Finally See (Finally Book 1)

Chapter 1 - Rose

I feel around my new room to get the feel of where everything is, I click my tongue, kind of like echo location, it is how I get around instead of using one of those red and white canes. I still use one, but only when I need to. I don't like using those because people always think I am an invalid and that I need help.

However, when I click my tongue to get around, people leave me alone, because they think I'm weird. Which I like since people can be cold-hearted. Best thing about being blind is that I can tell how people are feeling by the sound of their voice and I can’t get guilt tripped into being sorry for them since I can’t see the expressions on people’s faces.

Mom and I moved up here to Spokane, Washington from Asheville, North Carolina a few weeks ago. We bought this house the day after my Dad had passed away. We just didn’t move here until after the funeral that was a week later.

The moving trucks didn’t get here until a few days ago and I am still trying to get use to all the new positions of the furniture. I run into them sometimes still. My dad passed away from being shot, he was a local cop hero, but he wasn’t on duty when he was shot. The robber shot him and the other people in the bank, but left me alive.

The robber left me alive because he thought getting money for me and getting me out of town was the way to win my heart.

Anyway, after that we had the funeral a weeks later and then Mom and I -mainly Mom- decided to move. We drove all the way here. That is why I'm in my new home getting a feel for what the layout is so that I don’t need to use the echo location and to just simply go.

I start my new school tomorrow, luckily it's a Monday, and I don't have to start in the middle of a week. I just hope that I don’t have people being rude to me or treating me like I can’t take care of myself.

I use my cane whenever I am at school or going to the store with my mom because of being in an unfamiliar place. I try to use the echo location, but what would you choose? People making fun of you by having to use a cane or making fun of you because people think it is weird that you are making sounds from your mouth to get around? I choose to go with the cane.

I go out to the living room, dining room, and kitchen area. It’s all in one, because it is an open floor plan, at least that is what mom said when she was giving me a description of the layout of the house.

Mom and I live in a small one-story house. I had told mom that we could get a bigger house if she wanted but she said since this is a new place for me that we are getting a smaller house. I don't know why she said that because we lived in a bigger house than this in North Carolina, and it's not like I can't learn to get around in a bigger house as well.

“Hey mom, you want to go out for dinner?” I ask when I step into the kitchen.

She doesn’t say anything, but I know she's there because I can feel her presence. That is another thing that get people put off by me because they think it is weird that I can tell if someone is around me or if a light is on or that I can write with a pencil without needing someone’s help to write things out for me. They usually think I am lying about not being able to see because of that.

“Mom, I know you’re there.”

I hear her take in a deep breath before speaking. “Sure, where would you like to go?” she asks uncertainly. I know it's because, she doesn't want to hang out with me. But we are all we got of our family left.

I shrug and shake my head at the same time.

“I don’t care where we go, just as long as we can get out, and afterwards do you think we can go get me some new clothes for school tomorrow?” Knowing that her weakness is clothes shopping.