The Electric Touch

Diego debated whether or not to assist the science teacher in her attempts to get the students’ attention. Here, in science class, his ability wouldn’t be quite as noticeable, and he could make a positive difference. He unobtrusively pointed a gloved finger at the light switch, and the lights went out. Wiggling his finger slightly at the switch, he turned the lights on again. As expected, the class quieted some, enough for the teacher to explain the day’s experiment.

“Let’s work with Diego; he really understands circuits and all that stuff.” Two of three students headed toward his workstation. Diego wasn’t surprised. During the entire unit on electricity, he had never lacked lab partners. He’d been very careful not to accidentally touch anyone, lest he shock them. Kids had long since quit asking questions about the gloves he wore constantly.

Thumping his books on the kitchen table, Diego set aside his speculations about when they might move on from electricity to bask in the security of his home environment, where he wasn’t considered a freak.

“Those cookies smell good, Mom. What kind are they?” Diego swooped in to see if there was any cookie dough available for sampling. Her response was muffled by the sounds of his brother’s electric guitar as Ricardo wandered through the kitchen, guitar not plugged in, as per usual. He grinned at the thought of the oven heating up at his mother’s touch, Ricardo’s unnecessary guitar cords stowed safely in their case, and his dad’s truly wireless television.

Grabbing a couple of cookies fresh from the oven, Diego struggled to balance his books under his arm and tromped upstairs. His computer booted up, and his desk lamp clicked on as he entered his room, just as he intended—designed without external electricity.