The Blind Girl That Taught Me How To Love

The First Of Many

I hate Mondays! I wish I could just hibernate every Monday for the rest of my life, unfortunately life doesn't work that way. But for once in my life I am actually looking forward to going through the day, I don't know how long tea will last because I don't think I have ever sat down to drink tea and talk with someone.

Alice said she would pick me up after tea but now I am not so sure what time I should tell her to come pick me up. I guess I 'll just have to call her when we're done.

Alice was thrilled to hear I am going on a date with the boy from the park. We talked for over two hours yester night as she wanted to know every detail of our conversation.

I walk down the corridor to the kitchen and out the door where I find my dad waiting for me. ' You surely took your time! ' he says as I walk out the door. I feel him grab my hand and he guides me down the short staircase at the front door of the house. We walk to the car and he drives me to the tea shop.

It's noon and the sun should be at its peak, but I can't tell because the sun has been blocked by clouds. ' Hey you made it. ' I hear Co's voice from behind me, he sounds enthusiastic. ' Sorry I am late, I hope you haven't been waiting too long? '

' No I just arri- ' I am cut off by my dad before I can finish my sentence. ' So this is the boy who you could not shut up about last night, when you talked to Alice on the phone?' I can't believe he just said that, it's like he is purposely trying to embarrass me.

I put my hands in my face out of embarrassment, he shakes hands with Co and they have a short conversation before my dad finally concludes. ' Take good care of her, she's very delicate. ' I stand with my hands crossed and say, ' I'll be nineteen by the end of next month dad. I am old enough to take care of myself. '

He finally leaves and we walk into the shop where we sit down at a table right in the centre of the shop. I feel insecure sitting in the centre of the room, even though they're only two other people. Why would anyone want to sit in the centre of a room.

I feel like everyone is staring in our direction though all I can really see is blurred images. I wish Alice were here, she would have made us sit somewhere in a corner or somewhere with more closure. She knows just how insecure I am over the simplest of things.

' So! what would you like to order?' I hear Co's voice from across the table. I look in front of me and I find I am holding what seems to be a copy of the menu. I look to my right and the waitress is standing next to us waiting for our orders.

I must have drifted deep in thought as I stopped paying attention to what's happening around me. I look up at him again and he continues, ' So!... What will it be?' I look at him blank and finally look down at the menu. I can't read anything at all.

Matter of fact, it just hurts my eyes and the longer I stare at it the more blurry my vision gets. I am actually surprised I thought this was a tea shop. Can't I just get a cup of tea, but I guess it's more complicated than that.

' I'll have the lemon and honey. Liz, what are you having?' As the words leave his mouth I assume he must have forgot I am blind. I put the menu to lay flat on the table and say ' I can't read any of it, so just surprise me. '

The reality of my situation finally hits him, ' I can't believe I forgot. I am so sorry! ' he says these words sincerely. ' It's okay! It's not your fault. ' I add.

' Okay then, one lemon and honey and one surprise?' The waitress finally says to breaks the awkward silence. After about five minutes, she finally returns. ' One lemon and honey and one cinnamon delight. This one is my favourite I chose it for you, hope you like it.?'

' It will do just fine, thank you. ' I look at her as I say these words. ' You're welcome sweetheart. ' She says. Her words remind me of my mom and for a moment I start to drift off into thought but I quickly come back to reality before I go to deep into thought.

I smell the intoxicating scent of cinnamon coming from the cup of tea in front of me. ' It's smells quite delightful. ' I say to him, I catch him off guard adding sugar to his tea.

Without looking at me he says ' It tastes even better. ' He takes a sip of his tea and sighs heavily, I do the same and it's honestly tastes better than it smells. This is the best tea I've ever had, ' So, tell me more about you. Apart from the fact that your mom is white and your dad is African. '

I take another sip of my tea and say, ' Well! I am partially blind, my condition was discovered when I was six by then I wore glasses to help me see better. When I turned seventeen the spectacles stopped being so helpful, if anything they begun to make my vision worse, so I stopped wearing them. My mom died about one and a half years ago. I know live with my dad and I had been seeing a therapist for some time till Friday which was my last session. I like red and yellow, because they are the colours that catch my eye fastest. My best friends name is Alice and she surely lives in wonderland because she is the most unrealistic person I ever met. As at now I am pursuing music as a possible career. I like to walk around barefoot, because I feel it helps me to see and this is the first time I've ever done this. '

I finally let out a breathe I didn't realise I was holding. ' So that's me I guess, what about you. ' I look at him and wait for his answer, he finally speaks. ' Your first time doing what, sitting in a tea shop with a guy or telling someone what you just said. '

' A little bit of both actually. ' I say, he looks at me and I look down at the table. ' You asked about me? ' he says, I nod my head. ' Well, my life is just too boring to talk about! Maybe I'll tell you all about me another time. '

I continue to sip my tea as we engage in deep conversation and after about two hours, I decide to call our meeting to an end. I call Alice to come pick me up and he waits with me until she arrives in her car and we drive away.

As we drive further away, I can no longer see Co or the shop. ' How was your date?' Alice asks, she sounds so full of joy as she asks these words

' It went well, but I am not sure if I can still say it was a date. ' I say as I think of how awkward things were today. Honestly I am not too sure if Co and I will ever hang out again.

' If it wasn't a date then why were you so excited about it, and when are you having a second date? ' She asks this so confidently as though sure it was bound to happen.

' Well, it was probably our first and last date. ' I say this and she looks at me for a short moment and then back on the road.

' I don't think so. This was probably just the first of many more to come! '