A Teddy Named Robbie
Robbie was lined up on a shelf with at least a dozen other Teddy Bears, including his Mom and Dad. They were all hoping that someone would come and take them to a nice home. One day, Mr. Ian MacInnis, a businessman from Halifax was in Toronto and remembered his wife had asked him to look for something special for their daughter, Leslie, for Christmas. Leslie was six years old and spoiled beyond belief. Mr. MacInnis went to Toyland at the Bay in the Eaton Centre and started looking through a multitude of games and toys, many of which little Leslie already had, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a number of Teddy Bears lined up on a shelf. He went over and picked one up: the one with the winsome smile sewn on his face. Attached to his wrist was a little birth certificate authenticating his name as being Robbie. Mr. MacInnis thought that this was the perfect gift for Leslie, as he thought that she had just about every other toy but didn’t think she had a Teddy Bear. He headed towards the cashier. Robbie looked back at his Mother who had a little tear in her eye and yet managed a big smile combined with that “mind your manners” look. His Dad, on the other hand stuck out his chest and said “Proud of you son. Just remember where you came from.” That was a clear reference to the fact that Robbie’s great great grandfather was a bear named “Winnie”.
Mr. MacInnis carefully packed Robbie into his carryon luggage and the two of them flew back to Halifax. Leslie’s mom was thrilled with her husband’s choice. Late on Christmas Eve, after Leslie was fast asleep a big red ribbon was tied around Robbie’s neck and he was placed under the Christmas tree. He had never felt so special in all of his life. On Christmas morning Leslie squealed with delight as she saw Robbie waiting for her. She picked him up and hugged him and kissed him and carried him everywhere they went. He was even tucked into bed with her that night and enjoyed the night time stories they were read before they dozed off to sleep; especially the ones about his Great Great Grand daddy, Winnie and the honey pot. Leslie had many other toys like Ken and Barbie and the cabbage patch kids with whom Robbie loved to play. Although, he would tell you, if asked, that Chatty Cathy was very annoying, as she just never stopped talking. It soon became quite clear that Leslie had more than enough toys and Robbie was soon relegated to the bookcase shelf with a number of others.
After a few years, Robbie became a little threadbare, which didn’t really bother him that much, but he noticed Leslie was starting to take an interest in other types of toys and games, leaving him and Barbie, and the kids, as he called them, sitting around and they were basically being ignored.. The other games were little hand held devices with screens and buttons which had to be pushed to work and they were never tucked into bed nor read a story.
One day, Smokey, the family cat jumped up on the shelf and Robbie and Ken were knocked to the floor upon which, Tara, the family’s new golden retriever puppy, grabbed Robbie and started to shake him quite violently before she went running around the house with him in her mouth. The whole family thought that this was very cute and soon started playing fetch with Tara as she ran after Robbie who was thrown as far as the eye could see. It wasn’t long before Robbie developed a sore in his side and his stuffing started to come out and he was missing one ear. Smokey noticed that one of Robbie’s button eyes was a little loose and proceeded to pull at it with one of her claws until it was just dangling by one thread. Robbie was eventually thrown into an old box with all the other toys that weren’t wanted.
One November day, Mrs. MacInnis decided to clean up Leslie’s room and threw out all of the toys her daughter didn’t play with anymore. Robbie, Barbie, Ken and the kids found themselves in an old garbage bag out on the street on Garbage day. It was cold and drizzly with a little snow mixed in and Robbie was covered in orange peels and used coffee grounds. The next morning he woke up to the sounds of the garbage truck and soon the screech and the squeals of the truck were right beside his ear. He was praying that whatever was going to happen to him wouldn’t hurt. A bit of his left arm was sticking out of the bag and he felt a rough old hand pull him out and the old gentleman began to clean him off.
