Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER.
The first time Jack climbed a pole for his work, the view took his breath away. He was scared of heights and a job as an electricity worker fixing power poles was never on his list of desirable jobs. But he had ended up here at the top of the pole and was going to make the most of the view. That particular pole was well placed. It was on the corner of the busiest street in Gladville, across from the Post Office, with a good view of the local swimming pool and right up next to the town’s RSL. The first person to call out to Jack was an old lady named Brenda. She had known Jack since he was a boy.
“Hello Jack”, Brenda shouted out.
“Is that Brenda”, Jack replied, not quite sure from that height who he was speaking to.
“Yes dear”.
The next thing that happened would change Jack’s life forever. Just as he was looking down and answering Brenda a large truck swerved around the corner. The driver had taken the turn far too quickly and the back end of the truck swung out knocking the power pole that Jack was attached to. Jack was thrown backwards, his hands falling away from the cross member he had been holding. He ended up hanging upside down from his safety harness.
“What’s that smell”, Jack’s colleague Chris yelled out.
“Petrol, petrol! The truck is leaking petrol”, a passer by screamed.
The truck came to a halt after running over the top of the Post Office’s low front brick wall. Chris looked up and saw that Jack was in serious trouble. The power lines attached to the pole had cone down and sparks were emanating from their ends.
“Who owns this dog?”, said Brenda pointing a the lifeless canine lying on the street. “I think it has been electrocuted!”
“Don’t worry about the dog”, Chris shouted. “We have to get Jack down”.
Jack was not moving. His inverted body was quite still as it hung from the top of the pole.
“Jack, Jack, can you hear me?”, Chris continued.
“Listen and everyone be quiet”, Brenda said as she decided to take charge of the situation.
But there was only totally silence.
“Get up that pole young man and see if Jack is okay,” Brenda said to Chris.
“What was that?” Chris said.
“You need to get up the pole and see if Jack is okay”, Brenda repeated.
“Okay, but can you please call the emergency services,” Chris said.
Chris quickly put on his harness and boot spikes and started to ascend the timber power pole. He had to be careful as he started as the downed wires were jumping all around sparking as they went.
“Get someone to turn off the power,” he yelled at Brenda.
It was clear to Chris that Jack was in serious trouble. They had trained for many hours for just this situation but Chris had never seriously considered that he would have to make such a rescue. He arrived at Jack to find that he was not breathing. He checked his pulse and to his relief he found that Jack’s heart was still beating.
“Mouth-to-mouth,” Chris said to himself. “I will have to give him mouth-to-mouth while he is upside down hanging from a pole!”. “No pressure, no pressure. The fucking Chris of Life – that is what I will be known as”.
THE END