spent with Chesky profoundly impacted Jane as well. After successfully passing her final school exams, she decided to study to become a child psychologist, convinced that Chesky had helped her make this choice.
FAILED PLAN
«Elina, what do you say if we go out for a walk on Saturday? Let’s go to the movies, gorge ourselves on popcorn, and watch some sweet female melodrama, huh? Or vice versa, a raunchy comedy? And then we’ll go to a restaurant and try different goodies until we get bored. I understand that you have John, but you can ask your babysitter to sit with him.»
Elina thought. Few people could understand how much she wanted to accept Irene’s invitation. Put on a beautiful dress, high-heel shoes, and stroll in a restaurant or even just in the lobby of a cinema, attracting the eyes of others. After all, she devoted most of her time to her son, completely forgetting about herself. And she had a nanny in mind: she used her services when she urgently needed to leave for work or other matters.
«You know, Irene… I agree! Let’s go! I’ve wanted this for so long. Tomorrow I will call Mrs. Jones and ask her to look after John.»
«Elina! You have no idea how happy I am to hear that! To be honest, I didn’t have much hope. I’ll pick you up at eight tomorrow, okay?»
The next day passed for Elina in pleasant anticipation. She seemed to fly, preparing a dress, picking up shoes, and doing her hair. She imagined how she and Irene would walk together, laughing at some funny stories, remembering their fun student or school years…
But at five o’clock in the evening, the phone rang:
«Elina, darling, I know I promised to come, but it just so happened that my grandson fell ill. Sorry, there’s no way I can look after John today,» Mrs. Jones said, obviously upset.
«Yes, of course. It’s okay,» Elina answered in a fallen voice.
As she hung up the phone, she nearly burst into tears. Why is that?! Why on the one day she decided to arrange a little holiday for herself, did everything turn out this way? Holding back tears rising to her throat, she began to dial Irene’s phone number.
«Elina… Nothing, just don’t get upset. Well, not the last day we live, well, what are you… You know, I have a great idea. What if I come to you? I’ll go to the store for a cake, and we’ll sit with you. And John will play in his room. What do you think?»
Elina agreed reluctantly. Knowing her child, she knew perfectly well that just sitting and chatting would not work for them.
Of course, the evening did not go at all as Irene had hoped and imagined. As soon as John saw her in the hallway, he began to pull Elina by the hand, trying to take her to his room. When this did not work out, he came to the kitchen, brought his balls, and began to show them to Irene. She looked thoughtfully at the boy.
TRUE FRIEND
special interest of an autistic child
ELINA’S USUAL MORNING
Elina’s Sunday morning began as usual. After breakfast, she looked with annoyance at the room, where balls of all kinds and sizes were scattered around.
«Johnny, I asked you to clean them up after you finished playing,» Elina muttered hopelessly.
John, seven years old and autistic, looked at her with his big, innocent eyes. When the diagnosis was first made, Elina struggled to accept that her son would forever be different. Terms like «special child» caused her deep despair. Over time, it became clear that John’s condition was a lifelong reality. Elina’s life had changed forever.
John’s father, who initially tried to support her, eventually left. Elina didn’t blame him; she simply allowed him to go, left alone with her child. She was grateful for his financial support but couldn’t understand how he could leave a child who needed so much love and care. She resolved to give John a worthy future, no matter the cost.
She spent hours talking with her son, even though at the age of seven he could only say one word: «mom.» It hurt Elina to tears, but the way John said it revealed a range of emotions.
John was a charming child, but his need for attention sometimes created problems. He was especially demanding when someone visited their home. Alone, he could entertain himself, but with visitors, he became restless and insistent on having Elina’s attention.
As he grew older, his autistic behaviors became more pronounced. He could sit for hours in an empty box until Elina got him out. Perhaps the small, enclosed space gave him a sense of security. His other passion was balls; he could twirl and twist them endlessly.
One doctor suggested removing all of John’s balls, but Elina doubted this advice. The balls were one of the few things that soothed her child. Instead of taking them away, she bought him more, in various colors, sizes, and textures. John looked truly happy when she poured out this treasure before him.
«Mom…» John whispered, fascinated by his new toys.
Many acquaintances drifted away after learning about John’s condition, but Elina didn’t mind. She valued those who stayed, like her best friend Irene, who had been a constant in her life.
Irene always brought a whirlwind of energy into Elina’s home, sharing news about mutual acquaintances, her family, and her acting courses. She made jewelry from beads and stones and often brought gifts, including new balls for John. Her visits revived Elina’s zest for life.
However, Irene’s visits also triggered John’s need for attention. He would pull Elina away, show her his balls, and do everything to distract her from Irene. They saw it as childish jealousy, and they tried to understand and accommodate him. Their visits rarely lasted more than an hour due to John’s persistence.
Elina dreamed of explaining to John how important Irene’s visits were to her, how much she wanted to immerse herself in their conversations, even if only for half an hour.
Irene also wished to help Elina find some respite. About once a month, she would make timid attempts to drag her childhood friend out of the house to stir her up. One day, knowing that Elina wouldn’t dare to agree in person, Irene preceded her proposal with a call.
IRENE’S IDEA
«Listen, Elina, have you thought about the fact that he needs some kind of constructive, purposeful activity to be involved in? It seems to me that this would do him good, and it would give you a little bit of freedom – you need it so much. I recently read how parents develop the abilities of their children with autism through photography. I will send you a link. In my opinion, you and John could make an excellent photobook on the subject of his balls. After all, it is obvious that they are his greatest passion,» Irene suggested, having listened with interest to Elina’s stories about John before and offering various ways to diversify his life with benefits.
Irene’s words did not leave Elina’s head for several days. The idea seemed very interesting to her. She thought about how nice it would be if John had some kind of productive activity, if his blind passion for balls grew into something more, something creative and interesting. In the end, she took out an old camera, which she rarely used.
«Maybe
