A Leaf Out Of Benjamin's Book

BRUCE:

“Gaaaaaaaargghhh” A piercing wail resounded in Poppyseed Nursing Home. It filled the sourly fragrant air, shrill enough to blast the lethargically-moved chess pieces off the table and snap the frequently-used knitting needles in half.

“Call an ambulance quick!” exclaimed a panicked resident. “She has gone as white as a sheet!”, which was depressingly ironic, as the sheets at Poppyseed were anything but a shade of white. “Do something!!!”

It was too late. Her pulse gradually slowed to a stop. The residents gathered around like a nosy herd of sheep with curly white perms, to take a look at the latest victim of death in the home. It wasn’t what they were expecting. Besides the slowly falling tears of those around her, there was one manically wailing witness to the scene. A baby.

BENJAMIN:

Benjamin’s legs gave way and he collapsed beside the woman, clutching the red-haired newborn.

“Who was this pregnant woman?” The nurse asked, distraught, but he felt like his throat was closing in and he could barely utter a word.

“She was visiting me. I’m the only one she had. Now, I’m the only one he has.” He explained, nodding towards the baby, who was finally soothing himself to sleep.

“I have to take care of him.”

BRUCE:

Bruce lived an extraordinary life and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Extraordinary wouldn’t exactly be what other teens would call it, but he didn’t care. He loved how he appreciated the little things they didn’t and how he savoured a proper conversation over technology. Did he accidentally think TikTok was the latest brand of watch? Perhaps. Did he get bullied for that? A little…okay a lot, but Poppyseed outweighed any negative encounters at school. It was his 18th birthday and he knew many changes lay ahead, which sparked mixed emotions within him. He was happily finishing school, but reluctantly leaving Poppyseed for university. A fresh start.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief getting on his LAST EVER bus ride home from school.

I just need to survive one last trip…

“G’day Bruuuuuuucey”. Bruce felt dread flood through his body. He looked up to see his classmate Ronnie peering down at him. Although the main focus of the taunting, Bruce couldn’t help but love his name. Benjamin smiled with pride every time he told the residents how he had named him after someone special.

It’s ironic they call them classMATES, he thought, as he wouldn’t classify ANYONE at school a friend. His only true friends were at Poppyseed. He tried to distract himself with happy thoughts: listening to vinyl records with Benjamin whilst learning how to ballroom dance.

Suddenly, he was shaken out of his reverie as Ronnie’s greasy slug-like lips whined “take this old pissy pants, carrot top!” Bruce looked up without thinking, but it was too late. A yellow liquid was being poured into his eyes. It burned like sand blown in your eyes at the beach, only this experience didn’t involve ice-cream and the sun to compensate for the discomfort.

Luckily, his stop was seconds away, so he could sprint off, as the whole bus burst into fits of laughter. He desperately held back the tears as he walked up the drive to Poppyseed. He brushed any remaining drops of the suspicious substance off his unruly auburn hair and opened the front door. He was welcomed with what ‘normal teenagers’ would call a stench, but to him it smelt like home. He was home.

“SURPRISE!!!!!!!”

MAGGIE:

My life is over. How can I go on? What shall I tell the kids?

The young man stared out of the workshop’s beautiful bay window at the dark-haired woman on the bench outside. Clearly, she was in a bad way. He could tell she had been crying for days as, when she approached the bench, he could see her upper eyelids were swollen, as if fresh out of a boxing match. What on earth could have happened?

Maggie felt the eyes of someone on the back of her head. It was in moments like those that she started to believe in a higher force. She turned to see a man with the kindest teal blue eyes she had ever seen. He smiled at her, which shot a pang of warmth into her body, reassuring her that she still had the ability to feel something besides never-ending sadness.

You’re ugly, worthless, why else would he have left you for…?

Her negative thought process was abruptly disrupted by a book shoved under her nose. A beautifully crafted black leather book which smelt divine. The leather was freshly bound around the crisp white pages. It was a work of art.

“Take this”, the kind man said. “Whatever you’re sad about, write it down. It will help.” Then he left. She looked up, blinking at the quaint book-binding shop as he scurried back inside. Did that just happen? Little did she know, that man had just saved her life.

PETER:

“Briiiiing!” The shop’s doorbell rang. The book-binder felt excited as he turned around to greet another customer. He was taken aback by the gentleman’s appearance. The customer’s straggly blonde hair looked like he had either coated it in some sort of oil or it was seriously unwashed. As the book-binder looked closer, he could see holes sporadically dotted all over his jumper, as if a caterpillar had mistaken it for a leaf and decided to have an absolute field day.

The customer caught the man looking and red flashed across his cheeks with embarrassment. He picked up a book and instantly put it down again, as if he had grabbed a hot baking tray with no oven gloves. Clearly out of his price range. He put the book up to his nose for one last sniff of the freshly bound leather, then glumly made his way out of the shop. A feeling of hopelessness resumed.

“Wait,” called the book-binder, proffering a book. “Have this. Never give up on your dreams.”

