Me and Charley

24. In the World of the Blind

A hand gently shook my shoulder as Simon's voice drifted into my awareness "Buongiorno, Trey."

"Hey, Simon. Watch out, I gotta pee now." I found the bathroom and the toilet and took care of that. As I washed my hands Simon called, "Mom says get moving, she wants to give us breakfast before she goes to work."

"OK, be right there." I groped beneath the trundle bed for my cane and retrieved my shorts and t-shirt from the dresser and put them on. "Simon?" I called out. No reply. "Sammy? Anybody here?" Nothing. I thought, It looks like I have to find my own way to the kitchen. As I tapped my way down the hallway I remembered that the wall to my left was the other side of the kitchen wall. So, I reasoned, all I gotta do is follow this wall all the way around, and I'll come to the kitchen door. That I did, and when I reached the door I called, "Anybody here?"

Sammy replied, "We're all here. Well, Mom and Simon and me and now you."

I said, "Could someone help me find the table?"

A chair got pushed back as Simon said, "Yeah, Trey, here I come." His hand slid under my arm and got me to a chair. Ms. Sandra said, "We're having corn flakes, and biscuits and gravy. Would you like a glass of milk?"

"Yes'm," I said. "Is that rain I hear?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Ms. Sandra. "It's supposed to rain most of the day. No work for you younger boys today, I'm afraid. It's too wet to work in the nursery, so your father and Zi' Ralph and the older boys will be taking care of some projects in the greenhouse. Can I trust the three of you to stay out from under their feet?"

"Yeah, Mom," Sammy said. "We're gonna teach Trey Braille. We'll have him readin' by lunchtime."

"Very well," said Ms. Sandra. "There's leftover pasta fazhool in the fridge. Nonna will heat it up for you."

"Sammy, do you play guitar, too?"

"Yeah, but not nearly as good as Simon."

Simon said, "You would if you'd work at it."

Ms. Sandra asked, "Trey, how do you know Simon plays guitar?"

"I couldn't get to sleep. He sang me somethin' in Italian."

Sammy said, "I betcha it was Fai la ninna mio Simone. He thinks it's his personal song."

Ms. Sandra said, "I'm surprised he played and sang for you. He never wants to perform for anyone outside the family, and we have a hard time getting him to do it for us."

"Aw, Mom," Simon said.

I said, "We're embarrassin' you, ain't we, Simon. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It's OK," Simon said. "I'm glad it helped you. It must be hard, bein' in a strange house with people you hardly know."

"Somehow," I said, "I don't feel that way about you guys. I feel, like, safe with you."

Ms. Sandra said, "I'm glad you feel that way, Trey." We got on with breakfast and soon Ms. Sandra said, "I need to get to work. Boys, you'll clean up the kitchen, right?"

"Yes'm," we said.

"All right, then," she said. "Try not to disturb Nonna until she gets up. If there's a problem go find your father or your uncle."

"Yes'm," Jack said. Something passed between her and Simon, then she asked, "Trey, may I kiss you, too?"

"Sure, Ms. Sandra." She planted a kiss on my forehead and then she was gone.