All I Ever Wanted
Note: This is a conclusion to "If I Were a Rich Man". Matters become a little rocky for Maria...
"Surely this is all I ever wanted..."—lyrics from the song "All I Ever Wanted" from the Prince of Egypt Soundtrack
"Live life to the fullest !"—My family's philosophy
"Wow ! I really threw him off balance !"—My quote yesterday when wearing a nice formal outfit, 4/19/00
Chapter 1—Thief in Training
Felicity was growing bigger every day, and she was beginning to come of age to start training in the art of the thief. Dominique knew that now was the time to teach Felicity everything she knew especially how to use a samurai sword. That part would come later, however, since Felicity's muscles were still developing. Samurai swords were not all that lightweight.
One day, Dominique woke up and Jean was still fast asleep. She wouldn't disturb him, she thought, "Why not just let him have some extra minutes of sleep ?". So, she quietly got up from the bed and got ready for another day. The alarm clock blared "All Along the Watchtower", or some other classical 60's song sung by either Jimmy Hendrix or The Guess Who. Jean stirred, turning off the alarm clock radio and saw his wife in the kitchen. He could smell the delicious breakfast he was making. He never suspected that she was going to leave soon. There had been reports of gold hidden in the upper most region of the Grand Canyon. This was a legend long since past and no one really believed it. However, with treasure hardly anything was impossible. Sadly, Dominique told Jean that she and the rest of the Lupin Gang were heading to the Grand Canyon, and Felicity was going with her . This upset Jean, but he knew that Dominique would be all right since she could fend for herself. She was a strong woman, guided by the will and grace of God. Even if she did break one of the most holy commandments in the Bible, she was a believer in Christ, and she could say the same for every other member of the Lupin Gang despite their differing beliefs.
Chapter 2—The Hunt is On
The Lupin Gang began their trip to the Grand Canyon, not thinking they would find anything in its rocky heights, but unfortunately, Interpol found them...Again. Lupin was getting rather annoyed by this, but he knew that Interpol would be after him. He still had a $1,00,000,000 bounty on his head. Dominique's bounty was slightly less, but she was worth $100,000 ! And the worst part about the bounty was they were all wanted Dead or Alive. "That's what I hate about "Wanted" posters now at days. It seems the value of life has gone down.", Jigen complained. They all nodded in agreement, beginning to scale the Canyon. Not too much further behind was Maria and her incompetent group...They had heard about the rumors, and knowing Maria, she trusted her "cop intuition" when it came to Lupin and "rumored treasure". If it was a rumor, one could never go wrong knowing that Lupin and the Gang would be searching for it under ever nook and cranny.
They continued to climb, and Maria's yelling grew louder. "Don't think I'm not going to catch up to you Lupin !", she yelled. Felicity looked at her mother. "Does she ever stop complaining, mom ?". Dominique smiled and laughed. "No, dear. Not likely. Maria's a tough woman. She's determined and she won't stop until she sees us in jail...so keep climbing, my sweet one.", she said. Felicity knew her mother was right even though she didn't know that much about Maria in person. She only "knew" her because of the Interpol articles in the Japanese Newspaper.
It was almost like they could sense gold in the air. If gold had a scent, it was light, like sunflowers, or the intoxicating scent of honey suckle. It was in the rocks near the utmost peak of the mountain. Legend had it that God's domain was in the mountains...And they all felt humbled by the massive size of the Canyon and the fact that the atmosphere was thinner. They were so close, and Maria had gained on them. She finally had reached Lupin. With joyful tears in her eyes, she had grappled Lupin's trouser leg. "I have you now.", she said, smiling sardonically. Lupin tried to shake her off, and he shook too hard. She began to fall. Onsen and Tochiro tried to catch her, but they didn't catch her. Felicity, who had on a backpack that could transform into a parasail, decided to dive after Maria. "Hold on, Maria !", she called, loudly. Maria could not hear, she was so petrified she had passed out...
