The Blue Orchid Years

Chapter 23: Amethyst Mall, Seaside Cave, and More Uncovered Secrets

January 28th 2627

We had been in Black Elm for several weeks now. I had been enjoying our stay despite our hectic schedules with our group projects related to seahorses, dolphins, algae, the Kulambas, and the disability community on this planet. We finally had a day off and we just wanted to let loose. Hamza pitched the idea of exploring the shopping mall a short walk away from our bungalow, so I accompanied him along with Moira, Nardhia, and Rain.

We found an ice cream shop and Moira having sweet tooth meant she couldn't help but be curious about it. To our amazement, the shop also sold dairy-free gelato and fruity sorbet. This was perfect for Hamza, who didn't like anything made with milk. He got himself two big scoops of pistachio-flavored gelato, which he shared with me.

Everything seemed to be going well. When we all had to take the elevator to go beyond the ground floor, however, we realized Amethyst Mall wasn't the best place to be for people with impaired sight like Hamza.

Back at the Blue Orchid University, all elevators were equipped with the Braille-equivalent of floor numbers and whenever the elevators stop there would be an audio announcement of which floor the elevator has stopped at. There was no such arrangement anywhere in Amethyst Mall.

Hamza did not seem bothered by this jarring discrepancies, but when we finally sat down for lunch at a local bistro, which unfortunately did not have a Braille menu, he went on a tirade about how the general public in Amethyst archipelago didn't seem to perceive the importance of making public spaces accessible to blind people through universal design.

"We have ramps for people on wheelchairs and we have closed captioning devices in theaters for Deaf and hard-of-hearing. We even have sensory-friendly screening of movies for autistic children, so what is so difficult about being considerate of the blind community? Are we any less human? What the hell, it is 2627 and yet we live as if it is still fucking 2021 or something!"

"Is it rude if I want to know how you became blind?" Moira whispered uncertainly, not wanting to offend him anymore than he already was.

"Well, if we just met and that question about my vision impairment was the first thing that came out of your mouth, then yeah. Since you asked nicely, though, it's okay." The boy shrugged before taking a deep breath. "I got my retina detached in an accident. I was maybe six or seven, could be even younger."

"You were five and a half," Rain's computerized voice interrupted. "I was in the accident with you too, remember?"

"Oh yeah, you were, and yet you survived it unscathed. Biggest mystery of our lives."

"Have you ever... Been angry at Rain for surviving while you lost your eyesight?" Moira hesitated.

"Angry at my dearest cousin? Why, Moira, they were as traumatized by that accident as I was! It took both of us a long time to be okay again around cars."

"Of course. Stupid question." The girl muttered under her breath. "So you were just a small child when it happened. How did you adjust to life in the darkness?"

"Badly. Very badly." Hamza's short answer startled everyone who had expected a more eloquent explanation. "I knew if my parents were rich I could have gotten an artificial retina. I spent several months accusing my parents of not loving me enough."

"Ouch. That's an understandable response for a kid, though. I'm curious, however, didn't health insurance cover medically necessary equipment?" Moira wondered.

"Health insurance on my planet is a joke. Well, in this entire planetary system, to be fair. My family was too broke to pay for assistive devices out of pocket yet too middle class to qualify for any discount."