98: Life On The Moon

He is sleeping now
And all is well for the two of us
We have survived the chaotic streets once again.
Dinner was a reasonably calm affair
We avoided the ‘tomato in burger’
Meltdown of yesterday
And the ‘Coca Cola not in a tin’ affair
Was only a flash-over by comparison.

I enjoyed listening to the thirty minute monologue
I was treated to after eating.
It was soothing to know that
He felt calm enough to do it.
I let him ramble peacefully on
Dodging motorbikes, holes, dogs
And debris all the while.

Bali for me is a strange place
I only understand a fraction of what is said
Misunderstandings are a regular occurrence.
I could easily get lost
Or taken advantage of
I am so ignorant of the language and rules here.

The thought strikes forcefully
That this is my son’s everyday experience.
Coming to Bali for him
Must be like me visiting the moon.
It’s a nice idea
But I am not equipped for living there.

Lady Satellite

48: Monitoring a Nuclear Reactor

     

I may be sitting here in the early evening sun talking comfortably

I may be looking at your face and smiling

But my control system is constantly on high alert.

My ears filter the sounds drifting across the grassy patch

Monitoring the sound of tennis ball on cricket bat

Scanning the multitude of children’s voices

Seeking out my own uniquely bonded source of sound emissions.

Once I have tuned in to the correct frequency

I check the pitch and tone for known deviations.

I am an experienced, professional frequency monitoring operative

My data-banks have seen almost all known error codes before

My early warning systems are highly developed.

While I nod and chatter with the other parents

I am alerted to a familiar pattern.

The subject has left the safety of the green zone

The reactor temperature is rising

Still only level 4 but we’re in the amber zone

Rapid escalation into the red zone can occur from this level.

Everybody knows a nuclear meltdown is a nasty business

Collateral damage spreads widely after such a cataclysmic event

So like the slick professional trouble-shooter that I am

I switch from happy parent to authority mode

I move off the bench and approach the pitch.

There are special codes to be used on occasions like this

Short, sharp reminders at low pitch

Of the outcome for the subject

Should he continue his current trajectory.

The subject responds by de-escalating one level

Operations continue briefly while I return to the bench

But that was just a preliminary rumble

Another ball is thrown

The main event is starting…

Warning bells are going off

The reactor is at level 6 now

The core temperature is rising.

The only way to prevent catastrophic failure now

Is a show of strength

A reminder that an equal and opposite force exists

Failure is not an option.

I go into action, calmly and decisively

I let the subject know that I have authority

And will not tolerate any violation of the rules.

There follows a minor explosion

The cricket bat is aimed menacingly at the stumps

Then flung to the ground.

The subject runs off to the isolation and safety of a tree

Play continues…

Whilst monitoring my charge safely defusing at a distance

I become aware of hostile forces nearby

Another parent is speaking about my intervention

Using humour to disguise what they see as my over-reaction.

But they are ignorant of the procedures.

They do not know about the risks of an autistic child in nuclear meltdown

They do not know that I may have just saved their child’s life

A minor explosion safely releases pent up energy

In nuclear mode that cricket bat would have become a lethal weapon

I will step in with appropriate force again

Don’t judge me!

I am an expert on this subject

The subject is my child.

Lady Satellite