The Tweenage Rugrats in,
"Don't You Forget About Me"

By Dwayne Anderson


Part 1 -- Memories

It was Father's Day. Everywhere, kids were finding gifts for their father's and step-father's.

At the Pickles household, Tommy and Dil were building a machine for a Father's day gift for Stu.

"An automatic shoe shiner" said Tommy. "Dad is gonna love it!"

"How do we know if it will work?" asked Dil.

"It's gotta work" said Tommy. "Hand me another wrench."

Upstairs, Stu and Didi made reservations with their father's at a fancy restaurant.

At the other Pickle's household, Angelica was making a picture of herself on a piece of cloth and sewing assorted yarns into it. Drew had also made a reservation with Stu and Didi.

At the DeVille house, Phil and Lil were collecting butterflies in their backyard. They swung their nets at the butterflies, catching as many as they
could. Some however got away.

"Yeah, you'd butterfly away from us!" said Lil. (rimshot)

They took each of the insects they caught and made a scrapbook with them inside.

At the Carmichael house, Susie was drawing a Dummy Bear comic.

At the Finster house, Chuckie, Kimi, and Kira were baking a cake for Chazz. They planned to decorate it with the entire family on it.

Kira's parents had also come to celebrate Father's day. Kira was planning to suprise her father with a new japanese kimono she had sewn.

A little later, the tweenagers were at the Pickles household. It was a late afternoon. The sun was setting and the sky was orange and clear of clouds.

Stu, Drew, and Didi were all at a fancy restaurant with their dads.

"Another year, another Father's day" said Tommy. "I got my machine all set up and am going to give it to dad tonight."

"I helped too!" said Dil. "You mean our machine!"

"Well I designed it" said Tommy. "You only gave me the tools."

"This brings back memories when we all went to go get gifts for our dad's ten years ago" said Chuckie.

"Hey" said Tommy, "remember the Father's day when me and Dil gave dad a rock which he used to cure grandpa's back?"

"Yeah" said Phil. "I also remember that day when me and Lil gave him the tweezers we buried in the sandbox."

"And the Father's day several years ago when we all went down to the pond with dad to catch minnows" said Lil.

"Don't forget the time I climbed that tree and picked an apple for dad" said Chuckie.

"I remember when me and my father got together to protest the demolition of his old school last Father's Day" said Susie. "Too bad we failed."

"And how about the time me and my dad went into the forest and carved our names on a log?" asked Chuckie. "I was only eight at the time. Boy, C's sure are hard to make!"

Kimi started to cry.

"What's the matter with you?!" demanded Angelica. "You didn't share any memories with us!"

"I know" wept Kimi, "I don't have any of those memories!"

Everyone was shocked.

"None at all?" asked Tommy.

"But what about the time you picked those flowers for dad?" asked Chuckie.

"And how you pricked your finger" said Dil.

"I think she's talking about her real dad" said Susie. "Unlike us, her dad is up in heaven."

Kimi started crying again. Chuckie hugged her. "There, there" he said as he patted her on the back.

"You know what I'll never forget?" asked Angelica.

Everyone looked at Angelica.

"That song dad taught me last Father's Day."

"Oh yeah" said Phil. "How does it go?"

Angelica cleared her throat and started to sing The Jackson 5's "ABC".

The others smiled, except Kimi. They all slowly began to join in, except Kimi.

"Come on Kimi, join in!" said Chuckie

"You guys go on ahead" said Kimi as she stood. She turned and walked out of the backyard.

"Poor Kimi" said Susie.

"I wish there was something we could do" said Chuckie. The front of his shirt was still slightly wet from Kimi's tears.

"You know what I'll also never forget?" asked Susie.

"What?" asked everyone.

"The Father's Day ten years ago when Angelica told Kimi that step-dads don't count."

"I was hoping you'd never bring that up" said Angelica. Even she felt sorry for Kimi.

"There must be something we could do" said Lil. "Any ideas Phil?"

"Well let me think" said Phil. "Basically, all we need to do is..."

Suddenly his attention was turned to a small anthill.

"Hey are those ants?" he said excitedly. He went over to the anthill and scooped up some ants, popping them into his mouth.

Kimi walks down the sidewalk around the block, and through the park. She eyes many boys and girls younger and older than her with their
father's. She sadly watches each of them before walking on.

