Chapter Eight: Rika
MONTAGE: Ted and Gona sit at lunch, while Gona talks rather animatedly. Dissolves to Ted, Gona, and Audrey doing homework, Gona spotting a game in Ted's house, Ted and Billy being shocked at Gona entering class in a partial Army dress uniform. Ted driving his scooter up to the Once-ler's house, before ending on the calendar. It reads March 3rd, 2013.
*Ted's POV*
A month has now gone by since my lunch money was rescued by Gona. And in that time, I've noticed a 180-degree difference in her personality. She's no longer as dour-looking, she always greets me whenever we start school, and we sit together at lunch every day. In said time, I've learned she likes soccer, she enjoys watching little kids, and her favorite video games are 'Super Smash Brothers Melee' and 'Mario Kart Wii' (which I have, so I made sure to tell her that!). I hope I don't sound rude, but I also think she's a bit of a glutton.
But that's not the most surprising thing I learned about her.
"She wants to join the Army?" the Once-ler asks.
"Yep," I say, "she's been in the JROTC (1) since seventh grade and used to be on their rifle team. She's already reached of Captain and leads her group whenever they go in formation."
"And is apparently strong enough to whack someone with a backpack." The Once-ler says with a smirk.
"She said that was pure luck." I giggle.
"She sounds like a swell girl, Ted. You'll have to bring her out here so I can meet her sometime."
Rats! I think as I'm trying to hide the disappointment and annoyance in my face. Unfortunately, Mr. Once-ler catches it. I've noticed that when I try to hide something, he gets this raised-eyebrow look that reminds me of Aragorn from The Two Towers (2). Plus he also drums his fingers, which I find creepy. Well, Ted, his face seems to be saying, is there anything ELSE you wanna tell me?
Before I can stop myself, I start telling him about one thing I know about Gona that I'm not super happy about.
"I was about to send her off when she came to my house. I was talking about our weekend plans and I mentioned that I was coming here."
I told her she should come with me sometime. But she got this hard look on her face and said "I'm not allowed out that far."
"And you don't believe that?"
"Of course I don't!" I say a little louder than I mean to. This is actually a really sore subject with me and I've gotten into a few scraps because of it. I mean, Mr. Once-ler has been out here all alone, suffering, and trying to-
"Ted." The firm tone snaps me back to reality, but he doesn't sound too angry. He sighs and looks me right in the eye.
"There's always going to be people who won't forgive me, and I can't blame them for that. I can't go back in time and change that, but don't give them a reason to dislike you. That will get you nowhere. Just because Gona might not seem too pleased doesn't mean she herself hates me, she's your age, she MIGHT just going off what her parents have said. Besides, what I care about is whether she is being a good friend to you and to Audrey."
I have to admit, Mr. Once-ler does make a good point. I haven't even considered her parents' point of view- in fact, I actually don't know what her parents look like. Wait, that's not entirely true. I saw her talking to someone who I thought was her mom. But then again, it might've been her sister. Hard to tell, because I was a distance away and the woman in question had her back to me. As for her being a friend...well, I know I've just started getting to know her but she hasn't given me any reason to doubt thus far (even if she doesn't like Mr. Once-ler).
So I let the matter drop. Besides, I didn't come here today to complain. Mr. Once-ler needs some help taking down and packing this painting above his bed. I've never been in his room until today. When we first enter, the first thing my eyes notice is how much space his bed takes up. It takes up most of his room leaving a narrow path between it and the vanity he has. At the very edge of the room is a desk by the window. (3) I'm sure he's been sitting there for most of his time out here.
Once we're in, he crawls up on his bed and slowly gets to his feet, letting out a breath once he steadies himself. When he does so, he lifts up the painting (which is apparently a view out the window of a shipyard. There are also flower vases on the window sill) (4) and hands it down to me. It's kinda heavy so I totter a bit before steadying myself and hand him the hammer to get the nails out of the wall. As I do, I catch a glance at all the photos he has on his right bedside table.
They're from Mr. Once-ler's younger days- one is him with his mule Melvin, the other is with his immediate family (BEFORE they started chopping trees down), one looks like a preteen Once-ler with his brothers. There's a photo of him with a small brown bar-ba-loot, Melvin, and an orange creature I'm 99% sure is the Lorax. I get a little closer to see behind them (as they look a little fragile) and notice the picture in the back. In the photo, the Once-ler is about to cut a ribbon -probably to his first factory- and on his immediate left (which would be his right) is a woman with light brown hair and brown eyes. What really strikes me is that she's wearing this white coat that resembles something a doctor or a scientist would wear. Plus she's pretty tall. Heck, I think she's as tall as Mr. Once-ler.