Chapter 3—Down For the Count
Felicity wasn't able to catch Maria. Felicity had flown back to the edge of the Canyon, her head lowered..."I did my best.", she thought. Maria had landed on a ledge somewhere on a rock...and she seemed to be dead. Blood surrounded her head, and this didn't look very promising. The Gang had to stop and help her, and Tochiro and Onsen scrambled to her rescue. "Oh, no !", Dominique thought. "We should scale down, quickly...We must see if Maria's all right.", Lupin suggested, a hint of sorrow in his voice. They quickly scaled down the Canyon, and found Onsen and Tochiro helping Maria the best they could. Unfortunately they were not too good with practical medicine. Dominique knew how to handle this. She took off her white over- shirt and began to apply pressure to the wound. "I have no idea if this is going to work. Someone, find me water, quickly !", she said, calmly, but her facial expression was one of concern. Goemon searched for water in the medical kit that the Gang had around in case of emergencies, and even had materials for a blood transfusion if necessary. Dominique checked for a pulse in Maria. She had one, but it was very slow and erratic. Goemon gave Maria water, the others watched, helping Dominique as much as they could. She decided that a blood transfusion was in order. Maria coughed a little, not being able to say anything. She was still bleeding. "Is she going to die, mother ?", Felicity questioned, almost teary eyed. The others were beginning to become mournful. Tochiro and Onsen were already in tears. "No, she isn't going to die. I will not let her.", Dominique said. Lupin smiled, and said, in a murmur, "She is far too young to pass away. She has a long life ahead of her." Jigen nodded, "The Boss is right, and your mother is wise, little Felicity." He took hold of Felicity and she looked away as her mother began the transfusion. "I hope my blood type works. It's Type O, that should mean anyone can tolerate it.", she said, watching as her blood flowed into Maria's arm. She had given enough blood for Maria's sake. Goemon wrapped her arm in a piece of cloth, and gave Maria a little more water. They stood and waited for what seemed to be an eternity...
In Maria's "dream"—
Maria could see Angels all around her, and she had no idea where she was. Everything was dazzling white, and the scenery of this place left her speechless. She had to get her bearings first because this place was strange but beautiful to her. She asked the Angels, "Where am I ?". The Angels smiled, standing close to her like a long lost friend. "You're in Heaven."
She couldn't believe it. She laughed. "I can't be dead...I was pursuing Lupin and his Gang, but I can't be dead !", she almost exclaimed. One of the Angels held her arm. "I'm afraid to say this, Maria but you did die, but now you're with us...So you'll be with us forever." "I'm too young to be dead...I have never even gotten the chance to get married. In fact, I have never told Tochiro my real feelings, and I doubt if he would even care.", Maria said. Another Angel, with a soft, delicate voice said, "Tochiro feels the same way about you. He is just afraid of rejection. Don't worry about him. He can fend for himself." Maria didn't know what to say after that, but she could feel herself drifting from the Angels. "You're getting a second chance. Now tell him how you feel...You're still young, you can settle down.", another Angel said. "We will meet again, so do not fear. We will be watching over you, Maria.", another angel said, with a low masculine voice. Maria had one arm outstretched to them, a smile on her face, and they waved to her and she waved back...
When Maria woke up, teary-eyed people surrounded her. She could barely recognize them until she blinked. Tochiro was the first to hug her. "I thought...No, we all thought that you were gone for sure, but Dominique and the rest of Lupin's Gang saved you." Felicity was still standing in Jigen's embrace, and she ran to Maria, hugging her. "Oh, we are so happy to have you back !", she exclaimed. Maria didn't know what to think, a thief, hugging her ? It was odd, but comforting to know that people cared for her. She looked at Tochiro and said to him, "I love you.", which he didn't expect. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head harder than I thought, ma'am ?", he questioned. "No, I didn't. I do love you...It's just been a long time before I got around to it.", Maria said. The others were overjoyed by this revolution, even though it was unexpected. "When you fall in love, falling is only half the fun.", Tochiro said. They all laughed together with him.
Chapter 4—What Really Does Matter
Maria professed to the Gang that all she really wanted in life was to capture Lupin, but now she could see there was more to life than just chasing Lupin. They couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth, but she was professing the truth to them. "But, what about the gold ?", Felicity questioned, arms akimbo. "You go and get it...I'm going home, and I'm going to marry the man I've loved for so long.", Maria said. They all smiled at her. "You really do have a good heart in you.", Lupin said, and led the Gang to start scaling the Canyon again. Tochiro was slightly upset by this..."How can you do this, madam ?", he asked, fury in his voice. "I am too weak to go after them...We'll deal with them later. Besides, I want to slow down...", she said, looking at Tochiro. Tochiro blushed, and held her hand. "I have always loved you ma'am.", he said. "Please Tochiro, call me Marie.", Marie said, smiling at him.
Chapter 5—Success !
The Lupin Gang had finally reached the top of the Grand Canyon, not really knowing where to turn. The atmosphere was incredibly thin, and it was getting hard for them to think. Dominique was already short on blood from the transfusion she had made earlier, but she wasn't dizzy...She continued to follow Lupin and the others as they searched for gold.
