Posted by bethy4ever
on Sun 29 Apr 07, 12:40 AM to bethy4ever's blog.
CHAPTER ONE: How Jasmine Met Lizzy
Jasmine looked out the push chair and pointed in the toy shop window where a small pink teddy bear with large round eyes that almost didn't fit in its head seemed to be looking at her. The expression it wore said things words couldn't, it said "buy me".
She was only one year old and couldn't say more than "Mummy" and "want" and "bear" but she still said them and Mummy understood. She parked the push chair and looked in the window too.
"We shall have to see what Santa brings you won't we?"
Jasmine nodded excitedly and drummed her feet on the floor of the push chair. Mummy laughed and ruffled her hair and made a mental note to come back to that shop later. They walked along the road to the duck pond together and Jasmine was distracted by happy quacking so she soon forgot the toy shop. That was the first time Jasmine saw Iosobell but it wasn't going to be the last. Every day they walked past the same toy store, Mummy or Jasmine would point and there was Isobell smiling hopefully at her. Isobel couldn't speak because she didn't know the words just like Jasmine but she knew enough to speak with her eyes, and that's a very important thing for someone soundless.
Christmas came closer and then one day Jasmine looked in the toy shop window and Isobell was gone. She began to cry because she thought someone had beaten her to the bear but no one had, Isobell was going to a very special home in deed. She spent the weeks of December in the back ofa cupboard wrapped with sparkly silver bows and near somewhere that smelt of pine needles. She couldn't tell where she was but I feel sure you would know so I won't tell you it out loud.
Every night Jasmine made the same Christmas wish. "Bear" she said out loud, and then fell to sleep under a snuggly blue blanket covered with fairies and angels and unicorns. Her dreams were of teddy bear picnics, tea parties and all the fun games that she would play. And in the box Isobell dreamt of cuddles, midnight snacks and what it would be like to have a proper family, she'd never had one before.
On Christmas Eve at midnight there was a jingle of sleigh bells on the rooftop and an old man climbed down the chimney then left a stocking by the fire place. He was gone before Jasmine woke up or realised anything had happened. The reindeers galloped off through the skies at a whispered command. Then, at half past six in the morning on Christmas Day Jasmine couldn't stand being asleep any more. She woke up, stretched, held her dolly Madeline and toddled down the stairs to the lounge in her bunny slippers, Madeline bumping on each step. What a surprise she got. There was a big stocking hanging in the fire place.
"Dadda" she called, "Mummy, Dadda."
Daddy came running into the lounge and picked up his little girl.
"Well now, let's see what we have here" he said.
He walked with his little girl Jasmine in his arms to the fire place and let her peep into the stocking.
"Bear" she cried happily.
For there was Isobel peeping shyly out of the stocking back up at her. The little bear smiled softly as if to say "I'm home" and though neit could speak Isobel could already understand what it had to say. She clapped her hands in excitement and pulled Isobel out the stocking. Underneath her were coloured crayons, a pair of mittens, some socks, a mug, an orange and a bar of chocolate wrapped in silver paper.
A magical Christmas day was spent unwrapping presents, sharing a roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, potatoes and vegetables and then being tucked up safe in bed with Isobel snuggled under her arms while Mummy read another chapter of Winnie the Pooh. And that was how Isobel came into Jasmine's life.
