I was going to write about the small pleasures of life on a hot
week-end, things like a breakfast of fruit in the garden, walking
barefoot on tiled floors, sipping iced tea in the shade while reading a
book, sleeping off the midday sun and enjoying the parks and the
towpath later when the heat eases off.
Instead I am writing in anger. The Boy's father has brought him back
from the week-end and once again he has let him get sun burn and sun
stroke. It is the second time and while it was inexcusable the first
time, the second time there is no word for that level of stupidity.
I would have thought after the last time he would know that the beach
is no place to be with young children between 1200 and 1500. I would
have thought he had worked out by now that sun screen on its own is not
enough of a protection on days when the sun shines as nicely as it has
this week-end especially on parts of the body not normally exposed like
the back and shoulders.
The Boy's father's killing argument? The argument that was meant to
make me see his point? "There were loads of other children on the
beachebetween 12 and 3". Hello? If that argument didn't work when you
were a teenager trying to why you had done something stupid it
certainly won't work now. "and if loads of people jumped off cliffs?"
was the instant response. He carried on in Kevin mode "I knew you were
going to say that" andwalked off.
As I sat in the tepid bath with The Boy pouring water on his sore back,
chest, shoulders and arms in an effort to cool his skin and reduce hi
temperature, he told me about how his father was discussing in the car
on the way back how annoyed I would be. Annoyed doesn't even touch it.
I want to hurt him, badly. He also told me about his baby half brother
being burnt too (the little one is very fair skinned and I shudder at
the idea of it especially having seen the results on my son's olive
skin) and how his grandmother was very angry with his father about it
(makes a few of us then.
Him Indoors has dug up his loosest, softest, lightest whit t-shirt for
The Boy to wear and he has helped me smother him in water based cooling
gel after the cooling bath. He has found a fan and put it in The Boy's
bedroom.
I am hoping junior ibuprofen helps take away enough of the pain so he
gets a good night and I am fuming that I did not get to slap The Boy's
Father's burnt shoulders repeatedly.
19.6.05 20:40