It was beginning to get dark, but something was glinting in a rock, and Felicity caught sight of it first. "Guys ! Come over here ! Look !", she said, excitedly. She neared the rock, and she began to pick at it with a pickaxe. This was the moment of truth behind all the media rumors...
"Success !", they cried in unison. Felicity had found gold ! So, they began picking at the rocks. There was so much gold here that had been left behind for centuries, it was so pristine and beautiful that they thought if God used money, and He would use it to buy whatever He pleased.
They toted the gold home, of course, followed by Interpol who hadn't inspected anything until the last minute. Interpol's entrance to the caper was really late this time but they were gaining onto Lupin and his gang. Goemon threw out some spikes to stop the cars, and as usual, this trick got Interpol every time and was foolproof. "They were late, but at least they did give us the thrill of the chase.", Jigen said. All of the Gang laughed heartily. It felt good to get away with the treasure. That didn't happen often, but it was happening more often ever since Dominique had become a member of the Gang, and Felicity was making the probability of escaping with treasure higher. It wouldn't be much longer until sadly, the Gang would have to retire and the "amateurs" would have to take over. But, they were becoming more experienced, it seemed that Interpol was more interested in their capers since they almost always involved museums or archeological digs.
Chapter 6—So, That's How It Ends...
The Gang had arrived home, Felicity was happy that she had accomplished her first successful caper, and Interpol was out of the Gang's hair for a while. But, they were all wondering about Maria. Had she actually meant what she said to Tochiro ?
Maria wasn't bluffing. She later was married to Tochiro and is currently awaiting the arrival of twins. She doesn't know if they will be girls or boys, but she is happy being married to Tochiro, because he is a real gentleman and she always wanted a gentleman's love in her life. She decided to find a new job, working at a clothes shop because that was something she always wanted to do. She was immediately granted a position and is enjoying this second job more than her first. Tochiro's second job is specializing on building computers and selling them relatively cheap. As for the rest of the Gang, their worries are at an end for now since Interpol is busy with their fruitless pursuit of "The New Lupin Gang", or as Arsene playfully calls it, "The A-Team", standing for "The Arsene Team".
The Lupin Gang could finally rest for a while since Maria was busy preparing for her twins' entry into the world. Then, later on after the twins became young adults, they would retire, but for now, they were enjoying the rest and relaxation of quiet summer days, lying in hammocks, sipping lemonade.
The End
By: Elizabeth Berndt April 22, 2000
Note: This is a conclusion to "If I Were a Rich Man". Matters become a little rocky for Maria...
"Surely this is all I ever wanted..."—lyrics from the song "All I Ever Wanted" from the Prince of Egypt Soundtrack
"Live life to the fullest !"—My family's philosophy
"Wow ! I really threw him off balance !"—My quote yesterday when wearing a nice formal outfit, 4/19/00
Chapter 1—Thief in Training
Felicity was growing bigger every day, and she was beginning to come of age to start training in the art of the thief. Dominique knew that now was the time to teach Felicity everything she knew especially how to use a samurai sword. That part would come later, however, since Felicity's muscles were still developing. Samurai swords were not all that lightweight.
One day, Dominique woke up and Jean was still fast asleep. She wouldn't disturb him, she thought, "Why not just let him have some extra minutes of sleep ?". So, she quietly got up from the bed and got ready for another day. The alarm clock blared "All Along the Watchtower", or some other classical 60's song sung by either Jimmy Hendrix or The Guess Who. Jean stirred, turning off the alarm clock radio and saw his wife in the kitchen. He could smell the delicious breakfast he was making. He never suspected that she was going to leave soon. There had been reports of gold hidden in the upper most region of the Grand Canyon. This was a legend long since past and no one really believed it. However, with treasure hardly anything was impossible. Sadly, Dominique told Jean that she and the rest of the Lupin Gang were heading to the Grand Canyon, and Felicity was going with her . This upset Jean, but he knew that Dominique would be all right since she could fend for herself. She was a strong woman, guided by the will and grace of God. Even if she did break one of the most holy commandments in the Bible, she was a believer in Christ, and she could say the same for every other member of the Lupin Gang despite their differing beliefs.
Chapter 2—The Hunt is On
The Lupin Gang began their trip to the Grand Canyon, not thinking they would find anything in its rocky heights, but unfortunately, Interpol found them...Again. Lupin was getting rather annoyed by this, but he knew that Interpol would be after him. He still had a $1,00,000,000 bounty on his head. Dominique's bounty was slightly less, but she was worth $100,000 ! And the worst part about the bounty was they were all wanted Dead or Alive. "That's what I hate about "Wanted" posters now at days. It seems the value of life has gone down.", Jigen complained. They all nodded in agreement, beginning to scale the Canyon. Not too much further behind was Maria and her incompetent group...They had heard about the rumors, and knowing Maria, she trusted her "cop intuition" when it came to Lupin and "rumored treasure". If it was a rumor, one could never go wrong knowing that Lupin and the Gang would be searching for it under ever nook and cranny.
