Well then... This chapter seemed to change practically every time I reread it! (Huge swathes of changes twice a day for much of the last fortnight.) How to take forever to update! (When forever means 'a very long time!' Woopsie! Wrong film!) Hopefully it will prove worth it in terms of enjoyment! I did have to split it in two in the end though, which means you get to enjoy at least one more update than previously advertised before I draw this to a close.
Thanks as always for the thoughtful reviews, and for those who have read, for just taking the time out of your day to do so. I would also like to thank Denneysg1 for the follow. It looks like you had a bit of a marathon read through there.
Linkwonka... Many thanks for the compliment you give me by asking for me to try and write a Depp Wonka version of this. I may, at some point be tempted to try at least a short story based on 2005, but this is only possible because of the many authors who are already writing stories starring Depp!Wonka.
Meanwhile, may I recommend The Move as a story covering a very similar theme? That particular story, and those which preceded it, are what I base my understanding of Depp!Wonka on, so I would expect any portrayals I might come up with would have a similar interpretation of the man.
I do think that there is something appealing in James' definition, yes. His idea has to be among my favourite responses.
Sonny April... I'm glad to see that you are still enjoying reading... The relationship between Charlie and Willy is one of my main reasons for writing this version of the story. The flavour experiments were fun to write as well. I hope that you continue to enjoy as time goes on.
Turrislucidus... Empathy is definitely something that makes people feel they are cared about, and I can see that fostering a love in them... We all love to feel that the people we are talking to understand us... How much longer will Willy be able to dodge the question though? And when it comes, will it feel more like a question, or like being hit by a speeding train? I guess that time alone will tell. As far as Charlie learning from his family's failures goes, it is definitely possible.
In this chapter, there is a fleeting reference to a quote from the film/book - "Love Story". Naturally this does not belong to me. The choice for its inclusion is one of the things that I owe to my rl friend, who threw the idea out as a possible suggestion for something Willy would say. As she did for some of his other thoughts in that area... I owe her more thanks for this than I can express here. Anything else that you recognise from elsewhere most probably does not belong to me.
With no more ado... On with the chapter!
Serious Business
Once they declared their inventing room time concluded, the pair decided that they would indeed return to Willy's suite to relax together. Upon arrival Charlie found himself hit with a poser… He had been eating, almost non-stop, for the last two hours, and now he was expected to eat lunch!
Spotting his apprentice's apprehension as they approached the table, and guessing the probable cause with a swiftness that spoke of still more experience, Willy suggested a compromise. If Charlie had one bowl of the soup, and one slice of the nutty bread, then Willy would pronounce himself satisfied. With one less thing to worry about, Charlie heaved a sigh of relief, and attempted to turn his attention to his lunch.
It was while they were relaxing together, post meal, waiting to decide how they were going to spend the rest of the day, that Charlie finally built up the nerve to ask Willy about love. As easy as it would be to ask Wonka almost anything else, he felt cagey even thinking about requesting information on this topic. He was on tenterhooks during the entire meal as he thought about it, trying to build up the courage.
Senses hyper-alert, especially where Charlie was concerned, Willy was clued in to the boys soaring apprehension mere minutes after they sat down. The sensation pulsing through him from his heir was acute, building in intensity with every passing moment. Unable to help himself, Willy had compounded the situation by darting curious glances towards the boy throughout their light repast. Fortunately, Charlie still managed to eat much of what was in front of him, despite his nerves, and general lack of hunger.
He had played with his food somewhat though, crumbling the bread into nothingness, as he felt Willys eyes resting upon him for a moment before darting elsewhere. Willy's observations displeased him, marring his face with a frown as he began monitoring Charlie more carefully.
What was wrong with him? Willy wondered. This was so unlike Charlie! Normally, Willy's mere presence would calm the boy if he were anxious about anything. Knowing this, the difference was all the more startling. Willy drew his brows even further together as he pondered that last thought. Life was better when Charlie wasn't worried for reasons unknown, Willy concluded.
It took concerted effort for Charlie to finally open his mouth. Then he realised; if he didn't ask Willy soon, his mounting consternation would mean it just wouldn't happen. Determined not to let his anxieties rule his actions, Charlie took a deep breath and spoke.
"Willy… What do you think the word 'love' means?" he queried, hesitation colouring his tone with timidity.
Willy's first response was reflexive.
"Love means never having to say you're sorry!" he stated.
"Eh? I'm sorry? What?" Willy caught the look of complete bafflement on Charlie's face, and burst out laughing.
