Rosanna's Bear

A teddy bear proves to be the highlight of a horrible holiday.

 

 

 

ROSANNA’S BEAR

 

The Teddy Bear shop was on the main street of a large coastal resort. The interested shopper on opening the door found himself in what resembled a cave inhabited by bears of all shapes and sizes. All the bears wore something: a bow tie, a hat and scarf, a variety of sports clothes, and the latest fashions. The colours ranged from darkest ginger to white. The largest teddy bear, whose head touched the ceiling, actually filled out the corner where he stood. The wall at the end of the shop was black with a rough surface in order to enforce the image of a cave. Soft carpets covered the floor and added to the cosy atmosphere that the owners, Trevor and Elizabeth, wanted to convey to their customers. On a small table near the cash desk were bowls of sweets and tiny biscuits in the shape of bears. Shopping bags depicting bears doing all sorts of interesting things like riding bicycles, fishing, skiing, playing football and cricket, and many other activities were on sale. There were tins of biscuits and jars of jam with bears on the labels. Clothes were also on sale, such as: t-shirts, fleece jackets, tracksuits, pyjamas and dressing gowns. Everything for sale carried the logo of bears. But of course the most important item was the bears themselves.

Sitting amongst all these ginger and golden coloured bears was a medium sized dark chocolate-brown-coloured bear. Unlike all the other bears who wore sports or fashion clothes, this one wore a bright red sweater with the words ‘I Love …’ and then a space for the name of the child who was going to be the receiver of such a lovely gift. The dark brown bear was the last of a line that had been popular the year before. The other bears in the same lot had been in different colours: green, pink, blue, red, black, and all had worn a little sweater with the same logo. There hadn’t been many of them, and except for the dark brown one, all had sold very easily and rapidly. Trevor and Elizabeth always made a point of showing to anyone who entered the dark brown bear, but the customers ignored it, and wanted the more traditional colour, saying it went better with the décor of the child’s bedroom. And so the dark brown teddy remained alone among the more favoured ones. Trevor often said to Elizabeth, “I told you that dark brown teddy would be difficult to sell, didn’t I?”

“It isn’t difficult to sell, it’s just that the right person hasn’t come to acquire it yet,” Elizabeth retorted.

 

Day after day the dark teddy sits there, waiting silently and patiently for the moment when he will be taken down, have the name of his owner sewn onto his sweater, and leave the shop for ever, to live in a child’s bedroom.

 

Rosanna and her grandmother, Dana, had gone to the seaside for a holiday in search of the sun. The previous winter and spring had been long, cold, and wet. Not a drop of sunshine had broken through the thick cloud that seemed to cover the whole country. After the miserable spring, Dana had decided to take Rosanna away for a holiday in August, to let the little girl enjoy the summer sun and have fun on the beach with a bucket and spade. Dana was not a meteorologist and therefore had no idea that nature was going to play an even crueller trick on the general public, and especially on children, who had worn the same heavy winter clothing for nearly a year. As the school year had ended in July, and August had started the summer holiday month for parents and children, the bad weather had got even unbelievably worse. It seemed to be demonstrating to everyone that it was in control. The summer was going to be the worst on record when there’s no distinction between the seasons from one year’s beginning to end, the same cold, wet miserable weather. Everything and everyone suffered.

 

There’s no let up from the skies and puddles covered streets. Rosanna and Dana were staying at an hotel on the sea front. Dana had told Rosanna that they were going away so that they could spend some days in the sun. Rosanna saw that the sky was the same dull grey, and the sea a darker grey, turned to her grandmother and asked, “Where’s the sun?”

Dana sighed and told Rosanna, “Behind the clouds. It looks like the sun doesn’t want to come out. It’s hiding its face from us. Must be ashamed of behaving so badly after such a long winter.”

 

Rosanna was eight years old and the apple of her grandmother’s eye. The rest of the family was still at home in the town where they lived all year round. Dana always preferred Rosanna’s company to anyone else’s, because the small girl was very clear-headed and never created problems that couldn’t be solved with bribery. Rosanna liked her grandmother, not just because of the presents, but Dana left her in peace and didn’t nag her too much.

