The Man in the Factory |A Willy Wonka Love Story|Completed

Realization (Edited)

When I got inside, Mr. Bucket had just finished reading the ticket, and Grandpa Joe was standing up.

"Tap dancing?" I asked. Everyone laughed.

"The first of February. But that's tomorrow," Mrs. Bucket said.

"Then there's not a moment to lose, Charlie," Grandpa Joe told Charlie, "Wash your face, comb your hair, scrub your hands, brush your teeth, blow your nose..."

"And get that mud off your pants," Grandpa George added.

"Now we must all try to keep very calm. First things first, who's going with Charlie to the Chocolate Factory?"

"Amandah should go," Grandpa Joe said.

"I thought you wanted to go, Grandpa."

"I've seen the factory, and I want you to go see Mr. Wonka again."

"We don't even really know if that was him," I said, with a small smile.

"What about you, dear?" Mrs. Bucket asked her husband.

"Well, Amandah does seem to want to go. And I need to start looking for another job."

"Yippee!" Grandpa Joe and I exclaimed turning to Charlie.

"No. We're not going," Charlie said, "A woman offered me $500 for the ticket. I bet someone else would pay more. We need the money more than we need the chocolate." Grandpa Joe sat down on the bed disappointed, to be honest, I was too, but he had a point.

"Young man, come here," Grandpa George said, "There's plenty of money out there. They print more every day. But this ticket, there's only five of them in the whole world, and that's all there's ever going to be. Only a dummy would give this up for something as common as money. Are you a dummy?"

"No, sir," Charlie replied.

"Then get that mud off your pants. You've got a factory to go to," George turned to me, "Young lady go find something nice to wear."

"Yes, sir," I said, running up the stairs. I opened a drawer and started going through what little clothes I had. After a few minutes, Mrs. Bucket came up and looked at what I had on the bed.

"You saw him, again, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I literally ran into him leaving the shop. Then he gave me his coat because it's supposed to freeze tonight."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"He wanted some advice and walked me home again."

"What did he want advice about?"

"Talking in front of a group of people." I looked up at her, from my spot on the floor, "Do you think he could be Willy Wonka?" Then I realized something Mr. W. had said. "He said come not go..." I mumbled.

"What are you talking about?"

"I hugged him, and he told me to come to the factory tomorrow. He really is... Oh, this isn't good... I shouldn't go."

"Amandah, someone has to go with Charlie, and he wants you to go, so does Mr. Wonka."

"Bu-"

"No, buts. You need to have fun. Live a little, while you still can. And don't you give me that 'I don't have time for that' response. There's always time for love."

"I don't know if I love him."

"You've been talking to him for three months now." Mrs. Bucket picked up a black dress that I had worn for graduation. "I think you should wear this one. It'll bring out your eyes." She held it up, so we could properly see it, "We can iron the wrinkles out," she laughed.

"I like that one," I smiled. "Do you think he will?"

"Let's ask Grandpa." We went downstairs and showed the dress to Grandpa Joe, who said it was perfect but to wear something underneath.

"I don't have anything."

"I might," Mrs. Bucket said, opening her drawer. I started ironing the wrinkles out of the dress. "There they are." She pulled out a pair of tights. "They should fit."

~~~

That night I felt Charlie crawl into my bed. He was shivering. I quickly covered him with Willy's coat. "Thanks," he stuttered.

"Shh, just imagine some hot cocoa, warming you up," I whispered, "as you drink it by a warm fire."

"It smells like that." I smiled, pulling the blanket up to my neck. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'll be fine, Charlie."