A Transient Goodbye-Chapter 6

A Day during Christmas 1954:
The Forgotten

Chapter 6

In the morning Donald wakes up, blinded by the sunlight, finding himself lying on a soft sofa in a neat wooden cottage, apparently somewhere in the mountains. A mouth watering breakfast smell comes out of what looks like the kitchen. He gets up and follows the good smell. Donald hears two familiar voices quietly discussing something.

"G' mornin', nephew". Scrooge greets him happily sitting at the kitchen table next to Goldie.
"We've already eaten. As always you slept rather long." His tone was matter-of-fact.

Donald just stares at them, stunned.

"Dig in! It's been waiting for you." Goldie adds pointing at the cooked breakfast.

Donald doesn't let her say that twice and goes on to enjoy the meal as he slowly remembers his snow ridden drive up to the hut the night before.

"Thank you, it's good!", Donald remarks between mouthfuls.

"Don't thank me! Your uncle does the breakfast around here!", Goldie says, wringing Scrooges hand in hers, giving him an rewarding smile. Scrooge looks happily out at the sunny new year's morning, not at all abashed.

Donald mildly chokes on a mouthful. Uncle Scrooge? Cooking breakfast? Donald stares at their intertwined hands. Golly, he really has changed!

"You know, I...I had the strangest dream yesterday.", Donald remembers, wanting to know for sure if this was the case, "I dreamt you wanted to give Miss Quackfaster a rent bonus of 10 grand!" He laughed jokingly. "Funny, eh?"

They both stared at him.

"No, nephew, that wasn't a dream." His uncle corrects him calmly.

Donald goes pale. "Are you feeling all right, Uncle Scrooge?", he says earnestly worried, "Have you knocked you head on something or...".

"Rubbish!". This is starting to get on his nerves. "Just do what I've instructed you to do...!"

"And as for the global enterprises," he carries on firmly, "those will have to run themselves until the boys take over. Just hire some extra managers...good ones."

Donald is speechless. This is for real! Scrooge has really retired! Donald still gives it a last shot.

"But...but no manager can ever replace you! They will be completely overwhelmed! How on earth will they manage all of that?!"

"If you hire enough of them, they might just manage the lot!", Scrooge replies coolly.

After a pause Donald's saddened expression blooms to a smile as a thought strikes him.

"And what's in it for me?!" he shouts excitedly.

Scrooges eyebrows lower. Typically Donald, always in it for the money.

"Well?!" Donald harps on.

"You'll see, when I've passed over."

Donald's face goes clear of emotion. That was one subject matter he tried to steer clear form. Speechless, Scrooge carries on.

"There's nothing that I have that would make you any happier!" Scrooge explains, "It hasn't made me happier and it won't be any different with you!" Scrooge points his finger at him, "You have everything you could ever wish for, don't you forget that."

Donald holds onto his bill perplexed. This is probably how his uncle plans to keep him off his fortune, by making moral preaching compliments. Donald knows very well how much Scrooge envied him for his three nephews. A family is something his uncle will never have...

Scrooge and Goldie get up, still holding hands. Goldie's leather skirt matches perfectly to Scrooges jacket. They really make a swell couple.

"Now, if you'll excuse us nephew, we are going up to one of the mountains to look for a lost mine...", his uncle lets him know in his usual tone.

Suddenly Donald realises he must wait longer for riches, but is about to loose his uncle.

"You can't be serious about this...", Donald wines with despair. "Why don't you come back to Duckburg if just for a visit then....?". He jumps up and holds onto Scrooge's arm.

"Because, I have wasted enough time there! That's why!", Scrooge shouts, ripping his arm loose. "Now, go back and carry on making something decent of yourself!"

Donald stands there as they put on their coats on and leave. Scrooge slams the door behind them. Besides Donald they weren't expecting any more visitors.

Walking towards the jeep Goldie says calmly, with a raised brow, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to him? He really seems to care about you, you know..."

Scrooge freezes. He had just slammed the door in the face of the only person who had really cared about him for all those years. 'Darn, she's right!' Scrooge turns to run back. No more mistakes!

"Donald!"

He leaps into the hut, Donald is still rooted on the spot where he left him, and runs with both arms wide open into him with a warm embrace.

Squeezing Donald tightly he mutters with blurred vision, "I'm sorry, nephew, I just...don't know how to say goodbye. I'll miss you, boy!"

Donald wipes his eyes, returning the embrace. He had never heard something so deeply touching from his uncle before. He had always known Scrooge had a soft side, but to once actually experience it?

"I'll...I'll miss you too, Uncle Scrooge." Donald says quietly. "Please just visit us once in a while, for the boys sake...and for our wedding!"

"I'll see what I can do...Now, take care! And greet the boys for me will you?", Scrooge replies, trying a cheerful smile.

"Sure." Donald puts on his coat and spots Scrooges top-hat on the floor.
"You can keep that!", Scrooge remarks derogatory.
Donald picks it up carefully and hold it close. He can actually keep it! What a great remembrance of his favourite uncle!
Walking out together Donald confesses, "Er...I was hoping we'd go back together and didn't buy a return ticket. I don't have enough money on me to buy...."

Scrooge interrupts him, "The airline belongs to me, so tell them to let you fly for free. If they make any trouble, tell them I'll replace the entire crew if they don't!", Scrooge reassures him, as he climbs into the jeep, where Goldie's already waiting.

"Besides I think you have enough spare change now...", Scrooge shouts grinning at a bewildered Donald, while ripping the engine into reverse gear. He waves at him in mute farewell, as the jeep speeds down the slope. They make a sharp turn, hurling the snow in all directions, before hitting the gas for strait ahead.

Donald scratches his head. "What spare change was he talking ab-?" Looking down at Scrooges old top-hat, his eyes suddenly glow. 'The hat, of course!'

Donald excitedly runs his fingers on the inside base, which is not as deep as the hats length, and lifts up the secret concealment.

Inside, a few thousands of bank notes are neatly and tightly stashed away, like a huge roll of paper.

Donald's body electrifies at the sight of all the money. "That's why it's so heavy! Oh boy, oh boy! This is probably more than a million! A few millions! I'm rich!" He jumps up excitedly.

Scrooge always had "spare change" with him in case he needed to quickly win a auction, make a business deal or buy some property.

'This will help finance the wedding, for which I would have to take up a mortgage. Now it's going to be the event of the year in Duckburg!!', he thinks in pure bliss, his eyes sparkling.

'And we'll have an amazing honeymoon with everything one can possibly imagine: 5-star hotels, massages, dozens of fancy dinners, the most luxurious limousine, a private yacht the size of a cruiser...!' Donald gleams. 'Wait till I tell Daisy! She'll go ballistics!'

Suddenly Donald looks in the direction where Scrooge left, in fear his uncle might change his mind and come back.
'Quick! Before he comes back to his senses!', he thinks, jumping into his hired jeep to head back to the airport.

Once on his way he thinks to himself impressed, 'So you did reward me for all my troubles... all my efforts, hard work and sacrifices to please you...even if in a way I think I would never have expected! I misjudged you, Uncle Scrooge...I really did...', his sorrow triumphs over joy. '...but at what price?'