They continued to climb, and Maria's yelling grew louder. "Don't think I'm not going to catch up to you Lupin !", she yelled. Felicity looked at her mother. "Does she ever stop complaining, mom ?". Dominique smiled and laughed. "No, dear. Not likely. Maria's a tough woman. She's determined and she won't stop until she sees us in jail...so keep climbing, my sweet one.", she said. Felicity knew her mother was right even though she didn't know that much about Maria in person. She only "knew" her because of the Interpol articles in the Japanese Newspaper.
It was almost like they could sense gold in the air. If gold had a scent, it was light, like sunflowers, or the intoxicating scent of honey suckle. It was in the rocks near the utmost peak of the mountain. Legend had it that God's domain was in the mountains...And they all felt humbled by the massive size of the Canyon and the fact that the atmosphere was thinner. They were so close, and Maria had gained on them. She finally had reached Lupin. With joyful tears in her eyes, she had grappled Lupin's trouser leg. "I have you now.", she said, smiling sardonically. Lupin tried to shake her off, and he shook too hard. She began to fall. Onsen and Tochiro tried to catch her, but they didn't catch her. Felicity, who had on a backpack that could transform into a parasail, decided to dive after Maria. "Hold on, Maria !", she called, loudly. Maria could not hear, she was so petrified she had passed out...
Chapter 3—Down For the Count
Felicity wasn't able to catch Maria. Felicity had flown back to the edge of the Canyon, her head lowered..."I did my best.", she thought. Maria had landed on a ledge somewhere on a rock...and she seemed to be dead. Blood surrounded her head, and this didn't look very promising. The Gang had to stop and help her, and Tochiro and Onsen scrambled to her rescue. "Oh, no !", Dominique thought. "We should scale down, quickly...We must see if Maria's all right.", Lupin suggested, a hint of sorrow in his voice. They quickly scaled down the Canyon, and found Onsen and Tochiro helping Maria the best they could. Unfortunately they were not too good with practical medicine. Dominique knew how to handle this. She took off her white over- shirt and began to apply pressure to the wound. "I have no idea if this is going to work. Someone, find me water, quickly !", she said, calmly, but her facial expression was one of concern. Goemon searched for water in the medical kit that the Gang had around in case of emergencies, and even had materials for a blood transfusion if necessary. Dominique checked for a pulse in Maria. She had one, but it was very slow and erratic. Goemon gave Maria water, the others watched, helping Dominique as much as they could. She decided that a blood transfusion was in order. Maria coughed a little, not being able to say anything. She was still bleeding. "Is she going to die, mother ?", Felicity questioned, almost teary eyed. The others were beginning to become mournful. Tochiro and Onsen were already in tears. "No, she isn't going to die. I will not let her.", Dominique said. Lupin smiled, and said, in a murmur, "She is far too young to pass away. She has a long life ahead of her." Jigen nodded, "The Boss is right, and your mother is wise, little Felicity." He took hold of Felicity and she looked away as her mother began the transfusion. "I hope my blood type works. It's Type O, that should mean anyone can tolerate it.", she said, watching as her blood flowed into Maria's arm. She had given enough blood for Maria's sake. Goemon wrapped her arm in a piece of cloth, and gave Maria a little more water. They stood and waited for what seemed to be an eternity...
In Maria's "dream"—
Maria could see Angels all around her, and she had no idea where she was. Everything was dazzling white, and the scenery of this place left her speechless. She had to get her bearings first because this place was strange but beautiful to her. She asked the Angels, "Where am I ?". The Angels smiled, standing close to her like a long lost friend. "You're in Heaven."
She couldn't believe it. She laughed. "I can't be dead...I was pursuing Lupin and his Gang, but I can't be dead !", she almost exclaimed. One of the Angels held her arm. "I'm afraid to say this, Maria but you did die, but now you're with us...So you'll be with us forever." "I'm too young to be dead...I have never even gotten the chance to get married. In fact, I have never told Tochiro my real feelings, and I doubt if he would even care.", Maria said. Another Angel, with a soft, delicate voice said, "Tochiro feels the same way about you. He is just afraid of rejection. Don't worry about him. He can fend for himself." Maria didn't know what to say after that, but she could feel herself drifting from the Angels. "You're getting a second chance. Now tell him how you feel...You're still young, you can settle down.", another Angel said. "We will meet again, so do not fear. We will be watching over you, Maria.", another angel said, with a low masculine voice. Maria had one arm outstretched to them, a smile on her face, and they waved to her and she waved back...
