The Colors of the Blind

Chapter 2: Talking about idiots

Mom has always thought that life has been unfair to me for obvious reasons. As if somehow she were sorry for me. When my ten years were approaching, I was with my mom and my siblings in a park near my house. Mom asked me if I wanted to go play with the other children and my answer was a no. Of course I wanted to go play with the other kids, but it would be weird for the other children to see an adult in that place trying to keep her daughter from ending up on the floor. That day marked my life and not in a soft way. I felt limited in all possible aspects and very eager to cry.

That's how I felt at this moment. The only good thing about that day was that they took me to eat ice cream and since then we have repeated that event every last Friday of the month. We were in the car, on the way to school and I already felt dizzy. I started to tremble and I could not believe that fear was overcoming me.

"Do not be anxious, you'll see that everything will be great" Charles tried to comfort me but his words came through one ear and came out through another. "Maybe you'll find the love of your life in the hallways, who knows" clearly he's not of any help.

"Oh, trust me, I know" I crossed my arms quite frustrated by the behavior of everyone around me. They were clearly pushing me to do something against my will. Surely we were already arriving and making a scene in the parking lot would leave me in ridiculous. After the incoherent comment of Charles I stopped listening to everything he said, until I heard one that almost caused me to faint.

"Eva, we are here" yes, and also my tears were about to be here. I heard him open and close the driver's door to come and wait for me. I didn't  like that people were opening the door and helping me enter. I can't see but at least I have hands and common sense. I got out of the car and sure people would notice my pale legs. Noah always says I'm a multicolored person. My legs are very white and my face is usually burned because I like to feel the heat of the sun. I laughed quite loudly remembering the jokes of my siblings and for a moment I felt ready for what the day had prepared.

I gave a strong squeeze to my backpack against my chest and then place it on my shoulders. Listening to others laugh at the distance made me feel free in a certain way. Maybe it was time to leave my cave for a few hours, just a few. I opened my white cane and started walking with Charles beside me, giving me directions on where I could walk.

When we were closer, I could hear the murmurs and the scandal of the voices disappear. I knew that something had caught their attention.

"I imagine that everyone is looking towards our direction, right?" At first he did not answer the question but I kept insisting. "Yes, everyone is looking at this direction" Correction, everyone was looking at the blind girl and the elderly man. Not only was it difficult for me, surely for Charles too. He was not in the age to hear cries of capricious children.

We stopped for several minutes in the office to pick up my schedule. I sat on a bench, quite uncomfortable by the way, to wait for Charles to talk to the secretary. I was alert of any sound around me. As I could not see, my other instincts increased. Although clearly, it was never going to be the same.

I felt that every minute passed very slowly. Sure I would arrive late to the first class and the teacher would make me introduce myself at the front of the others.  I was about to stand up and go to look for Charles, because it couldn't be that difficult, until I felt someone in front of me. I could hear the person breathing, heavily and slowly, very slowly. There was a strong smell of cologne and mint mixed with cigar. I raised my head, intrigued by who could be.

"You know you can't wear sunglasses in the classroom, right?" I haven't met many people during my existence, but that accent was peculiar. I could not say what country it is exactly, but it was very obvious that it was nothing near. I wanted to be as kind as possible, but the boy had spoken to me quite curtly.