Sightless
A story I wrote a long time ago. I can't remember if it was an assignment in class or if it was just for fun, but I figured why not? I do apologise if there are any innaccuracies (which I'm sure there are), because, honestly, I'm not blind. I don't have the best of eyesight, but I'm not blind. So, yeah.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"No problem."
"No, seriously, it's my fault. Let me help you." he put his hand on my arm.
I yanked myself out of his grip. "I don't like people grabbing me, thank you very much, and I can cross the street myself!"
The man pulled away. I think he was a little put-off. Ugh. I hated when people treated me with special attention. I shook my head in an effort to dislodge the thoughts and felt my glasses slip on my nose. I reached up and pushed them back into place.
I tapped my cane over the pavement, listening for cars. I felt the drop of the curb, and waited for a car to pass. The wind it displaced swirled around me as I stepped onto the road. I walked quickly, found the opposite curb, and stepped up.
"Here, let me help you," Someone said as they grabbed my elbow.
"Let go of me!" I snarled. What was with these people? Always thinking that just because I couldn't see, it was okay to grab me whenever?
"Jeez! I just wanted to help!"
"I don't need your help! I'm perfectly capable of doing stuff by myself! And how would you like if people kept grabbing you all the time?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize."
"Of course you didn't. No one else ever does, why should you?"
I started walking again, and I heard him walking beside me. "Well, let me make it up to you."
"What were you planning? A walk in the park so we can enjoy the pretty flowers?" I just loved being sarcastic.
"Um, I was actually thinking of going out for coffee, or something."
Hmm. That actually didn't sound that bad. "I'll go, but only if you promise not to 'help' me without asking."k
"Okay, fine with me. Would you like me to guide you there?"
I sighed, and held out my arm. He linked his through mine and pulled lightly, showing me where to turn. Soon, I smelled coffee. I waited until the smell was stronger, then asked, "Are we there now?"
"How did you know?"
"I can't see. I CAN smell."
"Oh."
I smiled. Why everyone insisted on thinking blind people were so totally helpless was beyond me.
When he pushed open the door, a little bell rang. He pulled me gently through the door and to a table. A waitress came and gave us menus. She said she'd be back in a minute then walked away.
"Do you want me to read you the menu, or are you going to use your magical sense of smell to read it?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"There are some things I can't do. Please, go ahead."
"Okay, they have... Um, what were you thinking of getting?" I smiled at him, and at that moment, the waitress showed back up.
"Can I take your orders?"
I smiled. "I'll have your Mocha Late Freeze, no whipped cream, please."
A few minutes later, "Sir? What would you like?"
"Uh... I... I'll have a medium coffee, black."
The waitress left, after telling us she'd be back in a moment. As soon as she was gone, he started talking.
"How did you know what to ask for? You can't see the menu! You-" I held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence.
"I knew what to order, because I've been here before."
"But how did you know we were here?"
I smiled. "Well, this place has a certain smell. I recognized those cracks in the pavement in front of the shop. I also know the waitress."
"She didn't act like it."
"She's smart. She knows when to act." I smiled again. "You know, you really should tell me your name."
"Oh... I'm Noah. You?"
"My name's Ellie."
"Ellie, here's your Freeze right here, and sir, here's your coffee." Ali, the waitress, set the cup so it was touching my hand, just like she always did. I heard her set Noah's cup down. "I'll see you later, Ellie."
"'Kay. Won't see you, Ali."
I heard her laugh as she walked away.
"So, Noah, what's your favorite color?" I liked asking the color question. People didn't usually know how to respond. I mean, a blind girl, asking about color?
"Uh, gray, I guess."
"Why?"
"It's in between. It's not really one particular color, it's not black, it's not white, it just is."
"Interesting. And you handled that a lot better than a lot of people."
"Thanks... I guess." I heard him take a drink, and lifted my own cup to my lips. The icy liquid slid down my throat, and I smiled. "My favorite color is black."