When Maria woke up, teary-eyed people surrounded her. She could barely recognize them until she blinked. Tochiro was the first to hug her. "I thought...No, we all thought that you were gone for sure, but Dominique and the rest of Lupin's Gang saved you." Felicity was still standing in Jigen's embrace, and she ran to Maria, hugging her. "Oh, we are so happy to have you back !", she exclaimed. Maria didn't know what to think, a thief, hugging her ? It was odd, but comforting to know that people cared for her. She looked at Tochiro and said to him, "I love you.", which he didn't expect. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head harder than I thought, ma'am ?", he questioned. "No, I didn't. I do love you...It's just been a long time before I got around to it.", Maria said. The others were overjoyed by this revolution, even though it was unexpected. "When you fall in love, falling is only half the fun.", Tochiro said. They all laughed together with him.
Chapter 4—What Really Does Matter
Maria professed to the Gang that all she really wanted in life was to capture Lupin, but now she could see there was more to life than just chasing Lupin. They couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth, but she was professing the truth to them. "But, what about the gold ?", Felicity questioned, arms akimbo. "You go and get it...I'm going home, and I'm going to marry the man I've loved for so long.", Maria said. They all smiled at her. "You really do have a good heart in you.", Lupin said, and led the Gang to start scaling the Canyon again. Tochiro was slightly upset by this..."How can you do this, madam ?", he asked, fury in his voice. "I am too weak to go after them...We'll deal with them later. Besides, I want to slow down...", she said, looking at Tochiro. Tochiro blushed, and held her hand. "I have always loved you ma'am.", he said. "Please Tochiro, call me Marie.", Marie said, smiling at him.
Chapter 5—Success !
The Lupin Gang had finally reached the top of the Grand Canyon, not really knowing where to turn. The atmosphere was incredibly thin, and it was getting hard for them to think. Dominique was already short on blood from the transfusion she had made earlier, but she wasn't dizzy...She continued to follow Lupin and the others as they searched for gold.
It was beginning to get dark, but something was glinting in a rock, and Felicity caught sight of it first. "Guys ! Come over here ! Look !", she said, excitedly. She neared the rock, and she began to pick at it with a pickaxe. This was the moment of truth behind all the media rumors...
"Success !", they cried in unison. Felicity had found gold ! So, they began picking at the rocks. There was so much gold here that had been left behind for centuries, it was so pristine and beautiful that they thought if God used money, and He would use it to buy whatever He pleased.
They toted the gold home, of course, followed by Interpol who hadn't inspected anything until the last minute. Interpol's entrance to the caper was really late this time but they were gaining onto Lupin and his gang. Goemon threw out some spikes to stop the cars, and as usual, this trick got Interpol every time and was foolproof. "They were late, but at least they did give us the thrill of the chase.", Jigen said. All of the Gang laughed heartily. It felt good to get away with the treasure. That didn't happen often, but it was happening more often ever since Dominique had become a member of the Gang, and Felicity was making the probability of escaping with treasure higher. It wouldn't be much longer until sadly, the Gang would have to retire and the "amateurs" would have to take over. But, they were becoming more experienced, it seemed that Interpol was more interested in their capers since they almost always involved museums or archeological digs.
Chapter 6—So, That's How It Ends...
The Gang had arrived home, Felicity was happy that she had accomplished her first successful caper, and Interpol was out of the Gang's hair for a while. But, they were all wondering about Maria. Had she actually meant what she said to Tochiro ?
Maria wasn't bluffing. She later was married to Tochiro and is currently awaiting the arrival of twins. She doesn't know if they will be girls or boys, but she is happy being married to Tochiro, because he is a real gentleman and she always wanted a gentleman's love in her life. She decided to find a new job, working at a clothes shop because that was something she always wanted to do. She was immediately granted a position and is enjoying this second job more than her first. Tochiro's second job is specializing on building computers and selling them relatively cheap. As for the rest of the Gang, their worries are at an end for now since Interpol is busy with their fruitless pursuit of "The New Lupin Gang", or as Arsene playfully calls it, "The A-Team", standing for "The Arsene Team".
The Lupin Gang could finally rest for a while since Maria was busy preparing for her twins' entry into the world. Then, later on after the twins became young adults, they would retire, but for now, they were enjoying the rest and relaxation of quiet summer days, lying in hammocks, sipping lemonade.
The End
By: Elizabeth Berndt April 22, 2000