Benji and the Lonely Christmas Tree

Benji and The Lonely Christmas Tree

By Simon Law Copyright 2009

Front Cover Illustration – Benji sat by decorated tree, with snug duvet, thumb in mouth resting on Labrador

Benji was a young boy, who lived with his mum in a small pretty village in Hampshire, England. There was nothing special about him, in fact he was quite ordinary … until one day, just before Christmas, a strange thing happened which was to change his life forever.

Benji’s ‘Nana’ and ‘Popop’ (Nana didn’t like to be called Grandma at her age, so always insisted on being called ‘Nana’ – ‘Popup’ didn’t mind either way) lived quite close, with Uncle Sam who was cool, and their cuddly yellow Labrador puppy called Chico.

This particular year Christmas was at Benji’s new house and his mum had invited Nana, Popop, Uncle Sam and Chico for the whole time. They arrived on the day before Christmas Eve just after supper, to help get things ready; this was the first Christmas they were having at Benji’s house.

Illustration 1: Nana Popop & Sam unpacking the car, Benji & mum helping, into a living room with no Christmas tree

While they were unpacking piles of presents from the car, and their small suitcases into their rooms, Nana calmly said – ‘Where’s your Christmas Tree?’ Mum laughed, looked at Nana knowing she never as organised as she should have been, Nana knew that as well, and gasping for breath said ‘I don’t believe it - we forgot to get the Christmas tree!!’

‘It’s ok, I know a really good place near Godalming were we can go on a tractor ride
and pick our own tree’ she said a little quieter now, ‘we’ll go first thing in the morning’. ‘Will you get one tomorrow? it’s Christmas Eve you know’ said Nana to Mum with one her ‘looks’.

‘Yes, that’s fine, don’t fuss mum’ replied Mum, ‘last year it was really busy on Christmas Eve, but they shut at 4’.

‘Yeah’ Benji cheered, then went and told Nana about the whole trip planned for the next day. ‘We’re going on a tractor to get a tree, a Tractor Nana, and Tractor’ Nana scooped up her grandson, saying ‘Wow’ and ‘That’s really cool’ dancing around the room, whilst Popop and Uncle Sam tried to watch the snooker, having to peer around the two dancing maniacs!

Benji didn’t want to go to bed; he was too awake and not at all tired. So he laid on the sofa under his snugly duvet, and fell asleep almost straight away, while mum and Nana turned the TV over to watch the Xfactor Christmas special. ‘We were watching the snooker’ said Sam grumpily, Popop knew it was pointless to get involved, and
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didn’t say anything, but shrugged to his son, who sighed ‘O..K..’. Xfactor it was!

Benji woke bright and early in the morning and was so excited he could hardly stand, or sit still, he just couldn’t stop fidgeting - they were going on a tractor to pick their lovely tree for Christmas, and they could pick any one they wanted.

Nana packed a sandwich and some drinks for them, while Mum was in the bathroom to doing her make-up.

‘Come on Mum’ shouted Benji, wrapped in his winter coat and scarf, at the top of his voice from the bottom of the stairs. ‘Coming’ she replied ‘just putting on my face’

Benji was confused, he thought mummy’s face was fine as it was, why did she need another one? ‘What’s wrong with your face mum?’ Benji bellowed. He bellowed so hard, and was so excited that a little squeak came from his bottom. Of course he fell about laughing. ‘Who was that?’ question Popop, passing by in his pyjamas with a coffee ‘You’ stated Benji ‘, ’Ok’ replied Popop, because it usually was him.

Mum was so busy changing her appearance that she didn’t hear Benji at first. ‘I just want to look nice Benji, I’ll be down in a sec’

And she was. They gathered up their things, packed lunch, handbag, keys, boots, and mums warm winter coat, it was quite a blustery, cold day outside, a typical English Winters day. Benjy was so looking forward to getting the tree home so they could all decorate it, and have hot crumpets and jam, and something called mulled wine. They always did this at Christmas time. Benji remembered ho mum had told him when she was a little girl, she and Sam, had always gone to get the Christmas Tree, bought it home and decorated it to ‘Carols for Choirs from Kings College Cambridge’, and when they were old enough, they too were allowed a small glass of something called mulled wine.

‘Are we having mulled wine mummy?’ asked Benjy, not really knowing what it was, ‘Of course we are, here it is, I’ll put it on to warm when we get back’ she replied frantically pouring the wine and sachet into the saucepan with some orange juice.

