Lynne Schmidt Normal Lynne Schmidt 3 43 2000-07-16T09:06:00Z
2000-07-16T09:49:00Z 5 2015 11487 95 22 14106 9.2720		    Title:
Moving On Author: Lys at TYKlys@hotmail.com Rated: G Pairings: None
Spoilers: The Glimpses of Ben Series Stories   This is another story about
little Ben Fraser taking place about the time his grandparents move near
to Alert.    Alliance owns them, Paul Haggis worked on their creation and
both made Due South an enjoyable place to visit. I don't own, and do not
seek monetary gain from my stories. Please do not archive these stories or
use any of my original created information on a website without my
permission.   Now on with the story.     Moving On   Ben grabbed the box
on the floor by his bedroom door. He stood and looked around the barren
room. As his eyes looked out his bedroom window for the last time he saw
the trees swaying outside the glass. He held onto his box tightly and
moved out to the hallway. Taking one more quick glance behind him, he
pulled the door shut. Carrying the box in both hands, he listened to the
silence of the children as he walked towards the kitchen. The cabin
sounded hollows to the almost 8 year-old boy. He stood for a moment in the
kitchen area, cocking his head and listening to the hollow nothingness
that blasted his young ears. He shifted the box from one hand to the other
and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. He felt his heat beating
rapidly in his small chest. A sense of panic was seizing him and he was
frightened that the feeling would soon be all he could feel.    Martha
Fraser stepped in to the cabin to see what was keeping her young grandson.
She stood in the doorway looking around her to see if she had missed
anything. As she glanced in the corner where the rocking chair used to sit
she felt the lonely feeling of the empty cabin draw in and hold her. She
remembered all too well the many evenings she had set in that rocker with
an unresponsive child in her arms. She was thankful those days were gone,
and in a way she was glad to be leaving this home behind her. Leaving this
home might be a final link in breaking through to little Ben and his
sorrows. She wanted desperately for him to be like other boys his age.
George was as convinced as she was that that wouldn't happen here. So they
were in agreement, taking the job offered in Alert just might be what Ben
needed. It was quite all right for two grownups to inure themselves in a
quiet cabin like this, but a boy like Ben needed people. Martha was
desperately afraid that the move was coming too late. But her eyes swept
over the room in a last goodbye and came to rest on little Ben so
sorrowfully wiping his eyes. Taking soft steps, Martha approached and
knelt down beside the boy. She took out her own handkerchief and used it
to wipe his eyes. The boy stood quietly beside her, as she looked deep
into his eyes. "You'll like Alert, Ben. Your Grandpere and I have located
a place just outside the town, but near enough for you to make some
friends your own age." The boy made no response but merely nodded his head
as he sniffled. "Ben Fraser, stop that right now. You're going to make me
cry in a minute. Moving isn't the end of the world." "I'll miss my swing."
The boy dropped his eyes from her face. "And all my secret places." Not to
mention all the animals the boy added in his mind. Martha leaned back a
bit from the boy. "Then look on this as an adventure. You love to read
about foreign places, this will be a chance for you to see new things and
meet new people." "Don't want new things, Gran. I like the old ones." "I
know you do Ben, I know you do." "Do we really have to go?" "You know we
go where we're needed, Ben. We don't normally stay in one place as long as
we have stayed here. Our job is important Ben. People want to learn and we
can help them with books and materials for learning. That's our
job." "Will the new cabin have trees around it? Will I have a swing?" "Why
don't you put your box in the car and we'll talk about it on the trip. I
think you're going to find lots of new things where we're going Ben. And
yes, I think we can manage a swing." Ben obediently picked up his box and
headed out to the door, he stopped there but didn't look back as he left
the cabin, never to see it again. He stood near the car watching his
Grandpere loading some of the last minute boxes in the trailer he had
hired for the move. He handed his small box to his grandfather and stood
back to look around the clearing. The barn drew his gaze the longest and
he imagined some other little boy using his swing and his climbing rope.
