He decides that he should write something happy today, after being told multiple times that he writes a little dreary – sparking in him a string of questioning which he eventually lost to.

The expectations we place on strings of words are rather telling of the state of mind we’re in. He is glad there are people out there who are pushing him towards the positive.

Well either way, even Mojojojo has good days.

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“Rainbows and butterflies. Seriously.  Coloured haze and worms with wings is supposed to make me feel better?”

Wally was the grumpiest man you could find in the town of Holly, where everyday was jolly and Christmases especially merry. None ever lived in this town who was grumpier than Wally, and despite the jolly name he must have been the most ill-tempered Wally to ever have walked the Earth. Wally was extremely crotchety, and his presence alone could bring sudden gloom to a bustling room; one could almost feel the weight of his shadow even as he approaches, and oh, how the poor babies bawled in his presence.

“YOU. MAKE ME A SANDWICH. NOW.” Feet scatter. Fear in the air. Sandwich made. Wally never paid a dime, and nobody knew what to do with Wally.

Year after year passed by, and the residents of Holly – being so jolly – were all too jolly to speak badly about Wally, much less take any action against him. For years, they simply dreaded his presence and breathed sighs of relief whenever he left; but this year was different. All the towns in the region was set to hold a competition for – you guessed it – the Jolly Town award.

There was a bustle in the air, and a rather festive atmosphere as the Mayor called for a meeting in the center of town to announce Holly’s participation in the competition, and of course, for fear of dampening the mood – Wally was not invited.

“The Jolly Town award only goes to the jolliest this Christmas, and I know no other town as jolly as ours!” The Mayor beamed as the crowds cheered in unison. The entire town was electrified.

The crowd was chanting “Jolliest Town! Jolliest Town!” when suddenly a voice broke through the chants.

“But what about Wally?”

A sudden hush fell among the crowd, as everyone shuddered in fear. They had completely forgotten about Wally the Dreary (that was his name around these parts).

Just moments later, even as the hush consumed the crowd, a slow rumble was building. Men spoke in low voices, as if afraid of eavesdroppers. Children looked on with sombre expressions, as they observed the seriousness of the adults in their company.

“We must expel Wally!”

“Exile him!”

“Give him broccoli!”

The crowd grew louder and louder, and the Mayor held his gloved hand up for silence.

“I hear you, people of Holly, and I agree. I fear as much as you do that Wally’s presence in this town is a major handicap for the upcoming competition. With this, I would give 10,000 francs to the person who manages to hide Wally from the competition judges. Will you do this for Holly??”

An excited buzz flowed through the crowd.

The following days and weeks got progressively worse for Wally, with residents from all over town attempting to capture him and ship him away. Wally, however, was a big man who alone was stronger than 10 villagers combined, and capturing him was no easy task. Residents  of all walks of life tried everything they could, from the strategic sack approach to even blunt kidnap attempts. This made Wally even angrier than he ever was before, and it made him almost invincible. He was grumpier than ever, and as the days rolled on, the town became less and less jolly… Until one day, Wally was captured.

The town had never seen such festivities in it’s hundred year history, as the Mayor ordered Wally to be paraded around town in a metal cage. Cheers rose from every street Wally passed, and he was consumed by fear and a feeling of helplessness. So this is it, Wally thought. This is what everyone truly thought of me, that they would pay any cost to get rid of me…

“What shall we do with him?”

“Send him away!”

“Exile him!”

“Give him broccoli!”

Wally could feel tears roll down his cheeks as he sat silently in his cage, when suddenly a tiny hand reached out and touched his outstretched leg. It was a tiny little baby girl, with a glistening smile on her well-rounded face. It was the first time in the last twenty years that someone in Holly had ever smiled at him, much less touch him. Wally welled up with emotion; this baby was not afraid of him! There must yet be some hope left for him…

All the anger, all the pain of a solitary existence – Wally never wanted any of that. He never had a choice with his humongous frame, his booming voice and his less-than-jolly disposition. Everyone just treated him like he was different, and through the years he learnt to hate himself for being different. That, and he simply loved the sandwiches at the cafe, but he was too poor to pay for it and that he was too embarrassed to thank the chef.

Rainbows and butterflies sprouted from the metal cage surrounding him, as Wally looked around with jaws dropped. Soon, the cage was full of coloured haze… and worms with wings. And Wally actually felt better. The crowd looked on, stunned, as the cage finally burst into clouds – leaving Wally standing in the mist.

Everyone drew a collective breath as Wally emerged from the mist. He was smiling. A brighter smile than anyone in Holly ever had. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he began hugging every person within reach, and the past twenty crotchety years became Holly lore.

And in a plethora of coloured haze, worms with wings, Wally forgiven and jolly abound – Holly won itself the Jolliest Town award with a unanimous vote. No judge on the panel had ever seen a town so ridiculously jolly, and 3 of the 5 judges resolved to move to Holly to join in the jolliness.

The other 2 judges were simply too overwhelmed by the jolliness of Holly, to even make a decision.

Rainbows and butterflies, guys. Rainbows and butterflies.