Part 4
I stare as the fire comes back to life in the fireplace "And with that the spirits of Scrooge's partners vanished into the darkness, leaving him once again alone in his room", Munk said
"Whoa that's scary stuff", Quaxo says but I don't know if he was talking to me or Munk. "Hey should we be worried about the kids in the audience?" What kids? I'm 21 thank you very much!
"No this is alright, this is culture", Munk says and I roll my eyes.
"Oh… jellybean? I had them in my pocket all along?"
Munk just growls.
"What", Quaxo asks and Munk looks at him. Quaxo kisses his nose. As they start to bicker I watch Bustopher again. He was getting into his bedroom. That's when I realize that we can't see him from here anymore. Munk knows that too and climbs a gate and jumps over it. Quaxo stares after him in horror. I easily step over it and offer my help to Quaxo. But Quaxo doesn't seem to notice me.
"Come on", Munk urges him on.
"But I really hate this", Quaxo says from on top of the gate, looking horrified. I notice that a kitten his size could easily fit through the bars but since he takes no notice of my politeness I refuse to help him.
"You wanted to know what was happening", Munk says. "Now Scrooge's bedchamber is on this side of the house. Jump!"
"T-there is only two things in this life I hate, heights and jumping from them."
Munk sighs. "Too late now. Come on I'll catch ya."
Quaxo shudders. "God save my little broken body", he says and jumps off the gate with a scream… and Munk missed him As Quaxo gingerly gets up Munk walks up to him with a guilty face and says:
"Missed."
"Argh", Quaxo growls. "Oh wait a second I forgot my jellybeans!" He squeezes through the gate, gets them and comes back. Munk just stares at him.
"What", Quaxo asks.
"You can fit through those bars?" Munk asks.
Quaxo looks at the bars and then back to Munk.
"Yeah", he says.
"You are such an idiot", Munk remarks.
"What? What? Hey what", Quaxo asks and they walk up to Bustopher's bedroom window. I bent down to watch. But suddenly I feel something move underneath my foot. I lift it up and a tree springs up from where it was. I thought it odd since Munk and Quaxo didn't even seem to notice that tree popping out of the ground. Speaking of odd things… where the heck did all other humans go? I shrug and look in through the window and see a bed with the curtains pulled together. I guess Bustopher is in that bed sleeping. That's when the bell tolls one. Munk and Quaxo have climbed up the tree and for some odd reason… that tree is getting bigger… much bigger. I grab on to it and hang on for dear life. The tree isn't getting bigger, I'm getting smaller!
"Oh dear", Munk says and picks me up. I'm smaller than a thumb! "Um… ah!" He puts me in his chest pocket. Oh yeah that's a good idea… I'm hanging on to the edge and look at the window. The candle dies and Munk screams:
"Expect the first ghost when the bell tolls one!"
The dark window light up so bright and so fast that Quaxo nearly fall out of the tree… but Munk grabbed his tail and pulled him up. Bustopher throws the curtains aside and try to see in the bright light. The light fades slightly and we can all see a thing floating in the air. It looked like a kitten doll made of porcelain, completely white and with blue eyes.
"Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me", Bustopher asks it.
"I am", she said.
"But… you're just a kitten."
"I can remember nearly 1900 years", she says and comes closer to him. "I'm the ghost of Christmas Past."
"What business has brought you here?"
"You're welfare."
"Ha! A night's unbroken rest might aid my welfare."
"Your salvation then. Take heed. Come." She held out her hand to him and the window opened.
"I beg you spirit I… I'm only a cat. I will fall", Bustopher said in horror.
"A touch of my hand and you shall fly."
Oh I really gotta see this. When Bustopher and the ghost flies past us Munk throws a grappling hook at him and Munk, Quaxo and I are joining them on their journey… I journey I don't want to and won't tell you about since it was so horrible. Let's just say that Munk highly enjoyed it, I was protected from it and Quaxo was terrified by it.