“What are we going to do?” Rosanna asked Dana.

“Whatever we do will be dictated by the weather, not by what we want to do. Do you want to go to the pier again?” Dana asked Rosanna.

The two females had already been on the pier and played games, but couldn’t enjoy the open air shows which had to be cancelled because of the rain. The general public was very annoyed by the weather, and many swore that they would be going abroad the next summer, even if it meant doing without luxuries for a whole year. Dana and Rosanna were more than fed up; indeed they were fed up with being fed up with their bad choice of summer holiday.

 

Every day they walked along the front to see if anything of interest was happening. Rosanna had her own spending money, to which all the adults in the family had made a contribution. The problem was certainly not financial but what to spend their holiday money on. Most years this was easy, but what do you spend summer holiday money on in the pouring rain and almost freezing cold. Rosanna was tired of buying the typical seaside rock, which she had already bought for the members of the family, who were home and dry.

She was also very tired of so many amusements being shut due to the wet weather. There were no signs of anyone enjoying themselves and the view along the front was that of bedraggled figures wearing plastic raincoats in all shades, hiding the shape underneath. As the sea winds blew, the plastic flew up around the wearers’ legs. It was truly a very sad sight. After a few days some people’s faces became familiar, this was because there was so little to do.

 

In the evenings the holiday visitors went to the cinema or the theatre. They saw in each other a reflection of themselves, and if anything was not too bad they’d recommend it to whomever they met. Rosanna was getting bored with the routine of morning walks and evening entertainment. Dana tried to placate her with, “In the show we’re going to see this evening at the local theatre, the entertainers have all appeared on television. How about that then?”

“I don’t know, Grandma. I don’t feel like going out very much. But I’ll go if you want to.”

Dana gave Rosanna a glance as if she was expecting the girl to collapse. She had just realised how bored the child actually was. Tomorrow she would have to find something new to do for the two of them.

 

That night the theatre was not as bad as it might have been. The management had made a huge effort to provide something that would lighten up the grim holiday the visitors were having. Instead of just singing and dancing and comedy sketches; there were contests for the more adventurous of singing and dancing, general knowledge of the simpler kind, and holiday prince and princess for the younger members of the audience. Rosanna was a lot cheerier that night when she went to bed than she had been. Dana hoped with all her heart that the rest of he holiday would also have a good result.

 

The next morning after breakfast Dana and Rosanna went up to the reception and asked where the most interesting shops were located. The young lady behind the desk showed them on a map and indicated the direction to go when they left the hotel.

“Why did you ask that lady about shops?” Rosanna asked.

“We’ve only seen the shops on the front so far. Don’t you want to go shopping?”

“Yes, if you like,” Rosanna answered.

There was a shopping complex not far from the hotel, so they made their way there first. “It reminds me of the one back home,” Dana commented to Rosanna, who was busy looking at some colourful clothes.

“Is it too cold to buy this t-shirt?”

“Yes, it is. Have you seen anything a bit warmer you like?” Dana had no confidence that the weather might improve.

“No, I haven’t. Can we go somewhere else, please?” Rosanna asked, looking rather glum.

“Come on, let’s go. The main street is not far from here, we might strike lucky and find something of interest.”

Dana led Rosanna out of the complex and turned the corner into the main street. The shops were more opulent and of greater curiosity to the human eye than the ones in the complex. They weren’t in a hurry and examined every shop window thoroughly. At long length they arrived at the Teddy Bear shop, and went inside. Dana made for the children’s clothes. Rosanna was mesmerised by all the teddies adorning the shelves. She walked around the shop slowly, till she came to where the dark brown one was sitting.

“Grandma, please can I have that bear?”

Elizabeth went over to the shelf where the dark brown bear was sitting and took it down. Dana saw that Rosanna was holding the bear in her arms and burying her face in its rich fluffy body. “There’s a space to put her name if she wants to buy the bear,” Elizabeth said to Dana.

“It’s a lovely toy and I’m sure she likes it enough to want to keep it,” Dana told Elizabeth.

“What’s her name?”

“Rosanna,” Dana said.

