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Whether it was taking long walks with Harrison or exploring on his own with only his backpack and Zozo for company, Benji was truly enjoying the feeling of letting go of his relentless filming schedule.
In fact, Benji couldn’t remember the last time he felt so happy. It was as if a giant weight had been removed from his shoulders.
There were cafes to try out, woodlands to explore, and Benji was even noticing how many potential Littles there were on campus too. He hadn’t plucked up the courage to approach anyone yet to see for sure, but it certainly felt like the kind of open-hearted place that would be welcoming for a Little.
Spending time with Harrison was wonderful. Benji felt safe with Harrison, and loved the way that Harrison would guide him, offering good advice and probing questions when it came to Benji’s plans for the future.
Harrison’s approach was different to Tucker’s approach, that was for sure. It was becoming clearer and clearer to Benji that Tucker was all about the here and now, pushing Benji to do whatever would get results in the short term. Harrison had a different philosophy, focusing on asking Benji what he would want to be doing in six months, a year, or even further down the line.
But it wasn’t just Harrison’s friendly but firm guidance that Benji appreciated. Benji couldn’t help but notice just how admired and respected Harrison was by the students on campus. Even the students that Harrison didn’t teach seemed to hold him in high regard.
It was kind of awe inspiring for Benji.
But nothing would top the moment when Benji was walking across the main lawn between the college cloisters. The fall breeze was whistling around the open courtyard and the busy and bustling students were holding their books up close to their heavy, thick coats.
Suddenly, as Benji and Harrison were in the middle of talking about a new recipe idea that had come to Benji in the middle of the night, they were approached by an enthusiastic but nervous looking student…
‘Excuse me, sir,’ came the voice of a young man, perhaps a freshman or second-year student. ‘Mr. Hawk, please can you sign this?’
‘Why, of course,’ Harrison replied, not showing any emotion. ‘This is a first edition. Where did you pick this up?’
Harrison was signing a copy of his most famous novel, Grand Condor Hotel. It was in good condition, but Benji could see some signs of aging on it. Either way, it felt incredible to watch the look of awe in the young student’s face as Harrison signed the copy.
‘You… kinda are the reason I write,’ the student said, clearly nervous. ‘But, whatever, thank you so much! I’m such a dork!’
Harrison shook his head.
‘You’re not a dork, you’re choosing your path, and I’m glad that my book inspired you,’ Harrison said, kindly minimizing the student’s embarrassment.
With that, the student left with the book and a huge smile on his face.
‘Wow, that was something else,’ Benji said. ‘The students just love you!’
‘I don’t know about that, but I do think I’m pretty well respected,’ Harrison said. ‘I never thought I’d end up teaching, but that’s life. I’m comfortable with how things turned out.’
‘But what about a new book?’ Benji said. ‘I know you’ve sold millions of copies of your other book. It’s crazy that you haven’t published anything in so long!’
Harrison shook his head and laughed.
‘Boy, life isn’t always that simple,’ Harrison said, placing his arm around Benji’s shoulder. ‘Life is full of complexities. Writing a novel isn’t like posting an Instagram update! But you don’t need to worry too much about stuff like that. You’re here to unwind, rediscover your own passion. Don’t you go concerning yourself with problems. Understood?’
Benji could tell from Harrison’s tone of voice that he wasn’t messing around. But Benji also could see that Harrison felt a little bit sad about not having published a book in so long.
And after all that Harrison was doing for him, Benji wanted to do a little something in return.
Harrison sounds… a little sad.
I need to cheer him up.
And I know how…
‘Pretty please can I have a hot chocolate?’ Benji said, making his best puppy dog eyes. ‘It’s this fall breeze! Even in my coat I’m feeling a little chilly.’
Harrison growled, but he evidently felt like a hot drink himself.
‘Sure, kid,’ Harrison said. ‘I’ll allow it. You wait here while I queue up at the Tea Truck. I’m sure they’ll do a perfect hot chocolate to go alongside my English tea.’
This was perfect.
