Ben and Tony Bear. Book 1. Ben meets Tony.

Ben and Tony Bear Stories. Book 27. Ben's real Christmas.

     On Christmas day we don't get the excited child running down the stairs to look into his sack.   Pulling out the parcels, or tearing open the packages.  With Ben, Christmas is very different.  It is just like any other day.   Ben does not like new things coming into the house.   The presents we buy, we don't know if he wants them or likes.  We try to choose things that we think he might like.  Ben does not show an interest in toys like other children do and he has no imagination to play.  The toys and clothes are put out in the spare room, so that he can see them.  At first he will push or put them out of sight, mainly outside the back door but after while he will just leave them where they are and finally not even look at them.  Everything has to be unwrapped before we give it to Ben or put it out for him.  He can't take the sound of wrapping paper tearing or being screwed up.  So this is Ben's and Tony Bears real Christmas.

     At seven a.m. Mummy gets up and ready.  Mummy gets Ben's clothes out and his nappy ready.  Mummy tries to wake Ben a little so that she can dress and change him.  Tony Bear tickles his belly and his neck, but Ben does not stir.  Mummy carries Ben down stairs and puts him on the armchair. She covers Ben and Tony with a blanket.  

     Tony Bear peeks out of the blanket at the sack of toys beneath the tree and smiles.

     Daddy has started preparing the dinner.  Mummy gets the table sorted out and helps clear the kitchen as Daddy cooks.  Ben is still sound asleep.  Mummy gets his special milk ready and puts some dry cereals in a bowl.  Ben does not like milk, not even on his cereal which he eats- when he wakes up- one little piece at a time, and only about ten pieces.

     Mummy goes and collects Nanny and Aunty Linny as they are coming for dinner with Ben and Tony Bear.  And adopted Nanny and Grandpa have arrived too,

     By the time they get back, the dinner is ready to eat.  Everyone gets up at the table.  Ben has woken up too.   He gets up at the table next to Daddy.  Daddy puts some food on a plate for Ben, but Ben pushes it away.  He hands Daddy a Milkybar dessert.  Ben has about five spoonfuls through out the meal.  Once he does not want any more, Ben just gets up and walks away with Tony Bear.  He picks up his tablet and starts to watch the ads over and over again.  Tony Bear watches with him.

     The grown ups finish their meal, pull crackers ( Ben puts his fingers in his ears for this) and clink glasses wishing each other a Merry Christmas.  Ben is watching and listening, but he shows no interest in what we are doing.

     Then it is time for the presents.  Mummy hands out the sacks.  Ben's are put in front of him.  He gets up and goes upstairs.  Puts the cover over his head and watches his tablet.  Mummy and Daddy take his toys out of the boxes and put them up.  They put the presents in plain view around the tree so that he can see them.  Ben later comes down and  sees the cars.  He picks them up and puts them in his mouth and walks away, back to his room.

     All day he stays there.  Watching the ads and how to programs, repeating them over and over again.  Tony Bear sits beside him and watches too.  Ben eats nothing more all day.  He comes down for his special milk and disappears again.  Leaving the grown ups to watch Christmas programmes and talk.

     It is almost a week or so later that Ben looks at the cars garage he got.  He bends down and looks at it.  Mummy gets him some water, and shows him how the cars change colours.   Ben smiles.  He watched this shown on his tablet.  He liked it.  He liked the cars changing colour.  Tony Bear smiled, he knew Ben had wanted one of these.  

     So you see, Christmas is not like every one else's for us.  It is very quiet.  And a little sad, since Mummy and Daddy both love Christmas.  They remember rushing down on that special day to find their presents, to see what Santa had left them.  

     For most parents it will be hard to imagine what Christmas without a child's excitement and pleasure would be like.  But for us it is something that we miss so much.

     Every day is the same for Ben.  Mummy and Daddy carry on though trying to make things special, like birthdays and Christmas.  

     Maybe one day. 

     Well, that is our Christmas.  I can only guess what goes on in Ben's head.  But Tony Bear and Ben are special.  They are friends and Tony Bear is there every step of the way with him.

     As I said before, maybe one day Ben will discover that magic.  In the meantime Mummy, Daddy and Tony Bear will get excited for him.