avatarAndrew Gaertner

Summary

A teenager named Benji, frustrated with his mother's strict rules and the loss of his electronic devices, reaches out to his grandparents for a change of scenery and a more independent lifestyle on their farm.

Abstract

The website content outlines a series of letters between Benji, a fifteen-year-old boy, and his grandparents, Peter and Eloise, who live on a farm. Benji, feeling misunderstood and constrained by his mother's discipline, seeks refuge with his grandparents, hoping to escape the pressures of home and school. He proposes living with them, citing the benefits of their high-speed internet for his studies and offering to help with farm chores. His grandparents, while open to the idea, emphasize the hard work and responsibility that would be expected of him. They also encourage Benji to appreciate his mother's efforts and to consider the value of non-digital learning. The correspondence reveals a generational gap in communication and learning preferences, as well as the challenges of family dynamics and the desire for independence during adolescence.

Opinions

  • Benji feels that his mother does not trust him or understand the importance of technology in his education and social life.
  • Grandpa Peter and Grandma Eloise appreciate the traditional form of communication through letters and encourage Benji to engage in real-world experiences and learning.
  • Benji's mother, Carol, is portrayed as a hardworking single parent who is concerned about her son's well-being and is trying to instill discipline and responsibility in him.
  • Grandpa Peter believes that living on the farm will teach Benji valuable life skills and provide a different perspective on family and work.
  • Benji initially sees the farm as an escape from his problems at home, but his grandparents remind him that living there would involve significant responsibilities.
  • There is a hint of nostalgia and a preference for non-digital methods of learning and interaction from the grandparents' perspective.
  • Benji's sister, Melody, is mentioned as being younger and possibly less prepared for the move to the farm, though Benji would prefer to live there without her.
  • The grandparents are open to Benji and Melody visiting but stress the importance of listening to their mother and recognizing

Chapter 1 — You Just Don’t Understand

A serial novel in the form of correspondence while the world as we know it collapses around us. I recommend you start at the Introduction:

https://readmedium.com/climate-for-change-introduction-5331d5ab9313

But you can start anywhere you want.

— -

Chapter 1:

Pen on paper — delivered through regular mail:

Dear Grandpa Peter,

Surprise! A real letter! Today Mom took away my cell phone and my laptop. She said that she couldn’t tell when I was working on anything for school, with my face in a screen all the time. I told her that there is no way I can work on anything without my phone and my laptop. She just crossed her arms like she does. She doesn’t understand. She said I could just open a book and learn the old fashioned way. Aargh! I was so mad. She can’t see how she is affecting my school work. I’m almost sixteen! Why can’t I just have a normal family like everybody else?

I went for a walk today. After she took my phone right out of my hands and told me to go read a book, I couldn’t think straight. I walked for blocks and blocks thinking about all I could have said to her. As I walked, I tried out arguments in my head until I was sure that I would win. By the time I got home, she was gone. There was a note, which was mostly a list of chores for me to do. I have to do so many more chores than Melody. She is not a little girl anymore. She could do more.

Grandpa, while I did my chores today, I was so upset! You wouldn’t believe how mad I was. I think Mom sees me as a child to boss around, and she doesn’t know that I am capable of so much more if she would just trust me. When she finally got home, all she did was notice what I hadn’t done from the list. It is like that all the time. She only seems to see the things that I do wrong. When she pointed out that I forgot to replace the garbage bag in the kitchen, she didn’t notice that I had taken out all of the garbage in the house. Or when I do three whole worksheets for my Algebra class, all she sees is that I haven’t completed a practice test yet. I can’t win.

I have an idea. I was wondering if when summer comes, I could come and live with you and Grandma on your farm. Please? You know it has gotten bad here, Grandpa, because I actually picked up a pen to write you this letter. Mom doesn’t know I am sending this out. I could live in your basement, and since you got high speed internet last year, that means I could study history and other stuff online. I wouldn’t bother you and Grandma. I could even feed the animals. Please?

Yours truly,

Benji

— —

Dear Benji,

Your Grandma Eloise and I were very pleased to receive your letter. A real letter! I don’t think you have ever written us before when it wasn’t a short thank you note. Thank you. It reminds me of old times.

First and foremost, we called your mother and told her about your idea to move out here. Don’t be mad! She had to find out sometime. We all think it is a good idea for you to spend some time out here. Although if you are looking for a “normal family” experience, I think you’ll be disappointed. Nothing “normal” out here. In a good way though, we hope.

You know that your grandmother and I always love having you visit. Of course, you must also know there will be a lot of work involved. You are fifteen, and your offer to “even help feed the animals” would not even come close to cutting it. If you lived here with us, we would expect an average of six hours per day of solid work. In addition to animal care, it will be June, and our garden will be going crazy with weeding, planting, and harvesting all happening at once. There is hay to make and barns to muck out, as well as the care and maintenance of buildings and equipment. We would be happy to support your online studies too, but don’t think that your laptop is the only place where learning can happen. We have an extensive library of real books and we would expect some non-screen reading.

