neil Peart
We all have the natural desire to just simply follow our flesh. Like a church of, “Do whatcha wanna do!”, without even bothering to take into consideration how that effects our personal relationship with Christ. However; the Apostle Paul argues in Romans 8,
For those who are outside of Christ, there is no choice. They are only controlled completely by their sin. Many don’t or can’t even comprehend the concept that they are in a spiritual battle for their own souls.
There is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness (Galatians 5).
God’s Word tells us,
“Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God.”
Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what HE is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.
Anyone who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about here.
Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life.
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get our own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never- satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. (Gal. 5)
I know this 1st hand because I’ve been there. I’ve mucked things up more than once. In contrast, here is the good news…
The apostle Paul reminds us that believers have the Holy Spirit living within them.
By the Spirit we are becoming more and more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome our flesh. As Joshua told the Israelites,
“We can choose.“
Think about it… If God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him (Ro. 8).
What happens when we fall in love with Christ and live God’s way?
He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.
Everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified for those who belong to Christ (Galatians 5:22-23, 23-24 MSG).
As Believers our lives and lifestyles belongs to the Lord. We are under His authority and command.
Our agenda is called out by Christ. Each day, each moment, we gotta intentionally keep this in mind and acknowledge to ourselves who we are in Christ. That type of practice transforms how we think about and live out the rest of the moments in our lives, day by day.
Hear The Lord saying, Hey, if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.
Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective (Col. 3).
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.
You & those who know you will soon find you being even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.
And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness.
Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house.
Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense.
And God tells us to sing, sing your hearts out to Him!
Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way (Colossians 3:1-17 MSG)
Amen, may it be so.
God’s Word, Notes and Links Used For This Post:
Romans 8:1-14 MSG With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. 3-4 God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that. The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. 5-8 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored. 9-11 But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s! 12-14 So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! Romans 8:1-14 MSG
Galatians 5:16-23-24 MSG My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? 19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom. 22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. 23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. Galatians 5:16-23, 23-24 MSG
Colossians 3:1-17 MSG So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. 3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. 5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk. 9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. 12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. 15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. Colossians 3:1-17 MSG
As I read day 2 of the 3 day devotional The Big Give • The LORD 💥blew my mind once again. 💥
Tony Evans shared a great illustration then backed it up with The Bible. Check it out…
My children gave me an iPad several years ago for Christmas. Now, I’m a yellow-pad-and-pencil kind of guy. But suddenly, I had a gift that would record, remember things, and take pictures for me. This gift also had apps, something I never had on my yellow pad. If I need a flashlight, I have a flashlight appfor that. If I want to keep stuff in file folders, there’s an app for that. There’s even an app that lets me play ping pong without a table! I mean, this gift is always sufficient in all things for every good deed.
The problem is I’m so used to doing things the old way that I wind up only tinkering with a gift that puts indescribable resources and power at my fingertips.
That’s how many of us believers are with God’s indescribable gift of grace, which is all sufficient and puts the inexhaustible supply of God’s goodness at our fingertips, so to speak, and many times we only tinker around with what’s given and always available.
Check out 2 Corinthians 9:6-15. The last verse in this passage tells us why this law (what Tony calls the the law of the harvest) is important and sets the preceding verses in their proper context.
Verse 15 says:
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
2 Corinthians 9:15
Whatever this gift is, you can’t describe it. Even Paul didn’t have the vocabulary to sufficiently describe this gift because it is awesome beyond description.
Now if a gift is that good, I want to know about it.
So what is this gift that the Bible says is indescribable?
We don’t have to wonder because the answer is right there in our passage:
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed”
2 Corinthians 9:8
The gift that God has given to each one of us, the gift that is beyond Paul’s ability to articulate, is the gift of grace.
Grace is the doctrine that separates Christianity from every other religion ever known to mankind.
All other religions teach a form of works to earn salvation. Only Christianity teaches that salvation is a gift of God completely apart from anything we can do to earn it.
In fact, God pours out His grace on us in spite of our sins and failures.
Now that’s a magnificent, off-the-charts gift!
Paul even enhances it in verse 14 when he calls it,
“God’s surpassing grace.”
2 Co. 9:14
If you are a believer, you have been given a gift that will blow your natural mind. Now you need to understand that grace also operates according to God’s laws.
In 2 Corinthians 9, the concept of grace occurs in the context of the law of the harvest, or the law of sowing and reaping. When it comes to the harvest, grace has to be accessed. So if you don’t know what grace is or how to access it, then you will not be able to maximize the gift of grace that you possess.
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 EASY Remember this: If a farmer plants only a few seeds, he will not get much as a result. But if he plants plenty of seeds, he will get a big harvest. 7 Each of you should think carefully and then decide how much you can give. Then you will not be sad to give that money. Nobody has made you give it. God loves someone who is happy to give help to other people. 8 Since God loves you, he is able to give you more than you need. You will always have every good thing that you need for yourselves. And you will have enough to do many good things to help other people. 9 The Bible says this about someone who helps other people: ‘He has shared his things with many poor people. God will always remember how kind that person has been.’ 10 It is God who supplies seeds for the farmer to plant. It is God who supplies bread for food. God will help you in the same way. He will give you plenty of things so that you can help other people. You will be like a farmer who plants many seeds. And God will cause those seeds to grow. There will be many good results from the help that you give to other people. That will be like a great harvest. 11 God will make you rich with many good things. As a result, you will always be able to give plenty to other people. Many people will thank God because of your gifts that we take to them. 12 This good work that you are doing is helping God’s people. It is helping to supply what they need. And it is not only doing that. It is also causing many people to thank God very much. 13 Your gift of money will show people that you really want to help. People will say that God is great. They will see that you want to obey God. They will see that you are happy to give to them, and to everyone else. They will see that you really believe the good news about Christ, as you say you do. 14 They will want to thank you. They will pray to God for you. They will do that because they see how very kind God has been to you. 15 Yes, we should all thank God for his very great gift. That gift is too great to describe it with words! 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 EASY
Romans 3:20-24 EASY God’s Law shows people clearly that they have done wrong things. Nobody can become right with God because they obey that Law. 21 But now we can know how to become right with God. God has shown us the way that he will accept people as right with himself. This way is not part of the Laws that he gave to Moses. But God’s Laws and the messages of his prophets have told us about it. 22 God accepts people as right with himself because Jesus Christ did what God wanted. God accepts every person who believes in Christ. It is the same way for everyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 23 All people have done wrong things. Nobody can be good and great, as God wanted them to be. 24 Butbecause God is very kind, he accepts us as right with himself. That is God’s gift to us. Jesus Christ has paid for our sins so that we have become free. Romans 3:20-24 EASY
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 EASY I asked the Lord three times to take this pain away from me. 9 But he said to me, ‘Iwill be kind to you and Iwill help you. That will be enough for you. When you are weak, I will show that I am completely powerful to help you.’ So, I am happy to be proud about my weakness. Then I know that Christ’s power will be with me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 EASY
This is one of the last known copies of this story I sent to be published by Lulu publications. I have the published printed copy but there are obvious edits I want to make before I submit it again to a publisher that will print it again. This time if I get it printed, in book bound form again, I’ll get several copies and make sure my family and friends get those copies.
