Open Writing

Eyes wide as saucers, the little boy and his Mummy climbed onto the bus. Holding onto the centre pole, Mummy clutched his hand as they made their way down the aisle. Finding a vacant seat, Mummy told him to sit by the window, but he climbed onto her lap, eager to see more. After a few moments, the uniformed conductor arrived and Mummy proffered a couple of Rands for their fare, saying off-handedly, “One and a half to town”.

Smiling down at the little boy, the conductor riffled his stack of tickets held by an elastic band, making a delightful piffling noise. Seeing how this captivated the child, he did it again and again. Then, taking two tickets he cancelled them with his hand-punch. Then, selecting the correct tube, he inserted the shiny coins into the metal cash machine held by straps around his body. Pressing a small lever, he received the correct change which he handed back to Mummy. Gently pinching the boy’s cheek, he winked at him as he moved away.

Noticing two passengers rising from their seats, the conductor pulled the communication cord. A small bell near the driver’s cabin ‘tinged’, the bus slowed to a stop and stood panting gently while the passengers descended. Another two ladies climbed aboard, and the conductor repeated the procedure of cancelling their tickets, taking their money and sometimes, giving change. Throughout the journey, the boy watched enthralled, fascinated by this strange ritual he’d never seen before.

After a tiring day in town, broken by tea at John Orrs, where he was served with a delicious ice-cream with a cherry-on-the-top in a shining boat-shaped glass dish. Afterwards, they waited on the corner for Daddy to pick them up and drive them home. The little boy, exhausted by the new experiences fell asleep on Mummy’s lap, and did not wake until Daddy gently deposited him on his cosy bed in his room.

Next morning, eager to share his new experiences, Johnny could not wait until he had shown Margaret the wonderful new skill he’d learnt from the bus-conductor. While Mummy was busy in the kitchen, he set his infant sister down and moving to the side of the couch, grabbed the electric flex leading up the standard lamp alongside. Pulling the flex just below the hand-switch, he gave it several vigorous tugs, shouting out delightedly, “Ting, ting, ALL FARES PLEASE!” just like he’d heard the man saying. Suddenly the flex came away in his hand, and involuntarily his fingers clenched over it. A wave of blackness came over him a rushing, roaring sound filled his ears, together with a feeling of being swept away by a fizzing, whizzing sensation, and he fell rigid to the floor.

In the background, Spider the house-servant, was down on his knees polishing the parquet floor. The baby Margaret, just at the crawling stage, was already moving towards the small supine body, eagerly reaching out to touch her brother who lay, face white as paper, rigid and frozen. Reacting instinctively, Spider dragged the carpet and the boy away from the baby, and leaping to the wall-switch, pulled out the plug.

In the kitchen, the radio was making a strange buzzing sound. Busy mixing a chocolate cake, Mummy, not understanding or making any connection, ignored it. Happily listening to the finches in the large tree outside the window arguing over their busy nest-building activities, she poured the batter into the tin, and popped it into the oven.

“Medem, Medam, come quick!” she heard Spider’s agitated voice, and sensing something wrong, she ran into the lounge. “Darling, what’s wrong?” She screamed, seeing the boy lying white and still. “Oh, my God, he’s had an electric shock! What’ll I do? I’m all alone here, no telephone, no car, and the nearest doctor 20 miles away.”

But, with the extraordinary resilience of youth, it was not long before the colour returned to the child’s cheeks, and within a few moments he was trying to sit up. Gently picking him up, she took him into his familiar bedroom and laid him on the bed, calling out, “Spider – make him some warm milk, not too hot - and put four spoons of sugar. Do it quickly.”

When Daddy came home, Mummy, tears of relief and guilt pouring down her face, told him what had happened. Putting his arms around her, he gently soothed her anxious fears. “Darling, you did the right thing, probably better than you realised. You gave him the reassurance of your presence, as well as putting him into his bed with his familiar toys around him. After a fright like that, all he needed was to know that you were there looking after him. The warm milk and sugar probably helped, and then you say he slept for a while and seems to be none the worse for his experience.”

“I’ll take the standard lamp into the garage and make damn sure it’s made child-proof for the future – maybe I’ll even get rid of it – it seems that since Johnny’s bus-ride, he’s so full of new ideas, that it’s better not to encourage him in his games!”

Then, quietly going to the outside servant’s quarters, he had a word or two with Spider. Placing an arm across his shoulders, shook his hand and gave him a large tip. “You saved my son’s life Spider, you’re a fine man. The Medem and I both thank you with all our hearts.”