Tag Archives: blind

Daily Prompt; Imitation/ Flattery

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http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/daily-prompt-homage/#like-41737, DP, Daily Prompt

Write a post in the style of (or simply inspired by) a favorite author.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us HOMAGE.

empty-eyesFINAL

I Am Blind But I Can See

I can not see

I never could

But I can sense

And this is good

For I can see

Right through your soul

I can sense your joy

I can feel your woe

For I don’t need eyes

To see the view

I can feel your heart

Which is the real you.

Written by,

Terry Shepherd

10/14/2013

Helen Keller

 

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Continuing Story Part 16

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As Dahlia realized her time was gone, she stopped her practicing, and as she turned to

Dahlia x hortensis

leave the kitchen, she heard clapping of hands. She asked who was there, and the deep voice of Drake answered to , it is I, and I think you are doing wonderful with your dance.

Her face turned several shades of red, and she muttered a thank you so low, he had to lean in to hear the words. Drake asked her if she had a moment to speak to him about something that he needed help with. Dahlia said that it was getting late, and she needed to get to bed, but he insisted that it would only take a moment.

She agreed and they both sat down. He explained how this year, he had a bigger class room than last year, and he could really use an assistant to help him grade papers. Dahlia looked towards the voice that was speaking, and she reached out her hand, until she felt his warm arm, and began to rest it upon it, to explain that she didn’t feel like she was qualified in this area, as history was not a major for her.

When Drake felt her soft fingers resting on his arm,  he placed his other hand over hers, and said it was not hard at all. That there was a sheet that the answers were on, and if she followed that, she would be able to help. He didn’t take his hand off of hers immediately, and Dahlia could not force herself to take hers away either. For what seemed minutes, but was only seconds, their hands remain connected, making the kitchen feel quite warm.

It was like someone was calling their names, and they both realized that they were still holding each other, and both jerked their hands away, and they stood up to leave the room. As Dahlia was getting ready to go back to her room, she told Drake she would be glad to help him as his assistant, if he truly felt she could be of help.

Her insides felt like fire and she turned to go,  leaving Drake to stand there alone. She was getting ready to go through the door way, and wasn’t concentrating on her placement of where she was, and she ran straight in to the door frame, knocking her backwards. She fell to the floor, but on the way down she hit the back of a metal chair that was sitting near by, and she cracked her forehead.

Her body slammed to the floor and blood started seeping from her head. Drake rushed over to her and asked her if she was alright, but he did not get any answer. He went to the bathroom and yanked a wash cloth from the shelf and wet it with cold water. He went back to Dahlia who was still lying motionless, and he began to dab at the warm blood, that was beginning to find its way into her hair and onto the floor.

Drake kept talking to her and he shook her head body  trying to get a response from her. Dahlia could feel herself being shaken, and she was beginning to come around, but before her eyes fluttered open, Drake drank in her plump lips with a soft quick kiss, and said to her motionless body, please be alright my dear Dahlia. Please let there be nothing wrong.

Dahlia lied there ever so quietly, leaving her eyes to be closed for a few moments longer. Not wanting him to know that she had been a silent witness to the kiss. Soon, she started to open her eyes, and Drake stood back, and looked at her. She started to get up, and Drake put his strong arms around her shoulders and helped her to sit up straight. He asked her if she was dizzy, and she sat for a second, and stated that she didn’t think so. He asked her if she thought she could stand, and she shook her head yes, so he tucked his arms around her waist and helped her stand, using his fingers to balance her.

Drake walked her to  his parents bedroom and knocked on the door. When the come in was announced, Drake turned the door handle and walked the two into the room and explained what had happened in the kitchen.

Rachel got up and went over and looked at Dahlia’s eyes and head. She didn’t see any swelling and her eyes looked normal. She did make a comment to Ralph to go get the first aid kit. There should be a salve and a band-aid placed on the cut. Ralph went and got the kit and came back. Rachel washed the cut off with soap and water, and put the salve and the band-aid on, and then asked Drake if he could take Dahlia out to the porch swing and sit with her for a half an hour. She explained that a cut to the head could cause swelling and she didn’t want Dahlia to lie down yet and sleep.

Drake didn’t hesitate and he guided Dahlia to the front porch, where they both sat on the swing. It was late, and all that could be heard was the nocturnal animals in the background, and sometimes a cricket could be heard. The loudest noise of all though, that both of them were very alert to was the silence that rang through out the land. They could both hear each others breathing, it was so quiet.