In his mind, he heard the dogs and chickens and geese that normally roamed
the area near the barn. They had all been sent on ahead to the new cabin.
Ben knew in his heart that the barn was as empty as the cabin. Resignedly,
with a great deal of sighing, he climbed into the big, old car and sat in
the back seat staring straight ahead.  George and Martha stood next to
each other one last time on the porch of the cabin and looked around the
grounds. George slipped his hand into Martha's and gripped it hard. "It's
going to work out, you'll see. This is what Ben needs. We've been too
isolated here. The boy gets into mischief for sure, but he needs to learn
how to 'be' with other people. He needs people who laugh with him. He
needs other boys, other children. We're doing the right thing, I know we
are." Martha leaned over to her husband and gently placed her hand on his
face. "We're too old for all this. I had thought we might retire here." "I
know dear, but moving is the right thing to do." "Yes, it is. I'm not
arguing that fact. I just want Ben to act more alive. He's come so far
George. His little heart is breaking; this is the only home he remembers.
I think he hardly remembers Caroline. And I know, Robert promises he will
be able to visit Ben more in Alert. But Robert can't predict the whims of
the RCMP or his duties and I am afraid this move might make the two of
them more distant than they are right now." "It's not like Robert and
Caroline living on the Rat, Martha. We'll be closer to civilization for
Ben's sake. I worry sometimes that that young scamp is going to get hurt
and because we're here we won't be able to help him. He needs what we'll
have in Alert, Martha." She nodded and pulled away. "Let's get out of
here." She threw her husband a smile and walked to the car. Climbing in
she handed Ben a large book that she had been saving for him to read or
look at on the trip.  "The Gold Rush of 1849" Ben read as he put the book
in his lap. This time Martha had chosen a book with a wonderful colorful
picture on the front along with beautiful illustrations on the inside of
it. He looked up at his Grandmother and smiled.  "It's all about pioneers
Ben and how people traveled across a whole continent to find their
dreams." "Did they travel in a car like us?" "No dear, they didn't. You'll
find out as you read that some of the people even walked from one side of
the continent to the other in search of gold." Ben's eyes looked down at
the book as he heard his Grandpere get in the car and start up the engine.
He kept his eyes on the cover of the book until the car pulled out onto
the old country road that lead away from the only home he
remembered.  Traveling to Alert was no small project and because of the
trailer the Fraser's had decided to take their time. They had notified
their new employer that they would arrive in time to set up the library
and school for the next school session. The first traveling days were long
and boring, Ben falling asleep often in the car. At times, Martha wished
she could sleep so that thoughts of their new home would leave her alone.
 George had traveled to Alert when they first heard of the opening and
found them a place to live. He drove silently most of the time keeping his
thoughts about their new home private. He hadn't told Martha much more
than that he thought she would like the new place. He had been
purposefully uncommunicative about the cabins details. He hummed as he
drove and listened to the boy either reading or asking questions about the
1849 gold rush in California. Martha answered the child with complete
answers and listened to him reading out loud for some of the time, she was
continually patient with Ben's questions. By the time Alert reached, each
of the occupants of the car was heartily tired of traveling. Ben was bored
with the scenery and Martha was hoping she could get to the linens box
easily in the trailer. George drove down the main street of Alert to let
Martha and Ben see their new town, but it was too near dusk and there
wasn't much to be seen. It looked as Martha commented like a town that
rolled its sidewalk up at night. Finally, George pulled their car into a
side road and drove down a long single car road. The sound of crunching
stones wakened Ben and the boy climbed to his knees trying to see out the
front window.  "Awake are you Ben?" George smiled and pulled the car into
a clearing much like the one they had left behind them. This was no small
cabin that stood in front of the Fraser car, but a full two-story cabin
home. About 100 yards from the cabin stood a nice garage and barn. The