‘We’ll take Chico for a good long walk’ said Nana and at the sound of the word ‘walk’ Chico went berserk! ‘See you when you get back, drive safely, don’t forget to put your safety belts on, and watch out for ………..’ ‘Ok, ok ok’ said mum impatiently ‘See you later’

‘OK, let’s go’ she stated. And off they went in their small red car. Illustration 2

Benji was strapped in his seat, and could see out the window, the country lanes rolling by, hedgerows with cows and horses in the fields on the other side, he could just see over the top sometimes. They lived in a small village called Liss right in the heart of Hampshire surrounded by countryside. Benji’s legs were shaking in uncontrollable excitement, and he found his tight tongue between his teeth with his hands clenched. ‘A tractor ride and a Christmas tree’, he thought, it doesn’t get much better than this! What a day!

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Before he knew it they were there.

The sign said Oxenford Farm, Elstead. It was quite busy, as Benji and his mum got out of the car in the car park. There were lots of other children and Benji overheard their conversation.

‘We’re going to get the biggest tree’ said one girl, who was actually quite pretty
‘I want a big fat tree with lots of spikes’ said another quietly to her friend
‘We’ve got such a big house, I want the best biggest and greenest tree they have’ said another boy with a very smart coat.
‘I’m getting there first, so I can pick the best before anyone else’ said a bigger girl.

Benji, said nothing. He was always a quiet boy, and somehow he knew that he would find a tree that was perfect for him to take home and decorate, and it would be different, not like the other children wanted.

The tractor had a great big long trailer attached to the back of it with seats either side. BANG went the trailer as the farmer dropped the back flap

‘All aboard for the Oxenford farm Christmas Tree Caper,’ announced the farmer, who was wearing a farmers cap and jacket and the biggest welly boots Benji had ever seen, right up almost past his knees.

All the children went crazy, it was like when the bell went for playtime at school, a mad crazy rush of uncontrollable children. Illustration 3

Mums nattering, children screaming with excitement all charging for the trailer, like wild animals. By the time Benji and his mum got there they had a small space on the back of a thin bench to squeeze onto.

The noise was deafening, like a flock of frightened birds, mums still nattering, chattering children, brothers prodding sisters, deliberately to annoy them, the tractor engine roaring away and the trailer clattering along as they made their way up the bumpy farm track to where the trees were grown.

Benji looked at mum, silently, and mum looked back; they both knew what the other was thinking, and laughed. ‘Are you having a good time?’ asked mum. Benji, who was always a little shy around other people, replied, ‘Yes’ mum looked back and smiled giving him a hug.

The other children kept going on about biggest, best, largest, fattest, greenest, going to get there first, most perfect, tallest tree, and the mums nattered on and on.

With a sudden jolt, the farmer stopped the tractor. ‘Ok, listen up please everyone, you can choose any tree you like from that field’ he said pointing to the filed closest to them. ‘They cost £7 a foot, but I will cut them down for you when you’ve chosen’ he then opened the back flap and as Benji and mum were sat at the back they were shoved out, mum holding onto Benji tightly, they stood aside as the herd of mums and children ran into the field to find their ‘perfect’ tree.
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‘I think we’ll take our time shall we’ said mum, as they walked sedately into the field.

All the trees were lovely, big and tall, and of course all the ‘best’ ones were grabbed immediately. Illustration 4 with lonely Christmas tree ignored in background

Then a strange thing happened.

A gentle gust of wind blew from the corner of the field, and Benji heard ‘chooooose meeeeeeee’ softly in the breeze. So he walked towards to where the sound was coming from ‘chooooose meeeeeeee’ the breeze whispered to him, and right in the corner of the field where no one ever goes was a poor lonely looking tree. It wasn’t big, it wasn’t tall, in fact it was a bit of a funny shape as well, and not particularly green, and looked as if it was maybe lost, or forgotten about. The wind was blowing through the trees branches and it seemed to be calling Benji - ‘chooooose meeeeeeee’

Benji knew that this was his tree. ‘Mum, mum, I found it, can we pleeease have this one, pleeease, mum, pleeease’ Illustration 5 of LCT whispering to Benji

Mum was more than a little surprised at Benji’s choice of tree, and was rather taken aback.

‘Pleeease can we have this one, pleeease, mum, pleeease’ harped Benji like a broken record.

‘Are you sure?’ said mum

‘The tree asked me to bring it home, he’s my friend now’ Benji begged.

‘O…..K!!???!’ said mum, not wanting to dampen his imagination, ‘we’ll get this one if you really want to’

‘Oh, thanks mum, thank you, you’re the best mum in the whole wide world ever!’ ‘Eeeeeeeeekh’ he squeaked in excitement.

When the farmer saw which tree they had chosen he looked confused. ‘Are you sure; it’s a bit thin, and misshapen, and not very tall, .. and a bit of a funny shape!’ ‘We’re sure,’ said mum.