Charlie sat, observing the man, dispassion clear in his eyes. Then, as Willy continued cackling away to himself, Charlie became impatient. It wasn't all that funny, he thought in indignation, his lack of amusement marring his normally cheerful visage. Oblivious to Charlie's mounting frustration, Willy continued laughing, too wrapped up in his mirth to notice anything beyond it.
"I'm sorry Charlie. I didn't mean it! It's a quote from a film." Willy exclaimed, as soon as he recovered himself, levity battling with remorse as he noted the boys irked mien.
Willy sat in silence, grappling for control as he wiped his eyes. He was aware of apparently irrepressible laughter bubbling up inside even as he did so, memories of just how perplexed Charlie had looked flooding his mind. As the gurgle of laughter began to rise up out of his throat, Willy forced himself to relax.
No, he would not start guffawing again. He needed to sober up and continue this discussion seriously, he reminded himself sternly. Laughing like a hyena would not help here. The only thing it would do was upset Charlie. That last thought quelled any remaining vestige of amusement. Willy could not stand the idea of alienating his heir, particularly for something so small, so insignificant... So trivial.
His concentration was broken again a moment later, Charlie's plaintive tones calling him to business once more.
"But what does it mean Wonka?"
Willy sighed. This topic was more complicated than he had expected.
"I don't rightly know," he allowed. "I mean, it doesn't even make sense. I know that I apologise to the people I love the most, more often than I apologise to almost anyone else. They get upset at the things I do, and say, far more easily than those who couldn't care less about me, and if they, the people I care about, get upset, it bothers me. I'm not bothered if people I don't care about get upset. They annoy me! Why should I bother about them?" the man exclaimed, shocking Charlie with his apparent callousness.
Then Charlie recalled the behaviour of the adults on the tour. No, he wouldn't have wanted to care about things they thought either. A moment later Charlie frowned. This wasn't getting them anywhere, he thought in frustration. Seeing the look of disappointment on Charlie's face at the essential non-answer, Willy grimaced, as he thought. "Try asking me the question differently Charlie?" he suggested.
Charlie chewed on his lip for a moment, before attempting to do as requested.
"OK, what is love?" he asked, knowing that he hadn't really achieved what Willy asked, but not knowing how else to phrase it.
This time Willy took his time, contemplating the question for several minutes, brow furrowed by the earnest consideration he was determined to give the topic before replying. He couldn't afford to mess up again, he thought to himself in consternation. Willy knew he owed Charlie, and himself, a well thought out response. Taking conscious control of his own mounting anxiety, Willy finally found an answer amidst his rushing thoughts.
"That's a difficult question, Charlie. If I pause and remember my time learning Greek, I would have to say that there are different kinds of love. Or that love changes depending on who it is directed at. They talk about the love between husband and wife, which they call 'eros.' I guess we would term that romantic love, or even just the feeling that is described as 'love.' This is very different from the love that a parent has for a child, which relies on the fact that one of the people involved is dependent on another. They call that 'storge.'
"'Philia' love is what they term the love between siblings or friends, something that is again very different to the love for a parent or child. The other term I have come across is 'agape,' which, in essence, is a sacrificial love. While the others are about give and take, this kind of love, apparently, only relies upon one person and what they are willing to do for another."
Charlie looked at Willy sharply.
"But do you believe it Willy?" he pressed.
Willy laughed, causing Charlie to shiver. How on earth could laughter make you feel like shards of never-melting ice were entering your heart? he wondered, coldness seeming to flood his very being at the sound.
This man sitting next to him resembled the man he had encountered while going through that scary tunnel, back on the day of the tour. He was nothing like the real Willy Wonka, the person Charlie had been getting to know since he had come to live in the factory. Charlie vowed never to do anything that caused Willy to become this person ever again.
"Not really, no." Willy murmured. The baldness of the statement made Charlie long to escape, but he was trapped. The conversation had been started and he would have to see it through to its natural conclusion. Charlie grimaced in resignation at the thought.
"What do you believe love is then Willy?" he found himself asking, without meaning, or wanting to.
Willy paused, a heavy silence seeming to enfold the two, as the man pondered his response. The air around Charlie thickened, seeming to hold him down, as the minutes trickled away. He would have struggled to move, had he wanted to. As it was, he found himself reluctant to make any movement, in case this disturbed the motionless man he was sat beside.
Charlie counted the minutes. Five of them passed, each feeling more like an hour, before there was a sound within the room. Then the man sighed.