"Are you allowed to have a favorite color?"
"Sure. I like black because in the dark, I'm not the one with the handicap. Everyone else is."
I heard Noah take another drink. "Well, that's interesting. If I may, how long have you been..." He trailed off. Most people did.
"Blind?" I finished for him.
I waited a minute. No response, until he exclaimed, "Oh! I'm nodding." I smiled.
"My whole life. I was born blind. My eyes don't have irises or pupils, they're just white. That's the main reason I wear sunglasses. Most people get... Kinda freaked when they see my eyes."
"Would you...?"
I smiled again. "Sure." I reached up and pulled my glasses off. I kept my eyes closed for a minuet, though. Then I slowly opened them. It made no difference to me. My world was as dark as ever. Noah took an involuntary breath as he saw my sightless eyes. Most did.
"Wow."
"I know, it's weird. Now can I put my glasses back on? People are staring."
He started. I felt it through the table. "How would you know?"
"I can tell when someone is watching me." I leaned closer and whispered, "They also stopped talking."
He laughed. I took another gulp of Freeze and found it empty. "You done?"
"Sure am. Where's that waitress?"
I waved my hand. She always watched me when I came here. She didn't want me to get hurt, or something like that. Sometimes, it was annoying, but other times, like now, it was beneficial. I heard her heels click as she walked up. "Ali, we're done. Could we have the check?"
"Sure, I'll go get it. Uh, am I getting one or two?"
I said 'two' at the same time Noah said 'one'.
"Ellie, I insist on paying." Huh. Whatever. I nodded and waved my hand. I suppose he could pay if he wanted.
I heard some paper rustling, and then Ali walked away. I heard Noah stand up, and I stood too. "Uh..." I held my hand out for him. He took it, and led me out of the coffee shop.
"Where do you want to go?"
"You could take me home, Noah."
"Uh..."
I felt the corners of my mouth lift. "How about I take you to my house, and we can work on your vocabulary on the way."
He chuckled. "Sure. Lead the way, Blind Girl!"
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"No problem."
"No, seriously, it's my fault. Let me help you." he put his hand on my arm.
I yanked myself out of his grip. "I don't like people grabbing me, thank you very much, and I can cross the street myself!"
The man pulled away. I think he was a little put-off. Ugh. I hated when people treated me with special attention. I shook my head in an effort to dislodge the thoughts and felt my glasses slip on my nose. I reached up and pushed them back into place.
I tapped my cane over the pavement, listening for cars. I felt the drop of the curb, and waited for a car to pass. The wind it displaced swirled around me as I stepped onto the road. I walked quickly, found the opposite curb, and stepped up.
"Here, let me help you," Someone said as they grabbed my elbow.
"Let go of me!" I snarled. What was with these people? Always thinking that just because I couldn't see, it was okay to grab me whenever?
"Jeez! I just wanted to help!"
"I don't need your help! I'm perfectly capable of doing stuff by myself! And how would you like if people kept grabbing you all the time?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize."
"Of course you didn't. No one else ever does, why should you?"
I started walking again, and I heard him walking beside me. "Well, let me make it up to you."
"What were you planning? A walk in the park so we can enjoy the pretty flowers?" I just loved being sarcastic.
"Um, I was actually thinking of going out for coffee, or something."
Hmm. That actually didn't sound that bad. "I'll go, but only if you promise not to 'help' me without asking."k
"Okay, fine with me. Would you like me to guide you there?"
I sighed, and held out my arm. He linked his through mine and pulled lightly, showing me where to turn. Soon, I smelled coffee. I waited until the smell was stronger, then asked, "Are we there now?"
"How did you know?"
"I can't see. I CAN smell."
"Oh."
I smiled. Why everyone insisted on thinking blind people were so totally helpless was beyond me.
