"Wonka" by Mariah Picon

Chapter 2: Willy Meet Bleacher

Later that night, Willy walks down some steps leading to the river away fromthe Galeries Gourmet, wistfully singing the last verse. Willy sings the song to be able to finished it.

n this city, anyone can be successful
If they've talent and work hard, or so they say
But they didn't mention it would be so stressful
Just to make a dozen silver sovereigns last more than a day

Willy passes a young mother and baby who were shivering to be too cold under a bridge.

Could you spare a sovereign for aplace to sleep, love?

Of course. Take all you need.

The young mother takes two sovereigns from his hand, leaving him one.

I've got one silver sovereign in my pocket

Willy flips his last sovereign into the air and catches it inhis coat pocket. But the coin falls through a hole in thelining and down a drain. Willy sighs, but then smiles.

And a hatful of dreams

The song finally ends as Willy sits on a bench and takes off his hat. From inside, he magics a bedside candle. He blows on it andthe flame lights. He then produces an alarm clock and glass.He produces A pot and pours steaming hot chocolate into theglass, puts his hat back on and stirs his drink with a spoon.A hulking great bull mastiff approaches and starts snappingat Willy's trousers. Willy nervously tries to shoo him away.

"Oh! Hello there! Shoo! Shoo!" Willy shouted.

The dog takes no notice of him.

"Stop! Sit!" A Man's voice shouted.

The dog immediately sits and calms down. A tough-looking, broken-toothed oldbruiser emerges from the shadows, it was Bleacher.

"Sorry about Tiddles. He seems tohave taken a shine to your legs." Bleacher said.

"Must be these pants. I got themfrom a mailman in Minsk." Willy said.

"That'll be it. Tiddles'd spend allday pursuing postal workers if hecould, wouldn't you boy?" Bleacher asked to Tiddles.

The dog agrees to answer. Bleacher casts a glance at Willy's set up.

"You're not planning on sleepingthere, are you, son?" Bleacher asked to Willy.

"It's only for one night. By thistime tomorrow, I plan to have mademy fortune." Willy answered.

"By this time tomorrow, you'll befrozen solid." Bleacher said.

"Oh, don't be ridic..." Willy said.

Willy goes to stir his hot chocolate, but it has gone frozen solid.

"Perhaps it is a little cold forcamping. But unfortunately, I'm nolonger in a position to pay for aroom." Willy said.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But as luckwould have it, I know someone whomight be able to help you out." Bleacher said.

"Really?" Willy asked.

Bleacher leads Willy through the winding, cobbled streets of a poorer part of town, bottles clinking in his pocket.

"Here we are, Mr. Wonka. Home sweet home." Bleacher said.

Tiddles pawed at the door to a laundry, shuttered for the night. On the wall is its name: "Scrubitt and Bleacher". There was a harsh, grating voice shouts from within.

"Get your filthy paws off my front door, you miserable mutt." Mrs. Scrubitt said to Tiddles.

Bleacher chuckles indulgently.

"If that's you, Bleacher, you'd better have that gin!" Mrs. Scrubitt shouted to Bleacher.

"Oh, I've got something better than gin, Mrs Scrubitt. A guest." Bleacher said.

A slot on the door opens to reveal the narrow, suspicious eyes of Mrs. Scrubitt, which lights up as she sees Willy.

"Ooh, well why didn't you say? Come on in, sir!" Mrs. Scrubitt said, in an oily charm tone.