Samantha Wonka

living with the buckets

Just like that everyone's smile had left their faces, they looked absolutely appalled. Sam breath hitched and her body froze, what was her dad saying.

"You can't run a factory with a family hanging over like an old dead goose, no offence"

At those words Sam's heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

"None taken, jerk" Grandpa George said.

"A chocolatier has to run free and solo. He has to follow his dreams, gosh darn the consequences. Look at me. I had no family and I'm a giant success"

Tears began to stream down Sam's face and Mr and Mrs Bucket both placed a hand on her shoulders. Charlie held her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"So if I go with you to the factory, I will never see my family again?"

"Yeah, consider it a bonus" Will replied with and oblivious smile.

"Then I'm not going" Charlie said firmly "I wouldn't give up my family for anything, not even all the chocolate in the world"

The smile on Will's face was quickly replaced with a frown.

"Oh I see. That's weird" He went to walk into the elevator but turned on his heel to try one last time "there is other candy besides chocolate"

"I'm sorry Mr Wonka, I'm staying here and so is Sam"

Wonka looked at the boy in shock, he then finally looked at his daughter to see how upset she was, he then realised what he had said and a huge wave of guilt washed over him.

"Oh Sammy I -"

"Don't! It's clear you don't want me around, you don't even think of me as family, if it's alright with the buckets, I'm staying here"

She looked up at Mr and Mrs bucket who both quickly nodded their heads and squeezed her shoulders.

"Oh, well in that case.......I'll just be going then" He slowly backed into the elevator, a distraught look upon his face, he took once last glance at his daughter ,who was now being comforted by Charlie, and bowed his head. He pressed the button on his elevator and slowly ascended through the roof.

Once he had left the was a moment of silence in the house until the delusional Grandma Georgina spoke up with a grin.

"Things are going to get much better"

And for once grandma Georgina knew exactly what she was talking about. In the up coming days Mr Bucket managed to get a job at the toothpaste factory, fixing the machine that had made him loose his previous job, giving the family more money to buy materials to fix the house and some more food to feed them. Grandpa Joe had started to feel much better and was up out of bed helping with the house work.

Sam had managed to fit in very well with the bucket family, she and Charlie had both gotten their own jobs, Sam helped out in a local café shop, helping the elderly owner make and serve food and drinks. She was paired quite well for this and gave all of the money to the buckets.

Charlie had gotten a job as a shoe shiner right outside the café where Sam worked. He got quite a good pay from the as well. The two children would recommend the others job to all their customers so that they could get a little bit more money each day and it was working perfectly.

"I hope you enjoyed your food" Sam would say "your shoes look like they could do with a good shining, right outside there is a boy who does wonders with shoes"

"There you are sir" Charlie would say "you've been sat here for quite a while you must be getting a little hungry, the café has very delicious food at very good prices, you should try it out"

**************
It was the end of their shifts and Sam was serving her last customers as Charlie shined this last man's shoes. He sighed as he saw a top hat poking out form the top of the paper that was covering the man's face and a glass elevator parked near by. He knew exactly who was sat on front of him but didn't give off any indication of it.

The candy man would occasionally steal a glance at his daughter inside the café, hurt and regret in his eyes.

"So it's a pity about what happened to that Wonka guy. Wilbur....... Wendell or other"

"Willy Wonka" Charlie corrected.

"Right. They say his candy isn't what it used to be, I suppose he's just a rotten guy who deserves it.

Charlie sighed and shook his head a little before getting an idea.

"Yeah I guess"

"Oh, have you met him?"

"Once, I thought he was really great at first, then he turned out to be not so great" Charlie smirked slightly before continuing " he also had a funny haircut"

Mr Wonka ripped the paper away form his face and scowled down at Charlie.

"I do not"

Charlie sighed and looked up at him.

"Why are you here?"

"I don't feel so hot, what makes you feel better when you aren't feeling good?"

"My family and my best friend"

Mr Wonka's eyes flicked to Sam, who had just received a tip from her last customer and looked over the moon about it, which made him smile fondly at her. He then looked back at Charlie to see the young boy glaring at him a little after following his gaze so Will decided to ignore the last part.

"Ewww"

"Maybe you should try it sometime?"

"And what, talk to my father, never...........at least not by myself"

"I can go with you if you like?"

That seemed to brighten the man's mood.

"Oh would you? That would be great!"

"But I need to talk to Sam first, she would be mad if I let without saying anything"

Charlie walked into the café and Wonka nervously watched the conversation between the children and smiled when he saw both of them leaving the café. They walked up to the chocolatier and Charlie gave him a pointed look. Will kneeled down In front of his daughter and lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

"Baby, I am so sorry about what I said a week ago, it was terrible of me and I've been beating myself up about it ever since I said it. You must know that you are the most important person in my entire life and I love you so much. I wasn't thinking when I spoke and I should have never said it. Please forgive me, I've missed you so much"

Sam hesitated for a moment, she had been so happy living with the buckets, the happiest she had been in a very long time but truthfully she had missed her dad, a lot. She hand stopped thinking about him. She looked into his violet eyes as a grin spears across her face and she leaped into his arms.

Will reacted instantly, holding his daughter so tightly as if she would disappear of he let go. Tears began to well in his eyes as he finally let go and stood back up. Charlie walked up to Sam and took her own hand into his.

"Well this is all great, I even brought the great glass elevator -" Will was cut off as he smacked into the elevator once again. Both children winced as he slowly got back up "I really need to be more careful where I park this thing"

The three of them gathered into the elevator and were soon off to find Mr Wonka's father.