"And so they arrived in Bustopher Scrooge's childhood", Munk said as we took ground. He and Quaxo must've been a funny sight. They were both covered in twigs and trash and dirt.
"That was the worst trip of my life", Quaxo said horrified.
"Well it's over now", Munk says to cheer him up.
"Yeah safe at last", Quaxo says.
"Woof", a dog says behind him. Quaxo looks at it.
"Oh no", he says and then runs… the dog following him close behind.
"It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve", Munk went on while ignoring Quaxo's life threatening situation. "And Scrooge was conscious of a thousand odors, each of them connected to thousands hopes, joys and cares long long forgotten." I watch with a soft smile as Bustopher walks around happily, remembering his old school and his old friends. But the he calls out to doesn't seem to notice him.
"These are but shadows of your past Bustopher", the ghost said. "They can neither see nor hear you."
Ha! I know how that feels like!
"Come let us go inside", she goes on. As the ghost begs him to enter Munk follows. But he turns around when he notices that Quaxo isn't with him. He rolls his eyes when Quaxo runs around with that dog behind him.
"Quaxo stop playing with that dog", he says.
"Save me save me save me", Quaxo screams as he runs towards us with the dog behind him.
"Okay", Munk says almost nonchalant and enters the old school with Quaxo. As the dog comes towards us Munk shuts the door and the dog hit its full force.
"Wo… aow", it groans.
Somehow, don't ask me exactly how, Munk and Quaxo got onto a shelf with some statues. One was of Aristotle, another of Dante, one was of Moliere and the last one was of Shakespeare.
"And what a flood of memories came back to him as Scrooge beheld his old classroom", Munk told me and Quaxo.
"I know it all so well spirit", Bustopher says as he walks around in the empty classroom. "The desks… the smell of the chalk… I chose my profession in this room."
"And is he too familiar", the ghost asked and Bustopher and I as well noted a small tom-kit in the corner. I wondered who that was but I was sure I already knew the answer.
"Scrooge beheld a small tom-kit", Munk said. "A tom-kit he knew oh very well indeed."
"Oh good heavens", Bustopher said. "It's me."
Two other kits ran up to him.
"Come on Bustopher the last cart is leaving", one of them said.
"Come on he never goes home at Christmas", the other says.
"Who cares about stupid old Christmas?" Young Bustopher snapped.
"I was often alone", Bustopher said somewhat sad. "More time for reading and study… The Christmas Holliday was the time to… get some extra work done. Time for… solitude."
"I don't understand these things", I said and Munk takes notice to me.
"You were never a lonely child", he asks.
"I have six brothers and sisters."
"Geez you don't understand these things", Munk says.
We turn back to Bustopher and the ghost.
"Let's watch another Christmas in this place", the ghost said.
"They were all… very much the same", Bustopher said sadly. "Nothing ever changed."
"You changed."
Suddenly Young Bustopher moves around and gets older each time and the school aged too.
"The years performed their terrible dance and in a moment Scrooge had seen his entire childhood pass", Munk said. "He watched his old school room age and decay." Just as he said that Shakespeare's nose fell off and the shelf we sat on broke. Quaxo was almost crushed by the busts and Munk and I almost got crushed by them and Quaxo.
"So master Scrooge, graduation day", a voice said and I look up to see a big cat with red eyes walk around.
"That's my old headmaster", Bustopher said as the headmaster just kept babbling on. "This tom taught my greatest lesson."
"Stand up", said headmaster Firefrorefiddle. "Build your life as this schools I built."
Munk and Quaxo started to push on the busts to get the shelf stable again. Quaxo's:
"My ear my ear!" drowned out most of what the headmaster said.
"Aw yes work hard", the headmaster said, I could now hear since Munk and Quaxo lost grip of the busts and nearly got crushed again. "Work long and be constructive. Oh Bustopher life is a golden opportunity today you go forth into the real world!" Everything in my vision jerked as Munk moved so that he was pushing on Quaxo's feet and Quaxo pushed on the busts. But I could still hear the headmaster babble.