The unkempt man grinned sheepishly, flashing an array of yellow teeth, like a whole corn on the cob had been rammed into his mouth.

“But I can’t possibly affor…”

“Take it. Free of charge. Never give up.”

Little did he know, the kind man had dramatically changed his life.

SCARLETT:

The only thing Scarlett liked about herself was her flaming red locks. Everything else was revolting, repulsive, like a blown-up beached whale…in her eyes, of course. It all started with her first boyfriend. He constantly criticized her body shape and compared her to other girls online. She started cutting down on food back then, not realising how addictive the monitoring could get. Gradually, she reduced meals down to a single boiled sweet and a can of fizzy pop.

She thought it would make her happier, but she just got increasingly critical and her perception of herself never changed. Her gums were red raw, she had stomach cramps and zero energy left to even hate herself anymore. Then the ambulance came, which unbeknown to her would become her most commonly used form of transport. She didn’t have anyone for support. She was utterly alone.

Sometimes she felt guilty to admit it, but she almost felt relieved she was admitted to hospital for the company. Until one day, everything changed. She was lying in hospital wishing the days would end, when a curious man came over with a black leather notebook.

Little did they both know, they would change each other’s fate.

BENJAMIN:

Bruce had no idea how much joy he had brought Benjamin. Benjamin hadn’t experienced unconditional love before Bruce. He smiled proudly at every milestone, as if he were his own son. Today was no exception. Benjamin excitedly gathered up the newspaper-wrapped gifts, paying special attention to one in particular. The pièce de résistance, he thought ecstatically. He tucked it away in his cabinet to give it to Bruce the next day.

BRUCE:

Bruce was glad he had finally made it to his safe haven.

“SURPRISE!!!!” The residents exclaimed, proudly waving animal balloons made during today’s activity session. He was filled with love and felt as if he were floating amongst this absurd helium zoo. Although he never had a proper family, it didn’t matter. This was his family. He caught eyes with the man who had brought him up. They were brimming with tears. He went to bed content, full of cake and happy memories of the years spent in this beautiful place, surrounded by the best people you could ever meet.

The next day Bruce awoke, full of excitement. He had hoped to go walking with Benjamin down by the river, but sadly that was never meant to be. He shook Benjamin, but the man who was once so full of life, was still.

Two weeks later…

Bruce felt torn about returning to Poppyseed. He didn’t want to ruin happy memories, but he had to honour Benjamin’s.

“You can take his belongings.” The nurse mumbled, choked up.

Bruce tentatively stepped into the bedroom. It felt strange. He was quickly filled with a mixture of devastation and warmth as he breathed in the smell of Benjamin’s jacket, just to feel close to him again. He started packing everything into a box, stopping when he reached the cabinet. A beautifully wrapped gift with a tag:

“I never told you, but you were named after Bruce Chatwin. He wrote travelling tales in 'moleskine' books, so here is your very own for recording your adventures. Life is an adventure, go live it.”

A tear trickled down his cheek. Suddenly he noticed the leather corner of another book poking out of the back of the cabinet. 'Bound by Benjamin Roberts' was stamped on the back. He flicked through it. On the back page was a title: 'Random Acts of Kindness.' He scanned down the list: Maggie, Peter…who were all of these people? Benjamin never had visitors?

The day of the funeral had arrived. As Bruce reached the church, he thought he must be in the wrong place. People were lining up in the street, hoping to pay their respects. Who are they? Unnerved, Bruce headed to the front. After the ceremony, a smart man and an empathetic-looking lady approached him.

“Benjamin’s closest relative?”

“Umm…well.”

“Benjamin touched so many people’s lives with his kindness.” Maggie said. “I was in a terrible place. My husband had left me for another woman and Benjamin reached out and saved my life. I got through depression writing in the notebook he gave me. I used it as a wedding planner when I met my second husband. Without Benjamin, I wouldn’t be here today. Just shows how a book can change a life.”

Peter added “I was at the lowest of the low. Benjamin gave me a book and told me to follow my dreams. I did just that. I used that book to plan business projects and now I’d like to give something back: 20,000 dollars.”

“I can’t accept that!”

“Take it for Benjamin, please.” He thrusted a cheque into Bruce’s hand.

Bruce took out the book from his suit jacket and asked the two strangers if they appeared on the long list of names.

“That’s us!”

A letter fell out of the back.

Benjamin,

Thank you for supporting me every step of the way. Your notebook massively helped. I’ve used it as a food diary to ensure I eat properly and now I’m at a ‘healthy weight’. I will be visiting you as I have a little, or rather big surprise!

Love Scarlett.

Bruce’s heart felt like it was being clenched by a steel hand.

That was my mum…

Two months on:

Bruce was determined to take a leaf out of Benjamin’s book. Seeing how small acts of kindness could dramatically improve lives he donated the money to Poppyseed and Help for Anorexia, a local charity. After all, that’s what Benjamin would have wanted.