Its happening now in a small town outside Manchester.
Emmas parents have been anxiously awaiting the birth of their baby, but the pregnancy proves difficult and the child arrives premature, lying in an incubator. Many of his organs are underdeveloped; he needs a ventilator, two surgeries, and a retinal detachment repair. They say goodbye to him twice, yet the little boy, whom they call Jack, survives.
Almost immediately it becomes clear that Jack can barely see or hear. His physical milestones slowly catch uphe sits up, grabs a toy, shuffles along a supportbut his mental development stalls. At first his parents cling to hope, fighting together. Then his father drifts away, quietly disappearing into his own world, while Emma keeps battling alone.
When Jack turns three and a half, they secure a NHS funding slot and have cochlear implants fitted. He now registers sound, but progress remains slow. He attends sessions with specialneeds teachers, speech therapists, psychologists and a host of other specialists. Emma brings Jack to me repeatedly.
I suggest new exercises, different toys, varied routines. Emma tries everything, yet nothing sticks. Most of the time Jack sits silently in his playpen, twirling a small object, tapping it on the floor, gnawing his own hand, sometimes emitting a highpitched wail, other times a modulated whine. Emma insists he recognises her, calls her with a special coo and loves having his back and feet scratched.
Eventually an elderly psychiatrist tells Emma, What diagnosis do you need now? Hes practically a walking vegetable. Decide what to do and move oneither give him up or keep looking after him. Theres no point hoping for a dramatic breakthrough. He is the only person who speaks plainly. Emma places Jack in a specialist nursery and finds a job.
A few months later she buys a motorbikea longheld dream. She rides through the streets and the countryside with a group of bikers; the roar of the engine drowns out her worries. Jacks father continues to pay child support, and Emma spends the money on weekend carers. Jack isnt hard to look after once she gets used to his routine.
One biker friend, Tom, tells Emma, Theres something tragicly fascinating about you.
Come on, Ill show you, Emma replies.
Tom smiles, assuming shes inviting him home. She leads him to Jack, who is alert, whimpering and cooingperhaps recognising his mother or reacting to a stranger.
Blast, thats something! Tom exclaims.
And what did you think it was? Emma snaps back.
Soon Tom and Emma start not only riding together but also living together. They agree that Tom will never touch Jack (they discuss this beforehand), and Emma insists on the same boundary. After a while Tom suggests, Lets have a child. Emma retorts, What if we get another one like this? Tom falls silent for almost a year, then replies, No, lets do it anyway.
Their son, Harry, is born healthy and robust. Tom jokes, Now we could send Jack to a facility, since we have a normal boy. Emma fires back, Id rather send you. Tom backs off, claiming he was only asking. At nine months Harry discovers Jack, who is beginning to crawl.
Harry becomes fascinated. Tom, fearful, warns, Dont let the boy get near him; its dangerous. Yet Tom is often at work or on his bike, while Emma lets Harry play. When Harry crawls beside Jack, Jack doesnt whine. Emma thinks Jack is listening, waiting. Harry brings toys, demonstrates how to play, even squeezes and folds Emmas fingers.
One weekend Tom falls ill and stays home. He sees Harry wobbling around the flat, babbling incomprehensibly, with Jack tethered nearbyJack, who usually hides in a corner. Tom erupts, demanding, Keep my son away from your idiot, or watch him constantly! Emma points silently toward the door. Tom recoils, they reconcile, and Emma later comes to see me.
Hes a walking log, but I love him, she says.
Terrible, isnt it? I reply.
Naturally, I answer. Loving your child regardless of.
She clarifies, I was talking about Tom. Jack is dangerous for Harrywhat do you think? I tell her that Harry is the stronger partner in the pair, but supervision is still essential. We agree on that.
By eighteen months Harry teaches Jack to stack blocks by size. Harry talks in short sentences, sings simple songs and recites rhymes like Forty crows cooked porridge.
Is he a prodigy? Emma asks me.
Tom wanted to find out, I say. A blokes pride will burst if his kid cant speak at that age.
I think its because of Jack, I suggest. Not every toddler at one and a half years becomes the locomotive of anothers development.
Emma lights up. Yes! Ill tell this logeye what I think.
I think of the family as a walking vegetable, a log with eyes, a biker mom and a prodigy. After learning to use the potty, Harry spends about six months coaxing his brother to the same. He also teaches Jack to eat, drink from a cup, dress and undresstasks Emma assigns to Harry himself.
At three and a half, Harry asks straight, Whats wrong with Jack?
First off, he cant see, Harry answers.
He does see, just poorly, Harry retorts. He sees things in certain light. The bathroom lamp over the mirror works best.
An ophthalmologist is astonished when Emma brings a threeyearold to explain Jacks vision, but he listens, orders further tests, and prescribes complex glasses.
Jack never fits in the nursery. He should be in school, you idiot! the caretaker snaps. He knows more than the rest of us. I argue fiercely against early school entry: let Harry attend clubs and work on Jacks development. Surprisingly, Tom agrees and tells Emma, Stay with them until school; whats a useless nursery for him? And have you noticed he hasnt wailed for a year?
Six months later Jack says, Mum, dad, Harry, give me drink, meowmeow. The boys start school together. Harry worries, How will he manage without me? Are the specialneeds teachers good enough? Will they understand him? In Year5, Harry still does lessons with Jack before moving on to his own work.
Jack now forms simple sentences, reads, uses a computer, enjoys cooking and cleaning (under Harrys and Emmas guidance), loves sitting on the garden bench, watching, listening and smelling. He knows all the neighbours and always greets them. He likes modelling clay, building and taking apart Lego.
But his favourite thing of all is when the whole family rides motorbikes down a country laneEmma on hers, Harry with Tom, and Jack perched beside his mother, all shouting into the wind.
