How do you do that? she asked.
You know, Mom. I just move away from where youre going to look.
She looked at her little boy and said, Im still not sure I understand. Do you mean to say you know where my eyes are looking?
No, I just know where youre not looking; the shadows around you show it. Dont you know where Im not going to look?
Lets try it this way, Thomas. Youre standing right here in front of me. How long would I have to close my eyes for you to hide?
Mom Just close your eyes and count to one.
Oh, one more thing, Thomas. When I say Neil, you immediately reply with Armstrong. This will make it harder for you to hide. Understand?
Sure, Mom. He liked this because Neil Armstrong was one of his favorite ancient heroes.
She blinked and Tag disappeared. She would say Neil and she would immediately hear from right behind her, Armstrong. Try as she might, she could not see him. She turned left, jerked back to the right, and turned circles, saying Neil as fast as she could and hearing Armstrong in reply each time, but she was still unable to see him. Finally she just lay down on the floor and turned her head from side to side. It was then that she saw him right next to her, laughing.
I knew you were going to lie down, but you told me not to leave the room. So you win, you caught me.
She laid there on the carpet for a moment and then said, Thomas, if you could leave the room, would you have avoided me seeing you when I lied down?
Sure, but rules are rules. You always taught me to play by the rules.
So you didnt leave the playground this morning.
No, Mom. Rules are rules.
She got off the floor and went back to her chair. Then she said, Thomas, tell me how you do this. I need to know what you do to avoid being seen.
Mom, I just go where the person looking for me is not looking. I move into the shadows I see around them. As you turned around, I moved toward the shadows I saw on the side away from your turn. The shadows appear whenever I want to avoid being seen. Unless I look for them, they arent there.
How do you know where I will be looking?
There wont be any shadows. Theres a sort of shadow that I see when I move to hide. It looks like the shadow you have behind you when a light is shining in front of you. If the light moves right, then your shadow moves left and I move left to stay in the shadow. I guess if you think of your eyes as looking in the direction of the light, then the shadow will move away from where youre looking. Then all I have to do is go wherever I see the shadow, and I wont be where youre looking. I dont even have to watch the person looking for me, I just move toward the shadows I see behind them. When you turn as fast as you just did then I have to move quickly, but the shadows show me where to go.
Are you telling me that you know where someone will look before they know?
I dont know, Mom. I just see the shadow and know they wont be looking there. Ive noticed them before, but I didnt really pay attention to them unless we were playing tag; that is until the game today, and it worked.
What else do you know about someone looking for you?
Well, I know whenever anyone is deliberately looking at me.
His mother gave a startled look and said, What? What do you mean?
Well, you know the machines that are on all the walls in town that take your picture?
Yes.
Well, I like playing a game with them so that I always turn my head when they turn toward me. I dont think theyve ever gotten a picture of me and I can see places around me where the machine isnt looking.
So you can tell if anything or anyone is looking at you whether its a man or machine?
Sure. I know at night when youre watching me. Cant you tell when youre being watched?
She thought about what he was saying and then said, Thomas, stand in front of me looking away from me. Tag got up and did as she asked. Now, whenever I look at you say now.
Tag closed his eyes and sensed his mother behind him sitting in her favorite green chair. She looked out the window and then quickly looked at Tag and heard him immediately say, Now. She looked at the floor and then glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Now, Tag said. She waited a minute, then again quickly looked. Now, Tag said.
This is impossible, she thought. Thomas, if there were many people looking for you at the same time, would they see you?
I dont know. They wouldnt if there were shadows to hide in. Besides, I just learned to play today. Ive never tried to do this like today. It sure is a lot of fun though.
Thomas, I want you to listen to me. This is important. The most important thing Ive ever told you. She lifted him up and sat him in her lap. This ability that you have to see shadows and know when youre being watched or where someone will look for you is a gift that no one else has. It could get you into a lot of trouble if other people learned about it. You cant let anyone else know about these things youre able to do. His eyes got big and he thought that his mother must be wrong. Thomas, what other times do you use this gift?
Well, whenever we play tag I use it to not get caught. I also sometimes use it to sneak to the front of the lunch line. Tag laughed and said, People wonder how I got there, but no one has caught me yet.
Thomas, no one can do the things you just described to me; absolutely no one. Youre able to sense things no one else can. This is a unique gift, but its dangerous, his mother said very seriously.
She then explained to her seven-year-old that the world operated by everyone strictly following the rules, and a lot of his education was designed to teach him to follow every instruction he was given. Thats why his teacher was so upset when she thought he had disobeyed a rule by leaving the playground. Tags mother told him that he could be smart and learn all his studies, but if he could not follow the rules the government would place him in a job that would let them keep a close eye on him in the future. She said that those who could not follow rules were also not allowed to marry and have children. If the government had the slightest idea that he could prevent them from watching him, then they may put him in a place where he would have no freedom.
Mom, I didnt break any rules.
I know, she said. But if you have the ability to break the rules without being seen, then the government would be very nervous about someone like you. Thomas, its extremely important that only your father and I ever know about your gift. I know itll be hard not to share it or use it with your friends now that you know they cant do what you do. But someday they will tell someone and the government will come looking for you. Promise me, promise me to the bottom of your heart, that you will never reveal or use this gift you possess. Have you told anyone else about what youre able to do?
Tag sat back down on the footstool in front of his mother and thought for a few moments and remembered starting to tell Eric, but he remembered that they had been interrupted. No, Ive only really learned about it today. I promise! I promise, Mom, Ill keep it hidden.
Thank God the teacher doesnt know the truth, his mother thought. Then she thought about how to explain to the teacher what happened. Thomas, you also need to let them catch you in tag, maybe not every time but a lot of the time, and no more sneaking to the front of the line. I am going to write a note to your teacher apologizing for your leaving the playground, but tell her that you did not hear her say you couldnt, that you were writing the next days homework assignment when she explained the rules. I know this isnt the truth, but I dont want this incident to hurt your future. Telling her the truth about your gift would cause you a lot of serious problems. Do you understand?