Author's note: Same warnings as usual, and also, those looking for a pairing can find it here (sort of). Sorry for factual errors in advance.
Rugrats Midlife: Reunion
Chapter Four: Officially Known as Rugrats
The Thursday before City Day, all of us that were in town-me, Dad, Dillon, Mrs. Finster, Chuckie, Madie, Malcolm, Susie, Lil, Fred, Uncle Drew, and Aunt Charlotte- were gathered at the airport-a place I became familiar with years back, being the place I last saw my mother alive after the dinner party in celebration of my receiving a Distinguished Service Cross in DC. That was when I dropped her off before I went to my next station in Basra. More memories.
Oh, yeah, if you were asking what we were doing there, we were waiting for a Continental plane carrying Kimi and Phil, straight from San Fran (Philip was there to help Kimi with her luggage and to participate in a biology teachers' convention, just finished) and an American Airlines carrying cousin Angelica from New York, where she now lives. And how did we get to gather a small crowd like this? Salvo after salvo of calls to the rest of the gang.
After the casual meeting at Chuckie's old house, we decided to contact the rest of the gang. We divided amongst ourselves just who the hell we're supposed to contact-Mrs. Finster had the parents, I got my brother, Phil, and cousin Angelica, while Chuck has his sister, Lil and Susie. Dil was easy-he lives with Dad in our old house just straight ahead, and we didn't change our number since the time we lived there. A typical conversation went like this:
"Hello, Dil, long time no see!"
"And hello to you there, brother! Left the service, Dil hears?"
"Sadly, yes, my good man. Wanna come to a party next Saturday?"
"Agreed. Where?"
"Chuckie's place-not the old house, mind you. The mansion-like house, 6:30."
"Copy that. See ya on City Day!"
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, median brain damage as a result of being bumped headfirst as a baby caused a lot of problems for Dil-he refers to himself in the third person, tends to have the oddest ideas (for example, wearing tailcoats even in casual occassions), but the latter, especially his unorthodox managerial style, was the one that enabled him to guide the company in hard times. Yes, and hydrophobiacs can't join the Corps.
Next came cousin Angelica-horror of horrors. The spoiled brat that we knew as a child was still rushing to finish her column, so expect shouting:
"Hello, Angeli-"
"WHAT THE #% DO YOU WANT? CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY HERE?"
"Jesus Christ, Angelica, it's me, Tommy! There's no need to blast the cripes off me!"
"Oh, sorry, just the workload going through me-I'm trying to juggle my column and regular job, no? So why'd you call?"
"Been put on semi-retirement."
"You called me just to tell me that, Thomas? What the hell's gotten into you?"
"Not only that, but do you have time to go back here anytime before Saturday next week? We've a reunion at Chuckie's place. 'Twas our idea to put it together."
"I'll check. I'll call you if I can. Toodles!"
Whew, I told myself, that nearly gave me hearing loss. Hmmph, Angelica. The only daughter of Uncle Andrew and Aunt Charlotte. A bossy, bestial, trend-conscious snob when I remember her. Good thing she learns lessons fast, but why always the hard way? No time to bother about that now, final call to Phil. After a few minutes, I got to contact him through his school number, but too bad I was told he's too busy packing. His dormitory number had the same story. So, I borrowed Mrs. Finster's PDA and sent a message to him:
Hey, Fr. Philip!
Just wanna tell you that if you're available for Saturday next week, there's a reunion party at Chuckie's. I'm here at his old house-long story. Try to come! :-)
-Tommy Pickles
By then, mother and son were saying goodbyes to their last correspondencies, and when it was over, we all sat down, all silent looking at our old pictures. The reception at Wombat Hall, on the day Kimi became Chuckie's sister, was as colorful as ever, especially restored for the wedding anniversary. The first picture of the gang as infants, complete with parents and grandparents. I heard that there was a cakefight after the dancing, alllegedly started by us. Then there were the pictures of our elementary and high school graduations-all of us, with beaming parents. And the most recent, Chuckie's wedding to Madie, 9 years ago. I was best man, and of course both older Finsters were there, as well as Mom and Dad. Last time we had a complete multi-family picture. Still more memories, more than an ordinary person can handle while keeping silent.
