A Life Lacking Autism - 1

Tonight (Sol)

Sol has tiptoed halfway down the stairs when he hears his baba's voice from the living room. "I spoke with Mx. Ramirez over the phone. They think we should see a specialist."

"I don't know." Mama sounds frustrated. "I don't think there's anything wrong with him... he's just different. A little quirky."

"Honey... his teacher works a lot of kids. They have basic training to identify disorders in children. And our son..." Baba's voice cracks. "He's showing a lot of the signs. You remember the incident yesterday."

Sol sits frozen. His parents hadn't said anything when they brought him home early from school that day. They'd sighed and suggested that he spend time in his calm corner. Is he going to hear, now, how they really feel?

"You've watched him try to play, Miria. It's obvious that he's... he's not quite right in the head."

Sol's chest constricted. His baba was right. Other kids created beautiful setups when they played, but he...

A year ago (Sol)

Baba crouched next to Angel, who sat playing on the basement floor, arranging shoeboxes, figurines, and other toys. "That's a lovely setup you've got, baby. Want to tell me about it?"

"I'm making a spaceship. It's divided into loud and calm areas. Here, we have a divided cafeteria, one part with soundproofed stalls and one for loud people. See, you can eat and look out at the stars. And you can tap the glass to get information on the stars you see! And here's a sensory room I'm making for them." Angel had tied a woman figurine to a swing, and she pushed it with one finger to make the woman soar back and forth in an arc.

"Beautiful architecture," Baba said once Angel was finished. "You've put so much thought into this design! Your astronaut adventurers will love living in such a well-built spaceship."

Angel beamed and flapped her hands. "I'm not done yet. Later, later, I will show you more! I'm making more details!"

Baba flapped their hands, sharing their daughter's delight in her work. "I look forward to seeing what you come up with!" Baba turned to Sol. "I see you've got people here, and some cars. What are you working on?"

Sol looked down at his toys. "The evil scientist kidnapped the boy. Now the parents and their daughter are trying to get him back."

Baba looked down at the figurines, which lay on the ground with sticks in their hands. "You didn't feel like setting them up?"

"Well, the story's not done yet. Do you want to play with me? You could be the baba."

Baba blinked and tilted their head. "I am a baba. I'm your baba." They shook their head. "You say the strangest things!"

Sol frowned. If Baba wasn't going to play with him, maybe his sister would! He shoved the girl figurine at her. "Play the story with me!"

Angel jumped, falling onto two shoeboxes, which collapsed. Angel scurried back from her setup, opened-mouth, her face turned towards the crushed wing of the spaceship. The walls of the quiet cafeteria had collapsed upon the occupants, and the woman lay on the ground by the broken swing. Her lips quivered and her face scrunched up as a soft high-pitched whine escaped her mouth.

Angel picked up the woman. The woman's arm fell off. "Stella! Stella's hurt!" Angel cried.

"We'll fix it, Angel, we'll fix it. We'll repair Stella's arm and we'll make the spaceship like it was before." Baba was rocking in order to stay calm. "Why don't you go to your calm down corner for a while? When you're done, I'll help you fix it."

Angel sniffed, her face wet with tears. Hands trembling, she kissed the top of the Stella doll's head, then placed the broken figurine in her baba's hands. She turned and ran for her corner.

Baba turned to Sol. Sol sat still, watching Angel leave. "Sol, when you pushed the figurine at Angel, she was startled. You need permission before getting into someone's space. She didn't see you coming."

Sol bit his lip and nodded. Why didn't his baba just say it? He was a disappointment.