It had been; a rotten day. Mr. Matthews, David’s history teacher had all but called him retarded just because he didn’t know who William Henry Harrison was. Finally, class was over and David wandered aimlessly out the door into the hall and bumped into Jason Barret. Jason was a year older and a grade ahead of David. He was also very Popular.

"Watch where you’re going geek," he said, pushing David against the lockers.

"He not just a geek, he’s a clumsy geek," someone chuckled.

"You should have seen him in history," a third voice announced, "He’s a retarded clumsy geek.

They all continued down; the hall laughing and David was left to gather his books from off the floor and walk by himself down Station Street toward his home. Station Street goes through an older part of town; and is cluttered with junk stores and thrift shops.

Three blocks from the school there is a dusty little store called The Teddy Keeper’s Shop. It’s a tiny shop barely eight feet wide. Nothing more than two shelf-covered walls, with a wide isle between them, and a door at each end of the isle. The shelves are filled with old refurbished teddy bears of every shapes, size and color. Mr. Logan, the frail, rosy cheeked elderly man who owns the shop stands faithfully by the front door and offers to give one of the bears to anyone who will accept it. Few however, accept the teddy bears, because although they’ve been cleaned all of them are stained or patched or badly frayed.

"Young man," he said cheerfully, as David approached the shop. "You look sad. This little teddy will help you see things in a better light."

Normally, David would have just walked on by without even acknowledging the man, but today Mr. Logan’s cheerful, friendly voice was a welcomed sound and he stopped to examine the potential gift. It was a panda bear, just six inches high. It was a lot cleaner then most but the right side of its white tummy had a large cut or tear in it that had been badly sewed together with red thread.

"Take it, it’s free," Mr. Logan, gently coached. "It’ll make you feel much better."

Not wanting to hurt the feelings of the only person, who had treated him kindly all afternoon, David took the bear and pushed it into his jacket Pocket. "Thank you." he said, halfheartedly.

"Be sure to read the guarantee when you get home!" Mr. Logan called out as David headed on down the street.

When he got home, David dropped his books onto a chair, closed his bedroom door, and fell backwards onto his bed. It was good to be alone and not have to deal with people, but it was lonely too. He reached into his pocket, took out the bear and looked at it. The stuffed bear had sad eyes, but in a strange unexplainable way, they were comforting eyes. Just looking at the bear made him feel better. He looked at the red scar and knew that this poor bear had experienced a lot more troubles than he had. He turned the bear over and looked at the tag sewn into the back seam. "PERSONAL GUARENTEE" the tag read, "The father of this teddy guarantees unending rewards to its keeper." David didn’t understand what the guarantee meant but he knew it somehow applied to him as the keeper. He sat the teddy bear at the head of his bed and just stared at it for a long while before getting up to do his chores.

Somehow, being a teddy keeper really did make him feel better. At school his friends noticed that there was something different about him. It wasn’t anything obvious, nothing anyone could pinpoint, but he seemed slightly more sure of himself. He wasn’t quite as frustrated by difficulties. He seemed less unhappy with life. His friend Billy noticed the difference and even asked him about it.

"Something’s different," Billy said, "You seem to be more in control then before. What’s the secret?"

"I am different." David answered, "I’ve become a ---. He stopped abruptly. He was going to say he’d become a teddy keeper, but he suddenly remembered a conversation, he’d had with Billy, just one week earlier.

It was Friday. Billy was going home with David to spend the weekend. They were walking past the Teddy Keeper’s Shop when Mr. Logan approached them. He was holding a moth eaten beige colored teddy, whose back seemed to have been ripped off and replaced with a burlap patch. "Boys, boys," Mr. Logan invited softly, "Come inside and choose a teddy to take home with you,"

"Not me," Billy answered sarcastically, "Teddy bears are for sissies, besides, your bears have fleas!"

When they were further down the street, away from Mr. Logan’s hearing, David said, "He really is a strange old man isn’t he?"

"Strange nothing, he’s insane. My pop says he gets those bears from the city dump."

"I wonder if anyone ever takes one of his bears?"

"Only retards." Billy answered, "Why would anyone with any brains want one?"

David knew Billy wouldn’t understand about him being a teddy keeper. He didn’t even understand himself. He took a deep breath then continued, "I’ve become a different person." He sighed a sinister laugh and said, in what was supposed to be a scary voice, "The real me has finally come out of hiding," They both laughed and went on to talking about other things.

That afternoon, David saw Mr. Logan again. He was standing in, front of his shop holding a ratty, brown, teddy bear with ugly stains on its hands arid feet. "You still got your teddy?" Mr. Logan asked.

"Yes sir." David hesitantly replied.

"Is it making things better?"

"I guess so," David answered, "I don’t know why but I guess things are a lot better."

"Well David, I knew a teddy was what you needed. If everyone would just become a teddy keeper the world would be a much happier Place. Would you like a few teddies to give to your friends?"

"I don’t think so. My friends wouldn’t want one."

"Your friends don’t have any problems?"

"Yeah, I guess they have plenty of problems. They just don’t understand about being a teddy keeper."

"If they ‘re really your friends, you should teach them. Tell them my teddies will help them solve every problem."

"I will, I just have to find the right way to tell them. I have to find the right time."

"Talk to your teddy, he’ll help you find the time and the way and when you are ready I ‘ll give you some teddies for your friends.

David left The Teddy Keeper’s shop feeling sad and guilty. His own teddy had made a real change in his life. He honestly believed a teddy would improve the lives of his friends but he just felt uncomfortable talking about it. What if they didn’t want to listen? What if they didn’t believe him? What if they laughed at him? What if … There were just too many what ifs. Nonetheless he felt a sense of resolve. Somehow, he said to himself, "I’ll find a way to tell Billy about my teddy.

The end