I’ve also done audio recordings of all 10 Chapters for YouTube. Each Chapter is about 10 minutes long. Here is a playlist of those recordings:
Original submission published online is from
Thu, February 5, 2009 12:10:11 AM
Subject: The Everlasting Wonka 2/4/09 draft
I revisited editing it after my son Alexx died in July of 2016. These story characters, alone with other fictional characters from my other stories, help me deal with his loss.
Full disclaimer and copyright notes at the end.
This is my attempt to take the writings of Roald Dahl and continue on with an idea of what might take place following his “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”and “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.”
The last words in the latter saga of Charlie’s adventure are, “It’s not over yet . . . it hasn’t even begun.”
With that in mind, and with all due respect to the author, Roald Dahl, I take great pleasure and ask for a little poetic license to go on with Charlie’s inheritance.
Please consider this as a type of fan fiction.
“THE EVERLASTING WONKA”
A
STORY
WRITTEN BY
TOM E. BAILEY
CHAPTER 1
“It Hasn’t Even Begun.”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
What happened to Charlie Bucket after his amazing trip to Wonka’s Chocolate factory and his stupendous ride on the glass elevator?
Do you recall? He became heir to the Chocolate Factory and had a lot to learn before Mr. Wonka left it all behind.
Mr. Wonka loved Charlie, and his entire family. He cherished them so much he moved them in to live in the Chocolate Factory. Having Charlie’s mom and dad there, as well as his four grandparents available, offered a little structure, order and lots of love to the otherwise chaotic life as experienced in Wonka Land.
As Charlie and Mr. Wonka sat and brainstormed for hours at a time, they came up with some of the most unbelievable and innovative ideas: new concepts that required changes; updates that improved the factory and its distribution of the best chocolate in the world; incomparable types of sweets that could only be produced by them.
It wasn’t all fun and games, however. Oh, no! There were the normal difficulties with some merchants, some customers, and competing companies. And, although Mr. Wonka thought he had taken care of all the challenges dealing with spies trying to steal his ingredients and ideas, something occurred that upset his whole system. Much to his dismay, one of his best Oompa-Loompas requested a vacation to return to his homeland; but instead, the Oompa Loompa traveled to other candy factories and chocolate investors, sharing not only secrets, he also sold other information about Mr. Wonka’s future plans.
When Mr. Wonka found out about this, his heart sank, to think he would be betrayed by an Oompa-Loompa! When the police asked if he wanted to press charges for this invasion of copyrights and trademarks, Mr. Wonka just said,
“No, no, of course not. I couldn’t possibly press charges and let my poor Oompa-Loompa family member and friend spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Rather, Mr. Wonka allowed the Oompa-Loompa traitor to return to live in the factory! How grateful that Oompa-Loompa was! What would prison be like for such a small, different person? Still, Mr. Wonka felt so hurt because one of his workers couldn’t keep secrets. We’ll hear more about that lucky Oompa-Loompa later, but first, let’s catch up on how Charlie and his family settled in with Mr. Wonka.
Charlie’s grandpa Joe became a completely different person and as his other three grandparents finally got out of bed, they were like kids again. Unfortunately, their bodies had spent so much time running that it was impossible, even with Mr. Wonka’s vita-wonk, to make them physically younger. Mr. Wonka was heard to say,
“To live forever seems such bliss, but true peace comes when death you kiss.”
In response, Charlie started coming up with his own sayings, such as,
“Live long and be blessed, but know someday you’ll finally rest.”
They had lived full lives and Charlie had grown so much as the years flew by. He kept getting older, but remained bright-eyed. He knew and appreciated what it meant to be alive and have every opportunity to do whatever he put his mind to.
Even though living in the factory was like living in a world where nothing was impossible, Charlie, like all of us, had to witness the death of his grandparents. He watched them fail, but it was not painful for them at all. Oh, heavens no, not with the inventions that Mr. Wonka was able to put to use! Mr. Wonka made sure that each of them received transfusions of the purest chocolate, made to stimulate the all-natural endorphins their bodies produced, giving them the feeling of falling in love. Charlie said his good-byes as they smiled and went, not just in peace, but in true bliss.
Charlie also watched his parents change with age. He noticed Mr. Wonka was becoming more frail and elderly too. He knew those adults’ minds just didn’t work as efficiently as they used to. Sometimes He longed to just be alone and have complete control of his life and management of the factory. Life inside the Chocolate Factory kept him young at heart, but he found himself not just maturing but gaining physical aches and pains that accompanies the wear and tear of all human bodies. As children do when they become adults, he also became wiser and more clever. (Well, as some children do when they become adults!)
One day, alone, Charlie entered the Chocolate Room. Usually he and Mr. Wonka joined each other on this morning stroll, so what a shock it was to find Mr. Wonka lying on the bank of the Chocolate River. In full dismay, Charlie yelled for help. The Oompa-Loompas were just waking up, but ran to Charlie’s aid. Mr. Wonka was fading fast. Charlie flipped him over and away from the edge of the river. Mr. Wonka just looked up at Charlie with his tired eyes and managed to get out the words,
“This … is it … Ch … ar … lie …”
Charlie coughed and began to cry,
“No, Mr. Wonka, no!”
“Oh yes, my dear boy.”
and then, with a smile, he made his best attempt to signal the Oompa-Loompas. They all surrounded him as Charlie tried to stay close, touching Mr. Wonka.
In frustration, Charlie anxiously yelled,
“What are you doing? Mr. Wonka, what are they doing!!??”
Mr. Wonka just smiled again and whispered,
“It’s O.K., Charlie. Things have to be this way. It’s really the ONLY way.”
Charlie stood by paralyzed with fear, watching the Oompa-Loompas move Mr. Wonka closer to the edge of the flowing Chocolate River.
“Charlie?”
Mr. Wonka called in a raspy voice.
“Yes, yes, what is it, sir?
“Let them … “
And then Charlie realized what they were doing. They were going to throw Mr. Wonka into the river. He would surely drown. He was barely breathing by this time! When Charlie tried to stop them, several of the Oompa-Loompas surrounded him, making him fall to the ground as they tripped him up. Charlie got up on his knees, reached out his hand toward Mr. Wonka, but it was too late. After accomplishing their mission the little Oompa-Loompas ran away, singing some song in gibberish. Charlie scolded them,
“What have you done?! Why, why would you do that?! You’ve all gone completely mad!”
Mr. Wonka floated on his back, just as if he were lying down for a nap, with his arms up under his raised head. As the current took him away, he was able to call to Charlie,
“It’s ooooO.K., it’s aaall yooours nooow.”
The Oompa-Loompas continued to sing as Charlie ran toward the hidden door that held the special monitoring room set up to see every part of the factory, inside and out. Charlie heard the Oompa-Loompas singing the song they had been saving for just this moment,
“To live is bliss, what did you miss?
Or did you cry an alibi?
You know some day you’d have to pay
And this, … my friend, is … the … end.”
It was short and sweet, but that was what Mr. Wonka was all about.
Chapter 2
“Into The Out Of Control Room”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
Charlie made it to the control room door and struggled to find the right key. Talking to himself, he moaned and groaned,
“COME ON!”
Jostling the keys, the Oompa-Loompas knew he desperately wanted in, and so they finally opened it from the inside.
“Which screen?!”,
Charlie cried.
In a room filled with monitors that faced every area, in every angle possible, they pointed him in the right direction. Charlie watched the cameras following the Chocolate River. For a brief moment all the monitors went black, then just as quickly, one word appeared on 3 different screens, creating a message that Charlie read aloud,
“Don’t be alarmed.”