Elizabeth opened a drawer which was full of names, and pulled out ‘Rosanna’. “I just have to fix it onto the sweater and it’s hers,” Elizabeth said.

Dana watched as Elizabeth asked Rosanna for the bear and took it into a work-room where she ironed the name onto the little red sweater.

“Will it stay on, or not?” Dana asked.

“It will stay on as long as you wash it inside out.”

“Why hasn’t he got any trousers?” Rosanna asked Elizabeth.

“I’m sorry, but he came with just the sweater,” Elizabeth said apologetically.

“Never mind about the trousers. I’ll make him some when we get home,” Dana said.

Rosanna said she would pay for the bear, and before leaving the shop Elizabeth asked her, “What are you going to call him?”

Rosanna stared, and then looked at grandmother for help, “What do you think?”

“Barney,” Dana said quickly.

“Thank you very much for your custom,” Elizabeth said to them.

“Thank you, and goodbye,” Dana and Rosanna said in reply.

 

When Trevor returned to the shop after delivering some sweets and cakes to a child’s birthday party, Elizabeth said in greeting, “Guess what I’ve sold?”

“What?” Trevor asked her.

“The dark brown bear, and the little girl who bought it seemed delighted with it and so did her grandmother.”

“So you were right. Please don’t go buying strange colours in teddies again unless they’re in fashion.”

 

Dana and Rosanna walked along the road, looking in the shop windows of the other stores. Rosanna was carrying the bear carefully, and speaking to it in a voice so soft that Dana was unable to hear what she was saying to Barney. “Grandma, Barney and I have come to a decision. He must have trousers now,” Rosanna said staring at her grandmother very seriously.

Dana said, “I thought I’d already told you that I’ll make him some when we get back home,” giving Rosanna a hard stare.

“That’s too far away. We still have some more days here, you told me this morning. He feels cold,” Rosanna replied.

Dana was aware that Rosanna had changed tactics since becoming the owner of Barney, she was now more assertive. There were different kinds of shops with dolls, fluffy toys, and mechanical toys in the same street. Rosanna said to her grandmother, “Stop here. Look the dolls have wardrobes with clothes hanging up in them. Perhaps they will have some trousers for Barney.”

They went through the shop door and entered a child’s paradise of toys. There were packets of clothes hanging up, and they were what caught Rosanna’s eye. She went up to the assistant and asked, “Have you got any trousers for Barney? He hasn’t got any and he feels cold.”

The assistant said, “Are you sure he feels the cold? After all he’s got a nice thick fur coat.”

“He told me he feels cold, that’s why we are here in the shop. Have you got any trousers for him, please?” Rosanna pleaded in her most persuasive voice.

Dana was rather amused by Rosanna’s behaviour, at least she wasn’t moaning about how boring the holiday was. They walked up to a display with all kinds of clothes for toys. The assistant asked Rosanna, “May I take Barney’s measurements, please?”

Rosanna didn’t take her eyes off the assistant when she wrote down Barney’s measurements. She returned Barney to Rosanna, and her fingers started to run through the different packets of toys’ trousers. After a couple of minutes she turned to Rosanna with four packets of trousers. “Here are some trousers which I think will fit Barney quite well.”

Rosanna said to Barney, “These are for you, now you decide which colour you prefer.” Rosanna, with her grandmother’s help, began trying on the different trousers. When all the four pairs had been tried on, Rosanna said to the assistant, “He likes two. The navy blue pair, and the grey and red check pair.”

The assistant took the money from Rosanna and went to the cash desk.

“He already looks happier,” said Rosanna, as she pulled the navy blue trousers up Barney’s legs till they were at his waist. “They’re a perfect fit. Look, Grandma.” 

They thanked the assistant and left the shop.

 

For the rest of the day Rosanna and Dana spent eating and buying more presents to take home. Barney got rather heavy for Rosanna, so she put him inside her bright pink rucksack. “Grandma, Barney’s tired, so I’ve decided to let him sleep in my rucksack.”

“Very well, Rosanna, but remember he’s quite big, and you might not be able to put much more in with him.”

Rosanna said, “That’s all right, you can carry anything we buy. I don’t want to get anything else. I’ve got what I wanted.”

