Slot 04 - “Moments of Stunning Interaction” by Alex Ramonsky

Observer: Alex

Main character: Cakey

Location and Date: United Kingdom - 40 (aBBm)

The year was 40 (aBBm). I was nine years old, spending the day with "Cakey" (Biker Tetty's partner). Cakey was a "television specialist", one of the first people to have such an occupation -basically he fixed TVs and other electrical stuff, and had a little workshop I used to love to hang out in. It was really cosy and friendly and warm, and Cakey & Tetty were probably the closest thing I had to parents, so I loved it there. 

This particular night we were staying up late as Cakey was finishing off a job, and we had a paraffin heater on because it was a wet, cold night. This enormous drunk bloke suddenly staggered in the unlocked door, soaking wet, bits of blood and glass all over him, holding a baseball bat. I froze, but Cakey visibly relaxed and smiled. He said "Alright mate! It's a bit crappy out there, innit? -Make us a cup of tea Alex." I thought he knew the guy so I made tea. 

Cakey walked over and shut the door behind the guy, put his arm round him and led him to the fire. "You sit yourself down mate," he said, "get warm, and we'll have some tea. Good excuse for a bit of cake." (Cakey always had lots of cake; hence the nickname). The bloke sat on the chair and I sat on the floor next to the heater. He put his baseball bat down and drank his tea. Halfway through Cakey offered him a bit of whiskey in it and he accepted. As we ate cake, the man started to cry. Cakey said nothing, but patted the guy on the shoulder and started to roll a joint. He sat and smoked it, and handed it to the man, who smoked it too. Cakey put the radio on playing some soft blues, and rolled another one, after which the bloke fell asleep. 

Cakey wrote on a sheet of paper, "Gone to bed, help yourself to tea", and left the workshop open with the heater on and the bloke sleeping in it and we went home on Cakey's motorbike. At their house I asked who the man was, and Cakey said "Haven't got a clue." 

I didn't really understand what had happened, and the next morning the man was gone. Nothing was missing except the rest of the cake. At about lunchtime at the workshop we had a visit from the police. Some guy had gone mental and killed his parents, and run away. The description of him fitted our drunk wet guy, who apparently had left a trail of destruction with his baseball bat, whacking shop windows, cars, and a couple of people coming out of pubs who were now in hospital. 

I still didn't get it, until we heard the whole story. The bloke had gotten steaming drunk and lost the plot, been fighting, and when he returned home his (strict christian) parents had freaked, threatening to call the police and screaming and yelling. A general punch-up with his father had resulted. His imbalance had been equalled by theirs; his action getting a reaction that set up a chain of events leading to their deaths. They had added their panic and fear to his own and all reaped the unpleasant rewards. He was totally freaked by what had happened and had run, taking out his fear on anything remotely in his way, and eventually found the workshop up a little backstreet…

.…And stepped into a different universe. Cakey had greeted him with genuineness, empathy and unconditional positive regard, and his panic found (instead of mirroring) unquestioning understanding, calm, and gentle fearless kindness. Cakey's state of mind ruled the space in which he stood, and the guy found himself enfolded by Cakey's matrix, wrapped safely in sanity. His reason began to return and he cried, and was comforted quietly and with dignity. 

Cakey was not pretending to be unafraid, strong and loving; he was all those things. He was a solid rock inside a whirlwind of nonsense, an anchor to the real, a walking matrix. He could value people without condoning or even acknowledging their behaviour, because he knew that when people got caught up in stupidity and fear, crazy shit can happen. And it wasn't _his_ shit, so why should he join in? 

This is why, before I defined Matrix theory I used to call interaction "Cakey Space" : )

... (Slots 05 / 06 / 07 in preparation or author's approval awaiting status)