"Say," I found myself saying, "since when did we become as gung-ho as the time we were in junior high?
"Since the time the last of us was born," Chuck said, dry enough for me to sense the words just flowed out like a closed faucet leaking. "Thinking about something?"
"Yeah, like a possibility that we as group of babies were called something more catchy than a group of babies."
"And what in blazes do you mean by that?"
I cleared my throat. "Clearly there was a term for us, you, me, our siblings, Susie and Angelica, and them twins! Something the grown-ups called us..."
"AHA!" Mrs. Finster exclaimed. "Tommy, your grandfather Louis was a bit annoyed one day of you scurrying along in the flooring! Compared you to a bunch of rats on the rug, crawling and making mischief, before your mother called the remark derogatory, but Chas, who was in there at that time, actually came to his defense and called it catchy! The old man named you 'Rugrats' ever since-among his friends at the retirement home, that is." That was a Eureka moment for the the three of us. "God bless her" were the first three words I could think of.
Now fast forward to Thursday. We tried to look among the crowd for signs of the trio, but none came yet. Finally, when all hope vanished, Lilian shouted with glee.
"There they are! There they are! Phil! Kimi! We're all here!"
"I swear to God I see them as well!" Chuckie enjoined, then turned to the spot where Lil was looking. "Over here!"
I turned to their direction and saw them. My eyes first got a glance of Phil. He was dressed in a black cassock and pants with a gold cross on a necklace, was wearing green-tainted glasses and a bowler hat that covered his head, whose face had thin facial hair. On his hands were a suitcase and stroller, and he appeared to gesture towards somebody-Kimi.
Oh, Kimi. As usual, dressed in an outlandish, ultrachic fashion, black leather coat, long-sleeves, with a red t-shirt inside with an orange scarf, black beret on her head, a navy blue skirt (I could tell the difference between navy blue and black from a mile away) and platform shoes. Ponytail hairdo. Obviously intimidating. And for me, strangely beautiful.
"Yo, Chuckie!" she said as both of them embraced, "long time no see! And to you as well, Mommy-sama! Oh, yeah, Phil, get the luggage down now-sorry for all the trouble I gave you, ok?"
"Aw shucks, anything for a person I've known for my entire life!" Phil replied between hugs with Lil and backpats with Fred and then turned to me. Both of them turned to me.
"Tom, sorry to hear about your resignation, or the failure to get one," Kimi said. "Chuck told me about it. And don't worry, I'll get you a consultancy service up and running before the week's finished!"
I was too shaky to answer. Here I am, all confident awhile ago, now trembling at the sight of her. Nevertheless, I shook her hand and delivered my spiel. "Well, uh, hello there, uh, Kimi, nice to meet you." Yep, delayed reaction. "Thanks for the offer. So you're staying with your mother for now?"
"Yes," she replied, all smiles as usual. "If I get lucky I can buy some office space downtown, or else I'll have to use the shed up front!" Giggles were followed by full-scale laughter.
"Hey fellas, are you going to stand there and talk your time off or go with us downtown?" Uh-oh. Angelica's here. Dressed in a white double-buttoned blouse, wide-brimmed hat and white pants, and carrying a light attache case and laptop, she was an imposing figure, with only Susie Jones there to check on her. "Let's go, Rugrats! Were gonna have some fun!"
"Rugrats?" Kimi asked me.
"That's us," I responded, now regaining confidence. "All of us."
What's gonna happen on Saturday night? And does Tommy now have developing feelings for Kimi? And what stories do each of the fellas have to share? Find out on Chapter Five: Cure for Saturday Night Fevers!
P.S: Comments? Suggestions? Send them to ceig13yahoo.com.