track/2auqpFKAzgW7HUS2llxogq?si=e79bbedee0de4b36

The first piece for this work. Purpose, from the movie Hugo, by Howard Shore.

Mysterious, evocative, and filled with trepidation.

"Nopenopenopenopenopenopenopenope." He threw down the paperwork that he had been working on for the past couple of hours. "What do you say we head down to the inventing room?"

His apprentice looked at him questioningly. "But I thought that you said that this paperwork was important, and that you were putting it off for too long."

"Another day on the desk won't hurt it." He doffed his hat, pulled on his coat, and walked to the door, until his apprentice stopped him.

"That's what you said yesterday."

"Yes, but th-

"And the day before that."

He sat down at his desk with the tantrum like pouting of a child. "Fine."

Mr. Wonka knew that this paperwork was important to the smooth running of the factory, and that getting back to the numerus emails and phones calls were equally as important, but he was dreading those even more. Running an international candy corporation was fun most days, inventing delicious candy and finding new fantastical ways of creating them. That's what Mr. Willy Wonka lived for, as well as his apprentice, Charlie Bucket. He glanced over at his apprentice, working on his homework on a desk in the corner of his office. He took a moment to reminisce about the wonderful events that occurred only a couple of years ago. Willy Wonka knew that he was getting old, and he had set up a little contest of sorts, sending out five precious golden tickets all over the world, and the winner of his contest would have a chance to win his factory, although the winners hadn't known that at the time. The other children who had come into his factory had been absolutely horrid, but Charlie had been different from them, not only did he have a deep love of chocolate, but he had a good heart. Now he was teaching all he knew about candy making, so that he could one day take over the factory for him.

"Mr. Wonka," The man in question was snapped out of his revere by Charlie. He insisted that Charlie call him by his first name, on account of how close they were and how much time they spent together, but the young boy said he felt weird addressing any adult my anything other than their last name. "Your paper work."

"Right, right." He turned back to the papers on his desk, and unconsciously turned up his nose. The current paper he was perusing was especially dull. A list of ingredients that were used in the factory in bulk, where they were being shipped from, when they would arrive, shipping methods, and the cost of shipping them. The rest of the papers on his desk were equally distasteful. Cost of shipping goods out, places that were experiencing more or less demand, sales reports, a list of new shops that wanted to sell his candy, and more, all of which was in need of approving.

Mr. Wonka sneered at the papers as his old friend Mr. Wilkinson walked in the door. Mr. Wonka was happy for the new distraction, until he saw what he was carrying. "This just came in the mail, sir. I suggest you look at all this and get it sent out right away."

"Just set it down with the rest of it all." Mr. Wilkinson looked for a place to set the stack of manuscripts down on the half desk his friend was sitting at, but there was no room that was not already covered in invoices, urgent correspondence, and inventory lists. "Having trouble, sir?"

"Of course!" Mr. Wonka threw up a handful of papers in frustration. This isn't what I want or was meant to do. I should be down in the factory, inventing candy and taste testing the newest batch of chocolate. But I have to be here." He gestured angrily to the papers on his desk. Dealing with this ridiculousness." He glared at the papers in question and said with all the vehemence he could muster. "'Thou art a very ragged Wart.'"

Charlie and Wilkinson looked at each other. This wasn't the first outburst he had when faced with important paperwork. "You know Mr. Wonka," his apprentice gently offered, "You could hire a secretary."

"What?"

"It would be very beneficial, especially if you want to focus more on your candy making."

"Both of you?!" He looked aghast at the two people he was closest to. "Bringing another person into the factory? No, unthinkable, absolutely not. Letting some outsider in could jeopardize everything!" Back when he was a young man, when the factory first opened and he was in his prime, he had all sorts of workers coming in and out of the factory everyday, until those same workers he trusted with producing his candy began to steal his secrets and sell them to the highest bidder. Slugworth Candies, Fickelgrooper Fudge, and Marmalade Sugars had been the worst offenders. Mr. Wonka made it a point to never trust another person after that. He only trusted Mr. Wilkinson because he was almost a father figure to him, and Charlie because he was pure of heart and not at all like the rest of the cruel people in the world.

The two same people shared a look. They had expected this response, but they had discussed it when their mutual friend wasn't there, and decided he would be much happier if he had someone else to take care of the tedious business work. "Not anything drastic Mr. Wonka. Just someone to answer the phone and sort through mail, you wouldn't have to even let them into the factory if you wanted."

"I agree that would be beneficial. They could even tackle small financial forms, if needed."

Mr. Wonka looked between the young boy just beginning to enter his teens and the older man who had streaks of grey marring his black hair. Mr. Wilkinson was currently in charge of dealing with relations with other candy companies and answering the phone, as Willy wasn't about to do it, and he didn't want young Charlie doing it either. The older man was also in charge of teaching Charlie science, English, and math, as it was easier to homeschool the boy instead of sending him out into the world where vicious reporters and rabid fans were waiting. But all of this was a lot for one person. And Charlie was busy with regular schooling as well as learning to make candy and run the factory, meaning that he couldn't file paperwork all day. And Willy was at his wits end doing it himself. He looked between his two companions, considering their proposition. "I suppose you both have a point, but there will be conditions."

"Of course, whatever you want!" Charlie seemed happy The young apprentice was visibly relived that his mentor agreed. The older Mr. Wilkinson, however, seemed skeptical that his friend would agree so easily.

"I don't want them in the factory proper that much, they will only have access to limited information, they need to be able to work with the Oompa Loompas but not that much, and," He took a breath. "They'll have to live in the factory."

"Mr. Wonka, I don't thin-"

"Asking someone to move into a factory is a big commitment." Charlie had tried to be soft and gentle, but Mr. Wilkinson cut right to the point. "The pool of skilled and qualified workers will shrink dramatically if that is one of your stipulations."

"So be it. I don't want people coming in and out. More opportunities for them to blabber."

Charlie looked like he was about to protest, but a small gesture for Wilkinson stopped him. "If that's what you believe, sir."

"Yes. If we're going to do this, it needs to be quietly. I don't want a big thing made of it. Just something small, like an ad in the local newspaper."

"Again sir, that will narrow the pool of acceptable candidates."

"That's fine. Bigger deal, more press, More press, more people. More people, more prying. Si nous voulons le faire, cela se fera tranquillement."

"If you say so. Charlie, come with me. Your new English assignment will be helping me draft an acceptable ad."

"Right!" The young boy happily put down the homework he had been working on before.

"And I'll come with you!"

Before he could get to the door, Wonka was stopped again. "The paperwork still needs to be done until we find someone."

"Don't worry Mr. Wonka, we'll let you look at it before we publish it!"

~W~

"I can't believe that he actually agreed." The you apprentice nervously looked at the door of the office as the two of them walked away."

"I agree, I imagine it is only because we caught him off guard when he was frustrated. It would be best if we execute this plan quickly."

Charlie nodded enthusiastically. "Right!"