THE RESTLESS SHADOW

By Tessa Harvey

    James had decided to take a much more serious interest in his wife, Wendy and his two young sons, Chris and Izak. As a result, he had been pleasantly surprised to find them cautiously responsive. Desperate, he found himself praying to a god he was really not sure about - to help him, especially with his temper.
    Most of his childhood, he remembered he had felt angry. His parents seemed so slow, dull and old. Other dads zipped along in smarter cars or utes. His parents seemed to drive very slowly, very cautiously. He recalled gripping his finger tips tightly under the car seat in sheer frustration.
    As a teen he had rebelled, staying out at night, later and later. He managed to save up his meagre wages as an errand boy for the butcher and bought a second-hand motorbike. James loved that bike more than anything else in the world, carefully dismantling and cleaning every treasured piece of machinery and replacing it....
    Suddenly there was a flash of movement. Automatically, James braked, desperately afraid that it would be too late to avoid the small boy. A man swooped to grab the child, drawing him swiftly to safety.
    Shaken, James stopped. "Not your fault," said the man, mopping his face with a large handkerchief as he held the boy tightly. "I sneezed, and he jerked away. He Should know better."
    The child was crying, the man was white. James could not answer. He waited a few minutes for passing traffic then drove onto the school. The principal was expecting him. After cordial greetings both men sat down. The room was fairly large as was the desk, but the principal chose to sit near the parent, which James appreciated.
    "The bullying has, I think, been dealt with and the boys concerned suspended. Now your youngest is speaking more he will be less of a victim draw-card. But there is never an excuse for bullying. We apologize sincerely."

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