"Who is this woman?" I ask.
"What woman?" He replies although it comes out gurgled because he's holding the nails in his mouth. When he takes them out of his mouth, he lowers himself to get off but not before looking closer. He only glances at it for a sec or two before proceeding to sit down on the bed a little better. "That's Rika." he says as he comes down.
"Who is she? Was she one of your secretaries?"
"Oh, gosh, no!" He sounds surprised. "She'd go crazy with boredom if I made her my secretary. No, Rika wasn't my secretary- she was a scientist."
So THAT'S why she has the white coat..."A scientist? Her? Back then-?" That's so hard to believe! Obviously, there's more story behind this so we head back down stairs. I still have a little time before I need to head back home for dinner. When we sit back down, the Once-ler begins.
"Rika was my first employee- or um,rather, my first employee who wasn't a blood relative. I had met her before Thneeds became popular, and it was almost a year before we...started chopping down trees. I'd spent almost a year trying to sell one and after heading back to my tent, that's when she showed up..."
*The (Past!) Once-ler's POV*
(Late June, 1969. Just after two in the afternoon)
I walk back towards the tent in disappointment. Yet another day has gone by without me selling my Thneed, or even getting someone to be mildly interested in it. So far all I've gotten is food thrown at me. Nearly a year has gone by with no success and I'm starting to wonder if I should move on to another part of town, to a different town entirely, or give up. At that last thought, I shake my head to clear it. I am NOT going home empty handed! I WILL find someone to buy my Thneed! And even if I can just SHOW it and people still don't buy it anyway, I'd still consider that a victory.
I feel Melvin brushing up against my leg, he's been trying to lick all the tomato paste off me for the walk back. "Melvin, don't. You're part horse, remember? Tomatoes are bad for horses! Come on, I'll get you a special treat that you CAN eat." (5) I glance around the area. I keep getting a feeling someone's watching me. Mustache, probably. Probably making sure I don't cut down any more trees like he said he would, but this feels...different somehow.
Ick, now I'm just creepin' myself out! Hang in there, man, it's a big forest and you're off your beaten path a bit. It's messin' with ya! I think as I go inside for Melvin's food I'd bought passing through another town. I turn around, and-
"Greetings, fellow Homo sapiens!" (6)
I yelp in surprise and fall back a bit as I nearly run smack dab into a girl. Or rather, her...torso? As my shock wears down and I get to my feet (I'd fallen on my butt but thankfully landed on a chest), I see this girl is leaning in from the tent's window so she has one end in and the other end out. Now that I get a better non-frightened view of her, I see she has lightish brown eyes and hair, tied up in a ponytail. The whole time I get up and dust myself off, she's talking. Fast.
"You're the tall, lanky guy who's been out in the park every day trying to sell your invention. Although I wish you chose a better name for it- it sounds so much like tweed, people might be confused. And my gosh, you ARE lanky, are you eating well?"
She has also gotten out of her, er, position and to my...amazement, I find she is almost MY height. Maybe only a inch or so shorter! I've had yet to run into a woman outside my family who's around my height.
THEN she sticks her face close to mine. Whoa, whoa, awkward! Totally awkward! Hasn't she ever heard of privacy?!
*The (Present!) Once-ler's POV*
Poor Ted. He looks so creeped out at how close the proximity our faces are at. "Now," I say, "what is the first word that comes into your head?"
"Weird!" Ted says with emphasis and then turns red, embarrassed at how impolite that sounds. I laugh and move away from him.
"That's the EXACT SAME reaction I had! 'This girl is so WEIRD!' was my thought, though I never said that out loud. When she got right up in my face, I saw that her teeth had...an unusual shape. Not fangs, per say. They all looked like shark's teeth, or maybe a wolf or wild cat's. Either way, they resembled some sort of animal's."
"But how did she get in without you hearing?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. After she nearly made me cross-eyed..."
*The (Past!) Once-ler's POV*
"Hmmmm." She says, adjusting her glasses and looking me up and down. "You have a slight sun tan, so you're obviously getting Vitamin D, perhaps too much if you stay out too much longer." She then starts feeling my arm. "Good grief! You're as skinny as a twig! You're not eating enough fat-"
I'd stop paying attention after she touched my arm. "Please, lady!" I half-shout, grabbing her shoulders to make her STOP TALKING. She does and just blinks with a slightly confused expression. In a flash, I realize how uncomfortable this looks and let go of her.
"I'm happy you care how I take care of my body, but I think I just missed the whole part where I got your name and where I invited you in?"
She blinks again and looks more confused. "But I WAS invited in, by your Equus mulus (7)."
Huh? "My what?"
"Your Equus mulus." At my blank stare, she points out the window, "Your pet mule."