Part 2 -- Did You Know Him?

Kimi walked back to her home and walked into the living room. Kyoto was busy doing Yoga on the floor.

"Hi Kimi" he said.

"Hi grandpa" said Kimi.

"Join me in a little Yoga?" asked Kyoto.

"Sure ok" said Kimi. She sat down next to her grandfather and began to perform Yoga.

"Grandpa, did you ever meet my dad?"

"Oh sure, Chazz is a great man."

"I mean my real dad."

"Oh...yeah I met him several times back in Japan while he courted your mother. Never did like him that much. However, in the end, me and your grandmother decided the best thing to do was to wish for our daughter's happiness. They got married in Paris. Several years later, they had you."

"Gee thanks grandpa" said Kimi.

She stood and walked into the kitchen where Koki was preparing dinner. She sat at the table with a sigh.

"Something troubling you Kimi?" she asked.

"Yeah" said Kimi.

"Why don't you tell your grandmother?"

"Grandma, did you really know my father?" asked Kimi.

"Oh sure" said Koki, "he was a nice man. Too good for your mother, but in the end, we accepted him, although we never did like him that much."

She gave Kimi a plate of sushi. "Maybe eating something will make you feel better."

"Gee thanks grandma" said Kimi.

She ate her sushi.

"This is good. What's in it?"

"Sushi is considered quite a delicacy in Japan, even if it is raw fish."

Just then, Kira came into the kitchen, carrying a blue and purple kimono that she had sewn.

"Hi mom" she said. "Where's dad?"

"In the living room practising Yoga" said Koki.

"Thanks" said Kira as she walked into the living room.

"Here you are dad" she said as she presented the kimono to him. "Happy Father's Day."

"Thanks" said Kyoto. "Just leave it on the couch and I'll put it on when I finish."

Kira did as her father told her.

"Kira, I think you should sit down with Kimi and have a talk with her" said Kyoto. "This year's Father's Day has made her quite depressed."

"I know" said Kira. "Kimi misses her father very much. If only he could see her now. It's been over ten years since he died from a heart attack one August evening. He's only had one Father's Day with Kimi."

"Don't his parents live here now?"

"Yes. I never thought I would be saying this, but I think I should give them a call."

Part 3 -- His Parents

A little later, everyone was gathered in the living room, except Kimi. Kyoto had changed into his new kimono that Kira had made.

Kimi was upstairs in her room looking at a framed picture of her father. It was a picture of her sitting on his lap when she was only four months old. She was holding her Superthing doll.

Kimi reached over and took her Superthing doll from her dresser. It had been made for her by her father. He was an artist. While making Superthing, he had accidentally dipped one of its arms in purple paint.

"Kimi, could you come down please?" Kira called from downstairs.

Kimi stood up off her bed and walked downstairs.

"Come in Kimi" said Pierre.

"Oh no, not again!" said Kimi. "When are you guys gonna stop invading my life?"

"Kimi, I invited them over" said Kira.

"You what?!" cried Kimi. "Why?"

"In the words of William Shakespeare, `To be, or not to be, that is the question'" said Anita.

"In the words of Michael Jackson" said Kimi, "JUST BEAT IT!!!"

"Watch your mouth young lady or we'll wash it out with soap" threatened Pierre.

"Why are they here anyway?!" demanded Kimi.

"I called them over" said Kira. "They have something to tell you about your father."

Kimi calmed down.

"You two knew my father?"

"Of course you silly child" said Anita. "He was our son!"

Kimi could not believe what she had heard.

"This is also a depressing Father's day for us" said Pierre, "along with the previous eleven. At least he left us with an heir to our vast fortune."

"Why would I want your money?" asked Kimi. "They say it can't buy happiness."

"That is true" said Kyoto. "People who say that are greatly respected."

"My son never did care much about money. He painted whatever inspired him. He painted for beauty, not for money, although his paintings did sell like hotcakes" said Pierre.

"Sounds delicious" said Phil.

Pierre took out of his suit, a framed picture of his son with two month old Kimi.

"It always pained me and my wife to know that he wanted his own independance and live his own life. He went off to Japan to study art there. He returned many years later with a wife. Then several years later, they had you Kimi."

"Yes" said Kira. "I remember that day almost as if it were yesterday."

