Chapter 15 – A Break With Tradition
"Daddy get over here! What are those things?"
Veruca's shout drew the attention of the other contestants, and they all ran over to stare at what Veruca was pointing at, or rather, whom.
Charlie ran up as well and immediately jogged over to Isabelle as her and Mr Wonka slowly approached the group. All of them were whispering amongst each other and throwing out random questions or observations. As usual, everybody simply spoke over each other causing a cacophony of noise.
Isabelle ruffled Charlie's hair and stood apart from the group but kept watching the little men as they completely ignored the contestants and their rude pointing. Instead, they busily began taking samples from the river and making notations into a comically large book. Every so often, they would pour precise amounts of white powder into the river.
"What are they doing?" Veruca asked, just as Mike asked "Who are they?"
"It must be creaming and sugaring time." Mr. Wonka was eying his golden pocket watch. The chain glinted merrily in the light as it moved.
"But who are they?" Mr Salt asked, his deep voice making Mr. Wonka look up.
"Oh, those are Oompa-Loompas."
"Oompa What?" Everyone echoed.
"Oompa-Loompas." Mr Wonka patiently repeated.
"Daddy, I want an Oompa-Loompa!" Veruca stamped her foot as both Mike and Violet rolled their eyes and yelled "Shut up!" in unison.
Veruca just glowered.
"Oh, my Oompa-Loompas won't leave the factory!" Mr. Wonka admonished cheerily.
"Where are they from?" Charlie asked.
"Excellent question Charlie," Mr Wonka smiled and continued. "They come from Loompa land."
"Loompa land?" Everyone echoed again. Isabelle stayed quiet.
"Yes, the land of the Loompa people." Mr. Wonka repeated slowly.
"Mr. Wonka?" Mikes father hesitantly spoke up. "My wife teaches geography; no such land exists."
Isabelle wasn't exactly sure if he was asking, or telling Mr. Wonka, but she did agree with him. She had never heard of such a place either. She loved reading about far distant places and had never come across such a name.
"Is that a local name for somewhere? Maybe Africa or somewhere in the Amazon?" She questioned.
"Yes."
Wonkas direct answer, as usual, answered nothing at all.
"The Oompa-Loompas call their home Loompaland, and what a terrible place it is too." Wonka frowned. "Nothing but desolate wastes and wild beasts." He continued after a beat in a much cheerier tone.
"During my search for unique flavours I discovered their home and was welcomed with open arms. I learned all about their rich culture and their reverence for cocoa beans." Mr Wonka smiled at the fond memories.
"All the tribes were relentlessly tormented by horrific Snozzwangers and Vermicous Knids. The poor little Oompa-Loompas were so tiny and defenceless that even a Wangdoodle could eat ten of them for breakfast."
Mr Wonka paused and looked sad for a moment before standing up straighter and opening his arms wide.
"I invited all the tribes to come and live with me here my factory, in peace and security. None of them have ever wanted to leave."
Mr. Wonka proudly looked over the group. It was clear they were not impressed and didn't believe him.
"Vermicious Knids?"
"Snozwangers?"
Mr Salt snorted in disbelief and looked towards the others, as if in search for allies against the crazy story Wonka was telling them.
"Whoever heard of such a ridicoul thing?"
"Augustus!" The sudden frantic shout made everyone jump and turn around, happy to have a distraction.
"Nein mein Schatz stop!"
Augustus Gloop was knelt at the very edge of the river and was desperately trying to scoop up the chocolate. The tidemark was fairly low, which made it completely out of his reach. Instead of backing away and trying something else, he instead stretched himself precariously over the ledge.
Isabelle only just realised that the Gloops hadn't joined the rest of them when Veruca had shouted earlier. They couldn't move very fast and had clearly taken some time to reach them as Mrs. Gloop was still slightly out of breath as she waddled towards her son.
"He's going to fall in the river!" Charlie and the others crowded around him as he stretched his arm out even further towards the delicious looking chocolate.
"Stop, Augustus!" Mr Wonka's authoritative voice rang out loudly above the chatter. "My river must not be touched by human hands."
He spun in an agitated circle, threw his arms into the air and tried, unsuccessfully, to weave through the agitated group as they clustered around the kneeling boy.
"Augustus!"
His mother wailed as Augustus over extended his reach and fell into the river. It would have been a mighty splash if it had been water, but the warm, gooey chocolate just gulped him down with barely a sound.
"Do something!" Mrs Gloop screamed at Mr. Wonka.
"Help, Police, Murder." Mr Wonka spoke with such deadpan sarcasm, that Isabelle chuckled quietly despite the serious situation. Charlie was already trying to drag a giant lollipop over to the river, so she quickly trotted over to help him hold it out for Augustus to grab onto.
The boy was splashing in the chocolate and calling for help. To his credit, he didn't completely panic, but concentrated on trying to jump up and hold onto the lollipop. He couldn't reach though; his fingers barely even brushed the smooth surface. His flailing became worse as he struggled mightily to keep his head above the surface.
