A Different World

I remember the first time I realised that some people live in different worlds. I'd be walking to school, and I'd look up, and there was Moses hanging by his tool belt. Every day – no matter what the weather – Moses would climb up the telephone poles and attach his belt to them. And open the phone boxes. And move the lines around. Sometimes he'd take out his tools and do some hammering. In the winter, you could see him really well, outlined against the bright sky. Hammering and spinning round and round up there

Now, Moses did not work for the phone company. He just lived in another world. A kind of dream world, of trees and circuits and electronics. But everyone in town made a point of thanking him for fixing their phones. The men would be walking home from the train station in the evening, and they'd yell "Hey Moe! Good job on the phones! The reception on my line is really great now. Nice job. Clear. Thanks a lot!"