So, the farmer started to saw the poorly tree down. ‘This is a ‘Norwegian Spruce’, he said as he was sawing, ‘not the finest example, so you can have that one for nothing, and a happy Christmas to you both’ The kind farmer bagged it up, and Benji and mum were ready to go.

‘What’s Norweben?’ enquired Benji

‘Norwegian, it means it’s from Norway’ said the farmer, ‘this trees ancestors…’ and
then he realised he was talking to a small boy, ‘this trees mum & dad came from a far away country called Norway – you promise you’ll take him home and look after him for me would you?’ Benji nodded ‘I promise’.
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‘Thank you very much’ said mum sincerely,

‘Thank you Mr Farmer’ said Benji, who didn’t usually talk to many people, as he was quite shy, but this was special, ‘is it called Bruce?’ he whispered to mum

‘Thaaankyooouu’ said the tree to Benji, and Benji smiled.

All the others had wonderful tall green trees, fat and full, and it was true that ‘Bruce’ didn’t look great, it was a bit brown, thin, limp and crooked, but do you know what? – he had character, and that is what mattered most in Benji’s eyes!

Packed up in it’s white nylon coat ‘Bruce’, Benji and mum walked back to the trailer, jumped in with all then others and started on the bumpy ride back to the farm.

The mums nattered constantly. They talked about nothing in particular, the children chattered about their trees and Christmas and presents and decorations, and brothers prodded sisters deliberately to annoy them again.

‘If you like we can go and see the farm animals when we get back, new born lambs, pigs and calves, and you can stroke them if you want to’ said mum, having to talk quite loudly over the din of the other mums and raucous children.

‘Bruce just wants to get home now and be decorated, I want to show him to Nana and Popop’ stated Benji.

‘O…K… Bruce? …. Ahhh (Norwegian …. she thought) Bruce!’ and it clicked, took some working out, but she got there in the end, as most mums do. ‘OK, we’ll go straight home, I’ll call Nana from the mobile and let her know we’re on our way and we’ll be ½ hour.’

‘YES!’ exclaimed Benji, with one clenched hand punched into the air, and the other holding Bruce tightly.

Bumpety, bump they went, back down the track to the farm where everyone piled out, children asked for ice cream, to see the animals, sweets, and the mums still nattering. Everyone went back to the cars and loaded in their Christmas trees, but unlike everyone else, Benji, mum and Bruce didn’t go back to the farm to see the animals, mum said they would come back another time, as they loaded Bruce into the boot.

While Benji was watching the hedgerows, horses and cows in the fields out the window, he heard something from behind him.

‘Thhhiiirsty, thhhhiiiirsty oooh I’m thhhiiirsty’ it seemed to be in time with the indicators on the car. Benji of course told mum, ‘Mum, Bruce is thirsty can we get
him a drink of water?’

‘O…K… ‘ she said slowly, ‘we’re just passing Squires Garden Centre, we’ll go in and find out about Christmas Trees and how to look after them’ and she reluctantly turned in, knowing this was the best garden centre in the area, and they would
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definitely know.

‘Yes indeed madam’ said the assistant ‘Christmas Trees can and do get thirsty, and must be kept in a little water in your house, sometimes they can drink up to 2 pints per day’ Illustration 6

‘That’s incredible,’ said mum, shocked, ‘Well not really, they are living trees and to stop the needles from dropping off they need watering like any plant’ said the man

‘Told you!’ said Benji quietly.

The helpful assistant showed them a special Christmas tree stand that holds water to feed a Christmas tree; it was called a ‘Cinco’.

‘Remember, up to 2 pints per day’ said the man as they went back to the car, stand in hand, and £14.00 worse off.

‘Oh, well, I suppose we didn’t have to pay for the tree’ said mum aware of the cost of decorations and Christmas presents looming.

The moment they got back in the car the mobile phone rang, it was Nana.

‘Hi mum’, said mum multi-tasking, grappling to put the stand on the back seat, put Benji’s seat belt on and fumbling with the phone

‘Yes, it’s nice ……. Well …. Not really ……. Well no, not really, ……… no it’s not too big, ………in fact, ……..well, it, let’s say it has character! ………….. yes he’s very excited, ………we’ve just bought a Christmas tree hydro stand, to keep Bruce from being thirsty, ………………..yes, Benji’s called it Bruce, …….. I’ll explain later …………..yes, do you want to speak to him,…..ok’

‘Nana, we’ve got our tree, he’s called Bruce, he’s from Norway’ shouted Benji enthusiastically.