When he pushed open the door, a little bell rang. He pulled me gently through the door and to a table. A waitress came and gave us menus. She said she'd be back in a minute then walked away.
"Do you want me to read you the menu, or are you going to use your magical sense of smell to read it?" I could hear the smile in his voice.
"There are some things I can't do. Please, go ahead."
"Okay, they have... Um, what were you thinking of getting?" I smiled at him, and at that moment, the waitress showed back up.
"Can I take your orders?"
I smiled. "I'll have your Mocha Late Freeze, no whipped cream, please."
A few minutes later, "Sir? What would you like?"
"Uh... I... I'll have a medium coffee, black."
The waitress left, after telling us she'd be back in a moment. As soon as she was gone, he started talking.
"How did you know what to ask for? You can't see the menu! You-" I held up a hand, stopping him mid-sentence.
"I knew what to order, because I've been here before."
"But how did you know we were here?"
I smiled. "Well, this place has a certain smell. I recognized those cracks in the pavement in front of the shop. I also know the waitress."
"She didn't act like it."
"She's smart. She knows when to act." I smiled again. "You know, you really should tell me your name."
"Oh... I'm Noah. You?"
"My name's Ellie."
"Ellie, here's your Freeze right here, and sir, here's your coffee." Ali, the waitress, set the cup so it was touching my hand, just like she always did. I heard her set Noah's cup down. "I'll see you later, Ellie."
"'Kay. Won't see you, Ali."
I heard her laugh as she walked away.
"So, Noah, what's your favorite color?" I liked asking the color question. People didn't usually know how to respond. I mean, a blind girl, asking about color?
"Uh, gray, I guess."
"Why?"
"It's in between. It's not really one particular color, it's not black, it's not white, it just is."
"Interesting. And you handled that a lot better than a lot of people."
"Thanks... I guess." I heard him take a drink, and lifted my own cup to my lips. The icy liquid slid down my throat, and I smiled. "My favorite color is black."
"Are you allowed to have a favorite color?"
"Sure. I like black because in the dark, I'm not the one with the handicap. Everyone else is."
I heard Noah take another drink. "Well, that's interesting. If I may, how long have you been..." He trailed off. Most people did.
"Blind?" I finished for him.
I waited a minute. No response, until he exclaimed, "Oh! I'm nodding." I smiled.
"My whole life. I was born blind. My eyes don't have irises or pupils, they're just white. That's the main reason I wear sunglasses. Most people get... Kinda freaked when they see my eyes."
"Would you...?"
I smiled again. "Sure." I reached up and pulled my glasses off. I kept my eyes closed for a minuet, though. Then I slowly opened them. It made no difference to me. My world was as dark as ever. Noah took an involuntary breath as he saw my sightless eyes. Most did.
"Wow."
"I know, it's weird. Now can I put my glasses back on? People are staring."
He started. I felt it through the table. "How would you know?"
"I can tell when someone is watching me." I leaned closer and whispered, "They also stopped talking."
He laughed. I took another gulp of Freeze and found it empty. "You done?"
"Sure am. Where's that waitress?"
I waved my hand. She always watched me when I came here. She didn't want me to get hurt, or something like that. Sometimes, it was annoying, but other times, like now, it was beneficial. I heard her heels click as she walked up. "Ali, we're done. Could we have the check?"
"Sure, I'll go get it. Uh, am I getting one or two?"
I said 'two' at the same time Noah said 'one'.
"Ellie, I insist on paying." Huh. Whatever. I nodded and waved my hand. I suppose he could pay if he wanted.
I heard some paper rustling, and then Ali walked away. I heard Noah stand up, and I stood too. "Uh..." I held my hand out for him. He took it, and led me out of the coffee shop.
"Where do you want to go?"
"You could take me home, Noah."
"Uh..."
I felt the corners of my mouth lift. "How about I take you to my house, and we can work on your vocabulary on the way."
He chuckled. "Sure. Lead the way, Blind Girl!"