Another half minute passed in silence, before Willy spoke again, in a brief, almost wondering soliloquy, spoken in such hushed tones that Charlie found himself straining to fully catch the sound.
"I believe love is something that happens when two people share an ideal, a vision, and are prepared to work together to achieve that vision. That's my experience of love at least." Willy admitted, thoughts flying back to the one person he felt he had truly experienced love with. Jane had been willing to take Willy's vision on board, and work with him on it, making his vision even better. Then, his time of contemplation concluded for the moment, Willy glanced over at Charlie, ready to throw down the gauntlet.
"I'm not completely sure even now Charlie. What do you think love is?"
Charlie returned the glance, doubt in his eyes. He had never ventured an opinion on this subject before, could he express himself clearly on such a challenging topic, to his mentor, the man who meant so much to him, he wondered? What would he do if Willy laughed at him? A moment later he shook himself, rolling his eyes at the thought. There was no way that Willy would laugh. Willy understood how it felt to be asked such a question. He had answered the same question himself only moments ago, and had obviously found it a challenging task.
As he contemplated, Charlie realised that he had just asked Willy the hardest question he had ever asked him. He was lucky he had received any answer at all, never mind three responses. Somehow Charlie knew that the only reason Willy had been willing to give him so many chances was due to how much Willy wanted to be there for Charlie. Anyone else would have been brushed off after that first failed attempt. He was due Willy some payback. Maybe he could somehow build upon what Wonka had said.
"I don't know Wonka." Charlie admitted. "Maybe love is what you said…" He paused, thinking. "Maybe it's what you said, and more." Again, another pause. "Maybe love is being willing to stick to that vision when one of those involved is no longer around. Continuing on regardless."
Willy blinked. The significance of that one comment from Charlie was immense. How on earth did he respond to it? Willy wondered. One of Willy's greatest sorrows was that he had almost failed in the vision when Jane died, though he had eventually picked it up again. Not that it was Jane's death alone that had caused it, he admitted to himself, a wry smile hovering at the edges of his mouth.
Was Charlie really saying that when Willy was no longer there, he, Charlie, would continue to run the factory in the way that Willy would want him to? That was one reason Willy had picked Charlie as his heir of course, because Willy felt that this was possible. He had never expected to have the possibility confirmed so quickly though.
The surprise generated by this idea caused his jaw to drop. Willy paused in astonishment, then he brought his hand up, and used it, in an almost mechanical fashion, lifting his jaw back into position agin, before murmuring 'flies!' a moment later. Charlie glanced at him in confusion, and then passed over the strange occurrence, wondering what Wonka would say about Charlie's response. But Willy sat like a statue. The boy continued to observe the man in anticipation. Surely Wonka had to make some comment soon!
Then, out of the blue, Willy looked up, his eyes landed on Charlie's, their gazes locked, neither able to look away as they began to communicate without words. A silent reassurance began washing over Willy, Charlie, acting on a half understood instinct, taking advantage of the opportunity granted him to try and express some of what he held in his heart, without the limitations of language.
Their mutual gaze held, for all of about a minute, as they continued exchanging thoughts and feelings without breaking the silent tranquility that surrounded them, somehow both knowing that with this apparently passive stare they were sharing, they were expressing something that mere words could never explain, the gratitude of one meeting the reassurance of the other in steady waves.
And then Willy seemed to shake himself. The time of bonding snapped like a thread. An almost holy moment shattered. The passage of time intruding upon their awareness again.
"Enough of this moroseness for now!" Willy exclaimed, in tones that rang like a bell. The sound echoed around the room, contrasting so astonishingly with the quiet tranquility of the preceding moments, that Charlie simply couldn't help but startle. The atmosphere changed in that instant.
"We have spent far too long being far too serious! It is time for you to have your first lesson in just how to be a monkey! To the tree climbing room we go!" Willy continued on, his irrepressible exuberance rising to the surface again.
Then, with the air of a sudden whirlwind, he whisked Charlie from the room, shedding the heaviness as if it were a coat he no longer wished to wear.
Not really knowing how to react to this, Charlie let himself be swept along. He would have to note down the different responses Wonka had given him soon. The ones that could prove to be useful at any rate. He still wanted to find out what Hansard thought love was, but that would have to wait until his check up on Monday.
Meantime, Charlie would put all of this behind him, and simply enjoy what was left of his afternoon with Willy. As much as the man would let him do so at least. Sometimes he was just far too much of a whirlwind to truly enjoy spending time with. But given everything that had happened over the last few hours, Charlie reckoned he could accept that much!
