Benjamin’s Story
Chapter 4
After Benjamin’s and Sarmoo’s snowball fight in the cold, we came to Santa Clause’s workshop to warm up again.
We all sat round by the fire, waiting for Santa to return from his preparations, (it was getting close to Christmas).
“I loved the snow, Emma.” Benjamin began. “I remember when I saw the snow outside the hopsical window. I saw lots of people pwaying in it, but I couldn’t. I was too poorly.”
“What was wrong with you, Benjamin?” Jack asked curiously.
But had my objections over that question. I knew Benjamin was too silly to know better.
“You don’t have to tell him, Benjamin.” I said. “It’s your private story. You don’t have to tell Jack if you don’t want to.”
Benjamin thought for a little bit.
“The stowy is how I died, Jack.” He said.
“Oh. I almost forgot, that’s how you came to these worlds.” Said Jack.
“But it don’t matter.” Said Benjamin. “I couldn’t tell a pwoper stowy, anyway.”
“No, but I might.”…
Santa clause appeared at the door.
“Back from you preparations, Sandy Claws?” Jack shoot up to his feet.
“Yes, enough is enough for one day.”
“If there’s anything I can help you with, Sandy, all you need to do is ask. I’ve learnt a lot more about Christmas from last time. I really think I can do a good job.”
“Thank you, Jack Skellington, but I think I’ll leave that up to my elves. Besides, I’m not entirely sure that you understand Christmas as much as you think you do…Oh?”
Santa then felt someone tug at his clothes.
“Father Chwistmas?” Benjamin began to ask something.
“Yes, what is it, little one?”
“You said you knew stowy.”
“Yes, that I do.”
“How do you know my stowy?”
Santa sighed.
“Ah, I know the story of all the children the same way I know who’s been naught and nice.”
“How do you know who’s been naughty and nice?” Asked Benjamin.
“I’m afraid that is best kept a secret.” Said Santa Clause.
Benjamin looked over to us all.
He looked a little uncertain. I wondered what he was thinking.
“Father Chwistmas,” He began. “Can you tell my stowy to my friends?”
“Benjamin?” I was a little shocked.
“Are you sure, little one?” Said Santa Clause.
“I can’t tell my stowy. But you can.”
“Benjamin, your story doesn’t have to be told to anyone if you don’t want to.” I said.
“But I want my story to be told to my friends.” Benjamin pulled Santa Clause by the hand and pulled him over to his armchair.
“Pwease, Father Chwistmas! So that Jack knows why I was in the hopsical.”
“Hospital!” Benny Bear corrected.
“You’ve always been quite a persistent little boy. Haven’t you, Benjamin.”
Santa Clause sighed as he relaxed and sat back into his armchair.
“What does persisistent mean?” Benjamin asked, mispronouncing his words.
“You are a good definition of the term ‘persistent’. You always continued, no matter how difficult your problems were…
I suppose your story began before you were born. Your mummy was seven months pregnant when she had an accident.
Rather silly when you look back on it, but she tripped on her trailing washing as she was carrying it downstairs.
She fell and was rushed to hospital. There were injuries to the baby. And after a few complications the doctors had no choice but to get the baby out immediately.
The baby was born prematurely and his lungs were too small for him to breath on his own.”
“That baby boy was me, wasn’t it Father Chwistmas?” Said Benjamin.
“Of course,” I replied to him instead of Santa. “You silly little thing. This is a story about you, who else is it going to be?”
“I was just asking. I don’t know what happened to me when I was born. But I know that a machine had to bweath for me.”
“That’s right.” Santa confirmed. “Ever since you were born prematurely, you had to be put on a machine the breathed for you.
You were hospitalized for years, it was only when you were three that your lungs were big enough and when you were breathing on your own were you at last allowed to go home.
You were home for your fourth birthday, and that’s when you got a very special present.”
“Benny Bear!” Benjamin cried with glee.
“Oh, so that’s how you two met.” Said Jack.
“Yeah, my nannan Miriam gave him to me.”
“Nannan? What’s a nannan?”
“He means his grandma. It’s just what they say in England.” I clarified.
“My nannan gave me a teddy bear.” Said Benjamin. “And I said that he wasn’t a teddy bear, he was a Benny Bear.”
“And why did you call him that, Benjamin?” I knew why he called Benny Bear Benny Bear.
“I can’t wemember.” Said Benjamin.
“It was because you didn’t know any other names except your own.” Said Benny Bear himself.
“Oh, right.”
“Well, I don’t suppose I could have expected any different.” Jack deduced.
“But nannan died not vewy wong after. And it weren’t wong before I was back in the hopsical.” Said Benjamin.
“‘Hospital’!” Benny Bear corrected.
“You went back into to hospital? But you’d only just come out.” Jack was a little surprised.
Santa Clause knew that I was time to continued.
“Well, I suppose you would like to hear the rest of the story and find out why Benjamin became poorly again.”
“Certainly.” Said Jack. “You can’t start a story and not finish it.”
“Well, Benjamin could now breath on his own, but it didn’t mean that he was completely safe. His lungs were still weaker than typical and when Benjamin caught a flu virus, the common symptoms of a flu effected him differently.
But after Benjamin didn’t get better, he was give a few tests from the doctor, and he had an infection in his lungs. This got him back into hospital where he got a serious case of bronchitis…”
“What’s bronquwitis?” Asked Benjamin.
“‘Bron-kite-iss’” Benny Bear tried to correct him. “Bronchitis is inflammation of the lungs. When the lungs swell up.” He explained.
“Yes, and Benjamin’s lungs were also infected. And then his lungs swelled so much as he couldn’t breath on his own anymore.” Said Santa Clause. “The doctors gave him anti-inflammatory drugs, but his lungs were just too small, weak and badly damaged.
Unfortunately, when Benjamin was four and a half, he developed a more serious condition, he got cancer.
It had already spread by the time it was discovered. And then only, a month later, Benjamin slipped into a coma, from which he never woke up.”
“And then I ended up in the IDCG.” Said Benjamin. “And I met Emma and her fwiends. And my Benny Bear came to life!”
“That’s right! That’s when we all met you. You were the second last to come to the IDCG.” I added. “Nadallia was the last…”
I was then reminded of my complete failure to protect my friends. Nadallia was dead. Along with Anastasia.
“Don’t despair.” Santa Clause lifted my chin. “You will find a way to bring them back.”
“How can you be certain?”
“Because I have never been wrong.”
So, first Anastasia’s story was told. The Nadallia’s story. And now Benjamin’s story has been told.
Who’s story will be told next?
