Right Behind You by Diana Wilkinson

Author:Diana Wilkinson [Wilkinson, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

36

He so loves to fight. That’s children for you. He’s taken to wielding a plastic sword above his head and pointing it in the direction of anyone who comes within a foot of the swings and slides, and members of the school staff find it hard to calm him down. The more they crouch low on hunkers, trying to coax the toy weapon out of his hands, the more he swishes it around. I think it’s the sharing aspect they’re working on, but I’d be more concerned about brutal intent.

Either way, Freddie is a dab hand at aiming the blade. He never misses his targets. A swipe here, a swipe there; all innocent massacres of course. After all, he’s only a child but his aims are carefully directed and he always manages to miss the other children by the slightest of margins when he gets in close. He’s quite the little warrior with the sharpest of eyes. I’ve been watching the playground antics from a distance.

My online purchases arrive as I get home. The postman jokes that Christmas must have come early. Little does he know. I take the parcels into the sitting room, place them neatly in the corner and fetch the gin. It’s cocktail time.

I squeeze a lemon, pour the juice into the shaker before adding sugar syrup, a few chopped rosemary leaves and fresh egg whites. I then add the sloe gin and shake. Faster and faster. Harder and harder. Round and round, high in the air. Once it has frothed I pour the liquid into an iced glass and savour the nectar.

Before lifting the first parcel onto the table, I turn up the music; ‘Tales from Vienna Woods’ by Strauss and dance round the room. One two three. One two three. One two three. My partner is imaginary, following my rhythm but I control the steps.

I then start to open the parcels but in the wrong order. I make a mental note to number them for Freddie so that he keeps the most exciting till last; I know children’s habits so well.

The sword is even more lifelike than in the pictures and is razor sharp. The claims were true. It’s come all the way from China. I’m amazed at the glint of steel, the sharp lethal tip, and wonder at the ease of purchase.

I rip open the second package and a piece of material falls out. It’s the waist sash. The plastic helmet, tight black pants and armoured plate will certainly hit the spot. Freddie will whoop in delight at the samurai outfit. What child wouldn’t? It will only be when he’s wielding the metal blade with gay abandon that there will be concerns. It’s doubtful that the sharpness of the blade will be picked up on immediately in all the excitement, but it soon will be.

Yet I’m not worried. I’m confident that he will use the lifelike weapon with aplomb. I’ve watched him practice. I know he’ll not injure anyone but it’s important that others will construe things differently.

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