Chapter thirty-four
Kermit slid to a stop in front of room 218. He paused to catch his breath, and straightened his collar.
“James?” he heard his mother say, “Could you straighten this pillow for me?”
“Sure,” his father answered. “Is it bothering you?”
“A little... Thank you dear.”
“You’re welcome, Jane.”
Kermit cautiously walked into the room. “Hi Mom, hi Dad,” he said.
“
There’s Kermit,” the old frog said as he stood up. He walked over to his son and put a hand on his shoulder. “Your collar’s inside out,” he whispered.
“I know,” Kermit whispered.
The old frog patted him on the back and walked out of the room, lightly leaning on his cane.
Kermit sat down next to the bed in the armchair his father had just vacated. The bed was raised so that his mother was sitting almost upright. “You look like you’re doing pretty well,” he said.
She nodded. “A little tired, but yes.” She touched the bandage that wound around her head like a crown. “The doctor will do some tests tomorrow, and we’ll see if this new treatment really works,” she said with a smile.
Kermit nodded. “Yup,” he said. He perched his leg up on the chair with him and rested his elbow on it.
She tilted her head a little to the side. “Kermit,” she said, “There’s something different about you.”
His face fell. “There is?” he said, hoping she hadn’t noticed his inside out collar.
“Mm-hm.” She suddenly smiled. “You’ve been playing your banjo, haven’t you?” she said in her forever-gentle voice. “Did you friends bring it? Your father said they came.”
Kermit smiled. “Yup,” he said. “They came during your operation. They’re at the hotel now. But yes, they brought my banjo, and I’ve been playing it.”
“Good,” she said. “It almost didn’t seem like you were home, without it.”
“Really?” Kermit teased. “I sure thought I was here.”
The elderly lady frog shook her head. “You know what I mean,” she said softly. “I know you’re happier when you play it.”
He shrugged, stood up, and hugged her. “I know who to thank for that,” he whispered.
“So do I,” she said as she hugged him back.
He sat down on the bed. “I guess I’ve gone pretty far with that banjo, haven’t I?” he thought aloud. “From the swamp, and Leland, to Sesame Street, and then Hollywood...”
“And the theater,” his mother said quietly. “I’m very proud of you, Kermit.”
He looked up at her, almost unsure of how to respond. “Well... Gee,” he said, “...Thanks Mom.”
She nodded slowly, and then sighed. “And now you have Robin with you, too,” she said. “You take good care of him, don’t you? You get him to sleep on time, and make sure he eats enough flies, and you help him study...”
Kermit nodded. “Yup,” he said. “Although sometimes I can’t get back to the boarding house by his bedtime. I have him go with some of the other guys, but... he likes to wait up for me.”
“Well,” she said, “You do what you can.”
He nodded. “I try to, anyway.”
“He looks up to you, you know,” she said. “Make sure you set a good example for him, Kermit, because he’s following your flippersteps.”
Kermit shook his head. “I would rather he make his own flippersteps, and not just follow in mine,” he said.
“He will,” she assured him. “But he still needs you to guide him.”
He nodded. “I know,” he said. “And I will.”
“Good,” she said. She reached out, took his hand, and squeezed it. “Make sure he follows his star, Kermit,” she said, “But don’t forget to follow yours as well.”
“My star leads me to guide him,” Kermit said. “By following my star, I’m leading him... And a bunch of bears and pigs and dogs and chickens and things.”
She squeezed his hand again. “I’m glad, Kermit,” she said. “That makes me very glad.” The elderly lady frog leaned back into her pillow and sighed.
Kermit perched his leg up on the edge of the bed and rested his hand on his knee. “Mom?” he asked. “What about your star?”
She smiled. “Oh I still follow it,” she said. She put her hand over her heart. “But now it’s in here. Its light is in the sky. But the rest of it is in here.” She sighed lightly. “I should get some sleep though, Kermit,” she said.
He nodded. “What kind of tests are they giving you tomorrow? Do you know?” he asked.
“No,” she said. “We’ll see.”
He stood up and hugged her. “Goodnight Mom,” he said. “Sleep good.”
“You too, Kermit,” she said. “Goodnight.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kermit quietly strolled down the hallway. He reached the waiting room and stopped in the doorway. His father was sitting in an armchair. His hands were resting on his cane, and his chin was resting on his hands. He looked half-asleep, but Kermit guessed that he wasn’t. Kermit stepped into the room and sat in the chair next to his father.
The old frog looked up. “She sleeping?” he asked.
Kermit shrugged. “She said she was going to,” he said.
The old frog stood up. “I should say goodnight,” he said.
“Alright,” Kermit said. He watched the old frog as he left the room. Then he sighed and leaned back in his chair.
He saw the corner of a magazine peeking out from underneath another chair. He bent down and pulled it out. He was greeted with a picture of the entire cast of the theater on the cover of a popular tabloid. His image was blacked out, with a white question mark in place of his face. “
Where in the World is Kermit the Frog? Can They Do It Without Him?” the headline read.
Kermit scrunched up his face. “Sheesh.” He dropped the tabloid and sat back in his chair. Then he bent down and picked it up again. He read the headline carefully. “Where am I? I’m right here,” he said. “I’m where I need to be now.” He stood up, walked over to the window, and looked up at the sky. “I’ll be back, though,” he whispered. “I know I’ll be back.”
He heard a cane tap on the floor and turned to see his father coming in the room. The old frog sat down in his chair and turned to his son. “I think I’ll go to sleep, too,” he said.
Kermit nodded. “Okay Dad,” he said.
The old frog settled back into the chair, and it wasn’t long before Kermit heard a snore. He turned back to the stars out the window.
“
You’ve got to follow,” he whispered, “
Follow your star... You’ve got to follow... No matter how far...”
He sat up on the windowsill and leaned against the glass. Then he watched the stars as they twinkled far off in the distance.
The next thing he knew, there was a hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. “Hey. Kermit. Wake up.”
Kermit shook his head, turned, and sat up. “Oh, hi Jimmy,” he said. “Is uh, is my shift up?”
“Yeah,” Jimmy said, “My turn to sleep here, and your turn to go back and sleep in the swamp again.” Kermit chuckled. Jimmy sat next to him on the windowsill. “Speaking of the swamp, I heard your banjo before you left.”
Kermit nodded. “Yup,” he said.
Jimmy put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Thanks for playing it,” he said. “Relaxes me. I guess, I uh... I’m kinda nervous.”
“About Mom, you mean?” Kermit asked.
“Yeah,” Jimmy said. “I’d feel better about this treatment if this wasn’t the first time anyone’s ever done it.”
“Well,” Kermit shrugged, “I guess we’ll know tomorrow if it works.”
“Yeah,” Jimmy sighed. “Well, I’ll let you get back to the swamp. Mom’s sleeping?”
“Last I checked, yeah,” Kermit said as he hopped to the floor. “Well, goodnight.”
“G’night Brother.”
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