Elat’s Brother’s Children’s New Computer

Elat’s Brother’s Children’s New Computer

Phill Boas

Sometimes Elat’s wife was sure, the newspapers had printed a story just to annoy Elat; today was one of those days.  Elat had just been reading how children these days were in need of drugs for something called ADD, which everyone seemed to be getting.  But yesterday he had read that children were buying bad drugs, which were being sold to them, by people who probably didn’t make as much money as the people who sold the good drugs that they needed!  At first Elat was confused, who, he wondered, were the people who were deciding which were the good and which the bad drugs, then he realised that probably everyone was being conned and then Elat was enraged.

His brother’s children, there were three of them, weren’t allowed out to play because it wasn’t safe, apparently because of the selling of drugs on the street and violence, and sitting in front of the new computer Elat’s brother and sister-in-law had bought for them was safer and more educational, but, there were some bad things they could access on the internet and Elat’s brother hadn’t figured out exactly what to do about that.

Elat’s brother’s children were hyperactive and did not sleep well.  In a moment of devilishness, Elat snuck into his brother’s house and made the computer glitch.  The children sat there looking blank.  Elat took them by the hand downstairs and out into the street to play.  Elat and his brother had always been sent out into the street to play with the other children whose parents had sent them out into the street to play so they could get some peace and the children could get some exercise and learn how to get on with other children.

Elat’s brother’s children stood in the street and wondered what to do, Elat became invisible.  Now he could watch without influencing the children.  The children played ball for a while before some other children who always played in the street met them and took their ball away.  Elat watched, the new children played with the ball and Elat’s brother’s children seemed not to know what to do.  They got cross and upset and explained to the new children that this was their ball, that they could play with them but not take over their game.  The new children got angry and pushed them away, one of the new children took out a knife and threatened Elat’s brother’s children, Elat watched carefully, Elat’s brother’s children were afraid, Elat made the knife into rubber and when Elat’s brother’s children ran to get their ball and the child with the knife stabbed the eldest and the rubber knife bent, Elat’s brother’s children laughed and took their ball back.

The new children got a fright and ran away.  Elat’s brother’s children, pleased with themselves, left their ball and went to the local shop.  They had no money but wanted some sweets, which they were never allowed to have at home.  The shop owner gave them sweets for delivering a parcel for him.  They ran to the local park, climbed the trees and decided they would like a cubby house here.  Then they realised it was late and they were hungry and they ran home.  Elat’s sister-in-law was amazed when she called them for dinner and they were happy and tired, that night they went to bed and slept soundly.  Elat’s brother was happy the new computer had solved their problem.

Elat awoke this spring morning feeling very happy. He could hear his wife brewing the tea.