Charlie and the Chocolate Rocket

Wonka was a madman, or at least everyone thought as much.

Over his rather secretive lifetime, away from the public eye, he had amassed a vast fortune in his family’s chocolate factory. Some years ago he sold it and imvested in a spaceport which he named Space-Z.

Space-Z had launched it’s first successful roundtrip to Mars within a year and the crew touched back down to earth just a last winter. On their flight back, his crew accidentally stumbled upon a wormhole which took them back to earth in a mere 12 hours. The wormhole remained open and since then many flights had gone back and forward successfully.

No one knew what Wonka’s astronauts were doing on Mars. It was all super secretive, just as his chocolate factory had been. The newspapers and reporters had made all kinds of wild speculations but no one knew the truth.

Rival space companies around the world were furious that they couldn’t find Wonka’s wormhole. They searched and searched but space is a very big place and they simply couldn’t find it. This meant that Wonka was the only one able to get to Mars and back in such a fast time.

As he was getting old and had no children of his own, Wonka needed to find a successor. Someone to take over running Mars after he was gone. He decided to launch a competition. He would hide 5 Golden Tickets inside a special new chocolate bar.

He had a very good relationship with the man who bought his chocolate factory because he sold it at a very fair price. This meant that when Wonka asked the man for help with his competition, the man was very happy to say of course.

Wonka created a YouTube channel and posted a video for all the world to see. He told the people that he had hidden 5 Golden Tickets inside each special Wonka Bar and that the 5 lucky children who found them would win a roundtrip to Mars on one of his extra special chocolate rockets.

The video went viral that same hour, which meant that millions and millions of people around the world all watched it. Everyone was curious to see Mr Wonka after he had stayed out of the public eye for so many decades. All of the children were very excited and jumping around with glee at the chance to go to space, but all of the adults were very scared. “What is a chocolate rocket?” they asked. “Is it safe?”

One by one, four of the Golden tickets were surely found. It didn’t take very long at all. Some children were buying thousands and thousands of them. All of the most wealthy children were spending all of their money on Wonka’s Chocolate bars in hope of winning. And four of the very rich children did win. The odds were in their favour. Now there was just one left.

Little Charlie who lived in a very normal house, in a very normal street, in a somewhat normal town really, really wanted to win. He lived with his mum, his dad and his grandpa Joe and he had given up all hopes of finding a Golden Ticket. His parents didn’t have very much money and what they did have all went on bills. At the end of each week there was only ever £1 left and they always gave half to grandpa Joe and half to Charlie.

Grandpa Joe felt very sad for Charlie. Charlie had used all of his savings from the whole year to buy himself just 5 Wonka bars. At £5 each they were very expensive for Charlie and now he had only £1 left and hadn’t found a Golden Ticket. After he saw the news that four tickets had already been found Charlie had lost all hope and decided that he couldn’t possibly win.

That night when mum and dad were fast asleep, Grandpa Joe woke Charlie up and gave him his year’s savings. Which was only £4. Grandpa had never been very good at saving his money. He liked to live in the moment because he didn’t know if he had many of those left. Grandpa Joe was already 92 years old.

At first, Charlie tried to refuse Grandpa’s money. He told Grandpa that he should keep it and explained he was certain that another rich kid would find the other Golden Ticket. “We have no chance, Grandpa,” Charlie said unhappily.

Grandpa grew stern with Charlie. He never, ever got angry at Charlie and he wasn’t really angry now, but he needed to make Charlie remember this. He put on his very best pretend angry voice and told Charlie to never, ever give up hope when there is still a chance. No matter how small that chance may be. “There is always still a chance until the ticket that last ticket is found, Charlie.”

Grandpa gave Charlie more than just his money right then. He gave Charlie hope again. And hope is a very, very powerful thing. Charlie grew excited. He now had enough money for one more Wonka Bar and made his heart smile and feel warm inside his chest once more. He had more chance at his dream coming true.

Charlie asked Grandpa to help him choose a chocolate bar tomorrow morning at the shop but Grandpa said no. He told Charlie that children have the purest hearts and so therefore they have the strongest intuition. If there was a winning chocolate bar in the shop, Charlie would surely know which one it was. He told Charlie he must choose to feel balanced and in the middle.

