The Pole Shift

Jimmy is unsure

Helen didn't tense at his Chinese tease, and they both watched the coucillor as he greeted a truck delivering large crated boxes. The men in the trucks opened the boxes and unloaded more cylinders. They had dials on them, and connected to each other through forearm sized tubing. Jimmy thought they would be full of compressed air. He was utterly enthralled. "No not a councillor, something is going on beyond what we reckon." He moved closer, to get a feel for the equipment but before he could ask questions, Mr Knowles accosted him, his face confused.

                "Mr Mackenzie is going to have a little talk with us all, you may have guessed that he has an engineering background, and incredible contacts to get this equipment for us. He then wants to talk to each of the group leaders separately.  That's not the teachers by the way, it's the teachers nominee,  Miss Wright has chosen you Jimmy. Jimmy puffed a little, images of Miss Wrights open blouse fought to steal his attention, but the cylinders won out:

                "Mr. Knowles, what are the cylinders? What's with the workmen?"

                "Mr. Mackenzie, Macka as he calls himself, will tell us all shortly.  Absorb as much as you can before this afternoons meeting. It's strange I must admit. I've been warned to keep this quiet and that goes for you all." He held an index finger up, his expression extremely watchful.  He  turned and wandered away, talking to other students. He had changed, suddenly odd and out of place. Like a last surviving World War hero being awarded a medal at a rave. Jimmy felt sorrow, Mr Knowles's world had been passing away for years and Jimmy guessed the old man knew even if he surivived The Shift it was over for him anyway. His Mum's image bloomed as a picture in his mind , Jimmy lah, you don't know what a kampong is, you should know. Your fathers knew. He mumbled under his breath:

                "Kampong lah, pan for tin like your grandmother."

                "Kampong?" The councilor had appeared as if from another dimension. Jimmy was so sure of his peripheral eyesight, and his sense of space that he was shocked to be face to face with the commanding man. He audibly gulped and blushed, a sensation he was not used to. Jimmy mumbled:

                "A little village I think. My grandmother was from the jungle or something, from Malaysia."  Jimmy had lost all confidence, all purpose. It seemed like he was now in the group of kids that didn't understand. Macka smiled, not in a trite way, or in an amused way. He engaged Jimmy by saying:

                "You should reserach how a little village works. A little village can be made up of one family. Listen to your ancestoral stories carefuly Jimmy." The lump in Jimmy's chest rose like a loaf of bread in an oven, it threatened to water his eyes. He wanted a mother's comfort and he turned to look at Mr. Knowles, then to Helen. He looked for Miss Wright.  He thought of Alan sitting in front of a computer at his mother's house. Macka put a hand on his shoulder and spoke privately:

                 "Don't lose heart,  be here at 7am tomorrow, I have things I want to explain to you. You have friends. "