Again, the screens went blank, flashing back on with the message,
“This is all part of my request, Charlie.”
Then the recorded voice of Mr. Wonka came over the speakers, as pictures of the river flashed here and there on the screens.
“Charlie, and my dear family, all of you…”,
they heard Mr. Wonka begin,
“Consider this my Last Will and Testament of sorts. I’m not good at good-byes. I don’t like good things to come to an end. How could bye ever be good?
I especially hated closing down my factory years ago, but, lesson learned, just as I shut down the factory and was able to open a new one, so also my life here is closing; however, a new one opens. I am trusting Charlie and each of you to be that new life. Let me and my dreams live on in what you do.”
A strobe light then pulsed as the monitors went dark again. As the strobe light went faster and faster, the voice of Mr. Wonka began again, also increasing in speed.
“Ah hah! Now I will take you on one last adventure. So watch, listen, feel, smell and …”
A puff of sweet cotton candy aroma filled the room. He then ended with the last word, stimulating their last sense,
“Taste.”
You could actually breathe in sweet, soft, cotton candy and, oh, who doesn’t like THAT! But wait, there was more. Mr. Wonka paused, the strobe light turned purple and hit a mirrored disco ball in the center of the room. Although Charlie was now in his twenties and knew Mr. Wonka did everything with such flair, he was confused, sad, and filled with anxiety, fearing for Mr. Wonka’s life. Willy Wonka was not just a mentor, nor was he even just a friend. He had become family. The light hitting the mirrored ball sent a message scrolling about the room and Mr. Wonka’s pre-recorded voice matched the written words carrying his typical flare,
“In a moment you will all see my last few moments with you on this earth. I have programmed the monitors to show exactly what happens to me and how it happens, but I am sure you all are asking, ‘Why?’ Very well, enough dilly and enough dally, if I do say so myself,”
he chuckled.
“Soooo, here is what gets who. I mean, . . .” clearing his throat, “who gets what.”
Just then it was as if everything broke down. The Oompa-Loompas started shouting,
“The Wonkerator!”
This is the name they gave the generator. The room was too dark to find the main switch. Just then, Wonka’s voice came through the overhead speaker, very calm and comforting,
“The Wonka generator is not failing friends, and neither shall I. I have many things I could not reveal to anyone when I was alive, not even to Charlie, so I will now show and tell. But first, I want all of you to put your busy little worried wart heads to rest. I floated down the Chocolate River and, thanks to my Oompa-Loompa buddies, I was funneled to the end of the river where another waterfall drops into the incinerator.”
There was not a dry eye in the room. Charlie’s parents and the workers outside the monitoring room heard the voice on hidden speakers throughout the whole factory. Wonka continued,
“Now, dear friends, don’t fall apart, keep it together. Many people are cremated these days, and what better way than this? You must know this as well, my premeditated plan was to drink large sips of chocolate from the river, so by the time I reached the end, I would be in a complete state of nirvana, completely high from the coco bean’s effect that we all know so well.”
The lights began to fade in the room. Very slowly, from floor to ceiling, it was orange, red, a little purple, and amber. It actually looked like a sunrise. They realized it was Mr. Wonka’s doing. Not one detail was left out. He whispered,
“Now … hus.s.h.h … don’t say a word and don’t tell anyone else what I am about to show and tell you.”
Chapter 3
“Behind The Curtains”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
The screen at the far edge of all the monitors came on very slowly, revealing a type of surveillance camera showing people going through their everyday lives. Charlie gasped, but the Oompa-Loompas were not shocked at all. Charlie crawled over to a chair, never taking his eyes off the screen. The hidden lives of all the children who found the golden tickets were being revealed.
First, Augustus was shown, eating, eating, eating … and yes, some more eating, as well as, putting away a lot of soda. He looked and acted so greedy, like everything belonged to him and was for him to consume.
Next, Charlie saw Violet at her house, the gym, and school. Charlie saw another girl next to her chewing gum.
“That must be her competition she spoke of.”, he thought.
Then Veruca was heard yelling at the top right corner of all the monitors. There was footage documenting her mom and dad’s involvement. It unveiled how Veruca, nor her parents, found the ticket personally; how they made hundreds of workers go through countless cases of candy, tearing the paper from each Wonka bar they touched, searching for a golden ticket.
Finally, Charlie noticed Mike Teavee. A camera peeking down under his desk, catching him playing with a hand-held video game while in the school classroom. Another hidden camera showed him watching a small hand held DVD player while sitting in a school assembly. The special guest spoke to them about the importance of reading.
“Wait!”,
said Charlie.
“What ?… Whaaa …”
he hesitated. Then expressed one word,
“Explain.”
The Oompa-Loompas were about to try to explain. Interrupting them the pre-recorded words of Wonka blared out,
“I can explain. I paid people, specialists in surveillance, tracking, and investigation, to find someone pure, sincere, and honest. I wanted to show the world that no good can come from being bad. We found five kids that fit all the typical behaviors and attitudes of everyday average human beings. I chose these children to come in and see my factory. When I found each particular child that would portray the particular point I wanted to stress, we would plant the golden ticket where they were bound to find it. Yours was planted too, Charlie. As I have already told you, I knew you’d be the one. You truly are exceptional, and now the day has come.
You were the HARDEST kid to get the golden ticket to because your family couldn’t afford it. We are so glad we were finally able to put one in your path. We had to use seven tickets on Augustus because he kept eating them right along with the candy bars.”
He paused as each child was shown in their everyday life behaving exactly as they did when at the factory. One screen showed Augustus burying his head into a bowl of some kind of chocolate pudding, then flashed to him reaching into the Chocolate River. Another screen captured the attention of everyone by its sheer loudness. It was Violet. She was all mouth, talk, talk, talk-id-ie, talk, talk, while the whole time chew, chew, chew-id-ie, chew chew (take a deep breath to finish), chew, chew, chewing! Clips of her before she came to the factory revealed her chewing while talking in the halls, bathroom, and classroom. Some people can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, unlike Violet. This girl could not only do that she could also talk her head off, expressing how great and talented she was in everything she does. She even talked as she waited to see the school principal for talking too much. The sad thing was that every time she opened her mouth to talk, it was usually about being the best GUM chewer in the world! She constantly flapped her gums while chewing the same gobs of gum she chewed while on the tour of the factory.
The video faded. Then they watched as she snapped when Wonka got to one of the only machines he had that made gum.
As the surrounding speakers began to make a rustling sound, a sort of static, everyone thought there might be another breakdown; then again, deep down they knew it was all part of Wonka’s overall show. Expecting the unexpected the rustling got louder, some voices were added to it, then, bells and whistles started sounding off.
When all those sounds diminished, all you could hear, coming from every direction, was Veruca’s voice, making greedy demands. One overlapped the other, until finally, everything went silent. Completely silent. Screens lit up slowly, first dark brown, then light brown, then gray, and finally, reaching their full capacity. Each screen showed thousands of little pictures together, when looked at from a distance, they made up Veruca’s full face. Somehow Wonka even got the image to shout,
“I WANT IT NOW.”
What followed was a rush of images the day she was in the factory. They slowed down just showing her face. Everyone witnessed how she appeared as she was going down the garbage chute.
Once again, everything went blank. No light appeared in the room at all, just Wonka’s voice, trying to sound like a movie announcer, reverberating around the room,
“Ladies and genteMEN … en … en, of ALL … L … L AGES … s … s … I introduce … s … s YOU … ou … ou to … oo … oo MMMmmmmister MmmmikeTeaveE… e… e.”