sound of George's dog team howling greeted them as the car pulled up and
stopped by the front door. Martha sat and stared. She was more than a
little surprised. This home wasn't very far outside Alert. She'd have
actual neighbors she was sure. There were bound to be children around for
Ben to see whenever he wanted. She climbed out of the car and held the
seat forward for Ben to climb out. The two stood together cautious about
entering their new home. George climbed out of the car and walked over to
grab their hands. "Come on. I have the key right here." "A key?"  George
smiled at his wife. "Yes, a key." The Fraser family climbed the steps to
the biggest porch Martha had ever seen. She could already see that the
porch faced West and she could imagine the sunsets they would see as they
sat there of an evening. She noticed the very large front window of the
house and smiled. George unlocked the door and drew his family inside with
a smile. He watched Martha with a pleased look on his face. He'd always
promised her a home, not a cabin. He was keeping that promise. He watched
Martha look at the hallway that divided the house in two. She glanced into
the doorway at the right and saw a huge room that must be the living room;
it was filled with their side chairs and a lovely sofa. The trailer had
carried their boxes, but their furniture had been sent on ahead and Martha
knew that George had arranged for someone to put up their bedroom
furniture before they arrived. Whirling quickly she turned to the left and
entered her new kitchen. A huge window set over the sink, a far larger
window than at the old cabin. The floor was more than plain wood, it was
lovely polished and well-cared for oak flooring. There were more cabinets
and besides a stove for heating the room in the winter there was a real
stove, one that had an oven warming bin on the top. But what Martha
noticed most was the lack of a water pump on the counter. She turned and
gave George a questioning look. He nodded and said, "Yes, really running
water, in the kitchen and the bath." Martha hugged her husband and turned
back to Ben. "Perhaps you should go up and see your room Ben." George
moved away and turned on the hall lights by the stairway. "It's the last
room on the left Ben." George said smiling at the small, drooping boy. Ben
was tired and moved sluggishly towards the stairs not comprehending all
his grandmother had seen in their new home. He climbed the stairs slowly
not anticipating that he would like his new room. He made it to the top
and listlessly went down the hall. He found the door to the last bedroom
and turned the handle. There was enough pale twilight filtering into the
room for Ben to see his bed. That's all his little brain registered as he
crossed the floor, pulled back the covers and climbed in to his bed. The
morning light crawled up Ben's bed covers until it hit him directly in the
face. He fretted and moved away from it, but it finally claimed his
attention. He sat up and stretched and stifled a yawn. Swinging his feet
to the floor he realized he could smell his grandmother's coffee brewing.
He stood up to stretch and yawn and stopped. In this cabin, he had more
than a bed and a nightstand. A lovely old desk sat near one corner, the
kind of desk that had drawers and secret panels and hiding places. Next to
it was an equally old bookcase. All his outdoor equipment was hung on the
wall, within his reach. He walked over to see his compass hanging from a
string next to his canteen. His favorite walking stick leaned against the
bookcase. On the wall over his camping and backpacking equipment was a
map. The boy walked over to see it more clearly and realized it was a town
map of Alert and the surrounding area with a red marker drawn in a circle
around what appeared to be a large, red X. Ben's door slid open slowly and
George Fraser peeked his head around the door. He saw Ben standing in
front of the map and looking at it intently. "See you've found your
boundaries Ben."  Ben whipped his head quickly in his grandfather's
direction. "Whose map is that, Grandpere?" George walked over and laid a
gentle hand on Ben's shoulder. He pointed a finger at the red circle.
"That's your map Ben. See that X Ben? That's our house. Until you know the
area around here, you're not allowed outside the red marked area. I'll
take you over it so you know your way around, but you can't go outside the
boundaries until you know the area. Agreed?" Ben smiled up at his
grandparent and nodded enthusiastically. Maybe moving could be an
adventure after all. He quickly put his finger on the map and started
asking questions.