Coping With Grandpere

The sun set over the little town of Nutwood, casting shadows of ethereal light on the little cottages that stood proud and old fashioned among the blackberry bushes and brambles. On the roof of Rupert’s house, our young bear was looking out at the valley far off. He was a little sad about something, and that was when his good friend Little Bear showed up.

“Hey Rupert,” he said, “What’s up?” “Nothing.” said Rupert. “There must be something,” said Little Bear, “If you have a problem, I’m willing to listen! I’m your best friend, Rupert.” Rupert swallowed, rubbed his eyes, took a deep breath and then said:

“You know me all too well, Little Bear.” Little Bear gasped gently. Rupert went on: “Okay, so, you see, my great great great great great grandfather, Grandpere, died recently searching for sea treasure. There was nothing me and my family could do about it. He was eaten alive by a Great White Shark. All he had left was this.”

Rupert held up a shining golden pocket watch that gleamed in the light of the setting sun. Little Bear was amazed. Rupert opened it up to show a picture of him when he was a baby. “My dad put my picture in this watch for me.” he explained softly. “Now that Grandpere is gone, things are going to be different. In fact, the whole world is now going to be different. Sometimes years like this can be tough, can they? But sometimes, family memories are more important than family loss. This is why sons like me need to have faith.”

Little Bear just….stared at his friend in complete silence. Showing how shocked he is, Rupert fell to his knees, about to cry. Just as he fell to his knees, he slipped and fell off the roof, crashing to the ground.

“OW!”

“Rupert…Rupert…wake up.”

Rupert woke up in the Nutwood Cottage Hospital covered in bandages and wearing a yellow hospital gown covered in red flowers, as he saw Little Bear, Cheer, Grumpy, Funshine, Emily, Alexander and his own mum and dad standing around his bed, giving him warm, affectionate smiles.

“Rupert…I’m sorry I didn’t understand your pocket watch.”

“We have faith in you, Rupert.”

“You’ll always find the fun in everything.”

“You can cope without Grandpere, Rupert. You just can!”

“Emily’s right, I think you’re doing a grand job.”

Grumpy sighed. “You will cope with Grandpere’s loss, Rupert…I guess.”

“What happened to me? Where’s the pocket watch?” asked Rupert, still in a daze from his fall. Rupert suddenly gagged, turned green as a poison ivy plant, and vomited into a chamber pot near his bed. Out of his mouth came a golden pocket watch covered in green bile. Everyone grossed out, but Rupert’s dad came to look at the suspicious, bile-covered watch.

“Oh dear, another family heirloom ruined,” he groaned, “How did that happen?” “We don’t know!” chorused Rupert’s unusual friends.