The room immediately went from completely black to an overbearing brightness. Their eyes could not adjust fast enough. No one was able to see anything. They were blinded by the light, but they could still hear. They heard Mike in school telling other kids how dumb they were and then he was even mouthing off to the teachers, thinking he was smarter than they were. As the light descended, each screen began to show a different TV show, ones that Mike liked the best. The room was filled with all kinds of chattering racket and then all the monitors worked together as one big screen, showing Mike insulting Mr. Wonka in the factories TV room. They watched the replay of Mike sending himself through the Wonka-vision machine then Wonka pulling him up and out of the minitor.
The screens showed a curtain closing as if the play was over. Shortly after closing, the curtains slowly opened back up, revealing Mr. Willy Wonka standing in the middle of a stage. No one could top him. His first words were,
“Don’t try to grab me like we did to Mike Teavee.”
He smiled and twirled his cane around. The cameras moved in for a close-up. He declared,
“I have lived a full life. I have done more in ONE DAY than most people do in their whole life. I’m not bragging. It is a fact. FACT!”
Emotionally, he finished,
“Please take note:
Greed,
rudeness,
selfishness, and
the lack of positive interaction with other human beings…
these are the four traits we must stay away from. I had to pick the right characteristics, the right personalities, the right people for the right job, otherwise not only would my point not WORK, but the Oompa-Loompas would not know who or what to siiing about.”
He winked and the picture started to fade, going fuzzy, full of static.
“Am I fading? Just a little?”
He coughed, and just as his image faded completely, his voice came through with
“My factory will help you stay young and playful at heart. Never grow up or get old, Charlie. . . life is just TOO sweet. While you’re alive, enjoy it!”
Circling around them, from speaker to speaker, was the word,
“Sweet.”
It echoed on and on, around and around. That was the last they saw or heard from Mr. Willy Wonka.
CHAPTER 4
“Without Wonka”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
The factory was entirely Charlie’s now. No longer was Mr. Wonka there to lean on, learn from, or depend upon.
Depressed, not only at losing his grandparents, but now Mr. Wonka, too, he went to his mom and dad’s bedroom. Trying to comfort each other, Charlie’s mom suggested they get out of the factory for a little while, get some natural sunlight to help take the blues away.
Living in the factory they never saw much true sunlight. There were sunroofs here and there, but they were still shut off from the outside world. So,they did what his mom recommended. They piled into the glass elevator and took off through the ceiling as Charlie reminisced about his first trip in the elevator, the Wonkevator, with Grandpa Joe and Mr. Wonka.
Getting out into the sunlight did the trick and inspired Charlie with his next new idea and invention. He exclaimed,
“A garden, a CANDY garden!”
“You already have the chocolate room, Charlie! Why, that’s just like a garden,”
His mom replied.
“Yes,”
Charlie rebutted,
“but that is inside. I am talking about a garden outside, with grass you can eat, cotton candy trees, a taffy merry-go-round, lollipop see-saws, swings of licorice stripps, and a sandbox filled with fine shaved chocolate! We’ll call it a CHOCOLATE BOX, and use white chocolate that will look just like sand. The moms and dads could let the kids eat it instead of yelling at them to not eat the sand!”
Charlie was getting louder as he continues to exclaimed,
“We’d have enormous candy cane poles to slide down and even a gingerbread house big enough for someone to live in. It will be
trimmed with huge pieces of candy!”
“But, Charlie,”
his dad interrupted.
“It will melt in the hot sun!”
Charlie put his hand on his dad’s shoulder and grinned,
“Dad, you’re talking to the candy man now. Mr. Wonka invented ice cream that wouldn’t melt on the hottest day in July. He made kites of compressed fruit candy that endured the wind, rain and sun. It’s simple! It’s all so simply simple. The way to keep chocolate from melting is to make it without dairy products. It will last nearly forever. Heck, honey never expires. We can make honey drops to line the pathways through the garden. Come now, back to the factory!! No time to dilly or dally. We have so much time and so little to do.”
Charlie’s speech stopped dead in its tracks. He, along with his parents, realized he was even beginning to talk just like Mr. Wonka now! A short second later, Charlie said,
“Wait a sec. Stop. Reverse that, Okay? Onward!!! Moving right along now folks. Oooon we goooo!”
Charlie shouted as he took the wonkavator back in for a safe landing.
Charlie’s walk back through the factory was a mimic of Mr. Wonka, followed by his parents, struggling to keep up. It was as if Charlie was possessed with the same charisma, innovation, and quirkiness.
So, Charlie and his workers soon began making the outdoor garden and playground a reality. Charlie didn’t share the secret ingredients with anyone, or the directions on how to make the durable edibles for outside. He just kept them in his head where no one could get in and steal them.
The day arrived, faster than Charlie thought possible. It was time to send out public announcements and invitations, welcoming all to come and see the garden. The population was notified by t.v., radio, newspapers, the internet and especially by social media. Charlie beckoned for all children to come and play on his delightful, magical playground.
At the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Charlie declared,
“I know we all wish Mr. Wonka could be here. As you know from what you’ve read in the newspaper, he has left this old land. He is finally free, and is in candy heaven with cotton candy clouds, eating from a huge banquet table more amazing than our minds could ever conceive.”
He paused for a moment of respectful silence. Then he spoke loud and clear for all to hear,
“But we are not here to mourn. We are here to celebrate! Just as Mr. Wonka originally told all the LUCKY winners of the golden tickets so I tell you, please, stay very calm. Don’t lose your heads. We wouldn’t want any of you to do that. Now I, formerly Charlie Bucket, now Charlie ‘Wonka’ Bucket, declare this public park, the new ‘Wonka World’, OPEN!”
With these words, Charlie cut the candy ribbon and all the police, security guards and special riot prevention SWAT teams could not hold back the rush of people.
CHAPTER 5
“In The Open Air”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
As Charlie walked through the crowds, he thought,
“Perhaps I should have allowed only a certain amount of people in at a time.”
People not only swarmed throughout the park, grabbing and gobbling, but men, women, boys, and girls pressed against him, asking all sorts of questions, some of which were very private and personal.
“Excuse me, all questions must be submitted at the end of the day, in writing. Thank you for calling and have a nice day.”,
was Charlie’s stock answer.
When asked about his secret of how the candy was made to last outside, he replied,
“Folks, candy is dandy, but . . . silence is GOLDEN, and a little silence now and then is cherished by the wisest men.”
Charlie thought it best to keep them guessing.
He smiled as he tried to get away from the crowd, but one final shout stopped him,
“Charlie, can you keep up with the demands of production like Mr. Wonka did?”
Charlie turned slowly, and from out of nowhere, like magic, there was a puff of smoke from Charlie’s sleeve. All eyes shifted their attention to Charlie. In one hand he held up Mr. Willy Wonka’s cane and candy shot out of his other hand just as an illusionist keeps pulling scarves from his sleeve. Candy sprayed all around them as if a global size pinata had just been broken open! While the people were busy with the candy shower, Charlie was able to get away, pushing through to take refuge inside the factory.
Once inside Charlie took a deep breath, still happy and excited about the opening. He rushed to the top of the main smokestack and peered out a little window, just big enough for his eyes.
“They look like ants,”
Charlie said aloud to himself.
