my $pid = fork();
if ($pid) {
  # in the parent
  wait for a keypress via your favourite method here
  if an abort occurs..
    kill 15, $pid;   # sigspec to taste
    exit;  # parent is done

  # you'll probably want POSIX WNOHANG here, otherwise waitpid will block
  waitpid, $pid  # child exited normally  


} elsif (defined $pid) {
  # in the child
  system("run_groovy_command");
  exit; # tell daddy i'm done

} else {
  die "Cannot fork: try spoon\n";

}