You know how life sometimes hits you out of the blue? Emily and Mark were over the moon waiting for baby Tommy, but the pregnancy turned out to be a nightmare and he arrived early, tiny as a thumb. He spent weeks in an incubator, his organs still underdeveloped, hooked up to a ventilator, two surgeries, even a retinal detachment. We said our goodbyes twice, hoping hed make it, and miracle of miracles he survived.
Soon it became clear that Tommy could barely see or hear. He eventually learned to sit up, grab a toy, shuffle up to a rail, but his mind just wasnt catching up. At first both parents clung to hope. Then Mark drifted away, and Emily fought the whole battle on her own.
When Tommy was three and a half, they managed to get hearing implants funded through a special NHS quota. He started picking up sounds, yet his development stalled. He went to speech therapists, psychologists, specialeducation teachers the whole lot. Emily would bring him over to my place a lot, and I kept suggesting new ideas, What about this? What about that? She tried it all, but nothing stuck. Most days Tommy would sit quietly in his playpen, twirl something, bang it on the floor, bite his own hand, sometimes let out a highpitched wail, other times a weird, modulated squeal. Emily swore he recognised her, called her with a special chirp, loved when she scratched his back and legs.
Then an elderly psychiatrist finally told her, Whats the diagnosis now? Hes a walking vegetable. Decide what youll do give him up or look after him. Theres no point hoping for a miracle. That was the first time anyone said it straight. Emily put Tommy in a specialist nursery and went back to work.
A while later she bought a motorbike shed always wanted one. Riding out of town with fellow bikers, the roar of the engine washed away all the worries. Mark paid child support, and Emily spent every penny on weekend carers. Tommy wasnt a massive drain once you got used to his quirks. One of the bikers, a bloke called Sam, told Emily, Youve got something tragicbeautiful about you.
Come on, Ill show you, she said, flashing a grin. He thought she was inviting him home, but she led him to Tommys playpen. The little boy was suddenly alert, squealing and chirping probably recognising his mum or reacting to the stranger.
Blimey, thats something! Sam blurted.
And what did you think, love? Emily shot back, laughing.
Soon they werent just riding together, they moved in together too. Sam and Emily made it clear that Tommy would stay out of reach theyd discussed it beforehand and Emily wasnt keen on him getting too close. After some months Sam suggested, What if we have a kid? Emily snapped, What if we get another one like him? He fell silent for nearly a year, then finally said, Alright, lets try.
Jack was born, a perfectly healthy little lad. Sam joked, Now we could maybe send Tommy to a school? Emily retorted, Id rather hand you over. Sam tried to backtrack, I was just asking Jack discovered Tommy when he was about nine months old, just as Tommy started crawling.
Jack was instantly fascinated. Sam was nervous, warning Emily not to let the boy near his son, fearing something might go wrong. But Sam was almost always at work or on his bike, and Emily let Jack explore. When Jack crawled beside Tommy, the boy didnt squeal he just seemed to listen, to wait. Jack would bring toys, demonstrate how to play, even press and fold Tommys tiny fingers.
One weekend Sam fell ill and stayed home. He saw Jack wobbling around the flat, mumbling something, with Tommy trailing like a shadow the first time Tommy left his corner. Sam blew up, demanding a fence around his son or constant supervision. Emily just pointed at the door. He got scared, they patched things up, and later Emily came to me.
Hes a bit of a wooden log, but I love him, she said, sighing. Its awful, isnt it?
Its natural, I replied. Loving your child no matter what
I was actually talking about Sam, Emily clarified. Tommys dangerous for Jack. What do you think?
I told her the numbers showed Jack was the stronger, but they still needed to keep an eye on Tommy. Thats what they decided.
By eighteen months, Jack taught Tommy to stack blocks by size. Jack started speaking in sentences, singing simple songs, reciting rhymes like The crow boiled the porridge. Emily asked, Is he a prodigy? Sam wanted to find out. He bragged, If Im any good, Ill pop my chest out. The other parents of that age barely had their kids babbling.
I think its because of Tommy, I guessed. Not every child at one and a half gets to be a catalyst for someone elses growth.
Emily brightened, Well, Ill tell this wooden log whats what.
I thought about the little family a wandering vegetable, a wooden log with eyes, a biker mum and a possible prodigy. Once Jack mastered using the potty, he spent months coaxing his brother into it too. Emily tasked Jack with teaching Tommy to eat, drink from a cup, dress and undress a job she set for him herself.
At three and a half, Jack asked bluntly, Whats up with Tommy?
First off, he cant see, Jack replied.
Can see, Emily corrected. Just badly. He sees things depending on the light. The bathroom lamp over the mirror works best.
The eye doctor was surprised when Emily brought Tommy, a threeyearold, for a demo, but he listened, ordered more tests, and prescribed specialised glasses.
Jacks specialneeds nursery never clicked. He needs a proper school, you know, the caretaker snapped. Hes smarter than anyone there, no point in keeping him there.
I pushed back hard: let Jack stay in afterschool clubs and focus on Tommys progress. Sam, surprisingly, agreed and told Emily, Sit with them until school starts. Hes not even whimpering anymore, is he?
Six months later Tommy said, Mum, dad, Jack, give me a drink, meowmeow. The boys started school together. Jack fretted, How will he manage without me? Will the special school understand him? Teachers split the class so Tommy could work with Jack before moving on to his own tasks.
Tommy now strings together simple sentences, can read, uses a computer, loves cooking and cleaning (Jack or Emily guide him), enjoys sitting on the garden bench watching, listening, sniffing everything. He knows every neighbour, always says hello, moulds plasticine, builds and breaks LEGO sets.
But the thing he loves most is when the whole family rides motorbikes down the country lanes Mom and Tommy together, Jack and Sam side by side, all of them shouting into the wind. Its that moment that makes everything feel alright.