“Oh my, oh my, ohmyomyo! Oooh ME oh My OH!!!
he exclaimed.
“What have I done?”
He raced back down the spiral stairs and announced over the internal speaker system,
“Blblblblbl, all Oompa-Loompas, blblblblbl, come quickly!
Drop whatever it is you’re doing! Meet me in the front lobby of the factory! This is an emergency! Blblblbl, flapflapflap, eeeahhwww. This is NOT a drill!!”
He slammed down the microphone, started to rush off, and then, in one quick, jerky motion, picked up the microphone again and yelled into it,
“Thank you. That is all!”
Off he raced to the lobby, where he announced to them,
“We are in GRAVE trouble. The people are behaving like locusts.”
The Oompa-Loompas stared at him in confusion.
“Oh, you don’t know what locusts are, do you? Well, ah . . . “
He searched for a word.
“Oh, I’ve got it! They are like vicious conides or roaming winzzels, and they are ruining our garden.”
Several Oompa-Loompas tried to speak up, using the English language the best they could. Charlie heard the loudest one shouting,
“Sir, I’ve got an idea!!!”
His words were drowned out by others as another one cried,
“That is their nature, sir! Just like the children Mr. Wonka let into the factory!”
“They are all full of greed, uncontrollable lust!”,
blurted in another.
“With no respect!”,
shouted another.
“Spoiled!”,
interjected another.
Floodgates of indistinct chatter filled the air, murmurs of how badly people behaved on the outside as opposed to Loompaland. Charlie felt as if he were losing control and nervously managed to pull them back together.
He said,
“Okay, so at least we all agree, and we are all on the same wavelength of thinking.”
“YES!!!”
THEY ALL CHANTED IN UNISON.
Surprised, Charlie went back to the first one who said he had an idea and asked,
“What is your idea?”
As the little Oompa-Loompa scratched his head, the scratching sound turned into the sound of a musical shaker, followed by a group of them hitting their bellies making a boom-boom sound like a big bass drum. Then the rest of them started humming. Finally they all broke out into song!
“Oh, we knew this would take place.
These people are a disgrace.
We tried this all before.
They kick, they punch, they knock down the door.
What shall we do?
What can we do?
We must come to a rescue.
Help, help, you say, and so we must
take down this nasty ornery cuss.
Aliens are what we are,
we come down like a shooting star.
Aliens are what they see.
SOoOo000, let’s all go
and set them free.
We do not need them in our place.
They are all up in our face.
So, so, SOoOo000, let’s go scare ’em,
one by one,
and not stop
until our job is done.”
And with that, the song was done.
Charlie applauded their performance and said,
“You are the best! Let’s get out there and scare the taffy out of them! Hurry! Scurry! Scare them away!! Go, go, go! Blblblblb be gone!!!”
Charlie went his way and they went theirs. When he got to the public address system he picked up the microphone that blared outside the factory and proclaimed,
“WARNING!
EVERYONE,
WARNING!
THE WHOLE FACTORY IS BEING INVADED BY STRANGE AND DANGEROUS ALIEN CREATURES.
THEY ARE ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF THE FACTORY AND ARE NOW COMING YOUR WAY,
OUTSIDE TOWARD YOU! ALL OF YOU,
RUN!!
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!”
Charlie smiled, set down the microphone, and headed toward the stairs that led up to the little window inside the smokestack. With a quick jerk, however, he returned and picked up the microphone.
“Thank you. That is all.”
he said.
Laughing maniacally, he raced up to the observation window. Peaking out to see what was taking place, he hunched over and whispered,
“This is going to be a good show!”
A smile spread across his face as he watched everyone running around like crazy people! The Oompa-Loompas scurried out of the factory, and when the tourists saw these knee-high men of different color, they screamed, hollered, and shrieked in fear so loud that Charlie could hear them all the way up in the smokestack. The sight made him giddy. Even the official public police and security forces didn’t know what to make of all this pandemonium. Within sixty seconds the crowd cleared out, not just out of the park, but out of sight. When the Oompa-Loompas came inside Charlie met them with a big
“Thank You!”
They all nodded in response and laughed.
Charlie said,
“I’m sure you are ready to sing another mischievous song, huh?”
Laughing in unison, they returned to their own areas of the factory. They hummed in harmony the same tune they sang earlier. They were truly happy to return back to the work they loved.
Charlie went out to assess the damage. Standing on the front steps of the factory, his eyes slowly scanned the horizon. His eyes began to flood with tears. He wept as he surveyed the destruction caused by the general public. The white cigarette candy fences that surrounded the garden were completely broken down, as well as the area containing the organically edible candy treats that made the garden such a splendid place to visit. Although the fences were extra high, the public literally ate their way through the barriers. The gingerbread house had gaping holes in the walls. Everything on the playground had been leveled to the ground. It looked as if a bomb had hit his candy garden. He felt defeated and depressed. He asked himself a hard question,
“Is this the end to all the rest?”
CHAPTER 6
“Aftermath”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
Charlie stepped back into the factory, slammed the door and fell face first against the door, with his head buried in his arms. Suddenly he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder.
“Son,”
his dad whispered. And that was all his dad needed to say. Charlie turned into his father’s arms and cried like a baby.
Later, during a nice family dinner, Charlie, reflected on how Mr. Wonka had closed the factory because of the spies and how he started it up again, but with no outside workers. He also recalled when Wonka opened it for the five children, and how, after Charlie and his family moved in, no one from the outside was allowed entry.
Charlie’s mom searched for the right words that may help the situation. She uttered,
“Son, we, you, I mean out of all of us here, the Oompa-Loompas included, we may not be able to deal with the public in the future, other than selling and shipping the chocolate out to the stores.”
Charlie made no response, just hung his head, looking down. His dad then tried to comfort him,
“Charlie? You know most factories that do mass production do not allow the public to come in for open houses or… ah, tours through the factory.”
Looking up, Charlie said,
“But Dad, this is not like most factories.
This is Wonka’s…”
He could not finish. The rest of their dinner time was finished in silence.
For the next several months they all retreated back into the factory. Even though the interior climate was warm, the atmosphere remained cold and dark. Outside was gloomy too, keeping all natural light from coming in. Fear of spies gripped Charlie. No one would help him preserve the outdoor garden because of the public’s lack of respect. He felt so alone.
Years passed and Charlie’s parents became bed-ridden, just as his grandparents were. Charlie had lost his grandparents and Mr. Wonka. Now he had to accept the fact that his parents were not going to live here with him forever. Heavy-hearted, he recalled that even one of Mr. Wonka’s Oompa-Loompas deceived them and threatened the future heritage of the factory by selling secrets. In the future Charlie would make a decision on what to do with that Oompa-Loompa, but meanwhile Charlie knew exactly how Mr. Wonka felt just before he made plans for the five golden ticket tour. Loneliness was preferred over disrespect to his family and workers. The display of typical selfish human nature and unruly behavior of outsiders could no longer be allowed. Charlie was the owner of a lonely heart. He felt that was much better than being the owner of a broken heart.
Charlie came to his parents with an idea of developing robots that would look and react like human beings. They didn’t say anything, but he saw in their eyes their true opinion.
“I’m trying, mom, dad . . . “
he said, holding back tears.
In a raspy voice, his dad tried to speak clearly,
“Charlie . . . son, we love you. We know you want to have more than just us.”
“It’s more than that, dad.” Charlie replied.
