Satellites

Contributed by Bridgeen Gillespie on 14/04/10

Do do do… Giant steps are what you take…do do do…

Sneaking out into the garden at night, it’s late and the littlest should be in bed by now. But ‘Huck’, four, is out in her bed clothes, (‘Catherine’s too girly, she’d rather be ‘Fred’). Feeling the freedom of fluffy flannel pyjamas suddenly bracing worn out of doors. But her little feet, white socks, no slippers, won’t touch the ground. Cause she’s got Abe, and he really is old enough to know better.

I hope my legs don’t break…

At 17 her eccentric older brother just can’t seem to help himself. It’s a clear night and he’s out in his sock soles with Huck on his shoulders. He’d had a foot injury that meant he rarely wore shoes, inside or out of the house, and she enjoyed the minor rebellion of wearing indoor clothing outside. She’d go one further and wear no shoes if he’d let her. But it’s not like he’d put her down now, dirty feet would be a give away. Together they are looking for satellites. Or a space station to be precise.

Feet they hardly touch the ground….

Their favourite programme was The Sky at Night, but he couldn’t afford a telescope. So they borrowed Grinda’s old army issue binoculars every time there was an eclipse. Tonight they were looking for Mir, it would be passing over head and should be clear to the naked eye. Huck thought maybe she could wave at the astronauts. They thought of peace and space travel. Both fully believing they might one day land on the moon. Abe wasn’t sure if they would know Mir from a regular telecoms satellite but he didn’t tell Huck that. How could he when she almost leapt from his arms in delight as the slow wandering star passed into sight?

Feet they hardly make no sound….

This wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last night stargazing. They’d slip out again another clear night when no one was watching. Huck learned to find Ursa Major and Orion, the only two constellations she still remembers to this day. And Abe would point out the stranger stars, Betelgeuse (shines red) and Sirius (shines red, yellow, blue green- or so Huck swears).

We could walk for ever….

Walking on, walking on the moon.