Cecil Langille had been collecting garbage for the city of Halifax for the past twenty five years and was due to retire at the beginning of the New Year. He looked at the Teddy Bear and thought to himself, “some little boy or girl might like this on Christmas. All it needs is a little cleaning and some sewing.” He took Robbie and threw him on the front seat of the cab. Everything else was put into the back of the truck and Robbie cried as he thought of his friends. When Cecil got home that night he showed Robbie to his wife, Lucy, who immediately started to wash Robbie and clean him. She then got out her needle and thread and put Robbie’s stuffing back in him and sewed up his side. The eye was simple as she had lots of thread. It wouldn’t be long before Cecil and Lucy would be driving up to Cheticamp to visit their daughter Marie and their son-in-law Evan LeBlanc, for the holidays.
“Perhaps there’s a child up there who would like this Teddy,” said Cecil.
“Well, if there is one, Marie will know. She knows everyone in the town,” said Lucy.
So Robbie was placed in a box along with a number of other wrapped presents. Cecil and Lucy headed up to Cape Breton the next day. Marie’s house was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the fireplace was blazing giving the house extra warmth on this snowy night. Cecil and Lucy showed Robbie to Marie and asked her if there was a child in town who might like Robbie.
“As a matter of fact there is,” said Marie, “I volunteer at the food bank and little Paulette Chiasson’s parents are there all the time. The bank repossessed her father’s boat and her mother lost her job when the fish plant closed a couple of months ago. They are going through a rough time and just living hand to mouth. Pierre will take any job that’s around and Jeanine, sadly, has become quite sickly. She’s going to the hospital in Sydney for tests all the time, but they just don’t know what her problem is. Paulette’s just the sweetest, politest little five year old you could imagine. Everyone in Cheticamp just adores her. In fact, why don’t we invite the Chaissons to join us here for Christmas dinner?”
“Fine, that’s settled. Paulette will get the teddy. Let’s see if we can make it a surprise,” said Marie. She made a little kilt for Robbie out of the Nova Scotian Tartan and a matching tam to cover his missing ear. Robbie was thrilled. He didn’t think that he had ever looked better in all his life. The next day was Christmas Eve and the Chaisson’s had gratefully accepted the invitation to the LeBlanc’s for Christmas dinner. The snow was falling softly as all the towns people headed up to Saint Peters for midnight mass. Knowing that no one in Cheticamp locked their doors, the LeBlancs and the Langilles entered the Chiasson’s modest home placing Robbie under the little Christmas tree which Pierre had cut down from the nearby woodlot. Little Paulette had helped her mother decorate the tree by stringing popcorn and cranberries together and molded a shining star from a crumpled piece of tin foil she had found in the back of a kitchen drawer. They then proceeded to join the rest of the folks for Mass, even though they were a couple of minutes late for the start of the service.
Christmas morning was bright and sunny with little wind off the water and at five o’clock the Chaissons knocked on the door. Little Paulette was dressed in a beautiful little Christmas dress, embroidered throughout with colourful Christmas trees and wreaths. It was spanking clean although it showed slight signs of wear and was probably a hand me down or possibly purchased at the local Frenchy’s second hand store.
“Look what I’ve got, Look what I’ve got,” exclaimed Paulette as she came into the house showing every one Robbie.
“His name is Robbie, look,” as she pointed to the tattered and stained tag attached to Robbie’s wrist. Paulette’s mother looked at Marie, raised her eye brows, and shrugged her shoulder as if to say, “I don’t know where that came from.”
“I have never, ever seen her this happy in my entire life. It’s amazing, Where it came from, who knows?.... I don’t know, perhaps there really is a Santa.”
The men enjoyed a couple of beers around the fire and the ladies joined them with wine. Marie soon brought out the turkey with the gravy, mashed potatoes, squash and beans and the two families sat around the table, joined hands, and once little Paulette made sure that Robbie was included in the family circle and someone was holding his other hand, they all said grace.
Robbie had finally found his home: in the heart of a poor little girl from Cheticamp, Cape Breton, who had nothing; nothing but pure love and joy in her heart.