Then his mom spoke up, softly and gently,
“Oh, Charlie, we both know. It is Okay, son. You don’t just want, you need more than us. You need . . . “
Charlie looked away before his mother finished, but then turned back to face her as she beckoned.
“Don’t go, son. I haven’t seen you like this since before you came to the factory the very first time. Remember what Grandpa Joe said when I asked him not to fill your head with dreams?”
They both repeated the words of Grandpa Joe,
“Let the boy dream.”
His mother continiued,
“And you wanted that golden ticket, that golden opportunity, more than anything, son.”
Taking a deep breath and releasing it, she went on,
“Dream again, son. Cheer up Charlie.”
Charlie went to their bedside and hugged them both, saying,
“If we can’t go out of this factory because of the way people treat us on the outside, we’ll have to bring them in . . . somehow . . . I just don’t know how, yet.”
They both nodded their heads, saying,
“You will, son . . . you will.”
Just like the great outdoors cannot be duplicated, so also people cannot be synthetically duplicated. Nothing is like nature other than nature itself, and metaphorically speaking, the same is true with the character of the human race. In Charlie’s eyes, he saw how the majority of the human race had let their own nature crowd out any good, deep-rooted, well-rounded mannerisms, common sense, and valuable, respectful relationships.
As Charlie fell asleep that night, his mind continued to work and search for the ultimate answer to this whole dilemma. His concerns had nothing to do with financial gain. Growing up he had become accustomed to living with bare necessities. He knew that memories and family members were more important than money. He remembered the old house they lived in as he dosed in and out of restless sleep. With each toss and turn, his mind wondered, pondered, and stormed.
Finally, he could sleep no more. His racing mind went through rough draft after rough draft, crumbling one thought then onto another. Eventually, just like Mr. Wonka himself, Charlie kept going back to figure out the right recipe so things would be as sweet and tasty as possible. He heard Wonka’s voice in his head,
“Some of my dreams become reality and some of my realities become dreams.”
With that, Charlie’s body gave in, his mind rested, and he dropped into a much needed deep, deep, sleep.
When awakened, he swiftly sat up in bed and proclaimed, “A muse, a muse!!!”
Chapter 7
“In The Muse”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
Inspiration and creativity blossomed in his mind. All his jagged thoughts became consolidated and solidified into one picture perfect tapestry.
A muse is a label given to someone, or something, that inspires original and innovative ideas; some type of being or entity that gives visionary concepts so the one needing and receiving it can bring that burst of art to life.
Charlie could not control himself.
“A muse, a muse, a muse, a muse!”,
He kept exclaiming, getting progressively louder each time he repeated it. He catapulted out of bed, ran through the factory halls and rooms. He barged into his parents’ room, which had been specially equipped with health care needs and Oompa-Loompa medical staffing. He leaped into the middle of the one big bed they both shared, waking them from their deep sleep. Charlie never knew whether they would be asleep, awake or even alive. However, Charlie brought them to consciousness quickly. Their eyes flew wide open, disbelieving what they were actually seeing. Charlie was jumping so hard he almost bounced both of them right out of bed.
He continued to shout louder and louder,
“A muse, a muse, a muse, mom, a muse, dad!”
His parents looked at each other in wonderment. They had seen some very strange and bizarre behavior from Willy Wonka and Charlie, but this was beyond explanation. Mrs. Bucket said to her husband,
“What does he mean, dear?”
Although they were both hard of hearing, they could not help but hear Charlie’s over-excited cheers. His father replied,
“It is not what he means, dear, it is what he is meant to do!”
When Mr. Bucket uttered those last few words, Charlie abruptly froze, almost in mid-air. Charlie looked down at his dad and whispered, with a smile,
“Say it again, dad. Say . . . it . . . again.”
There was a certain desperation in their son’s voice. His father swallowed hard, looked at his wife, and then back to his son.
Charlie riveted his attention on his dad as Mr. Bucket repeated,
“It’s not what you mean, Charlie. It is what you are meant to do.”
Then, as if Charlie’s dad could read his mind, his father said slowly,
“It is what you were meant to do. What you are meant to be. It is your contribution to the entire world, Charlie, as only the candy man can!”
Charlie dropped to his knees right there in the center of their bed. He spoke softly, but his parents were able to hear,
“Mom, dad, you mean more to me than anything else in life, and the words I just heard from you provide me with the missing link, the final ingredient I need, to bring this factory, with all its glory, back to life.”
His mom lit up as if a radiant angel flowed into her body. Charlie never saw her face beaming with such joy as she uttered the long awaited and victorious statement,
“A muse, as in amusement.”
She smiled even wider and began to laugh out loud,
“An amusement park, Charlie?! Haha HAAA!”
Charlie sprang to his feet and said,
“That’s right!”
And as he jumped up and leaned back, he yelled,
“AN AMUUUUSEMENT PAAAAARK! An amusement park, WOOO HOOOO! wooo hooo!”
He landed on his back, still directly in the center of their bed. Upon landing, he burst out in laughter.
His exuberant child-like joy was contagious. They all began laughing as if they were silly, giddy, school kids. The Oompa-Loompas laughed also, but, then again, they were always laughing! Charlie jumped up and they all grabbed hands. Charlie could hardly speak, having lost all control of his composure. He just kept repeating, almost unintelligible, an unstoppable sing song chant,
“An amusement park…Amuse, amuse, amuse ment park! Aamuse, amuse, amuse ment park! Amuse, amuse, amuse ment park! Aamuse, amuse, amuse ment park!”
Like singing monks, the Oompa-Loompas joined in as the montra continued,
“An amusement park, an amusement park, an amus-ment-park! ! !”
Building an amusement park was exactly what everyone needed: to bring back the whole spirit of Willy Wonka.
Charlie sat in bed with his parents for four days, working with them as a CEO or president of another company would with their board members. They ate all their meals right there in bed while they bounced ideas off each other. Some concepts they had only dreamed of making into a reality long ago, and many other new ones evolved right then and there very rapidly. As a tightly knitted sweater, they all joined their ideas into a warm quilt of amusement.
When Charlie’s parents would doze off, unavoidably, into a slumber, Charlie continued. He relentlessly, put into place all the necessities to erect an exclusive signature amusement park unlike any other in the world.
Charlie was even able to use some of Mr. Wonka’s original plans he used while building the palace for an Indian prince. He remembered that the structure was a disaster only because of heat from natural sunlight; or was it the fact that the prince did not begin to eat it right away? This made Charlie smile. Natural sunlight is what the factory was missing. He realized outside of the factory would be the perfect environment for a Palace. Everything in the park could revolve around such a monument. He laughed out loud in glee, realizing that with the right formula he could make the building structure last forever.
Fears that haunted him from the horrible experience with the outdoor candy garden were pushed far from his mind. In an amusement park setting, he would be in control. There would be security, proper guides, trusted operators, and other general employees who would receive a good pay to help take care of, and contribute to, the future of the park.
As his parents took their cat naps, Charlie sat in the center of their bed, legs crossed, and let his dreams soar limitlessly. The whole time Charlie wrote nothing down. He could see in his mind a clear vision of the factory, and the ground around it, turning into a place of enjoyment that would grow, bloom, and continue to advance, constantly developing into more. He was able to envision the what, where, when, who, why, and how of each newborn idea.