Isabelle vaguely noticed that not a single other person was trying to help them save Augustus, not even Mr. Wonka. Instead they were just standing back enjoying the show. Mrs Gloop being the exception, as she wailed loudly in German and wrung her hands in despair.
"He can't swim!" His mother cried out. "My boy will drown in chocolate!"
Isabelle froze as she heard that.
"This isn't working Charlie." Isabelle spoke softly. "He's in big trouble."
Without even bothering to remove her shoes, she jumped into the river without hesitation.
"Izzy!" Charlie yelled as the crowd gasped in shock.
The chocolate was warm, almost uncomfortably hot as Isabelle jumped into the river.
The sensation of falling through chocolate was completely different to falling into water. It was much thicker and much harder to move, definitely not as buoyant. Her body didn't naturally rise through the thick liquid.
Isabelle eventually kicked her way to the surface and spluttered. The hot chocolate clung to her face and hair and caked her skin instead of sliding away like water. It was difficult to see and breathe. She realised she had been expecting the chocolate river to behave exactly the same as a river of water, but it didn't have the same properties at all.
She tried swimming over to Augustus, but the hot, thick chocolate prevented proper movements. With great effort, she eventually reached him and tried to hold him up and push him towards the shore at the same time.
The poor boy was terrified and starting to panic as he yet again tried, and failed, to reach the lollipop that Charlie was still holding out to him. He was getting tired. He clung tightly to Isabelle, making it even harder for her guide them both closer to shore, which looked to be miles away from her point of view. Where they really that far away?
Isabelle hoped Charlie would drop the lollipop and back away from the edge. There was no way he would be able to pull them out. The chocolate was a heavy burden that made every move sluggish and jumping was impossible. Thick liquid chocolate was clearly very different to water. She couldn't even hear properly as the chocolate coated her ears. Everything was muffled.
As she held Augustus up, she focused on the river's edge and began pulling the scared boy towards it as she floated by his side. She could see Mr. Wonka next to Charlie now, waving and gesturing frantically to something behind her. He was knelt at the river's edge and held his cane out towards her. He looked far more worried now than he had earlier she thought.
Suddenly, the current changed and before she could take a proper breath, both her and Augustus were violently pulled under.
She panicked!
It was hot and dark. She felt chocolate rise up her nostrils and the frantic scrabbling of Augustus at her side as he almost slipped out of her grip. She tightened her hold on his clothes instinctivly.
Rarely had she felt this scared. She couldn't make her mind focus properly. It was quiet too, all sound muted.
Her feet brushed something hard, and she immediately turned and held onto whatever it was, but the surface was smooth and didn't offer any handholds. She felt herself be sucked lower, even as she tried desperately to fight the pull.
Suddenly the suction stopped and Isabelle was able to kick and fight her way back up to the top, dragging Augustus along with her.
She was exhausted, but determined to reach the surface and survive. She felt many small hands grabbing and pulling at her clothing and then suddenly, she broke the surface and gulped down the life-giving oxygen, or tried to, as the warm chocolate clung to her face tenaciously.
Augustus was pulled away from her and the tiny hands began guiding her in a different direction as she finally managed to clear the chocolate from her nose and open her eyes.
The river was in chaos. Dozens of Oompa-Loompas were surrounding her in tiny boats. They made her hold onto some sort of floating bag and towed her towards the other side of the river, opposite from where her group was standing.
With their help, she eventually managed to climb, or rather, flop onto the bank of the river. She lay there exhausted for a while, before sitting up and waving at Charlie. She hoped he hadn't worried too badly. Her heart was still thumping madly in her chest.
She looked over at the crowd of Oompa-Loompas and said thank you. They chattered away to her, and to each other, covering her head with towels as they pulled her further away from the edge.
They helped her stand and she quickly realised that the warm, gooey liquid was drying extremely fast on her skin and clothes. She felt crusty, and the thick layers of chocolate alternately oozed and crumbled every time she moved.
She remembered Augustus, and desperately looked for him, hoping he was all right.
There he was, happily sitting and licking himself. She almost did a double take. Yes, Augustus Gloop was merrily licking and nibbling on all his fingers, trying to eat the chocolate. His fancy grey suit was now ruined and he completely ignored his mother. He even ignored the Oompa-Loompas who were fussing over him and repeatedly pulling his fingers away from his mouth.
Isabelle didn't have time to stare at the boy in disbelief, as a sharp tug on her hand had her stumbling past the boy. The Oompa-Loompas gathered around her began ushering her towards a crack in the rocks. She looked back over her shoulder as she was led away and waved again to Charlie with her one free hand. The other was held in the surprisingly firm grip of the lead Oompa-Loompa.
Charlie was standing next to Mr. Wonka and looked extremely anxious. The chocolatier stood quietly beside him, leaning on his cane with both hands. She felt their eyes on her the entire way, until she disappeared down a well-lit corridor with her escort of chattering Oompa-Loompas.