"If it was yesterday" said Kimi, "I would be a tiny tot in diapers." (rimshot)

"Oh by the way" said Anita taking out a picture from her purse, "here's a picture of Kimi, as a tiny tot in diapers."

Everyone laughed, except Kimi.

Kimi's face went red with embarrassment.

"We got plenty more!" said Anita.

Pierre took out a slide show projector and put in a roll of film. He began to show numerous slides of Kimi when she was a toddler. One picture had her at her first birthday when she had cake crumbs and icing all over her mouth. Another had her sucking on a pacifier. And yet another one had Kimi with her diaper on her head.

"Look!" laughed Dil. "She's got her diaper on her head!"

Everyone laughed, except Kimi who's face was red with embarassment.

"As I was saying" said Kira, "I remember that day almost as if it were yesterday."

Part 4 -- Flashback to the Past

It was a beautiful February evening. Snow was falling from the sky. The sky was filled with stars and clouds.

At the large mansion where me and my husband lived with his parents, the labor pains had just started. He called the doctor and drove me to the hospital in a carriage.

Later the doctor came. With him, was the midwife, who was also a nurse.

Later...

The doctor came out of the delivery room.

"Nurse! Nurse! Now where is that woman?"

The nurse came out of the bathroom carrying a pot of hot water.

"I'm coming doctor! I'm coming!"

"We need more hot water nurse!"

"Yes doctor! Yes!"

Five minutes later...

"Don't make me fetch more hot water doctor. We have enough to deliver eight babies!"

The doctor checked his watch. "Yes, the baby should be arriving by now.

Another five minutes later...

Pierre and Anita climbed out of the carriage which had taken them to the hospital, carrying bundles of gifts. As they entered the hospital and walked down the hall towards the delivery room, they heard the sounds of a crying baby.

"He's here!" said Pierre.

"My grandson!" said Anita.

In the delivery room...

The doctor was holding the baby. Its body was wrapped in a pink towel and its cries were heard throughout the mansion.

"It's a girl" said the doctor as he gave the baby to Kira.

"A girl! I got my wish!" said Kira.

"What are we going to call her?" asked her husband. "My parents think we should give the baby a formal name."

"Everyone in my family had a name that started with `K'. So maybe we should pick one too."

"I can only think of Kimberly."

"That's too formal. How about just Kimi for short?"

"Perfect!"

Just then, the door opened.

"We're here!" said Pierre.

"Show us our grandson!" said Anita as she and Pierre shoved the gifts into the arms of the doctor and the nurse.

"Your grandson?" asked the doctor.

"Are you making fun of us?!" demanded Anita.

"Uh, no mame" said the doctor.

Pierre and Anita walked over to the bed where Kira lay holding the baby.

"Wanna see the baby?" asked Kira.

"Ah yes!" said Anita. "Our darling little boy!"

"But..." started Kira.

"We shall give him all that we have!" said Pierre as he took the baby. "In fact, name him after me, or my grandfather, or even after his father!"

"You already gave me your name as my middle name dad" said Kira's husband.

"He is so handsome" said Anita. "He has our eyes!"

"Don't you think so?" asked Pierre.

"Oh I agree dad" said Kira's husband. "She does have your eyes."

Pierre and Anita were quite suprised.

"She?" asked Anita. "Did you say...she?"

"I did" said Kira's husband.

"He did" said the nurse.

"He did" said the doctor.

"Say hello to your grandparents Kimi" said Kira.

Kimi began to make baby noises.

"A girl?" said Pierre. "Why...that's even better! Except we'll be calling her Kimberly. Girls are to be called by their formal names. When she grows up, we'll teach her all about being a lady. And in the future, she'll marry a boy with rich parents!"

Part 5 -- Back to the Present

"That was a good story" said Didi.

"Yeah, great" said Chazz.

"Nice of you to want me to marry a boy with rich parents" said Kimi, "but I already have a boyfriend. I've been seeing him for a year now."

"Are his parents rich?" asked Anita.

"No, not exactly" said Kimi. "But I don't care."

"I remember me and his mother being best friends in high school" said Kira. "We made a pact that her first son would marry my first daughter. Or her first daughter would marry my first son. In this case, her son will marry my daughter."

"Does this mean I'll have to marry Ken in the future?" asked Kimi.