"You must keep your nose to the grindstone", he said. "Work hard lad and one day", the busts moved. "You will be as solid as this very building!" They toppled over the other side of the shelf and the three of us followed. The headmaster looked at us.
"Hm…" he said. "I've been meaning to fix that shelf."
"Yes headmaster", young Bustopher said.
"Well young man you have been apprenticed to a fine company in London. Today you become a man of business!" He said the word as if it was something holy.
"I'm looking forward to it headmaster."
"Mm you will love… business. It's the American way."
"Oi", Munk said and pulled on Firefrorefiddle's coat. He whispered something… rude to him.
"Oh", Firefrorefiddle said. "It is the Brittish way."
"Good", Munk said and hurried off.
"Yes headmaster", Young Bustopher said.
"Mm… hm?" He looked after Munk. "Oh here is your coachman Bustopher."
"Come Scrooge there is much to see", the ghost said and drowned out the headmaster but I still heard him say:
"Remember don't tip the driver."
In the next moment we appeared on a cold snowy street in London and somehow Munk and Quaxo had gotten into lamp-lighter outfits.
"A moment later Scrooge found himself standing on a city street looking at a building he had not seen in years", Munk said pointing with his lighter-thingy at Bustopher.
"Tell me Bustopher Scrooge", said the ghost. "Do you know this place?"
"Know it", he answered. "My first job was here! This is Asparagus Sr.'s Rubber Chicken Factory!"
"Once again it was Christmas Eve, night was falling and the lamp-lighters were plying their trade", Munk said and tried to lit a lamp… but put Quaxo's tail on fire instead.
"Hey, hey, hey hey hey hey", Quaxo said. "Light the lamp not the cat! Light the lamp not the cat!" The last was yelled in hysterics.
"Oops my apologies", Munk said.
"What are you doing! Put me out put me out put me out!"
"Um", Munk said looking around and saw a frozen bucket of water below the lamp.
"Put me out put me out put me out!"
"Quaxo!" Munk yelled.
"WHAT?"
Munk pushed him down from the lamp and Quaxo disappeared into the bucket. When he got up he was shivering.
"T-t-t-t-th-th-thank you!" he called up to Munk.
"You're welcome", he got for an answer and Munk climbed down. He tried to fish Quaxo out of the bucket. "Quaxo come on. Quaxo just grab hold of the stick.
Inside the rubber chicken factory everything the party was already going on and Munk hurried inside with a frozen Quaxo. He was frozen solid onto a stick. A beautiful queen walked by him.
"Whoa", Munk said and saw a big concrete thingy. "Ah!" He hit Quaxo against it and the ice cracked and Quaxo looked at him annoyed.
"I suppose I should be grateful for that", he said in a huff.
"You're welcome", Munk said not taking hint of that. Quaxo just groaned in anger and walked off. In the middle of the room Asparagus Holden Sr. was trying to make himself heard.
"Excuse me", he called. "Um could I have your attention please?"
Above on an alcove two very familiar, but alive, cats stood. Bustopher saw them too.
"It's the Marley siblings", he said. "My old partners as young cats."
Finally the party quieted down and Asparagus could hold his speech.
"That's better", he said. "Welcome everyone to Asparagus Sr. and daughter's annual Christmas party. At this time in the proceedings it is a tradition for me to make a little speech."
"And oit ois a tradition for us ta take a loittle nap", Jerrie called to and his sister laughed.
"Um pay no attention to them", Asparagus said. "My speech… here's my Christmas speech… Thank you all and Merry Christmas."
"That wos tha speech", Jerrie asked.
"Oit wos dumb!" Teazer called.
"Oit wos obvious!"
"Oit wos poin'less!"
"Oit wos… short…"
"Oi love' oit!" they both yelled.
"I'm bored with speeches", Asparagus' daughter said. "Let's dance dad!"
"Here's Ms. Holden to start the party! Why to go daughter!"
