Chapter 11
"Wonka Meets the Candidates"
Pretending like he was old and crippled, Wonka limped out of the factory and towards the crowd at the gates, much to my shock and amazement, of course. I couldn't tell whether or not he was pulling a trick or trying to send a message, but he did it anyway. Once he stopped and did his somersault, the crowd erupted and Wonka thanked the crowd before turning his attention towards the candidates.
"Welcome my friends," he said with a smile on his face and speaking in a calm voice. "Welcome to my chocolate factory. Would you come forward please?"
Like a rag tad bunch of misfits, I watched as they headed towards Wonka. I was careful however to keep my eye on Charlie Bucket, the final candidate. Both Wonka and I had an assumption that he was going to be the chosen successor, but there were the other candidates to consider.
"That's Slugworth, the man I told you about," I heard Charlie whisper to his grandfather as he walked by.
"I'm so glad you could all come," Wonka remarked once the candidates were at his front. "This is going to be such an exciting day. I hope you enjoy it. Now, would you show me your golden tickets?"
This was the first time that Wonka was meeting each candidates, so I had to carefully monitor each interaction.
First up was the pampered and spoiled Siamese cat.
"I'm Veruca Salt," replied the bratty British girl wearing a fur coat and hat.
"My dear Veruca, what a pleasure and how pretty you look in that fur coat."
"I've got three others home!" she announced proudly as I recoiled with a disgusted look on my face. She had three other fur coats at home? Those poor animals. Part of me should feel sorry for her father, but then again, he was part of this as well.
Next came the German pig.
"Augustus Gloop," he said in a German accent.
"Augustus, my dear boy, so good to see you and in such fine shape," Wonka remarked, noticing his figure. "And this must be the radiant, Mrs. Gloop."
In such fine shape, my foot. Augustus was a boy who would eat anything and wouldn't feel sorry about it when all was said and done.
Next came the gum girl.
"Violet Beauregard," replied the American girl.
"Darling child, welcome to Wonka's."
"What kind of gum you got here?"
"Charming, charming," Wonka remarked as the girls' politician father shook his hand wildly.
"Sam Beauregard, Mr. Wonka," he said.
"Yes, a genuine pleasure."
"If you're ever in need of a car, my name's on the card with Sam B, it's a guarantee."
Oh boy, a gum chewing girl and a full of himself father. There is a big difference between being overly eager and just plan cringe worthy.
Next came the little cowboy.
"I'm Mike Teavee," he said, taking out a toy gun and sticking it in Wonka's stomach as I once again recoiled in shock and disbelief for my superior. "Wham! You're dead!"
"Wonderful to meet you, Mike," Wonka remarked, managing to pull himself together. "And Mrs. Teavee, what a darling little boy."
"Thank you."
A kid who resorts to toy guns to get what he wants. God knows what he would do if Wonka selected him as the heir to the Wonka throne.
Finally came our respective favorite.
"Charlie Bucket."
"Well well, Charlie Bucket," Wonka remarked, immediately taking a liking to this boy. "I read all about you in the paper. Now who is this man?"
"My grandfather, Grandpa Joe."
"Delighted to meet you sir. Enraptured, enchanted. Yes, good, in with me!"
The band once again played as Wonka led the candidates and their guardians into the factory. Once the door closed, I immediately went back into the factory to prepare the respective areas for the tests that we had planned for the candidates.
"All right," I said to an Oompa Loompa as I walked into the chocolate room. "Wonka is going to have them sign a contract before they come here. Is everything edible?"
"We checked everything, Mr. Wilkinson," replied the Oompa Loompa. "The entire room is edible."
"Good. What about the chocolate river?"
"We raised the chocolate taste levels just as you and Mr. Wonka both requested."
"Excellent, what about the fudge room?"
"We've rerouted part of the system to accommodate the fat kid," said another Oompa Loompa. "Don't worry, we will ensure that he isn't boiled."
"See that he doesn't or you'll all be out of a job, understand?"
"Yes, Mr. Wilkinson."
With Wonka and the candidates arriving at any moment, time was of the essence. Everything was edible, the chocolate river was extra chocolaty. What else could go wrong?
"Mr. Wilkinson?" cried another Oompa Loompa, running over towards me. "We haven't found a helmsman for the Wonkatania?"
"Where is the one who was assigned to helm it?"
"He called out sick."
"Today of all days," I muttered, pacing back and forth in front of the Oompa Loompa. "You'll have to helm it."
"Me, but are you certain?"
"It's a boat that is easy to pilot and besides, you will have two others helping you out by spinning the wheel. Go get it ready."
"But…"
"Right now!" I ordered in a commanding voice and the reluctant Oompa Loompa did as he was told.
Just then, I heard the German boy's voice cry out and I knew that I needed to get out of there and fast. I then turned towards the Oompa Loompa's who were creaming and sugaring the river.
"Do what you normally do," I said. "The candidates are arriving."
Acknowledging this, the Oompa Loompa's returned to the task at hand just in time for at that very moment, the door to the Chocolate room was about to open.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, the Chocolate Room."
With the candidates coming inside, I snuck out the back waiting to see if Augustus Gloop would pass his test.
But until then, Wonka sang of living in a world of pure imagination…