"Of course" said Kira. "In Japan, marriages are arranged by parents, although my parents couldn't arrange one for me."

"Yay!" cheered Kimi. "I'm gonna marry Ken!"

"When you're older" said Chazz.

"Who's Ken?" asked Pierre.

"Well, he's also originally from Japan as well as me. We met in the Rockies."

"Say what?" asked Pierre.

"I'm not French grandpa" said Kimi. "I'm Japanese!"

"You were born in France" said Anita, "and you'll always be French!"

"Do I look French?!" asked Kimi. "I am Japanese. My mother is Japanese, my grandparents are Japanese, and now I am Japanese!"

"Well your father was French, we are French, and that makes you French!" said Anita.

"She's Japanese and French!" said Chazz. "Stop arguing."

"Well, now that that's settled, let's get back to talking" said Pierre.

"Anyway" said Anita, "since the day you were born, we fussed over you. We bought you the best toys, fed you the finest food, and instead of a bottle, we fed you with a spoon. We had butlers and maids to carry out those duties since people with class don't soil their hands on tasks like that."

"Well I'll have you know that my granddaughter doesn't need class" said Kyoto. "She has something much more important called honor!"

"What's that?" asked Anita.

"honor is having the courage to do what is right!" said Kyoto. "Not only that, honor is what people think of you. People without it are shunned by society."

"And people with honor aren't afraid of soiling their hands" said Koki.

"Big deal" said Pierre as he took a photo of Kimi's father out of his suit and gave it to Kimi. "My son never had much class either."

Pierre walked over to the fireplace, where a fire burned bright.

"Now I know your father is gone Kimi, god rest his soul. These last eleven and a half years have been very depressing. I know its been that long since that heart attack took him away to that big art gallery in the sky."

He took out another photo of his son with Kira and a newborn Kimi, and frowned.

"Did you hear that son! Me and your mother have been really lonely these years and we never got a Father's Day present! You got to spend a Father's day with your daughter before you had that heart attack! You lived your life your own way and against our wishes!"

He sighed and dropped the photo. He sighed again, deeply.

Everyone was silent. Kimi stood up from the couch and walked up behind her grandfather.

"Your father was a great man Kimi. You probably don't know how great he was, but the only great thing he ever did for us was having you."

He sighed again. "He died when you were only six months old. He would give up his own career just to see you now and see how beautiful you're growing up. You take after his side of the family, striving for your own independence. But at the same time, you also have a little bit of your mother's side. If only you could know what a great man your father really was."

After a few silent moments, he turned to face her.

"What are we standing around here for?! We got work to do!"

"Huh?" asked Kimi.

"Kimi, I think it's time you knew what a great man your father really was. It's time for you to pack."

"Pack?" asked a suprised Kimi. "Why? Where am I going?"

"To Paris!" said Pierre. "If it's ok with your mother."

"Yes" said Kira. "I think it's a good idea."

"In fact" said Chazz, "why don't we all go? It could be good for everyone."

"Yeah!" said Stu. "Let's all go to Paris!"

"It's just for one week only" said Pierre, "so pack up what you need for a week."

Part 6 -- Return to Paris

Early the next morning, everyone drove off to the airport. Pierre and Anita bought the tickets while everyone put their baggage through the checker. They passed through the metal detector easily and boarded the plane.

The flight attendant at the gate counter spoke through a microphone, "attention all passengers, Universal Airways Flight number 749 is now leaving at Gate number 27."

The plane lifted off into the sky.

"Good morning passengers" said the stewardess through the microphone. "This is Universal Airways flight 749, with service to Detroit and Paris. We hope you're enjoying the trip so far. If we can assist you in any way, please let us know and we'll help you. On your headphones, for your entertainment, listen to the best of Motown on channel 5, which will begin with The Jackson 5's 'I Want You Back'. On channel 6 is popular French favorites, starting with Mylene Farmer's 'L'Histoire d'une Fee, C'est...', from the popular animated movie 'The Simpsons In Paris -- The Movie'. We will be serving a selection of drinks shortly."

Dil then said to Tommy, "probably because they couldn't hire any taller stewardesses!" (rimshot)

Several hours and one stop later, in the late afternoon, the plane arrived in Paris.

After dealing with customs, everyone took their baggage and went out the airport.

