As Sweet As Chocolate

Augustus Gloop & Veruca Salt

Grandpa George's prediction was right when I turned on the little television in the candy store to watch the news. The first golden ticket winner was a plump boy named Augustus Gloop, from Dusseldorf, Germany. Since there were only two customers looking around the store, I leaned against the counter and watched Augustus being interviewed. It disgusted me the fact that he had chocolate smothered all over his mouth as he was talking.

"I am eating the Wonka bar and I taste something that is not chocolate...or coconut...or walnut...or peanut butter...or nougat...or butter brittle...or caramel...or sprinkles. So, I look and I find a golden ticket." Augustus told his story and he held up his golden ticket, which the top left corner of it had been chewed off.

"Augustus, how did you celebrate?" A reporter asked him. "I eat more candy." Augustus answered, then, and, without hesitating, he took a Wonka bar out of his pocket, tore off the wrapper, and started stuffing it into his mouth, which made me wince in disgust even more.

"We knew Augustus would find the golden ticket. He eats so many candy bars a day, that is was not possible for him not to find one." Augustus' mother said, braggingly, as she held up Augustus' hand that had the golden ticket in it and smiled, proudly, while her son was still eating.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, a little. "Only four more golden tickets left." I muttered to myself. I was certain that Charlie and my family found out about the news too. 'Who will be the next golden ticket winner?' I thought to myself, as I turned off the little television.

***

It was night time as I was leaving the candy shop to go home after I was done with my shift. When I got home, I noticed that Charlie and my grandparents were watching something on our little television. "The second ticket has been found, Emmy." Charlie said, as he was sitting in the middle of the bed with our grandparents. "What?" I exclaimed.

I was surprised. A few hours ago, I found out that the first ticket has been found and now the second one has been found already. Wow. That was quick.

I walked over, grabbed a chair, sat down next to Grandpa Joe, and watched the second golden ticket winner being interview. The winner was a girl named Veruca Salt, from Buckinghamshire, England. She stood there, with the biggest fake smile on her face, as she held up her golden ticket in her hands, with her rich parents standing behind her.

"Veruca. Can you spell that for us, please?" A reporter asked her. "V-E-R-U-C-A. Veruca Salt." She answered, sounding seemingly sweet, with that smile never leaving her face.

Then, her father stepped in and explained on how she got her golden ticket. "As soon as my little Veruca told me she had to have one of these golden tickets,I started buying up all the Wonka bars I could lay my hands on. Thousand of them. Hundreds of thousands.

"I'm in the nut business, you see, so I say to my workers, 'Morning, ladies. From now on, you can stop shelling peanuts and start shelling the wrappers off these chocolate bars instead.' Three days went by and we had no luck. It was terrible. My little Veruca got more and more upset each day.

"Well, gentlemen, I just hated to see my little girl feeling unhappy like that. I vowed I would keep up the search until I could get her what she wanted. And finally, I found her a ticket." Mr. Salt finished explaining.

I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. That spoiled little brat got that golden ticket without even looking for it. Her parents must've spoiled her rotten.

"She's even worse than the fat one." Grandpa George said. "I couldn't agree more, Grandpa George." I said, while, slowly, shaking my head. "But I thought that wasn't really fair. She didn't find the ticket herself." Charlie said, frowning a bit. I put my hand on his knee to comfort him. "Don't worry, Charlie. That man spoils his daughter and no good ever comes from spoiling a child like that." Grandpa Joe stated.

Moments later, mother and father walked through the door and they walked towards us, eagerly, with mother hiding something behind her back. "Charlie, mom and I thought that you would like to open your Birthday present tonight." Father said. Charlie smiled.

Then, father turned off the television as he and mother stood in front of Charlie. "Here you are." Mother said, as she handed Charlie his Birthday present, which was wrapped in a comic strip newspaper page.

Mother and father kneeled down next to the bed as Charlie started unwrapping his present. Once he tore the paper off, it was a Wonka Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight bar.

Charlie smiled down at the Wonka bar, but, then, he spoke. "Maybe I should wait till morning." He said. "Like hell." Grandpa George scoffed. I looked at him, while raising an eyebrow. "Pops." Father said, in a warning tone. Then, I looked back at Charlie. "All together, we're three hundred and eighty-one years old. We don't wait." Grandpa Joe said, encouraging Charlie to open it.

After that, Charlie began opening the Wonka bar, slowly. "Now, Charlie, you mustn't feel too disappointed, you know, if you don't get the..." Mother informed Charlie, knowing that he shouldn't get his hopes up if he doesn't get the golden ticket. "Whatever happens, you'll still the have the candy." Father said, positively.

Then, Charlie resumed to take the tin foil off the Wonka bar. We all leaned in, eagerly, to see what was underneath the tin foil. As soon as Charlie removed it, there was no golden ticket. We all looked down, feeling disappointed, especially me and Charlie. "Ah, well. That's that." Grandpa Joe spoke, breaking the silence.

Charlie looked up and said, "We'll share it." "Oh, Charlie, no. Not your Birthday present." I said. He looked at me and said, "It's my Birthday present. I can do what I want with it." Then, he broke each piece of his Wonka bar and he handed a piece to each of us. "Thank you, Charlie." I said, softly, as I took the piece Charlie gave me.

As soon as we all got a piece, Charlie started eating small bites of his piece and, then, we all started eating our pieces of chocolate. When I took a small bite of my piece, I instantly melted into the taste of the milk chocolate. It tasted so good. It tasted just like the same piece of chocolate that I got from the mysterious man from yesterday. I was still curious to know who that man was.