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During a beautiful morning, the Lorax lounged with his girlfriend on his lawn. They had pulled out the colorful beach chairs so they could watch his kids play ball. Little Timmy, Tommy and Wormy were playing football, while Johnny and Ana Lee threw a baseball back and forth.
Little Timmy made a goal. "Horray" everyone shouted, but to the Lorax, oh silly him, the memories he shrouded with a curtain... They were coming forth right now, for certain.
Because you see... His girlfriend was Janet Benson, the bee. And not one of his five children could fly through the sky with black and yellow lines...
No... The Lorax wasn't so fortunate.
On an April spring day, some of you may recall, the sun was shining bright and the people sang with delight. Flowers were in bloom. There was not yet space for gloom inside his heart, and the Lorax went along, as every single one of all the happiest people in the world. Why? To be the first to see Taylor Swift's new zero sugar zero lactose Pepsi commercial on the big TV screen at the stadium which now hosts the biggest cotton napkin folding competition in the world. Everyone who was anyone was going!
And so, the Lorax laced his black converse. He was wearing fishnets and a killer red faux leather dress. It was tight so it hugged his curves nicely. He looked into the mirror one more time, adjusting the strap of his purse. His eyeliner was absolutely perfect, and his brushed out, fluffy moustache sat nicely on his face.
He walked out of his house feeling confident. The spring air ruffled his fur slightly as the fresh scent of roses adorned him from his moisturizer.
The Lorax walked to the stadium, of course. He frowned at all the cars in the parking lot, their fumes polluting the city.
The line to the entrance sat above a red carpet. Flashing lights from the paparazzi blinding every newcomer. The Lorax took his place in line and started to wait. Only seven minutes until everyone would be let inside. Five. Then one. Someone showed and everyone was let inside.
The Lorax read his ticket again. Number 36, row G, right by the aisle. He sat down. Anxiety tumbled trough his veins as the competition started. Every single pair of eyes glued to the competitors. Those who were too far away to see watched through a large screen, types of folding techniques and the competitors names appearing. The first round was coming to an end when the Lorax first heard it.
"Hot dog! Who wants a hot dog!? Water or soda with your hot dog! Get your hot dog here!" He heard from behind.
A lean, tall man was descending the stairs. He held a wrapped hot dog in one hand and bottled water in the other. His steps were clumsy and unsure, his beanpole appearance not helping a thing.
"WHOOOOOOO!" The crowd screamed around the Lorax. The man smiled.
And time stopped.
Why. How could such a simple moment change his whole life? How could the butterflies in his stomach be so, so strong as to cause such a tremendous hurricane?
The man smiled.
And that was his undoing.
"Here dear! I want a hot dog!" The woman next to him waved. "Honey give me a five?"
"Wait a second, dear." Her husband said, wiggling around the seat to reach his back pocket.
"WOOOOOOOOOO!" The big screen showed two women kissing sweetly. The commotion seemed to be getting closer.
"Here you are ma'am." The beanpole stretched across the Lorax to give the woman her hot dog. He could see his name tag.
Onceler.
"Here you go, young man!." Exclaimed the husband, and surely enough, as the Onceler stretched himself even more, he fell into the Lorax just as the kiss cam showed the two of them on the screen. Their lips brushed accidentally under the shower of individually packaged condiments and the commotion around them was deafening.
"Oh! Horray!" Exclaimed the woman, clapping her hands.
Things evolved exceptionally fast from there.
Fifteen minutes later, the Lorax was sitting still at the competition, eyes seeing but unwatching, with a phone number scrabbled down into a greasy piece of paper crumbled into his palms.
The Onceler was an aspiring musician, he later learned over warm waffles in the morning. His songs didn't sell well, and the gigs he got at bars and bodegas didn't pay his rent. So, as any responsible adult, he got a job on the side to pay the bills.
"You are so much more than this, Onceler." The Lorax would say, while he nuzzled the Onceler's naked chest. "I really believe you can accomplish great things."
And he was right.
As with any young adults, first pregnancies were scary, especially for the Lorax and the Onceler. A fast engagement and simple wedding followed soon after the weeping confession.
"Onceler. I'm... I'm pregnant. And it's yours." He would remember that day for years to come. The way skinny arms wrapped around his body, hands pressing his stomach, and the promises of devotion and eternal love kept him going when things were hard. When loving the Onceler was hard.
When their first babies came, things were difficult, for sure. Johnny and Ana Lee were the healthiest set of twins the hospital had ever seen, but things didn't stay that way. Their first winter came bringing the flu and colds, and, on a dreary night, they had to choose. Choose between siblings for them to take a dose of medicine.
The night passed slowly, dripping until dawn, and when the sun rose to greet the twins the Onceler sat by their cribs. He watched them. The one who took the medicine and the one who didn't. And he promised himself.
They would never have to do something like this again.
And so, his big empire was born. Not that it was big from the get go. Absolutely not. But the way he dedicated himself to his work, developing a genious produc and a jingle to match. He pitched his ideas everywhere, grew a social media following, improved and tested his invention.
He succeeded. He worked hard and made it. But at what cost?
They had five children together. None of which he truly knew. He grew hungry for money, spending less and less time wit the Lorax and the kids. He was distant, and cold. He never called. He just showered them with money. Money and more money. A huge, empty mansion full of useless things. None which were love.
Divorcing was hard. Not only because of what was, but because of what had been. The Lorax could see the Onceler's face on his mind's eye, but he hadn't seen his husband's face in almost years.
He signed the papers alone.
His husband's signature was already there.
The Lorax imagined something totally different up until that moment. He imagined a confrontation, screaming, a fight for the kids. He got none of that. He never saw the Onceler's face again.
But that wasn't a problem anymore.
He loved his girlfriend.
He did!
It wasn't the same, but he had his beautiful children, a beautiful home and not a care in the world.
He did.
He really did.