"We'll have to rent a car now" said Drew.

"Can we get a fast one?" asked Kimi. "I wanna find out about my dad as quickly as possible!"

"Congratulations Kimi" said Pierre. "This is exactly what me and your grandma wanted to hear. But forget the car."

He snapped his fingers. A few moments later, a carriage pulled by two black stallions drove up.

"We'll travel in style!"

Part 7 -- The Gift

The carriage stopped by the mansion where Kimi was raised, Pierre paid the driver as they climbed out. They walked past the steel gates and into the mansion.

After giving everyone a tour of the mansion, Pierre walked over to a nearby framed picture of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. He removed the painting from the wall, revealing a safe behind it. He turned the dial and after several moments, opened it.

Inside was a package which he took and gave to Kimi.

"This is for you" he said.

Kimi read the label. It read:

To Kimberly, my beloved daughter
From your father, John-Pierre LeClerc

"It's...it's from my father!" said Kimi.

"He brought that package to me after you were born" said Pierre. "He said if anything happened to him, I should give it to you when you were ready, whatever that means."

"I'm a LeClerc?" asked Kimi. "Mom, why didn't you tell me?"

"I just wanted to suprise you" said Kira.

"Open the package" said Pierre.

Kimi opened the package. Inside was a video tape.

"It's a videotape!" she said. "Where's a VCR?"

A little later, everyone sat down in the living room as Kimi inserted the video into the VCR.

The tape began to play.

The picture showed a young frenchman sitting in a chair.

"Hello, my name is John-Pierre LeClerc. I have made this video for my daughter Kimberly should something happen to me before she is grown up."

The man waved. "Hi Kimberly. I'm speaking to you from beyond the grave."

He began to act like a ghost. "Whooooooo."

He chuckled. "Hope that didn't scare you. Now Kimi I'm sure you're wondering who I am. Well, I'm your father. You're probably all grown up now and your children will want to know who their grandfather was. Well, you can tell them this:he was a kind man, a simple man, a great man, a painter, but most of all, he was your father and he loved you very much."

He continued, "Back in the mid-1980s, while I was in my mid-teens, there was a song that I liked very much -- 'Don't You Forget About Me' by Billy Idol. At the time, there was a pretty girl in my life -- Kira. During each date, I play this song every chance I get -- at home on my stereo; in my car on the tape deck; the jukebox at the restaurant. And when it plays on the radio, I always listen to it with rapt attention. That's the song that kept my relationship with Kira strong, up through our marriage. And it's the song that will remind you of me, if I should ever leave. When I do, I don't know how old you'll be, but this video will help keep my memories alive, as well as yours. That's all for now. Don't you forget about me Kimi."

The picture faded. Kira turned off the VCR and ejected the tape.

"That was so wonderful!" said Kimi.

"So now you know who your father was" said Chazz. "Now that that's cleared up, we can go home soon."

"Yes" said Kira. "But first, let's have some fun!"

They spent the rest of the day throughout Paris. They went to EuroReptar Land to find Coco and Jean Claude at their new jobs as the garbage workers (which the kids really found amusing), ate supper at a fancy french restaurant, and spent the night at the mansion where Kimi was raised.

Part 8 -- Last Respects

Early the next morning, everyone was in the carriage that would take them to the airport and eventually, back home.

As the carriage approached the Paris cemetary, Kimi said, "can we stop here? I need to take care of something."

"Sure" said Kira.

The carriage pulled to a stop. Kimi climbed out of the carriage and walked past the iron gates of the cementary. Everyone watched her as she walked under the bright pink early morning sky and past the iron gates into the cemetary.

She stopped by the bushes and picked a large bouqet of flowers. Then she walked up the hill to the "LeClerc" area. She walked up to a large monument. The engraving on the tombstone had these words:

"Here lies John-Pierre LeClerc, father, husband, son, and great painter."

Kimi knelt down by her father's grave. She placed the bouqet on the ground near the tombstone.

In her mind, she heard her father's voice.

"Don't you forget about me."

Kimi smiled as tears of happiness rolled down her face.

"I won't ever forget you...dad. Happy Father's Day." she said.

Kimi picks up a tape recorder and pushes "play". The song "Don't You Forget About Me" plays as she kneels by her father's grave for several more moments before she stands and walks back to the carriage.

The End


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