I look outside. Melvin, who's eating, looks back at me with the typical look he almost always has. I narrow and roll my eyes at him, thinking Thanks a lot, Melvin!
"Right..." I say, "And your name would be?" She looks surprised and then face-palms herself.
"Oh, duh! I just loose all sense when it comes to observations! My name is Rika." Okay, NOW we're getting somewhere.
"I heard you were starting a company-"my ears immediately shoot up- "and I know you're gonna need help to see how these things can work-"
So she came for a JOB? Wow, this is better than I expected! Wait, what does she mean by 'how these things can work'? "What do you mean by that? You mean studying?"
"Yes, indeed! That's one of the main components of being a scientist!" She's so enthusiastic, how am I supposed to break it to her that I don't actually have a company up and running...yet?
"I-" Oh, boy, "I appreciate your offer, Rika, but I'm not hiring right now." She doesn't need to know I haven't even gotten any INTEREST in it yet.
"Oh..." Her face falls a bit. "That's too bad. I guess I spoke too soon, considering all you've gotten is food thrown at you." REALLY?
"Don't worry. I will get my company started and when I do, I'll remember you." I pat her shoulder and her eyes widen slightly.
"Thank you. I'll be around here for a bit anyway. Um...where's the door?" Oh. Right, she came in through my window. I point the door out and she bids me farewell. I stare at the shut door for awhile before heading out. "That was weird..." I mutter to myself.
*The (Present!) Once-ler's POV*
"It's getting late, Ted, you should get going." Ted looks so disappointed. He was obviously totally engrossed in the story.
"Bummer..." he mutters. I smile.
"Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time to hear more later on."
I lead him to the door. Ted's putting on his helmet when he suddenly says "Oh, so THAT'S why!"
"What's why?"
"Do you remember when I told you that I thought Gona looked familiar somehow?"
"Did you figure it out?"
"Yeah! If you whack off most of her hair, she looks like a shorter, brown-eyed female version of you."
My eyes widen, but NOT from delight. "R-really?" I almost can't get my voice out.
"Uh-huh, and I could not figure out where until I saw those photos of you when you were younger. Well, I'll see you later, Mr. Once-ler!" He heads off and I watch him drive off. When I shut the door, I don't take my hand off the handle. A shudder goes through me.
You shouldn't have done that, Sticks. I turn around to see the somewhat translucent but IMAGINARY figure of Rika sitting at the bottom of my stairs, looking at me with a sad sort of look.
"I had to."
You know you can't keep this up forever.
"I know THAT, it's-" I look away and my gaze lands on the red album on the kitchen table. I let out a breath. "It's just not time yet. Even you don't want..." My voice trails off. She looks like she agrees but still has doubt.
I know. She disappears as I head up the stairs. Then I remember the album and head back downstairs to get it. Before I head up again, I turn to one of the photos in there. I look at the balling face on it. I really have to keep my emotions down otherwise I'll truly fall apart.
I'm sorry, little one. I think as I -very carefully- put the photo away. But it's not time yet.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope all of you had happy holidays! And now that my desk and stuff is (relatively) set up, I'll be able to write more. I truly appreciate your patience with me :D
#1: JROTC stands for Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is in high schools and in some middle schools, and they have activities like a Rifle Team. They have units for each military. Check out their website (and Wikipedia page) sometime for more information!
#2: The scene Ted is talking about is in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, where Aragorn is waiting for Gimli to tell him to toss him. Right before Aragorn does, Gimli says 'Don't tell the elf!'. XD
#3: Imagine that you're standing in the Once-ler's bedroom door. The bed takes up most of the room and it's coming out from the right wall. There's a window on the left wall and at the far end, there's a desk under the window. That's what I envision the Once-ler's room to be.
#4: The painting above The Once-ler's bed is called View from the Artist's Window. It was done in 1825 by Danish Romantic painter Martinus Rorbye.
#5: NEVER FEED A HORSE TOMATOES OR PEPPERS. They are toxic to them! :O I don't think mules can eat them either, because they ARE part horse (if I'm wrong, please tell me!). Info found on animals . mom . me.
#6: The scientific name for modern humans! Fun fact: Our Conversation Status is slated as 'Least Concern'. XD
#7: This is the closet scientific name I could find for mules. Is there any others that I'm missing?
I hope you've enjoyed the Once-ler's first encounter with Rika! She's based off an manga/anime character who's ALSO a scientist.
I hope I've gotten across how Ted and Audrey are becoming friends with Gona and how Ted is willing to reach out to her, even if she and him disagree about the Once-ler. To sign off, I shall end with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. (whose birthday is tomorrow) about friendship.
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend." -MLK, Jr.
