Christmas Purple Bear
written by: Sue McBean
@organicbotanic
The “seafoam-green” windchimes sounded though the window. I slipped into a dream. A one-eyed knitted bear with a triangular head came to me. He asked for his lost eye, “So I can make another little girl happy.” As the tree lights in my bedroom slowly changed colour, I wasn’t sure if he was purple or grey. With a sewn, woollen, black nose he reminded me of my special childhood bear!
I set about searching for the lost eye, from the moment I woke next day. Lost things are found where they ought to be. I rummaged through some boxes! It wasn’t in my jewellery box, nor in the tooth-fairy box. It wasn’t even in my musical box! When I pulled everything out of my old toy box, there, in the corner, right at the bottom, was a teddy bear eye! “I hope this is the right one!” I said as I wrapped it in a handkerchief with a needle and thread and stuffed the bundle in the pocket of my pyjama jacket. I had the eye but no bear. Where could he be?
That night as I drifted off to sleep the windchimes tinkled again, and the tree lights glowed and faded, and each light was a musical note playing a magical tune! In my dream, beside my bed, I found a dragon-shaped kite that I got on my tenth Christmas. I had such fun with that kite racing along the cliffs. A parcel tag was tied to the kite-tail and on it was written: “You need to go to bed earlier to find the bear!”
In the morning I thought about the words. I promised myself to go to bed earlier. And I did! The windchimes sounded through the window and, while the tree lights glowed and faded, the music created a magical spell. In my dream, I felt my heart skip as I saw the present that I got for my eighth Christmas! My first bicycle without stabilisers! It had tyres for forest paths. I loved riding up and down fast, arriving home muddy and ruddy faced needing a warm bath and hot milk by the fire.
The bear though – he was from a much earlier time. Could I find him in my dreams by going to bed even earlier? I hoped so. Early to bed with a book, I nodded off quickly to the sound of the sea and music of waves as the glowing lights faded orange, then blue. Oh! I remember these presents when I was six! Paints and brushes, crayons of all colours, glue, chalk, scissors, a blackboard that was also an easel with a pad of special paper bigger than I could imagine! I wore an all-over apron made from a lime green pillowcase with holes cut for my arms. I loved when my art was put on the fridge with magnets.
I couldn’t dare to hope the magic would work again but the next night, earlier in bed than ever, I went into a dream world and got back to the humming top of my fourth Christmas. It still purred while it whirled round and clanked as I pushed the handle down hard and fast, again and again, to get the speed so wild the patterns and colours were just a blur.
Now it was Christmas Eve and I had let the bear down. I had not found him in my dreams, and he wasn’t in the toy box. I still had what I hoped was his eye wrapped in a hanky stuffed in my pyjama pocket. I tucked my daughter in early and went straight off to my bed, very tired. One look at the windchimes glowing in the lights from my tree and I was gone. I don’t know if I even climbed into bed! I dreamed I went to the toy box and the lid was up! Sitting waiting for me was the bear! “You found my eye?” he asked. I smiled! “Quickly, there isn’t much time.” He winked with his one good eye.
I woke early while it was still dark. The chimes were still singing outside my bedroom in the breeze and the Christmas lights were quietly coming and going on the fade setting. My daughter was squealing with delight in her room and came running in to see me: “Look! LOOK! Look! A bear with a triangular head was sitting at the bottom of my bed when I woke up! I love him already! I’m so happy, he’s perfect! I shall call him Purple Bear!”
- Christmas Purple Bear - December 18, 2024
