MY CREATIVE RESPONSE TO THE

CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG

IN THE NIGHT-TIME

BY: JONATHAN GINSBURG

THE EXPLODING VAN My van exploded in the highway. (Christopherʼs way of writing) When I was 12 years old, the 17th of April of 2006, my van exploded just like a film I saw that same year in which an agent went to another country to accomplish a special mission. I remember that it was a sunny day, all my family were together preparing the things for the trip to Acapulco. Then I looked at my luggage to see if I was missing something, everything was there including my toiletries, which are: a yellow toothbrush, a yellow case, a red shampoo and a red soap. You may be wondering, why all my toiletries were red and yellow and the answer is that I liked those colors until that day. When the van exploded I didn't took my things out so obviously they were burned, and I changed my favorite colors to black and white. After checking everything we departed to the highway of the sun as the government of, Mexico calls it. While driving to the highway I saw four cats and two dogs. After 45 minutes of travel my parents asked me and my brother to fasten the seatbelt because we were going to the highway, and I saw the tole fee. It was 2:32 pm when we stopped to go to the restroom and have something to eat, my father had eggs and cheese, my mother a sandwich just like my brother and for myself I got French fries. We went back to the car and to our way to Acapulco. One hour later the motor was releasing very black smoke and my father parked the car aside from the highway and he asked us to run away from it, seconds later it exploded just like a movie bomb. This is a memory that I will not forget in the rest of my life, just like when you have a son or marry and things that mark you. That experience was like watching a movie but in the real life. While we were staring at the burring van, the door was melting. My father got very angry he even hit me, when we got to Acapulco. Those vacations were not so good as I expected, the next 7 days were even harder because my parents were not even at home, because they were leaving to fix government issues due to the accident. I've rather would have stayed in Mexico city, than to saw that atrocity, which caused me sadness and sickness. Every van that is black gives bad luck so stay away from them to keep safe. Now you know me better and my experience is here. My van exploded in the highway. (My way of writing) Some time ago I was going to Acapulco and my van exploded in the way. This was a very impressive event in my life, which marked me forever. That event is going to be highlighted even for my grandchildren. The feeling of being in front of an exploding van was abnormal, feeling the hot of the flames, thinking about all the things that were lost and that I was still alive is not a common thing. Being there is not good at all, you even start thinking about bad things that could've happened, and it makes you feel sad. Summarizing it is a very bad feeling and experience that I would never wish anybody goes through it. Everything started one morning when my family and myself were preparing to leave in a trip to Acapulco. Later everything was ready to depart, and we came in the car. My father was driving and it was the afternoon when some smoke started to came out of the motor. Then he went outside of the car and he shouted at us: get out of there immediately! I remember that we ran as fast as we could and seconds later an explosion in the background was terrifying. It was a really harsh day. The flames, the odor, the scene itself was terrible and uncomfortable it was like being in hell. During the rest of the trip, my father was very angry and it was not a very good vacation. Although we got to Acapulco thanks to hitchhiking, there we all were very tense. Some days I still feel bad about that event of my life. Remembering in nightmares is very frequent for me, some nights I wake up in the middle of the night feeling very bad. Even it is very often for me to daydream with it. In the actuality I don't speak with my father about what happened, but I know that he remembers. In conclusion it is unforgettable.

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TO YOU MY FRIEND

Dear friend,

During my job, I take care of an adolescent called Christopher John Francis Boone. He has the Asperger's

syndrome disorder. During the time that I spend with him, he is a very lovely person and I learn a lot from

him. He opens his feelings to me; this is something that I encounter very amazing between a human

relation. I know that he considers me as a very close person in his life. In fewer words this relationship has

made me grow and I am almost sure that he has grown a lot also.

Being in my job is such a pleasure that I have felt what a real friend is. Working with people that have

Asperger's syndrome is so outstanding and reciprocal that I wouldn't change it for anything. Christopher is

really amazing, he is even writing a book in which he asks me for advice to help him to do it correctly.

Comparing the people with this disorder to other people, it has it's advantages and disadvantages. The

biggest advantage that I see is the living of a real life, and this is so uncommon that if you see it once you

would learn from it. Putting it shorter, doing this is not as people would imagine.

Finally I would like you to know that in this job I am doing the best of my life. Now I cannot imagine doing

anything else. Soon, I will introduce you to Christopher, so that you have a change to see what I am telling

you. Even my way of thinking has changed so much that now I am sure that the Asperger's syndrome is not

a disease, it is just a diverse way of humanity. Concluding, I encourage you to come to my town and spend

a day with me so that you realize what I'm talking about.

Sincerely yours, Siobhan.

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DREAMS OF THE INSANE

Here is the dream of Christopher's mother

A strange one that is not meant to bother

Everything starts when she thoughts about not being married to his father

She would be in France with another guy

Living in a little farmhouse that she would buy

Smoking cigarettes all the time

In France she would be married to Jean

And they would be in a garden of sunflowers just like a movie scene

Later when the evening arrived they would sat outside and drink wine

Following this routine as straight as a line

But this was just a dream of her mind

On the other hand we have Siobhan

Who dreams when she is depressed or sad

So that she will stop feeling bad

She dreams that she would be staying in a house on Cape Cod

With her friend Elly and they would take a trip on a boat

And they would be happy just like I feel when I wear my coat

That is the imagination of having things in your mind that were not real

But sometimes people that are hungry think about meal

Which is not imagination

But it is like a reaction

That is my dreams poem, which is explicit

As an autism deficit

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OFFICIAL CRIME REPORT

Case Number: 665-998/99-99-04/78665

Incident: Crime Scene (dog assassination)

Reporting Officer: Laura Staby Date of Report: 18 May 2005

At about 0010 hours on 18th of may of 2005, I received a call from Mrs. Shears, who was very agitated, the

purpose of her call was to tell me that she found her dog in the lawn of the front of her house, dead and that

there was a suspect that could have killed him. As soon as I got to the crime scene, I saw a fifteen-year-old

boy standing in the lawn and Mrs. Shears shouting at him, the dog that was reported previously was laying

in the grass and he had a trident that crossed his body.

After we arrived and Mrs. Shears was shouting at this boy, he covered his ears and pressed his

forehead to the grass. Mrs. Shears continued shouting and my mate went to her to make her stop. After that

Mrs. Shears and myself went into the house and she explained to me what happened.

Mrs. Shears started to tell me that she didn't saw her dog the whole afternoon of that day because she

was very busy in the other side of the city. Later, when she arrived home she went to look for her dog

without success and after that she heard a sound coming from the lawn. Mrs. Shears said that when she

got there she found the dog killed and the neighbor standing there. Which according to the scene made the

neighbor the most important suspect, and that's why she called us.

A few minutes later, my mate called me to say that he was arresting the boy because he had hit him. I

told my mate that I would see him later, during this time Mrs. Shears was still crying so I had to tell her to

see a doctor.

I obtained from Mrs. Shears the certainty that she didn't saw the boy kill the dog, although she was sure

that it was him because, there were no other people that could've did that. Finally we called the green cross

to ask them to take the dog out of Mrs. Shearʼs property.

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