Chapter 10: Strawberry Fields Forever

Melena was rushed to a hospital after she collapsed at Lily's home and the doctors were trying the best they can to save her. Lily phoned Elphaba, who was recording demos at Glinda's home, and as soon as she arrived at the hospital and Elphaba rushed to hospital as fast as she could. By the time Elphaba arrived, a somber Lily told Elphaba that Melena's dead and the doctors told Lily she died from a mysterious illness. Elphaba's devastated to hear it that she couldn't bear to look at her dead mother laying in the hospital room and cried on Lily's lap while they were sitting in the waiting room.

At the memorial service, everyone, including Elphaba's band, attended the service. Elphaba tried her best not to cry on her mother's memorial and mostly stay quiet throughout the service. Elphaba then heard music from the house and went to the other room to see Glinda playing Melena's banjo.

"What is this?! Fucking group practice?! I don't think so!" Elphaba angrily shouted and grab the banjo from Glinda and the other members of the band try to calm her down.

"Elphaba, it's your mom's! Boq said.

"She's fucking DEAD!" Elphaba shouted as head bumps Boq in the face and stormed out the house.

"Elphaba!" Glinda called out and followed her outside house. "Elphaba! Do you wanna hit me too? Well go on then." Glinda told her.

Out of pressure, Elphaba punched Glinda in the mouth, which knocked her to the ground, but Elphaba started to feel bad about it. "Glinda, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Elphaba said as she picked up Glinda from the ground and tearfully hugged her. "I was just getting to know her."

"I know." Glinda said to Elphaba.

"She's never coming back!"

"No. No, she's not gone, Elphaba."

Glinda also cried as she hugged and cradled Elphaba for about a minute. Glinda understood what Elphaba's going to since she too lost her mother a year ago. When they went back into the house, Elphaba and Glinda saw the members of their band taking care of Boq, who has a bloody nose, after Elphaba head bumps him.

"I'm a dick." Elphaba told Boq as she went to him. "I'm really sorry, Boq. I'm really sorry, everyone. I maybe a jerk to all of you, but could you at least forgive me?" Elphaba said and everyone forgave her.

"Elphaba?" Nick called her and Elphaba went to him. "She was saving this for you. It might be enough for you and your band." he said and gave her an envelope with money and an address to a recording studio.


Two days later, Elphaba and her band went to a recording studio in Munchkinland using the money Melena was saving up before she died. Before they went to the recording studio, Elphaba wrote a song called Free As a Bird, which is a tribute to her mother and got the name of the song after her mother's high spirited personality that Elphaba compared as a free bird.

Elphaba gave the producer of the studio the money and the band got their instruments out. Elphaba sang lead to the song with Glinda and Fiyero shared vocals together. As Elphaba and her band were playing the song, Elphaba was thinking about all the times she spent with her mother that lasted for almost a year.

Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird

Home, home and dry
Like a homing bird I'll fly
As a bird on wings

Whatever happened to
The life that we once knew?
Can we really live without each other?

Where did we lose the touch
That seemed to mean so much?
It always made me feel so...

Free as a bird
Like the next best thing to be
Free as a bird

Home, home and dry
Like a homing bird I'll fly
As a bird on wings

Whatever happened to
The life that we once knew?
Always made me feel so free

Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Free as a bird
Oooooo

Free...

The band finished the song with one take and Elphaba felt a little bit better when she sang the song to her mother. "We don't have much time. I got three more groups waiting to record their songs as well." the producer said.

"Don't worry, this next song will be a quickie." Elphaba told the producer, "Okay, B-Side, a cover song. And I'll be handing the singing duties to another great singer in the band." Elphaba said as she looked at Glinda. Glinda smiled at Elphaba and started to sing their next song.

I'm gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John
He claims he has the music, but he has a lot of fun

Oh baby, yes, baby
Ooh baby, havin' me some fun tonight, yeah

Well, long tall Sally, she's built for speed
She got everything that Uncle John need

Oh baby, yes, baby
Ooh baby, havin' me some fun tonight, yeah

Well, I saw Uncle John with bald head Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin' and he ducked back in the alley

Oh baby, yes, baby
Ooh baby, havin' me some fun tonight, yeah

We're gonna have some fun tonight
We're gonna have some fun tonight

Ooh, Have some fun tonight
Every thing's all right

Have some fun
Havin' me some fun tonight


5 Years Later

Even though the songs they recorded didn't made it big, the band were still performing together. But the number of members were reduce from seven to four because they have other pursuits in their hometown. While she's not playing with the band, Elphaba continued her work in Shiz University, but later left to pursue a musical career with the remaining members of the band. She has been living at an apartment with her friend she met from Shiz who has the same musical taste as her and wanted to recruit him to the band, but turn it down to focus painting.

During those five years, the band changes it's name and they were becoming more well known all over Oz. They have been playing in clubs all over Oz, including the club that Elphaba tried to get in after her fight with her aunt and mother, and also larger venues. The band got a manager and got the band signed to a record label when they await the release of their first album.

Elphaba went back to Munchkinland to visit her aunt so she could get any necessary items she needs that were left behind in her aunt's home. "Why didn't you telephone for five years?" Lily asked.

"I don't have a telephone in the place I was staying." Elphaba said.

"Do you have anything of use in that hole you call a home?"

"Just Gus' paintings and his ashtrays, that's all. But mostly paintings"

"Oh, you'll catch something rotten. So why are you here?"

"Here to tell you that I'm off to Arendelle."

"Arendelle? It's really cold place to go for a vacation."

"I'll be gone for a couple of months. Maybe even more. It's enough time for me to find my sister."

"And this new group of yours. Oh, what are they called again?"

"Do you really care?" Elphaba said and Lily gave her a look which prompted Elphaba to tell her. "My group is called 'The Wicked' and it's only me, Glinda, Fiyero, and Boq. Glinda still sings in my band and we still write songs together, but she has to play bass now. Fiyero doesn't sing much and Boq rejoined the band after he practiced drumming for five years."

"And are you currently seeing anyone special?"

"Not quite, but I'm starting to have feelings for Fiyero."

"So when will you leave for Arendelle?"

"This Friday, but I need my birth certificate. I need to get a passport." Lily went upstairs to get Elphaba's birth certificate. While she waited for her aunt, Elphaba stared at a picture of herself as a child that was sitting right by the fireplace.

"There you go." Lily said and gave the birth certificate.

"Oh and could you sign this, please?" Elphaba asked as she gave her a document.

"Where do I sign?"

"Where it says parent or guardian."

"But which one am I?"

"Both." Elphaba happily replied and Lily hugged her. She signed the document and gave it back to Elphaba. Before she left, Elphaba saw a plaque that she never saw before hanging beside the door. "Strawberry Fields?" Elphaba asked

"Yes, it the name of this house now. It was named after the time me and my sister did before... well you know what happened."

"It's a nice way to honor mom." Elphaba said.

"I know. I know." Lily said trying to hold back the tears.

"Don't worry about me, Lily. I'll call when I get to Arendelle." Elphaba said.

"Don't forget, please." Lily said. Elphaba kissed her aunt in the cheek and left the home.

Elphaba indeed call Lily when she arrived in Arendelle… and will do it every week.


That's the end of this story. Review On how it went.