They settled into a booth and coffees were ordered.
She quickly touched all the pieces on the table, working out where everything was.
Lin watched as she passed the coffee pot round and poured the cream not spilling a drop.
She had beautiful copper shoulder length hair and the most stunning blue eyes. It was only when he looked closely he could see a slight mistiness to them.
He realised he was staring and silently chastised himself.
For all he knew she could see things close to and was now desperately trying to think of something to say to get away from the weird guy gawping at her.
"So Lin..."
He jumped. Her voice startling him back to the present.
"Yep"
"You live in New York?"
"I do. Family is from Puerto Rico so I've spent a lot of time there as well, but Washington Heights is my home."
Alicia smiled. The way he said Puerto Rico made her heart jump.
He took a sip of his coffee. "How about you?"
"Yeah, lived here all my life, Greenwich Village. I work in a school for blind and visually impaired kids there too. I teach them to read braille"
Lin nodded. "Makes it easier to get around when you know the area... shit I'm sorry! You don't need to answer that. I have no right to assume I know anything about it. Or ask you such personal questions."
Alicia laughed. "Hey it's fine. Really.
I'd rather people ask questions and get the facts than sit staring at me wondering if I can see anything at all or if I've always been blind."
Lin shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Crap.
She carried on. "I can't. By the way.
...See anything, well I can tell the difference between light and dark and I have flashes of colour which come and go but that's it."
"Have you ever been able to see?"
Alicia sighed and smiled. "Yep. Until
I was 10 years old. Riding accident. My hat wasn't fitted properly and fell off when I did. Landed on my head and damaged the optic nerves."
"That must have been hell for you to get your mind round at such a young age."
"It was. For quite a while I played the victim, not leaving my room. Poor me attitude. It was worse for my mom though. She felt all the guilt of taking me riding in the first place, and as a single mom had to stop work to look after me. Times were hard.
One day she said I had to start living again, took me out every day for months, until I had memorised the area enough to get myself to the shops and back. Then over time we went further afield. I can pretty much get to most places I want now. I owe her everything."
"That's amazing. Your mom must be so proud of you."
"She was. She passed away 2 years ago."
Lin reached for her hand. "God I'm so sorry."
She nodded.
"So! Hamilton. Explain the rewind to me"
Lin smiled and described exactly what it was about, and how it all knitted together.
"Wow! That makes perfect sense now. Hey you really know your Hamilton stuff don't you! You should get in touch with the guy who wrote it and offer this service out! Ahh what's his name again..."
She screwed her face up trying to remember.
Lin smiled. "It's Lin-Manuel Miranda."
"That's it! Hey that's a coincidence, you're Lin too...."
She stopped dead, her coffee cup halfway to her mouth as the penny dropped. She placed it back on the saucer and quietly asked. "You're Lin-Manuel Miranda aren't you?"
He breathed in slowly.
"Guilty"
"Holy fuck! Why didn't you say sooner! I feel like a complete idiot now!"
"I'm sorry, I was going to tell you, I just wanted to see what you thought without feeling as though you had to be nice. I...."
She pressed her watch '23.40'
"I've got to go, I've got to be at work early tomorrow to set the room up."
Standing up she took some money out of her pocket and put it on the table. "Thank you Lin. It's been great. Take care."
Lin frowned and stood up. "Please wait a moment. I'm sorry, I was going to tell you but the show started and ...."
"And you thought you'd have a bit of fun at my expense."
"NO.... I..."
She flicked her cane out.
"Night Lin."
"Alicia please.."
"Night."
He watched her leave the cafe, and contemplated running after her but knew that would make things worse.
"Damnit Lin."
He finished the rest of the coffee and paid.
His heart heavy he slowly walked back to the subway.
