A Little Bit of Distance

Part 6

Steffie knew that when the time was right, she could bring her boy back. She had been through more than this with him, recalling the moment when she stopped at a truckstop near Kandahar close to the Afghan border and this young boy of about seven years of age ran out of a truck screaming at the top of his voice.. Now she knew that he was elsewhere engaged, and when the team of so called experts vaguely put their hands up and proclaim that that there is no more that can be done, that would be the moment., .

Steffie had always been pretty good at biding her time, and, as she swept a lock of long, golden hair away from his cheek, she made a promise to Ashi, that that she would wait as long as he needed, and she made a promise to herself not to be so patient and tolerant all the time.

Ashi had been assigned a room with eight other kids and Steffie had struck up a glow with the parents of the boy opposite him who had broken both his legs when his paraglider went haywire just as he was coming in to land. Steffie had taken an instant liking to Ryss, who was a few years older than her son and who possessed a very astute sentience towards the world around him. It was he who became aware that Ashi was actually pointing at the clock which hung drably on the freshly painted wall.

Suddenly, all focus was on Ashi, as he gestured towards the timepiece. Steffie crossed herself and clasped her son’s head in her hands. She felt the most overwhelming sense of power and remorse. As Ashi snuggled happily in the bosom of his mother, he tried hard to recall why he had been motioning towards the clock..

Suddenly, as if a spark had ignited in his head Ashi’s sky blue eyes lit up and although he could not speak, he hadn’t lost his ability to sign.

“So that’s the time,” his hands seemed as fluid as they always had, and he broke into a big smile.

“What time,”relayed Steffie.

“I guess my training is finished.”

Steffie laughed and said to herself that she would put it by for later. Right now she had more important things to think about.