Regardless of whether you can visit, you also need to talk to your mother. Try to get her perspective. I think her feelings might have been hurt when you sent the letter without telling her. You make it seem like you are there doing everything in the family, and she just keeps asking you for more. You might want to listen to her and find out what her days are like. Do you know how hard it is to work full-time at the hospital and also try to be there for you and your sister? I know you think you don’t like it, but your mother has done the impossible to get you and Mel to a place where you are curious, caring, self-motivated young people who love to learn. The fact that she works and needs you to look after Mel and do chores after school means she can be around for your family meal and evenings. It isn’t easy. She loves you. You must know that.

Here is the good news: after talking it out with us, your mother thought it might be good for both you and Mel to spend a few weeks out here this summer. Your grandmother and I are here ready for you both any time. From the perspective of the weeds, the sooner the better.

Love,

Grandpa Peter

— -

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

Thank you for your letter. Here is another one from me:

Really? Only stay with you for a few weeks? How about more? And is there any way that I could come out there without Mel? Honestly, I need to get away from her as much as I need to get away from Mom. To have Mel out there with us would ruin everything. Could you talk to Mom? Maybe I could come out for a trial period or something and then stay more if it works out? I know Mel couldn’t just move out there like me. She is too young, but I’m older and I’m ready to move out.

I’m sending another hand-written note because Mom still has my computer and phone. I feel like I’m in the 1800s. Do you see what I’m dealing with here? It has been a whole week! It is getting bad. My teachers at school can’t read my handwriting. Mel makes fun of me when I complain, so I decided to pretend that I don’t care if I don’t have any screen time. I pretend to enjoy handwriting stories, and reading physical books, and doing art projects with colored pencils. I have even been practicing my soccer moves with Jeremy instead of playing online soccer with him on a screen. I think Mel believes me, and she has put down her own tablet, and she sits and reads real books with me. Yesterday she wanted to bake something, and she actually looked up a recipe in a cookbook instead of just searching online. She was proud of herself. Now I would hate to tell her that I am just pretending. She does look up to me. It would be easier if I just disappeared and reappeared out at your place. Can you see that?

I did try to talk to Mom and listen to her about her day, like you said. I agree. She does work very hard. Since the government cut health insurance support and supplemental food support for people like us, she has had to work longer hours. But does that make my problems any smaller? Even after we talked, she was still asking me to clean my room and put away my breakfast mess, as if I am a little kid and need to be reminded about everything. I was going to do it. She just needed to give me time. When I am at your place, you are never asking me three times to do something that I said I would do. School is almost out. When can I come?

Your Grandson,

Benji

— -

Dear Benji,

Another letter! Your grandmother and I are really enjoying this. Keep them coming!

I have four words for you. LISTEN. TO. YOUR. MOTHER! We didn’t raise a fool. She knows more than you think and if she says that Melody should come out here with you, she has good reasons. Besides this is a really big place. You wouldn’t have to see her that often. You might even end up wanting her around. It can get lonely out here. We have bedrooms ready for both of you. The weeds are a little higher this week. So if you are going to come, sooner is better, before we can’t see the crops anymore.

Regarding your chores and the reminding that your mother does: when you don’t clean up your breakfast mess, it impacts her. Either she has to clean it up herself or she has to live in a messy kitchen. She is allowed to tell you that. You should also know that there is a big difference between coming here as a guest for a couple days and coming here to live with us. When you are a guest, it is all about us hosting you. It is pancakes and horseback riding every day. When you live here, you will have to pull your weight, and if you are not doing your part, we will remind you four times, if need be.

Love,

Grandpa

— -

Text message (from Carol/mom):

Dad — Have you heard anything from Benji? When I woke up this morning, he was gone. His bike is gone, too, but there was no note. I took his phone away, so it would be no use calling him. I waited a little to make sure he wasn’t just out somewhere close, but now I’m worried. I called his friend Jeremy’s house, and Jeremy’s family doesn’t know anything.

—

Next chapter:

https://readmedium.com/chapter-2-life-of-a-farmhand-7ac1991400da

— -

Author’s note: If you are enjoying this story, please drop me a note in the comments. I would love to hear from you! And if you are not yet a Medium member and want to find out what happens to Benji, you have two options:

  1. Join Medium. I think it is worth it! Use my referral link: https://gaertner-andy122.medium.com/membership
  2. Email me, and I will send you the daily chapter as an email:
Dystopian Fiction
Climate Change
Serial Fiction
Fiction
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