Chapter 21: The Moments Of Happiness
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Well, here's a summary of what happened from the fainting up to now: I woke up and Bombalurina was there and then we all sat down with our friends and she laid down on my chest but then Munkustrap reminded us there was a ball going on and we needed to get back to the clearing so we went but Demeter asked Bombalurina to walk with her so she kissed me goodbye and I decided to go up to my rocking chair.
And here I am!
As I looked about the junkyard, I noticed a bunch of cats: Exotica climbed past Munkustrap and Old D and onto the car. Coricopat and Tantomile slunked together over to Cassandra. Cetty and Plato began wrestling on top of the oven, and then fell off and continued wrestling. I leaned forward when I saw Demeter and Bombalurina enter and-
WOOOOAH!
I saw the top of the TS-E1 rushing up fast, but luckily for me I landed on my feet. But then I stumbled, and flipped completely over Exotica and landed on my butt. "Ow!" I cried, blushing when I noticed Cass, Cori, and Tanti all looking at me with amused grins. "Hi!" I said, trying to be cheerful. All the other Jellicles soon entered, some playing.
But then I noticed Old Deuteronomy was being very silent. Everyone else sooned realized this, and they became quiet as well.
I just sat there, but then I cuaght sight of a doorway. Jelly was leading Gus through it! Gus was an actor cat, but now he was really old, like, older then Old D, which meant he was really old. He was very nice, and his stories never got boring (unlike Dad's, sorry Dad!). Alonzo, Mom, and Dad all greeted him, and I noticed how frail he looked. I ran over to him and said "Hi, Gus!". Gus smiled at me, and I smiled back, before walking away and sitting down next to Bomba. She smiled and kissed me on the cheek. I saw Quaxo stare with his mouth open. Looks like everyone still found it unbelievable.
Suddenly, Old D began to sing, and everything became silent except for his voice.
The moments of happiness
We had the experience but missed the meaning
And approach to the meaning restores the experience
In a different form, beyond any meaning
We can assign to happiness . . .
Huh? I couldn't really understand him...and no one else could apparantly. But I knew if Old D was saying it then it must have been important. I began listening harder....
Aw, dang it. I still don't understand it. He's being way too philosiphol for me.......did I spell that right? It's amazing how I can mispell words in my own mind...
The past experience revived in the meaning
Is not the experience of one life only
But of many generations - not forgetting
Something that is probably quite ineffable
I still didn't understand him. Although, I figured he might have been trying to sing something about happiness, since he's used that word...let's see, "moments of"...."can assign to"...twice. So, he's singing about happiness.
But WHAT exactly about happiness?
Hey, what are Cori and Tanti doing?
Cori looked like he was spazzing out. His body shook, and then he layed down on his stomach, but his knees were still up. He reached his hand out and it started to spazz too. You know, I always thought Admetus was kind of a spazz...
CURSE MY WANDERING TRAIL OF THOUGHT!
Then Tantomile took her brothers paw. He lifted himself up (yeesh, his arm looks like it would hurt at that angle) slightly, but then something wierd happened. I shot Tumble a confused look as Tantomile reached her hand, and Jemima placed her paw in hers. And she didn't even look at Tanti. Tumblebrutus returned the look.
Then, Jemima stood up, and I gasped at the look on her face - it was the same look Victoria got when the moon was shining on her.
Mystified. Then, she sang:
Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
Suddenly, I knew what Old Dueteronomy was saying:
We will never truly know the meaning of real happiness until we allow ourselves to feel it, and live out our days trying to make happiness.
I was in awe. Old D must have contacted Cori and Tanti and Jemima...but why Jemima? She wasn't magical or psychic...
Maybe it was the moon.
I felt like singing. So I did, and I was pleased when I heard the voices of my fellow Jellicles singing with me,
Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
Suddenly, we all stood up. We stared up to the moon.
I was transfixed. Not by the moon, but....by the stars. The stars were very pretty tonight. You'd think, with this place being London, one of the largest cities in England (I think), there wouldn't be that many, but..
There was.
And then Gus stood up.
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Done!