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

Ben And Tony Bear. Book 40. Shine Bright and Fly High. For Alfie and Frazier.

It was January.  Ben had just gone off to school when the phone rang.  It was the school.  All sorts of things suddenly went through Mummy's head.
     "Mrs Greenwood?"
     "Yes, is Ben alright?"
     "Ben is fine, we have some sad news though, one of Ben's friends Alfie passed away last night."
     "Oh no," said Mummy her heart sank, " my condolences to his parents.   He was such a cheerful little boy. "
     " We have just told the boys.  Ben showed no emotion."
     " Ben has no empathy."  Said Mummy.  " He might not fully understand either.  Sometimes, it sinks in a lot later. I will keep an eye on him."
      "Thank you Mrs Greenwood."

     Later that day Ben came home from school.

     " Hello Pat, How was Ben?" 

      " Hello Mum, he was okay when we picked him up, but he was very quiet on the way home. Not his usual smiley self." 

    " Hello Ben, do I get I hug hello."  Ben slid over to Mum and let her put her arms about him.  Then he slipped his coat off, went and got his tablet and sat in the living room to watch his favourite logos.  Mummy got Tony Bear, T.B and Tony Girl out of his school bag.  None of the bears looked happy.  If anything they all looked rather sad.  Mummy took them into the living room and gave them to Ben.  He sat there holding them all tightly. 

     Mummy sat down beside Ben.  " Ben do you know about Alfie?" 

     Ben signed nothing for a moment but sat and watched his tablet.   Then he signed " Yes." 

     " Ben do you understand that Alfie wont be coming back to school?"  Ben stopped what he was doing and signed, " Yes." 

     " Do you miss Alfie?" Ben looked down at Tony Bear and the others.  Then signed, "Yes." 

     At that moment Daddy came home so Mummy had to leave Ben to go help make dinner.  There was a lot of putting shopping away, getting dinner ready and setting the table.  Mummy explained to Daddy about Alfie.  

     " He was a lovely little boy." Said Daddy.   

     " I don't think Ben fully understands about Alfie." Said Mummy.  " I'll try and explain to him at bedtime." Daddy thought this was a good idea. 

     It was soon time for bed,  Ben had been quiet all evening not his usual jumping up and down, giggly self at all.  Just before bed Ben and the bears went to see Mompy and the others.  The toys were so sad to hear the news of Ben's friend.  Ben sat still while the toys spoke and watched his tablet.   

     Tony Bear, T.B and Toni Girl were all very sad.  They had known Alfie as they knew all the children in Ben's class and school. 

      " Do not be sad little ones,  Alfie has gone to the garden where the flowers sing to play and laugh with the toys and the stars, and fly with the angels." Ben sat and looked at his tablet, he did not understand death.  All he knew was that his friend was gone.  Teacher had said Alfie would not be coming back to school.

     That night Mummy turned the lights out and drew the curtains.  It was dark outside and quiet. 

     " Do you see the stars Ben?" 

     Ben signed," yes." and pointed to the sky. 

     " Do you know why they shine so brightly?" Asked Mummy. 

     " Planets." Typed Ben. 

     " Yes some of them are, but the shiniest ones of all are the children who have gone away from this world.  They sit up in the sky at night sometimes and watch over their families and friends they left behind.  And during the day they go to play in a big garden where their are beautiful flowers. " 

     " Alfie?" Typed  Ben and then pointed up to the sky.  

     " Yes." Said Mummy, " Alfie is a star angel now."  Ben still did not fully understand, and for a bit he sat thinking. " Sometimes," Said Mummy, " children and people get sick like you did when you were little but you woke up in this world and got better.  Well sometimes, you don't get better and the special thing inside you that makes you think and feel. and love, well this special thing that is you, is called your soul.  Sometimes your body gets to tired like when you get older, or when you get sick and can't get well.  Your soul inside you,  then knows it is time to go home back up to garden." Ben lay down. " Time for bed now." Said Mummy, she kissed and hugged him tightly. 

     Ben still did not fully understand  about death at all, it was very hard to understand why his friend was not coming back.  Ben soon fell asleep though watching the stars in the sky. 

     The weeks passed by quickly.  The class drew pictures for Alfie and made a book to remember him in.  They all missed him terribly.  

     Then almost eight weeks later Teacher came in and sat them all down again.  

     " Children do you all know Frazier?" They all said yes and pointed to the class opposite theirs.  " I have some sad news,  Frazier died yesterday.  He was very ill and never woke up." Ben sat and looked down at his feet.  He knew Frazier, Frazier was his first ever friend at school.   Why were his friends going away?  Had he done something wrong.  No he hadn't.  So why were they going away and not coming back?  Ben felt angry. 

       Teacher that day asked the class to do a picture face of how they felt.  The others all put sad but Ben put angry.  Teacher wrote in Ben's book and sent home the picture.  

     Mummy knew about his friend Frazier already.  She would always remember him shouting out in the store, " Ben's Mummy, Ben's Mummy.  I'm Ben's friend."  Mummy and Daddy had been really proud then because Ben had a friend. And Ben had smiled and waved at Frazier. Ben had never told them about his friends, well Ben could not talk to tell but  Mummy knew that most of the time he was by himself, in his own little world.  No one ever bothered with him.  But now, since Ben had started school, he had a friend to play with.   None of them could ever forget Frazier.

     That night Mummy once more sat with Ben upstairs and looked out at the stars. 

     " Why are you angry Ben?" Asked Mummy.  Ben sat with Tony Bear and looked up at the stars and then typed.

    " Gone." 

      " Yes Ben, Frazier and Alfie are gone.  But don't be angry at them.  They could not stay because their bodies got too sick." 

     " Left me." Typed Ben.

     " No sweetheart, they did not leave you.  Is that what you think that they left you because they did not want to be your friend anymore?"  Ben nodded. " Oh sweetheart,  Frazier and Alfie will always be your friends,  and one day you will all see each other and play together again. " Mummy put Ben's hand on his heart.  " Can you feel your heart beating?" Ben nodded.  Mummy picked up the clock and took the battery out, the clock screen disappeared.  " Your heart is like this battery, or the battery in your tablet, it will last only so long.  Once the battery runs out the clock or your tablet doesn't work any more.  Our hearts are like the battery, they only last for so long.   Some  hearts run out of beats faster than others.  That is why people and toys, and animals have souls.  Do you remember me telling you about your soul when Alfie went away?" 

     Ben nodded, he did remember.  He pointed up at the stars in the sky.   " Yes love, our souls become star angels.  Alfie and Frazier are Star Angels.  So don't be angry at them.  You will see them again one day when you return to the garden." 

     Ben sat and thought.  " Miss  them." He typed, and sniffed.  Mummy put her arm around Ben. 

     "I know you do love.  You will always miss them, but you will always remember them too."  Ben nodded and pointed up to the stars. 

     " Shine bright and fly high Frazier and Alfie." Said Mummy, Ben and Tony Bear waved to the stars.  They would always remember their friends. 

" Shine bright and fly high."