Jan is currently recovering from another phase where he refused to leave home at all. He had, literally, not stepped out the front door for nearly two years, not even to go out for a walk to the shops or to have dinner outside which he had liked so much. (I might perhaps have wished a little too hard for him to stay home with family.)
Through a series of unexpected events, he is once again enjoying outings now. It may not seem like very much but we celebrated.
On cranky days, Jan might protest loudly whenever anyone in the family is talking, so we have a lot of unfinished conversations lying about the house. Those are the unimportant ones; the important ones have to be carried out in installments. (It can be quite off-putting when you have reached an exciting point in a story you really want to tell and then suddenly a grumpy roar bests your voice. You try to edge in another two or three words but, met with ever more grumpy roars, you give up.)
Jan plays his video games and his favourite music. He has his good days, and days that are not so good. He has the luxury of choosing between night and day; when he tires of being a diurnal creature, he will become a nocturnal one. It is not too much of a luxury for the rest of the family, especially my mother, as the clocks in the house seem to spin their hands every which way. So my mother could be busy cooking at three in the morning or deep asleep at one o’clock in the afternoon.
Jan too looks forward to things we bring home for him, and what the good days bring. One must not fret too much.
Since he could step out of the house after two years, perhaps one day he will step out into the world. There are a great many things that I would like to bring him to see.
Acknowledgements
My heartfelt thanks to Shazwani Babjee and Nurul Ain Saadon, for years of reading my writing when it could barely be called such; to F T for being a pillar straight off the grand palaces of old Nepal; to all my compatriots in DECCET01 for your unwavering support and spirit; to all the interviewees who shared their time with me; to the special needs families in Singapore and abroad who shared their stories; to Misters Kevin Tan Koon Chwee and Chong Hai Choon for always believing and supporting; and to a personage living in Japan for being a beacon of light. Also to Mr Fong Hoe Fang, Adeleena, Alvan and all the wonderful people at Ethos Books for making this come alive.
About the Author
Aqilah Teo is a preschool teacher and freelance writer who has worked with children ranging from preschoolers to teenagers. Her brother's autism led to her fascination with psychology and epistemology. She hopes to shine a spotlight on the special needs world through the stories in this book.
By the Same Publisher
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