She stared at her sixteen-year-old self in the mirror. Long wavy jet black hair, beautiful grey eyes that seemed piercing yet warm at the same time, pert nose, full lips, perfect teeth and a figure any girl would kill to have. She prided herself on her appearance; after all, it’s not every day a beauty like her comes around. Or so she thought.
She stood in the middle of her walk-in closet. Hmm, what to wear, what to wear. Even with all her expensive clothes, she still had trouble making a decision in the morning. Her best friend was coming in 10 minutes to take her to the mall.
She finally decided on Levi skinny jeans, a Gucci top and a Prada handbag. Suddenly she heard a beep. It was her Swarovski encrusted Blackberry. Her friend was here.
She grabbed her Gucci sunglasses and her purse - with her mother’s credit card safely tucked inside - off the kitchen counter and she was set to go. She skipped down the driveway of her mansion and into her friend’s Lamborghini.
It was a picture perfect summer day but she didn’t even notice the beautiful emerald trees, the sparkling crystal clear river that flowed right beside her house, the way the sunlight filtered through the trees making it seem so…magical.
When they got to the mall, they went crazy. Shopping, that is. By the time they got back they already had mountains of shopping bags full of clothes, accessories, jewelry, everything. All paid for with her mom’s credit card, of course.
On the way home, they were singing along to Kesha, one of her favorite singers. Then suddenly, she heard a crash, a scream and then, darkness.
When she woke up, or thought she woke up, all she could see was black. She was lying on something hard and rough. She didn’t know where she was but she was sure she wasn’t at home. She heard a door open and close.
“Honey?” She heard her mother say.
Her mother? But her mother was in Los Angeles, researching a lawsuit. Why would she be here?
“Oh honey, I’m so glad you’re okay!” her mother sobbed.
What? What happened? Why can’t I see? She asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“Honey, your friend, what’s her name, Britney? Yes her, she crashed the car, darling. I don’t know how I’m going to say this but…you’re blind.” Her mother burst into tears. Her mother didn’t have to be strong in front of her, she can’t even see anymore anyway.
Realization set in. She was in the hospital, lying on a hospital bed. She was blind. She would never again be able to see what was right in front of her before, the beauty of the things she had always failed to realize.
The doctor said some glass from the windshield pierced right through her eyeball, so she would never see again; no amount of surgery would help. She had to stay in the hospital for 3 weeks just to recuperate from the trauma of it all.
When she got home, she sat in her room. She felt so lost, so alone. Even her friends had left her, after all, who would want to be friends with a blind girl? That’s it. She was going to start a new life. Somewhere new. Somewhere no one knew her.
Soon, she found the perfect place. Willow Village. A tiny little cottage in the middle of the countryside. Not too close to the city, but not too far either.
As she set the box down on the floor of the rustic cottage, even though she couldn’t see, she knew that it would be perfect for her new home.
Three Years Later
She wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead. She had been doing odd jobs around the farm for a long time now, so she was used to it. Her mother quit her job as a highly paid lawyer, so this was the only way to earn money in the country. She didn’t even need a stick to guide her anymore; she knew her home too well by now.
She still has the beautiful face, but it doesn’t seem to matter as much now. She realized how empty she was, just focusing on her appearance.
She was so much happier now, being away from everything. Now there was no need to be concerned about what you’re wearing, who you’re wearing, what brands you have in your wardrobe. Furthermore, she can’t see anymore, so why bother about what people think? She has already accepted the fact that she’s blind, there’s nothing she can do.
Sometimes I still see her standing on the hill beside her house with her bare feet. She spreads her arms out as far as they can go, the wind whipping at her hair, at her dress, feeling like an eagle about to take flight.
And sometimes, I see a single teardrop fall from her beautiful eyes, dropping onto the lush green grass seeping into the dark earth, nourishing it, as a memory of what she once was.