"Hit it boys!" Jellylorum Holden called to the band. The band started out with a soft song and Munk, Quaxo and I (still in Munk's pocket) went around. Quaxo saw some cute queen-kits.
"Hello", he said but Munk pulled him on. "Hey look there's a buffet over here! I'm kinda hungry."
They went over to a grey cat that was standing by a table. He slurred out something that sounded like:
"In this hoodiw wodi wusky!"
I recognized the tone as Deck the halls. He then open the plates and two pair of birds started to sing:
"Fala la la la la la la la!"
"Uh… forget it", Quaxo said. "Mother always taught me not to eat singing food."
I giggled and then saw a young tom that looked a lot like Bustopher. I realized it must've been him. Let's call him Scrooge to make it easier. Scrooge walked up to Asparagus with a paper in hand.
"Excuse me Mister Holden", he said and by then Bustopher noticed him too.
"Excuse me", Asparagus said to the guests he was talking to.
"Sir", Scrooge went on. "I've been going over the accounts. Do you know how much the firm is spending for this party?"
Asparagus read through the paper Scrooge gave him.
"Master Scrooge", he said sounding almost sad. "This is Christmas huh it's a time for generosity. Stop working enjoy yourself", he threw away the paper. "Go meet some cats go on go ahead." He then turned to some rats he knew. "oh hello."
That's when the drummer had enough. He let loose on the drums and the party really started. Everyone started to dance, even Mungojerrie Marley.
"You dancin' fool", his sister said but he just laughed and danced. Then I noticed Asparagus walk through the crowd with a gorgeous young queen with a black and grey coat.
"I love these annual Christmas parties", Asparagus was saying. "I love it so much I think of doing it twice a year."
Scrooge collided with the queen.
"Excuse me", he said and their eyes met and they stood there looking at each other. I could almost smell the love in the air.
"Oh master Scrooge", Asparagus said sounding happy.
"Excuse me", Scrooge said again. The queen smiled at him.
"Bella", Asparagus went on. "I'd like to introduce you to Bustopher Scrooge, the finest financial mind in the city. Bustopher this is Grizabella, a friend of the Holden family."
"I'm pleased to meet you", Grizabella said. Scrooge didn't say anything but kissed her hand. Bustopher had been walking closer to them and he looked sad.
"You remember this meeting", the ghost asked him.
"Remember", Bustopher asked weakly. "Yes… I remember."
I was wondering what could have happened between these two since Bustopher was all alone now and childless.
"There was of course another Christmas Eve with this young queen", the ghost went on. "Some years later."
"Oh please…" Bustopher answered. "Do not show me that Christmas."
But the ghost ignored his plea and the party vanished and I found myself, Quaxo, Munk and Bustopher and the ghost in a snow landscape. I think it was a park. In that park I could see Scrooge and Grizabella. They were… arguing.
"Another year before our wedding Bustopher", Grizabella said sadly.
"Well it can't be helped Bella", he answered her. "How could we marry now there isn't even enough for a decent home. The investments haven't grown as they should."
"So you said last year."
"Business continues to be poor."
"You're a partner in your own firm now", she said and he looked annoyed.
"With barley clearing expenses", he said and rose.
"You said the partnership was the goal."
"This is for you! I love you Bella."
She looked at him. "You did once." With that she rose and left him there all alone. Quaxo was crying rivers and my bottom lip was trembling. Munk put his arm around Quaxo and held him close.
"Oh Quaxo", he said hugging the crying kitten. Bustopher was also crying.
"Spirit show me no more", he said sadly. "Why do you delight in torture me?"
"I told you", she answered. "These were the shadows of things that had been. That they are what they are do not blame me."
"Leave me!" Bustopher sat down and cried and the park faded and he was once again alone in his chamber.
TBC I still don't own anything! Sorry about the delay I will finish it ALL today.
HGP - I hope you continue to like it :)
Missa Catlover - Thank you happy you're enjoying it.