Benjamin and Rumblechum

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Book excerpt

Chapter One - Benjamin and Freedom

            "I remember many interesting places," Benjamin the Stuffed Monkey said. "I know. I've traveled."

            "I've never traveled." Freedom the calico cat licked one orange paw with a pink tongue.

            "Aunt Kathleen found me in England. See the Union Jack pin on the lapel of my jacket? It’s the British flag.” Benjamin wore buttons and pins from many places on his uniform and his hat, which both said “Esso” on them, like the gas station.

            "Aunt Kathleen brought you here. I'm glad, Benjamin."

            "Then we traveled to New Zealand. We saw the kiwis."

            "Fruit?" Freedom purred. She was teasing Benjamin.

            "Birds. Then we went to Singapore. We've traveled all over the world. In England, we saw the Bobbies and the prams and the lorries."

            Freedom rolled her eyes. Benjamin was bragging about traveling again.

 "I've never traveled." Freedom waved one brown paw at Benjamin.

            "I've been to Sri Lanka," Benjamin said. "I've traveled to Banff, Alberta."

He was a small stuffed animal, but he could think and dream, and sometimes even talk—to the right critter, of course.

            "I've been to Red Deer, Alberta. And back," Freedom said.

            "That's not far. And I say goodbye to you right now."

            "Goodbye? Goodbye to me? Your good friend?"

            "I know a secret," Benjamin said. "A big secret."

            "What?" Freedom's wide yellow eyes stared. She grew very still.

            "Aunt Kathleen and Aunt Mary. They're planning a trip."

            "Where's the trip?" 

"You'll see." Benjamin looked around at the other stuffed animals. “I say be aware."

            Freedom watched and waited. "Beware? Is Katie going?"

"Yes."

"Is Jacob going, too?"

"Yes."

"Oh, dear.  Both children and the aunts are going with you. And what about me?"

CHAPTER 2 - A DISAPPOINTMENT

Sure enough, the next day after a breakfast of oatmeal and toast, Aunt Mary and Aunt Kathleen said to the children, "Get packed, Katie. Get packed, Jacob. We're going to Ontario."

Ontario is a province in Canada far away from Edmonton, Alberta, where they lived. Rumblechum, their minivan, would take them there. They called their minivan Rumblechum because it made a noise that sounded like Rumblechum, Rumblechum, Rum, Rum, Rum. It had a sign in front that said, Twinkle, Twinkle, Aerostar.

            "Where is Ontario, Jacob?" Katie pulled her sweater over her head. It was a cool morning.

Jacob was two years ahead of Katie in school. He knew almost everything. He wore glasses and was ten years old. Freedom, the calico cat, heard them talking. She padded into Katie's bedroom where Benjamin the stuffed monkey lay.

            "They are planning a trip." Freedom made sad little noises deep in her throat. "You were right. I hope they'll take me."

            "Don't be too sure," Benjamin the Monkey said.

His Esso button shone in the sunlight that poured through the window.

            "You go with them everywhere. I want to go, too."

            "They're packing. See if you'll fit into their suitcase."

            When Katie and Aunt Kathleen came up the stairs after they had lunch, they found Freedom in an open suitcase at the top of the stairs. Freedom's big furry body took up most of the space inside the suitcase.

            "Meow." Freedom blinked up at Katie with yellow eyes.

            "No, Freedom," Katie said. "You can’t come with us."

            Poor Freedom, Benjamin thought.

            "We love you, Freedom," Aunt Kathleen said. "But you wouldn’t be happy on a long trip in our van."

            "We'll take Benjamin." Aunt Mary came up the stairs behind them. "Benjamin is a stuffed monkey. He won’t mind a long trip. Benjamin won’t be a bother."

            "Bother? Bother? Benjamin won't be a bother? Would I be a bother? Oh, I'm sad, sad." Freedom bowed her head and soft tears rolled down her face.

The two aunts didn’t notice.

Katie looked at Freedom. She lifted Freedom out of the suitcase and patted the calico cat on her soft orange and white head. Then she finished packing.

            Freedom sat at the window and watched her family pack Rumblechum. They took a tent. They took sleeping bags and pillows. They took food, an MP3 player, a barbecue, and a lighter. They packed and packed. Then they put Benjamin on the front seat between them, in Katie's backpack, with his head and arms sticking out. They gave a house key to their friend Della. Della and her twelve-year-old, almost grown up daughter, Emily, would look after Freedom, the house and the beautiful garden.

Then the two aunts, Katie, and Jacob kissed Freedom goodbye and drove away in Rumblechum, going Rumblechum, Rumblechum, Rum, Rum, Rum all the way down the road.

            Freedom watched them from the upstairs window until they were out of sight.

            So Aunt Kathleen, in her floppy hat with the bright yellow flower, who owned Rumblechum the minivan, and Aunt Mary, with her old red sweater and her string of pearls, set off for the Province of Ontario with the two children. Benjamin sat very still between Aunt Mary and Aunt Kathleen in Katie’s backpack in the front seat of the van. He tried to wave goodbye to Freedom with his little stuffed arms, until the minivan turned the corner and the old grey house was lost from sight.