‘O…K… we’ll see you in about ½ hour – bye’ nana knew better than to run up the phone bill on what could have been a lengthy conversation.

So, off they went again, strapped in, Bruce in boot, and stand on seat. ‘We’ll give you a drink when we get home’ whispered Benji to Bruce, resting his head on his duvet.

………………………….

Benji woke up with a start, when nanas thrilled face suddenly appeared out of nowhere undoing his safety belts and pulling him toward her exclaiming ‘Benji!’

‘He’s just been asleep mum, calm down!’

‘I know, I’m sorry, I’m just pleased to see him,’ said Nana squeezing her beloved grandson tightly, as only Nana’s can. Illustration 7
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Suddenly, Benji remembered. ‘Bruce, Bruce, Nana, he’s thirsty’ and he pulled away from Nanas gripping arms and went straight to the boot where mum was getting the Christmas tree out.

‘Quick then, we’d better get him some water’ she agreed, playing along as only Nanas
can. ‘Ooohhh, isn’t this exciting!’ yelled Nana. ‘Don’t forget your tree stand’

Just then Popop and Uncle Sam arrived back from giving Chico a long walk.

Chico went berserk as usual, wriggling and rubbing against Benji, his brother. Benji had helped choose Chico from the farm when he was a puppy, so they had been together since they were both tiny, they had grown up together. Benji understood Chico and Chico just adored Benji. Whenever Benji stayed overnight with Nana and Popop Chico would always snuggle on the end of his bed, looking out for him and protecting him.

‘Chiiico’ called Benji, cuddling his soft neck.

‘Hi Benji’ said Popop scooping up his grandson, as only granddads do.

‘Popop, Bruce, our tree, come and see him, quick he’s thirsty’ said Benji jumping down and pulling his Popop along into the house where mum had taken the tree and Nana was looking bemused at the Christmas tree stand.

‘Where’s the mulled wine then?’ came a holler from the kitchen – at 22 Sam enjoyed life to the full, sometimes too much for his mum and dad, but never too much for him. He and his sister got on well ‘most of the time’, but as with all brothers and sisters, sometimes one would drive the other crazy.

‘Oh, yes, can you put it on Sam please, it’s all ready in the saucepan, … on a low heat though please, Sam’ requested mum

So, Sam turned the heat on full, went into the sitting room and put on a loud rap CD.

‘No way, we’re not having that rubbish on, we always have Carols for Choirs from Kings College on’ said Popop pressing the eject button and replacing it with the more traditional tree ceremony music.

‘Yes, but this is my house, for the first year we’re having Christmas in my house, and I choose the music’ stated mum adamantly ‘and I choose …. Carols for Choirs from Kings College!’ some traditions never change.

‘Bruce is thirsty too’ repeated Benji drinking his fruitshoot.

Meanwhile nana had unpacked the stand and the tree was at last unveiled.

Apart from the carols for choirs you could have heard a pin drop, even Sam was speechless.
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‘Oh ….. my …… god’ Sam uttered in an unusually quiet voice Illustration 8 of Sam seeing the sad brown tree, nana looking on saying…

‘Samuel!!’ barked Nana in her strict teachers telling off voice, but there was no stopping him.

‘Call that a tree?’ he wasn’t deliberately being horrible, it was just a bit of a shock ‘It’s all … thin and wiry, and …. Crooked and..’

‘Sam??!! It’s called Bruce and he has … ‘Character’ explained mum

‘He’s my friend,’ said Benji quietly, ‘and he’s thirsty’

‘OK, let’s get this tree up and watered’ stated Sam enthusiastically, feeling very guilty.

Benji immediately forgave his Uncle and went to help Popop who was under the tree trying to put Bruce in his stand.

‘How on earth does this thing work? I just can’t… arghhh, those needles are really sharp’ cried popop. ‘Now I can’t get up, my back, this is exactly what you need though, this water stand, who’s idea was this?’ enquired Popop

‘Told you,’ said Benji to his mum in a ‘know it all’ voice, he was only joking.

After much huffing and puffing, eventually popop got Bruce into the tree stand, by now he was wilting more than a little, and looked very sad. Benji appeared from the kitchen with a bottle of water mum had given him, as he had been going on at her over and over.

‘Popop’ called nana ‘Benji’s here to water Bruce, come on out from under there.’

Popop slowly dragged himself backwards and appeared once again with battle scars, and a small twig attached to his jumper.

Benji poured the whole bottle of water into the magic hydro tree stand, and when he was under the tree pouring in the water he heard Bruce say:

‘Oooohhhh, that’s better, thaaank yooou’ Benji felt one of the branches pat him gently on the back.