“Don’t be too sad or too excited when you choose, Charlie. You must be level. It is only when we are very, very calm that we can hear the quiet voice of our heart speaking. And that voice always knows what is best.”

And so the very next day before school, Charlie went to the shop alone. He tried very hard to be calm just like Grandpa told him but his heart was beating so hard that he could hear it’s sound in his ears. The shop assistant was staring at him and Charlie wondered if he could hear his loud heart beat too.

He ran his fingers over the chocolate bars in front of him and after lots of hesitating, he finally selected one. He handed over his 5 coins and raced out of the shop in excitement, almost knocking over poor Mr Maple who was also on his way to buy a Wonka bar.

As soon as Charlie got outside the shop, he tore open the pink and purple paper on his Wonka bar and peeled back the golden foil. His heart immediately sank and a warm, fat tear rolled down his cheek. Charlie’s first thought was about grandpa. He knew grandpa would be so disappointed. After all, this was his whole year’s savings in Charlie’s hands.

Charlie sat down on the pavement step and let the tears fall from his eyes. He didn’t mind if anyone saw him crying because his dad always told him that it is brave to let your sadness show. Charlie didn’t feel terribly brave but he did feel very sad and hugely disappointed. He wondered why life for his family was so hard when other people had so much luck and money. Why couldn’t he be just like the other kids who could buy thousands of Wonka bars?

Charlie had thrown away all of his hope as he sat there crying outside the chocolate shop. Until he remembered Grandpa’s words from last night.

“There is always still a chance until the ticket that last ticket is found, Charlie.”

Charlie’s heart lifted as he remembered these words and he stopped crying, wiping his face with the sleeve of his jumper. He had absolutely no idea how he could possibly win, for there was no money to buy any more chocolate bars, but he decided not to abandon hope after all. Charlie decided to stay hopeful because it felt better to be hopeful than to feel sad.

“Hello, Charlie,” came a kind voice from behind him. “Do you mind if I join you here on the pavement?”. Charlie looked up to see Mr Maple. Mr Maple was a kind man with a kind smile who was best friends with Grandpa Joe. He didn’t have a family of his own and always treated Charlie as he would his own grandchild. Charlie nodded and Mr Maple sat down.

“Charlie, I have a favour to ask you.”

“Oh? What is it Mr Maple?”

“Well, you know that competition Mr Wonka is having? The one with the Golden Tickets?”

“Of course.” replied Charlie.

“Well my boy, it just so happens that I found one of those Golden Tickets inside this chocolate bar here. You see?” Mr Maple handed Charlie the beautiful, thick, embossed card. Charlie gasped in surprise. He looked at Mr Maple with his mouth wide open, not knowing what to say. Mr Maple chuckled.

“Well, Charlie. The trouble is, the winner has to be a child. And I’m not going to pass for one of those any day soon! Would you be willing to take this ticket and claim the prize? Would you do that for me?” Charlie was still looking at Mr Maple in disbelief. “Will you go to Mars with Mr Wonka and tell me every detail of it when you come home again?”

Charlie threw his arms around arm Maple in the biggest hug Mr Maple ever received in his whole life. “Yes. Oh yes Mr Maple! Yes please! Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you!” Mr Maple laughed and told Charlie to run home and tell his Grandpa Joe.

“Oh and Charlie?”

“Yes, Mr Maple?”

“Don’t tell your grandpa that I gave you the ticket. Tell him you won it with the money he gave you.”

Charlie looked confused at how Mr Maple knew about Grandpa Joe giving him money. Mr Maple didn’t tell Charlie. Instead he winked, clicked his heels together three times and vanished before Charlie’s eyes.

All in one day Charlie had won a ticket to Wonka’s Mars and discovered that Mr Maple is magical. Grandpa Joe sure had been right about not ever giving up hope, even when a dream appears impossible. Charlie had just learned that dreams became possible only when they seem most impossible. So long as you hold on to the magic of hope. 🪄