Ben

Ben was an antique bear who had worn the same quizzical expression for nearly a century. Since he was put together by his first master, whose first initial and surname were etched into the white necktie the bear wore around his neck. G. Thompson. Ben was first purchased by Mrs Rosa Platts, who was buying it as a gift for her sons first birthday. With the bear came a small card with a handwritten message inside. “Hi, I’m Ben, I look forward to being your friend.”

Ben was a light brown colour with a black nose, soft fur, with kind black eyes and two small, circular ears.

Artie, Mrs Platts son used to call him Bennie. He would not go to sleep without cuddling his Bennie. It was his favourite toy, which is why it was the only one Mrs Platts never threw out. She was always getting rid of old toys that she considered past their use. But, there was something special about Ben.

She kept hold of the card with the sweet message inside. Kept it until she got old. Then, she passed it on to Artie before she passed away.

Artie grew up moved away into his own house where he married and had three children. Two boys and one girl. He named the girl Rosa, after his mother. When Rosa got to nine years of age, he took Ben out of the Attic and gifted it to her on her birthday. He did not want to give it to her when she was too young because he was concerned he was getting old and would easily damage in the hands of a careless child. Rosa was delicate and loving, so he thought she was ready to inherit Ben.

When he passed it to her, there was a sadness inside his heart. Even though the bear would still be in the same house as he was, he felt like he was losing him. He was a sentimental man. Memories gushed through his mind of him cuddling the bear when he was small. Confiding in it all his secrets and venting to him when he was angry. And his mother, holding him and the bear.

Rosa grew up and looked after the bear with as much love as her father did. She told all her children about the bear and the value it held within the family. When Rosa got old and her father had died, Rosa passed it on to her grandson, Michael, whose possession the bear resides in currently.

Because of the love the bear has received over the years, he remains in immaculate condition.

Michael had two children. Timothy and Oscar. Timothy was twelve and Oscar was two.

Michael decided Timothy was old enough to inherit the bear. He told him all the stories his parents had told him about the bear. The holidays he had been on with the family. The family members he had seen come and go. Years of memories surrounded this bear.

Timothy was not overly interested in the bear. He took it and accepted the gift with a small smile and a thank you. He was disappointed that this was the gift he was receiving. When he heard he was getting a present, he thought it was the new PlayStation he was hoping for. When his dad passed him the smelly old bear, he could struggled to conceal his disappointment. What was he going to do with a bear?

He chucked the bear in one of his drawers and did not give it much consideration.

A couple of years later, Michael was putting away some of Timothy’s clothes into his drawers where he discovered the neglected bear. His heart filled with dismay when he saw one of his eyes had come loose.

He confronted Timothy about the matter. Expecting him to be apologetic. Timothy just shrugged his shoulders.

“Didn’t realise his eye had come out. What does it matter it’s just a teddy?”

Michael, furious, took the bear back into his own room. He could not find the missing eye in Timothy’s room and gave it up as lost. He felt a sense of guilt that the bear, that had survived different generations in his family had been damaged in his care. He also felt a loss as to what to do with the bear now.

A few months passed and the bear remained in Michaels room where it sat on his cabinet, leaning against the wall, gazing at Michael with his one, black eye.

One day, Michael came back and laid down on his bed. He looked around the room and felt like something was out of place. Something different. Was there something missing?

When he realised that the spot where the bear had been resting for the past few months was now vacant, he panicked. Had his wife gotten rid of it? Had Timothy damaged it further?

He went downstairs where his wife was watching a movie on the TV.

“Have you seen Ben?”

“Sorry?” She said, absentmindedly.

“The teddy bear.”

“Oh, no I haven’t sorry.”

Michael rushed into Timothy’s room. Timothy was having a sleepover this evening with a friend from school. Michael began to dread the thought that Timothy would have taken the bear to his sleepover. Surely not though. Timothy did not care about the bear and, surely a teenage boy would not take a teddy to his friends house?

He looked through the room to see if Ben was anywhere in there. He was not. Michael felt, if he had lost the bear, his ancestors would surely be disappointed in him. He could sense their judgement from beyond the grave. Frustrated, he sat down on the bed and then, he heard a noise. Giggling. His other son. Little Oscar. Michael got up and headed over to Oscar’s bedroom. Oscar was running around his room clutching a brown, one-eyed teddy bear in his arms. When he saw his father walk in, he looked worried. Concerned that his father would be cross that he had taken the bear from his room.

“He looked lonely in your room. You have no other toys.” He protested.

Michael laughed and said it was ok. “What are you playing?”

“I’m showing Ben my other toys.”

“Does he get on with them?”

“Yes. Apart from Stan” Stan was an action man who, apparently never got on with any of the other toys.

Michael left the bear in the possession of his younger son Oscar. Confident that he would take care of like he had been cared for previously.

Years later, Oscar still carried the bear. Reluctant to give it to his children because of the sentimental value. He would keep it until he died and pass it to one of his grandchildren.

Other than losing his eye, Ben was well looked after.