“Thank you very much Rosanna. Does that mean you’re not keen on shopping any more?”

“I don’t mind going round the shops, but Barney might get bored.”

Dana gave a sideways glance at Rosanna. who seemed to be very serious, “We mustn’t let that happen, must we?”

 

Dana thought to herself that the holiday had to be about the worst she had ever been on, but now Rosanna had bought Barney, she was a lot happier. Dana wondered how much of what Rosanna attributed to Barney was her fruitful imagination, or something she had seen on television or had read in books.

 

As the afternoon darkened into evening the grandma and granddaughter went back to the hotel. As soon as they were inside their room, Dana took her shoes off and went into the bathroom to soak her feet in a bowl of hot water, “My feet feel a bit sore. I shan’t be long.”

“That’s all right, Grandma, I’m used to you soaking your feet. Barney and I are going to watch television.” Rosanna opened the rucksack and carefully removed Barney. “Come on Barney, out you get. Do you like cartoons?” Rosanna said to the bear.

When Dana went into the bedroom she saw Rosanna asleep on the sofa with Barney sitting beside her and the television switched on. Dana took her camera out of its case and took several snaps of Rosanna and Barney.

 

The next morning although dull was dry, and after breakfast Dana and Rosanna with Barney were out and about on the front. The wind was still blowing but not so strong as to make it impossible to walk. There was a notice outside the open-air theatre on the front saying it was open again. Dana bought two tickets and they sat down on the canvas chairs. Rosanna was very quiet for once.

“Are you all right with this?” her grandma asked.

“Yes, Grandma, but I’m not sure about Barney. He seems a bit fidgety.”

“Rosanna, Barney’s a toy bear and I don’t see how he can be fidgety. If anyone is fidgety, it’s you.”

“I don’t want to see the show,” Rosanna said, getting up and readjusting the rucksack with Barney inside it onto her back.

“After all the disappointments we’ve had with not seeing the children’s shows, I just don’t understand you,” Dana said.

 

They started walking in the direction of the arcade when there was a loud clap of thunder and the rain came down. “See, Grandma? Barney’s clever. He told me not to see the show.”

Dana refused to argue with Rosanna, they were on holiday and that’s when arguments are best left back home. The rain came down so heavily that in a few minutes all the chairs were empty, and adults and children were racing towards the amusement arcade. The workers in the arcade were saying that they had never seen such a bad summer. So much money was being lost that they were wondering whether it would be worth opening the following year.

Dana thought she would put Barney to the test and said to Rosanna, “There’s an all-day excursion tomorrow, would you like to ask Barney if we should go?”

Rosanna said, “Well, I’ll ask him and see what he tells me to do.”

Dana stood waiting and watching a young boy playing a video game. She admired the concentration he gave to it. Rosanna tugged at Dana’s arm and said, “Barney says we shouldn’t go on the excursion as it’s going to be foggy.”

Dana thought for a moment, and asked Rosanna, “Is there a programme or something inside Barney that gives him this information?”

“No, Grandma, he just knows everything. That’s all.”

 

The next day Dana drew back the curtains in their bedroom and looked out towards the sea - only it wasn’t there! A heavy white fog like a white shroud covered the front and the beach. Dana went to wake Rosanna, “Barney was right. It’s foggy all right. There’ll be no excursions today.”

 

The day after the fog was the end of Dana and Rosanna’s holiday. The train journey back was seven hours long, and by the time they got to their house they were both tired out. Dana opened the front door and Rosanna’s parents came out to welcome them. “I’m tired, Mummy, and I want to show Barney his new home before I go to sleep. I bought him at the beach,” Rosanna told her mother.

Rosanna’s mother turned and said to Dana as they both watched Rosanna go up the stairs to bed, “She hasn’t got another teddy, has she?”

“I’m afraid so, and this one informs her what’s best to do or not to do,” Dana replied.

 

Rosanna opened her bedroom door and walked into a room overflowing with fluffy toys, many of them teddy bears. “Look, Barney, now you’ll have company when I’m at school.”

That was the first night Barney slept in Rosanna’s bed.

 

It was some years later that Rosanna’s family realized that it was Rosanna who was the psychic, and not Barney.