At the end of the fourth day, Charlie jumped up and walked briskly through the various halls that led from one room to another, talking out loud to himself. He waved his arms manically here and there, pointing out what was going to take place throughout the entire factory. It was as if he was a professional tour guide leading a crowd behind him, with a memorized script, giving note to the surrounding highlights.
He walked faster and faster, until he was literally running down and around through the long corridors, darting in and out of rooms, the whole time continuing his monologue, proclaimed such things as,
“And here we’ll build a roller coaster that dives into and through a wall of whipped cream, covering its thrill-seeking riders with a light, sweet texture.”
He had already configured how the wall of cream would be reconstructed and ready for the next exhilarating stream of oncoming roller coaster cars packed with fun seekers, eager to blast their way through. He could see, taste and hear the impact, with cream flying everywhere!
An electrical excitement surged through Charlie’s body and mind, occupying his very being. This hype and eccentric presence had not been present since Willy Wonka originally developed the factory. In Charlie’s mind, the chocolate waterfall became a spiraling slide with several dips and swoops. To get to the top of it on the other side was a challenging rock climbing course with three different skill levels, all made out of the best rock candy, of course. Guests of all ages would enjoy the climb as well as the taste.
Charlie came to a long hallway that held lots of memories. He stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He could smell all flavors of candy. Opening his eyes, he turned his head toward the wall and licked the wallpaper. He smiled and said, “The snozberries still taste like snozberries. We are still the music makers, and we are still the dreamers of dreams. Thank you Mr. Wonka.”
Chapter 8
“The Date”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
Charlie was ready to set a date to re-open the factory. There were a few more things that needed to be completed, and as Charlie himself prepared to lead the first tour around the amusement park, even more original ideas came to him. To capture the attention of those on the outside of the factory and to build up a desire to visit, Charlie, along with his workers, took part in painting the factory in bright cheerful colors. All of the paint was laced with candy so that no unpleasant paint fumes were emitted. The smell of different types of candy settled over the whole city.
People pressed against the gates, making remarks that Charlie got a kick out of. Many times they would shout out questions, but Charlie would just turn, smile, and say,
“All in good time, my friends. All in good time.”
Sometimes, when the shouting from the television and newspaper media got to be too much, he would simply turn and tip his hat to them.
The most difficult task, to finish in time for the opening, was the reconstruction of the old outdoor garden that he had tried to share with the public. It was decided that the most interesting thing to do, which was also the fastest and easiest, was to turn it into a haunted forest, leaving the old rotted, broken fence just as it was.
Charlie set up an insect barrier to keep outdoor bugs from entering the factory area. He continueually fed the bugs outside the factory to keep them satisfied. That was his secret. As a result the pests never came any closer jeopardizing his work with other sweets. However, that barrier around the outside garden area had been consumed and there was a problem with insects there. To resolve this, he went to the top of his smokestack and dumped scalding syrup which, as you can imagine, killed the insects and sent them to their own candy heaven. The syrup was thin and you could see through it as you walked around the transformed garden. You were able to see bugs of all kinds under your feet, much like dragonflies caught in amber. The Oompa-Loompas were then able to set up another barrier to keep any other insects from entering.
The garden, now labeled,
“The Haunted Forest . . . that will give you the willies!”
depicted the horrible results from vandals. It showed the truly terrifying side of life around us. It displayed the message that human nature can be very ugly. Behind each bush of spearmint leaves, under every destroyed hard tack bridge, were spine chilling scares. Charlie called all this,
“Controlled chaos.”
After creating all amusements in the park, indoors and out, Charlie interviewed and hired employees for extra supervision, ride operators, and security. The Oompa-Loompas continued with their jobs, making the candy, and Charlie was the only one adding the ingredients, so the secret could never be divulged by anyone.
Finally, Opening Day arrived! Rather than having the usual brass band play at the opening for the newly vamped factory, Charlie had a rock band. After the performance of a few songs, Charlie came down from the sky in the famous glass elevator. Everyone noted that is was much larger than before, and he wasn’t alone. It was filled with Oompa-Loompas. Many people still feared them, thinking they were aliens of some kind. The elevator landed so quietly, you could hear a candy wrapper drop!
Charlie was so exited as he exited his mode of transportation and stepped up to a microphone,
“Attention! May I have your attention please! I am honored to announce that, with the help of my staff, my very own parents, and the one and only Mr. Willy Wonka himself, the muse, I have been able to change the factory into an amusement park. You will see and taste things here that you have never, and will never, see anywhere else. Today I welcome you, one and all, but I also ask that you do well while you are here.”
Charlie paused, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before continuing,
“I want to give so much, but I don’t want you to take too much. There is a time to play hard, yet at the same time remain responsible. No adult will be allowed to enter without a child and no child will allow the adult they are with to misbehave.”
He ended with,
“We must all use common sense. Come on in, the candy is fine!!!”
With that, he cut the candy ribbon, the rock band fired up again, and each person was checked by security before they entered.
Chapter 9
“The Entrance”
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
📌📌📌📌📌📌📌📌📌
The glass elevator had set down right in the center of a courtyard area. The people were not fully aware of what they were about to see, but when the Wonkavator landed, it showed them just the tip of an iceberg, or as Charlie would say,
“An ice cream burg”.
The Wonkavator had been made larger and was equipped with strapped-in seats for one hundred visitors. Once inside, a very realistic, lifelike hologram of Mr. Willie Wonka himself appeared to kick off the tour. His famous quotes baffled, but also impressed, everyone. Once locked and loaded the Wonkavator shot straight up, high into the air. When it landed once again the doors opened to the entrance of Willies Haunted Forest. The guests were reminded of the need to be more conscious and considerate of everyone and everything while in the factory/park.
Immediately after walking through the old garden, they were shocked upon entering one of the largest greenhouse rooms imaginable. The thick crystal clear Plexiglas enclosed all sorts of exotic plants. When guests would press their hand against the glass, huge exotic animals lunged right into the glass, freaking out the spectators. The barrier was a foot thick but seemed much thinner when these creatures banged into them.
The guests were then greeted by a tour guide telling them,
“There are little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous . . . ”
subtly adding,
“Nothing deadly.”
It was at this point that some of the guests thought, perhaps they should not have come. But they soon learned that they really were safe and specific provisions were in place to protect them.
They also learned that the animals in that area fed mainly on organic candy grown on the ground, as well as the much needed cocoa bean. The visitors watched as the coco beans were devoured by these never-before-seen insects and creatures with names they couldn’t even pronounce correctly. It was explained that cocoa beans were scarce at times because they were the main food for all living things in the area and also cherished by the Oompa-Loompas who shared the environment.
An amazing feature was then introduced as the eye-opening tour continued. Right in the center of the domain was a sealed off area. It was a complete and an exact replica of Loompaland. Remember the Oompa-Loompa mentioned earlier who sold Wonka’s secrets? Willy and Charlie did not forget that he lied when he told Mr. Wonka that he was returning to his home land for a vacation. They had not forgotten his betrayal. No charges were brought against him; but rather, a lush, yet outlandish and deadly cell was provided for him to live in. Just like he once lived in Loompaland. Spectators had a full view of this dwelling. His every day fight for survival was witnessed. Most of the guests found this to be sick and demented, yet were still amused nonetheless!
They also learned of the dangerous beasts that were imported. It was these beasts that produced a rich fertilizer better than any other available source in the reproduction of the foliage, trees, and indescribable plants found only in Loompaland.
