We Can Create a World of Our Own: A Lottie Bell and Willy Wonka story

Willy Learns To Read

Noodle dragged her cart away from the laundry. I was hidden in a laundry bag on the back along with the other workers. “He came back?!”

“Yes.” I responded.

“A little green man?” Abacus asked.

“Orange man, green hair.” Piper corrected.

“Yes! I set a trap and he walked right into it!” I said. I didn’t include the fact that Lottie helped me because I didn’t want to risk Bleacher and Mrs. Scrubbit finding out and get her in trouble for sneaking out of her room.

“So where is he?” Noodle asked.

“We had a fight, you see. He won. Hit me on the head with a frying pan and jumped out the window.”

“Of course he did.” Noodle stopped the cart in the quiet alley just out of sight of the laundry. I emerged from my laundry bag.

One by one, the others emerged from their bags,“You don't believe me, do you?”

“Honestly? No.”

“No.” Piper said.

“No.” Abacus said.

“No.” Larry said.

Lottie looked like she wanted to believe me but didn’t, “Definitely not.” In all fairness I didn’t tell her that the thief was an Oompa Loompa, I just said that he was a thief so I can’t fault her for that.

“But if we have to take a day off, at least I can give you another reading lesson.” Noodle said.

“Not reading.” I whined.

“Yes, reading.”

Abacus exchanges a sly look with Lottie, “Good idea, Noodle. We'll run a few errands and meet you later.”

“It'll be fun! We're going on a field trip. To the library.” Noodle said excitedly. Noodle bounded up the steps to a library. I hesitated, too nervous to go in. She drags me by the hand. “Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination. Here for free, you can see every fact and fabrication.” She led me in and opened an atlas, “Take a look in this book you can visit every single nation, even fly through the sky's constellations!” Noodle turned the page to an astronomical map and I stared at it amazed. “If you want to see Paradise, Simply turn a page and view it.” Noodle opened a copy of a book and I beamed at the illustration of an angel. “Find out how Da Vinci drew it? Want to go to Mars? There's nothing to it.” She opened more books and I looked at them entranced by Da Vinci’s helicopter and Jules Vern’s rocket. “Spend the day far away in a world of pure imagination. Stay up late reading Great--”

“Expectations!” I sang as I read the title.

“Say that again.”

“‘Great Expectations, a novel in three volumes by Charles Dickens.’ Noodle, I can read!” I said excitedly.

“You can read!”

“I CAN READ!!!” various readers shushed me and I said quietly, “Sorry! I can read! You've given me the world, Noodle. I can go anywhere.” I raced through the library, glancing over other readers' shoulders at their books. “Down the rabbit hole with Alice to the Mad Hatter's tea party! Across the seas with Moby Dick! Into the cellar with Cinderella - and yes, Noodle, we shall go to the ball.” Noodle and I waltzed in the library lost in our daydream of illustrated people dancing in a ballroom.

“If you want to see Paradise, Simply turn a page and view it. Find out how Da Vinci drew it? Want to go to Mars? There's nothing to it.” Everyone sang.

The library clock chimes twelve snapping us out of it and Noodle sings, “There is no life I know that compares with pure imagination. But now he's made me dream there's a better world for me.”

“A whole world of literature, Noodle. Where should we start?”

“How about here?” The rest of the wash house workers arrived. Abacus handed Noodle an envelope which she slid across to me.

I opened it confused, “‘Commercial Leasehold Agreement.’” I looked at Noodle questioningly.

“Go on.”

“It gets better.” Larry said.

“‘The following is a leasehold agreement between the management board of the Galeries Gourmet, hereinafter the landlord, and Mr. William Wonka..." That's me.’” I stared at the paper flabbergasted.

“You know that shop? The one you've been dreaming of?” I nodded and Abacus held up a set of keys.

Willy opened the door of the shop, scarcely able to breathe. The shop has seen better days. Paint is peeling off the walls and the ceiling has fallen in, sending an old chandelier crashing to the floor -- but it's still somehow magical. I looked around, speechless. The others followed me in. “Now I know what you're thinking. It may need a little work…” Abacus said.

“If that's a joke, it's not funny. And I know not-funny.” Larry said.

Piper fits two ends of a cable together and the lights came on, “Looks like someone left the water running and the ceiling fell through. And the ceiling above that. And the ceiling above that!”

“But that means we can afford it - for a week, anyway.” Abacus said.

“And we’d finally be legitimate. The police would have no excuse to keep bothering us.” Lottie said.
“What do you think, Willy? Do you like it?” Noodle asked nervously.

I finally stopped malfunctioning and was able to speak, “Do I like it?! Noodle, it's just how I always imagined. No. Scratch that. Better than I imagined. I mean sure, it's a wreck, but look at the potential, the bones! This is going to be the best chocolate shop in the world. You’re not going to be scrub scrubbing much longer, Noodle. We'll all be free! As free as flamingoes!” Noodle ran up and hugged me.

“Alright! We're not out of the woods yet. We'd best get back to the Wash House before roll call…” Abacus said after a minute.