Rain on desert sand F
or months, Aaron neglected people. Stressed out by exam pressure, first he lied to his parents. Then his girlfriend left him. Things went from bad to worse till Jack made contact and hope returned.
Aaron had always hidden his feelings but suddenly he wanted to lash out. When his girlfriend told him about her new partner, he started posting bitter thoughts on Instagram, hoping they would see. Then, clicking randomly on links on his phone, he got through to Jack.
Hi there, I’m Jack. I’m a social worker. Feel like a chat?
Aaron felt embarrassed and wary but Jack persisted in his light-hearted way. Affected by Jack’s friendly approach, Aaron gradually opened and told his sad story. I’ve broken up with my girl, but I can’t forget her, she haunts me … I stalked her on Instagram… tried to get my own back … That new boyfriend she found. Why does she prefer him to me? She’s so stupid. It makes me burn up inside…
Hey hey, we all get like that sometimes. If she’s good enough she’ll be back …
You think so? I’d like to kill them both.
For the next few weeks, much to his surprise, Aaron often felt like a chat with Jack. Perhaps it was because he was a stranger. He didn’t have a real face, just emoticons. And he always answered, day or night, whenever Aaron wanted to to pour out all his bottled-up fury. As he came to trust Jack, so Aaron’s anger evaporated. The violent language faded and Jack’s long, patient messages were a comfort. He had never guessed a social worker could be like this, able to chase the mad turmoil out of his mind, calming him and helping him understand.
No way, you’ll find another way, you’ll work it out …
7