The specially constructed cable cars, better known as Sugar Sky Riders, traveled directly through the center of Loompaland. The ride provided a safe haven far above the terrain below. Each car was made from upside down gumdrops. Children longed to reach out and touch the cotton candy clouds but the cars were completely enclosed.
At the top and end of the ride there was an enormous movie theater. The screen was made of marshmallows and the curtains were thin fudge, their sweet aromas filling the air. The show was the video footage of the children who went through the factory so many years ago, entitled The Lucky Golden Ticket Wieners. So that the audience wouldn’t think the word wieners was supposed to be winners, there was an immediate introduction and narration. Everyone had the opportunity to see first hand how embarrassing, rude and selfish those first guests were. The parents featured in the video threatened to press charges until they found out that the footage was completely legal according to the contract they had signed. The movie was used as a teaching tool, making it clear,
“No rebellion nor over-indulgence would be tolerated.”
This assured that, as Wonka used to say,
“No one loses your head. We wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone. Stay very, very calm, and enjoy!”
Financial provision flowed in bountifully, and much more money was put into what Charlie called Scrumdiliumcious Candy School, named after one of Wonka’s largest chocolate bars. The purpose was to train children and young adults, as well as those young at heart of any age, to carry on the art of candy making. This also insured the factory’s future. Without giving away any secret knowledge of ingredients, the pupils were rewarded with jobs as their skills developed.
With the reality that candy, sugar especially, raised the risk of tooth decay, the Association of Dental Hygienists generously, yet secretly, made yearly contributions to the school. They realized they profited from it as well!
Meanwhile, the guests were able to enjoy gummy bear bumper cars, a taffy tug-o-war, licorice strip swings, and even caramel bungee cord jumps, all made of the finest ingredients, of course! Everyone was pleasantly surprised when a shower of fruit flavored snow flakes began to shower upon them and they stuck out their tongues to catch as many flakes as they could!
Best of all, out of all the amazing and mind bending rides and attractions, was when Charlie Wonka Bunket would lead a tour himself. This was reminiscent of what Mr. Wonka did with all the same unpredictable shenanigans. Charlie only did these tours on the weekends that had the fewest number of people entering the gates. Attendance varied from day to day. The welcoming staff, dressed like Mr. Wonka, kept count of how many people were allowed to enter each day.
When the park first opened any group fewer than two hundred was taken on tour, this being the number of seats available on the new boat that drifted down the Chocolate River. The boat still ventured through numerous intricate channels, cascades and tunnels.
After a number of years the news spread world-wide and attendance was never under a thousand people a day. At times people had to wait in line to get in as others exited. Charlie would not allow more than four thousand in at a time. If five people left, five were allowed to enter. Some had to leave “the old way” because they ignored the rules and stepped out of the set boundaries. Those waiting in line hoped that some would get kicked out, shot out of one of the garbage shoots or escorted out by a bunch of wild, yet trained squirrels. Many would wait overnight in hopes of getting in the next morning.
Charlie had to come up with a way for everyone to have a chance to explore, visit and learn what Wonka started. And so, he assigned his best Oompa-Loompas to set appointments. This helped Charlie to limit the amount of people entering the factory. After all, this was also his home!
When crowds were just too large, Charlie spent most of his time with his mom and dad. Oh, how he loved and cared for them. They shared a beauty that only a good family life can provide. The satisfaction of acceptance and bonding with each other is what kept them alive so long.
Chapter 10
“Inside Charlie”
The conclusion
(Editorial note: Use Google heading size 3 for chapter numbers and titles)
As Charlie observed the oneness in his parents’ lives, he also began to long for that unity. So he decided to search for a wife, a companion or simply a friend. The problem was that every woman and potential “friend” seemed to have the wrong intentions and motives for wanting a connection with Charlie. It was as if they were all gold diggers, or in this case golden chocolate diggers, lusting for Charlie’s fame and fortune.
And so, life went on just as newly formed changes began in take place day by day.
At the end of each day, the last Oompa-Loompa could be seen passing out a type of key to the city, much like a mayor would award to a visiting dignitary. It was called “The Wonkey.” When asked why, Charlie said,
“It will fit any lock. If you’re ever locked out of some important place, here is a spare, the Wonkey.”
When asked how, he was quoted,
“As you can tell it is made from some of the finest candy and you can just lick it until it is the right shape!”
Charlie continued,
“And if you’re not ever locked out, but you’re very, very hungry, then here is a snack!”
They could almost hear Mr. Wonka himself as Charlie laughed in the same distinctive way!
One strange day, for some reason, it seemed to be a little brighter than other days. Charlie was giving the standard tour when he observed an extremely shy young lady who hardly lifted her head for fear her eyes would meet Charlie’s. He couldn’t keep from staring at the most humble, meek, shy and stunningly attractive woman he had ever seen. Recognizing her significant attributes, he knew immediately that somehow he HAD to get to know her. He found out where she lived from the appointment log and then he sent her a regular Wonka chocolate bar, enclosing was a classic golden ticket which was actually the very same ticket Charlie found as a boy. He kept it in a frame in his room, only now deciding to use it in hopes that it would have the same allure to this young woman as it did to him. The difference was that there were not five other tickets involved. Enclosed was a note telling her when to come to the factory. Although he felt a little deceptive, he felt it was a unique way to arrange a personal meeting.
Done in the utmost secrecy, the media, which would have created a frenzy, had no inkling of his formulated plan. Charlie wanted her to be completely comfortable at their first meeting.
Charlie’s wishes came true as the young lady accepted the invitation. She said she thought there was something personal, very personal, about the “date set up” because she could see how old the ticket was and that it was exactly like those she had seen in photographs. She also found it strange that she was told to meet at the back entrance. Nonetheless she showed up and Charlie’s mission was accomplished.
After some time getting to know each other, Charlie and his beautiful new friend, Chalet, knew without a doubt that they were destined to get married and spend the rest of their lives as one.
Not long after their small, private, very informal wedding, Chalet gave birth to an extremely enchanting baby girl whom they named “Willma Wonka Bucket.” It was a bittersweet time because as the baby began life in this world, Charlie’s parents came to the end of their stay in this world. They bidded farewell as Wilma bid hello!
Wilma was raised right there in the factory, where she enjoyed the amusement park right along with all the other entertainment. But most of all, she loved her mom and dad so much. When she was asked,
“What is your favorite part of all that surrounds you?”
She answered,
“Spending time alone with my mom and dad, JUST them.”
Willma Wonka Bucket grew into a very refined young lady, learning what happens when a child is given too much, or is disrespectful, or shows irreverence. She knew that she didn’t want to be like those children who had first visited the factory: overeaters, always trying to be the winner, spoiled, or fixated on TV fame.
Upon Charlie’s first visit to the Chocolate Factory, he learned that human nature can be vicious and that even if you mess up, if you end up “doing the right thing” it is always rewarding. As he recalled, Mr. Wonka said,
“So shines a good deed in a weary world.”
And now, Charlie is passing on the legacy to his daughter, the new heir. They are still running the Chocolate Factory to this very day and continue to preserve the concept that we can all make a difference for the better in this world if we focus our interest on others, not just on ourselves. THAT is the sweetest thing life offers.
THE END
As I finished writing and recording this particular story I thought about how nice it will be for not only my children, but for my grandchildren to hear.
This story or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise – without prior written permission of the publisher.
This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or businesses in practice, are purely coincidental. The views expressed here are my own, as are whatever factual errors exist in the text.
tombeetlebailey 