‘I found the decorations from last year, and haven’t you got some as well Benji?’ enquired Nana.

Benji went racing upstairs to get the new bag of decorations, that mum had only just
bought the day before.

‘What’s that burning smell?’ asked popop ‘Smells like cinnamon’
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Bruce, the tree, still looked very sad and a little wilted, hopefully the water might help. ‘Suuuugar pleeeease’ he asked Benji, who then asked mum if he could put sugar in Bruce’s water.

Benji suddenly realised at that very moment that he was the only one who could hear Bruce speaking.

‘I really don’t think that’s a good idea my little pumpkin’ she said. ‘I’ll get the mulled wine if it’s not too burnt!’ mum went to the kitchen to check it out, ‘No it’s fine, just the sugar stuck to the bottom of the pan, oh well!’ Illustration 9 of mum & mulled wine nearly burnt

Out came all the decorations, borbles, snow in a can, amazing shiny balls, trumpets, French horns, little people, chocolates shiny string, and beautiful lights – Benji felt warm inside, dressing up his new best friend with his whole family around him.

He was even allowed to spray on some fake snow with Nana while mum, Popop and Sam polished off the mulled wine. All of a sudden there was a shaking from the other side of the tree, and Chico ran back round with a chocolate in his mouth! Before anyone could get it off him he had run into the hall like a naughty schoolboy as the chocolate disappeared down his he mouth.

After all the excitement of the evening, Benji was so tired he went to bed, he wanted to anyway, because the sooner he was asleep, the sooner Christmas Day would come and Father Christmas might bring some presents. But a special thing that had happened that day overshadowed all that; he had made a new friend. But Benji just couldn’t stop thinking about the sugar Bruce said he wanted, and he fell fast asleep with that thought in his mind.

He woke with a jolt, as the clock chimed one, two, three.

Bleary-eyed Benji crept downstairs with his small duvet; knowing to be quiet, as Nana and Popop were sleeping in the spare room, which was just off the hallway, which he had to pass. He quietly opened the door to the living room and saw Bruce as bright as a star with wonderful presents surrounding his trunk, all the way up to his branches; Sam was sleeping on the sofa bed, out for the count, so Benji took the sugar bowl on the table and tipped it into the tree stand at the bottom. Illustration 10

Strangely enough Benji, wasn’t interested in the presents this year, he sat down next to Bruce and Chico, who had heard him come down, and snuggled in his duvet. Benji’s arm cuddled Chico’s neck as he gazed at his amazing new friend, who didn’t look anything like as sad as he did in the Christmas tree field.

Benji laid his head on Chico and fell fast asleep with his two best friends.

In the morning, both he and Chico jumped on Uncle Sam on the sofa ‘Happy Christmas’ shouted Benji ‘Woof, woof, squeak’ barked Chico. ‘Oooohhh’ groaned Sam, ‘what day is it?’

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‘It’s Christmas’ screamed Benji, while Chico was licking Sam’s ear.

Mum, Nana and Popop wearily descended the stairs wishing each other a Happy Christmas, and then Nana stopped in her tracks with a look of amazement and a smile on her face. ‘Look, look, look Benji, everyone, … look’

You have never seen such a healthy looking upright, tall, green, full, beautiful Christmas tree.

Bruce looked fantastic. Illustration 11

Full of life, with wonderful bright lights and decorations … beautifully wrapped presents in all sorts of different coloured wrapping papers below him …. he looked happy.

‘How come he’s so amazingly healthy?’ asked Sam ‘when yesterday, he ….. wasn’t?

‘Sugar’ said Benji quietly, ‘I gave Bruce some sugar in the night, and we’re friends now’

‘Wow, that’s incredible Benji, you’re amazing, and so is your new found friend’ said Nana cuddling her grandson as only Nanas do, Benji’s face squashed so tight against her chest hat his lips pushed out.

‘Ok’ said mum happily ‘you were right, Benji, I was wrong’

‘Told you’ said Benji.

‘Wait’ said Popop ‘we’ve forgotten the angel’. Popop hunted high and low, eventually finding the lovely angel at bottom of the decoration box. He placed the pretty angel right on the top stem. ‘There, now he’s ready – happy Christmas everyone, and happy Christmas Bruce!’

After Christmas Bruce was so healthy, they all planted him in the garden.

Now, he’s a grand 20-foot tall Spruce in Benji’s back garden, having been nurtured for years by his best friend – and …. there are a few small Bruce’s just starting to push up through the soil under his grand branches. Illustration 12

Benji has always wondered to this day whether it was the sugar, water, friendship or caring kindness that made a difference to Bruce.

Now he’s grown up he realises it was all those things.

THE END

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