Eyes: The Story Of A Blind Heroine

CHAPTER 1

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Irritated, I sighed, lifting my head. What a way to mock blind people! How was I supposed to know this? This game was seriously unfair! Trust a little kid to think up a cursed pass-time like this!

Unless ... An idea hit me, an idea that, I think, were I sighted, would have put the little girl  to a disadvantage. Fortunately for me, I had an excuse. I concentrated, and immediately, a number popped into my head. "Seven," I replied listlessly.

"How did you know?" The little girl's voice was filled with disappointment, but she was laughing too. "Are you really blind, Brigid? How can you possibly know?"

"Tie my eyes shut," I challenged, "then ask me again. Trust me, it will make no difference whatsoever." I chuckled.

The little girl actually went and took a scarf, tying it around my head, covering the whole of the top of it and my eyes. Given, it was tightly wound. "Okay," she said with a touch of triumph, "now, you can't cheat! How many fingers am I holding up ... now?"

"Five," I said without hesitation, "wait ... no, you added three. Eight!" I proclaimed triumphantly. "aha! How d'you like them apples now?" I felt immensely pleased with myself.

"Ahhh! How? Please tell me how! Just how?"

I shrugged, smiling now. "That," I said, "will be your homework for today. You'll have to find out yourself."

"Aw, man," the little girl whined, "I don't like homework!"

"And?" I said as I untied the scarf from my eyes, "I had to put up with homework for years and years. It's your turn."

"But I don't wanna!" the little girl persisted.

I was about to quip something else, when the sound of approaching footsteps distracted me. They grew louder, then entered the living room. I knew these footsteps: the clicking of high heels, the brisk, methodical way of walking, always so purposeful, like the businesswoman my mother was. “Hello, you two," she greeted. The smell of her perfume floated towards me. Okay, where was she today that she smells so nice? I wondered.  

"Hello, auntie Alice," the little  girl I had been keeping company, greeted brightly, "hey, Auntie, I think Brigid has an invisible eye somewhere, that can see me. She always knows how many fingers I'm holding up, and she still knew. I even tied her eyes shut as a test!"

"Don't you know, Lana?" my mother said mysteriously, her playful smile audible, "she can't see, but this girl of mine sees things we don't."

"Mom! Jeepers!" I said exasperatedly, "you know I don't like talking about it! People will think I'm a weirdo!"

"It is a true gift, Brigid," my mother said, "and you should use it. Oh, speaking of gifts, I've got some awesome news for you. Have you checked your E-mails in the past half an hour?"

"No. I was talking to Lana. Why?"

"I suggest you do," my mother said, "if you were serious about this, you will be overjoyed."

Now I was curious. I took my phone from my handbag, unlocked the device, then opened my E-mails. Sure enough, on the very first message, my phone's talk-back feature said, "Email, one new item." Why hadn't I heard it go off? I wondered, since my notification sound was loud, almost excessively so. Upon opening the E-mail, I saw that it was from the owner of Leilo's Café. My stomach immediately flipped. I hesitated, wondering whether I should continue or not. Then, I tapped on the screen, so the talkback could read it. Dear miss Summerville, the email began, you have submitted a job application and curiculum vitae for an assistant job at Leilo's Café. After careful consideration, I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted for a job interview.  Please see attached document for further details. Yours Sincerely, Leilo Castelanos.