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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Cat and Dog (09/04/14)
At The Movies

I wasn’t sure what would happen. I knew something was a little different. We wouldn’t find out “officially” for three more years. Blissful ignorance but with an under current of something’s off.

Jacob was slower to roll over, pull up, crawl, walk than his brothers. But the language. He was making complete sentences at the ripe old age of one.

And the floor. As soon as he could sit up, he would crawl onto the edge of the kitchen tile floor and take object after object and drop it. Cookie, toy, sock, shoe, whatever. Everything was bounced off the floor. We couldn’t figure it only until in one glorious moment we realized he was listening. It was the sound. He wanted to know what everything sounded like when it hit the tile.

And here we were. I was taking him to his first movie, “Cats and Dogs”. I didn’t know what to expect. Would the surround sound frighten him, would he panic when the lights went down? Would he spend the whole movie dropping popcorn on the floor?

One thing was certain. Jacob didn’t experience the world around him the way others did. Asperger’s Syndrome. The diagnosis that was handed down in first grade. We weren’t there yet. Today he was only three but I knew I had to keep an eye on him. I’m his dad. I just want him to enjoy it, to love it. I wanted to watch him smile and laugh. But the fear and concern hovered over my head like a dark cloud.

Lights dimmed. He looks at me. “It’s okay”, I whisper in his ear. Kids and parents surround us patiently watching the previews as we await the beginning of the movie.

Finally, the credits roll and the action begins. I start to turn my head to take a peek and make sure he’s okay but a sudden movement out of the corner of my eye causes me to jerk around in panic. “Oh no”, I thought. “Here we go!”

Jacob rose to his feet. Pointed his hand towards the screen and proudly and excitedly announced to all who would hear – “I see cat! I see dog!” With that, he was back in his seat and once again entranced in the sights and sounds that danced before his young eyes. I smiled and relaxed.

Years later, when the struggle with Asperger’s Syndrome seemed a mountain too big to conquer, I remembered that day. When the uncertainty of the future seemed to overwhelm, God gently reminded me that fear of a movie years ago was totally unfounded as a precious little boy, my son Jacob, experienced the wonder of “cat and dog” just like all the other kids in the theater that day. We would make it. Jacob would be okay. One movie, two simple sentences -- a constant reminder that God is our refuge and totally in control.
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This article has been read 774 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Larry Whittington
09/12/14
I really enjoyed this "almost to real to be fiction" story.

Those of us who are not aware of Asperger's Syndrome are a little more enlightened and thankful for the care these parents of these children show their children.

Very well written.
C D Swanson 
09/12/14
Tender poignant look at life with those who care for and have Asperger's. Your entry came across with love and delivered a good message for those who aren't aware of this condition...and this has an authentic voice, so I know this is based on reality.

Well done...thank you.

God bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
09/17/14
This is quite beautiful. I still have a lump in my throat. You did a wonderful job of filling the story with a sense of suspense. You also did a great job of making both the MC and Jacob come to life on the page.

It may be just because I do quite a bit of editing, but the incomplete sentences like Blissful ignorance but with an under current of something’s off.
and But the language.
distracted me slightly. The artistic side of me thinks you might have done it to create an atmosphere that gives the reader a glimpse into the autistic world, but the analytical part of me wanted to correct it. If you haven't checked out Jan's Writing Basics on the message boards, I'd encourage you to do so. She has several threads that talk about things like that and is a wonderful teacher for all levels of writers.

You did a fantastic job of sprinkling the topic throughout the story. I also caught subtle analogies to the difference you noticed in Jacob to cats and dogs. Sometimes they don't always get along, but are beautiful and precious in their own right. Of course other times, they mesh in perfect harmony and one can't imagine one without the other. You have a lot of depth to this piece and I (both parts of me) thoroughly enjoyed it.
C D Swanson 
09/18/14
Congratulations!
God bless~