THE BLIND and THE LAME

6. A Trip To The Mall

Robbie tapped on the door to the bathroom we shared and called through it, "May I come in?"

"Just a second, Robbie," I called to him. I had nothing on. I got into my boxer shorts as quick as I could, made my way to the door and unlocked it. "Come on in," I said.

"Me and Mom did some shopping," he said.

"Yeah, your dad said. Thanks so much. Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Not much. Not any after the fire. Too much excitement I guess," Robbie said.

"How did you know my size and all?" I asked

"I got ways," said Robbie with a sly grin. "The one thing we couldn't get was a lift for the sneaker we got for you. They said it would take a two or three days."

"Yeah," I said. "It always does. But Guido does good work. I'm just glad to have something to wear."

"And to walk with," Robbie said.

"Yeah," I said with less enthusiasm. Still, I knew well that my range was quite limited without my shoe lift. Even with, it was really nothing to brag about. They were just being practical. Well, Ms. Veronica maybe. Robbie, maybe more than that. I finished dressing, other than the sneakers, while he unwrapped the crutches and handed them to me. "They were the best we could find in the drugstore here," he said. "Mom ordered a pair like you had from the city." We rode the creaky elevator to the first floor and headed for the breakfast nook. It was pleasant, with windows on three sides that gave a panoramic view of the swimming pool and the verdant lawn and woods beyond. Breakfast and lunch usually took place there rather than in the more formal dining room.

Mr. Reginald was already at the bank. Ms. Veronica asked, "How are you doing, Jimmy?"

"All right, I guess. It still all seems like a bad dream." Sleeping through breakfast had left me very hungry. My appetite made up for what Robbie's lacked. Maria brought in a tureen of soup and ham and cheese sandwiches for each of us, with two for me. We handed her our bowls and she filled each in turn. Ms. Veronica said, "Thank you, Maria," her cue for her to retreat to the kitchen. As we started in Ms. Veronica asked, "Jimmy, would you feel up to a trip to the mall for your clothes and other things this afternoon?"

"I guess so, ma'am," I replied.

"All right," she said. "Be ready at 1:30. You too, Robbie."

"Yes ma'am," he said.

No one said much through the rest of the meal and we finished the soup and sandwiches quickly. Ms. Veronica tapped a bell and Maria came and took our plates and bowls and utensils to the kitchen. She reappeared a moment later with three small bowls of orange sherbet on a tray, with a vanilla wafer tucked into the side of each. In my frequent meals at the van Dam house it had all become a familiar routine. When we finished I said, "I think I'd like to lie down for a bit before we go to the mall, if that's all right."

"That's fine, Jimmy," said Ms. Veronica. "Are you sure you feel up to going today? Everything will be there tomorrow."

"I'll be OK, ma'am, really," I said.

"All right, then. I'll see you two at the front door at 1:30."

Robbie and I headed for our rooms and I lay on the bed. Next thing I knew Robbie was shaking my shoulder and saying, "Hey, it's time to go. Here's your socks and sneakers."

"Guess I fell asleep," I said.

"You sure did," said Robbie. "Get your shoes on and let's go. You know Mom doesn't like to be kept waiting. Here's your crutches." I really didn't want to be seen at the mall with them but without my shoe lift I knew there was no way I could survive the afternoon. We rode the elevator down and found Ms. Veronica waiting at the front door. As we went out to the front porch Mario was bringing the Mercedes around.