Drake started to move the swing with his feet and soon they were both moving with rhythm  to and fro and he asked her how she was feeling. She touched her hand to the place where the injury was, and she said that she thought she was going to be alright.

Soon conversation was moving along, like a slow train, coming in to town. He asked her about her past, she answered, and then she would question him. Conversation came very easily, once the shyness left the swing. Before both knew it, time had gone from a half hour into two hours. They each heard the others softness in voice, and she asked if it was alright if she went into bed now. She had a big day of school tomorrow and she was already going to be tired when she got up. He stood up and helped her up, and they both went into the house.

Continuing Story Part 10

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The teacher was very frank with Dahlia, explaining that sitting back, feeling sorry for yourself, did nothing but hold you back in life, and she was not going to be a participant to these actions. Dahlia listened but made no comments. Teacher continued on that while the student sat herself in a pool of pity, she, herself had made phone calls and had gone to appointments, trying to find the best way to help her, and she had now made a choice.

She explained about a new school that was a half hour away, and they had an appointment in the morning to go visit it and to take a tour. Dahlia sat up straighter and said with no hesitation, no. She wasn’t interested and she wasn’t going. She stood up and felt her way out of the kitchen and went to her bedroom and shut her door a little too hard.

Teacher ignored her, knowing this was going to happen but was already prepared for the fight. She tidied up the kitchen and went to her own bedroom and laid her clothes out for the appointment the next day and crawled into bed and took up where she had left off on reading her book. Before, long sleepy eyes fell on to the pages, and she was fast asleep.

Meanwhile across the hall Dahlia planned out each word on how she was going to have her own way. She was not going to any school for the blind. She wasn’t going anywhere that was so far away, and she didn’t need anyone’s help. She was blind, and this is the way it was. The dancing now was nothing but a dream. She pulled the covers up over her and drifted off into dreams about her non-existence.

Before either of them realized it, the sun was shining in the windows, and the teacher was knocking on her door announcing it was time to get up and get dressed. Breakfast would be soon, so let’s get cracking!

Dahlia roller over and covered herself up with her blankets and ignored the warnings of the teacher. While breakfast was being fixed, Dahlia once again went over in her mind what she was going to say, in order not to go. Soon there was another knock and since no one answered, the teacher walked in and saw that Dahlia was not dressed and ready to eat.

She walked over to the bed and ripped the blankets off causing such a force that they ended up lying on the floor. She grabbed a hold of Dahlia’s night-gown and pulled her to a sitting position and began to take off her night-clothes. Dahlia let out a gasp and was yelling and fighting with her hands to get the teacher to go away.

Teacher said, if you are not going to do this yourself, I am going to do it for you! We are going to this school, we are going to visit it and there will be no more bad actions from your end! Now let’s get moving!

Dahlia still fought, but the teacher pulled her nightgown off and with struggling from both sides and words flying, Dahlia was dressed. She walked her over to the bathroom, and sat her on the stool, and proceeded to wash her face and then braided her hair.

After all was complete, she told Dahlia, lets’ go to the kitchen and eat our already cold food. Dahlia sat, not moving, and once again, teacher helped her up and took her hand and guided her out of the bathroom. Before Dahlia could express any of her planned arguments, she was seated in a kitchen chair, and her plate was in front of her.

Teacher said a quick thank you to God for this food and then began to eat. Dahlia realizing she was not going to win, started to eat, but taking small bites, delaying their trip and the goal to be being late for this school.

There was no winning, if Dahlia didn’t eat, teacher was going to help her. Both ate in silence. It was so quiet, you could hear a mouse running along the floor boards. After breakfast, Dahlia sat, and the teacher cleaned up the dirty dishes. Soon a car honked out front, and teacher told her that she had made arrangements for a ride to the school, so it was time to go. With a slight tug of the shoulder, Dahlia got up and they both walked out the door, teacher smiling and waving to her friend that was driving them, and Dahlia with a big frown.

They got into the car and teacher and her friend chatted all the way and Dahlia sat in the back in silence. She believed she had drifted off because before she knew it they had arrived in the parking lot of the school.

Dahlia wished she could see what this place looked like, but she was not going to give any inkling of her questions. The teacher and Dahlia got out of the car, and together hand, in hand, they walked through the front doors, where they were met by the principal of the school.

Dahlia could tell it was a man, with a deep voice, a voice of authority. They walked into his office and Dahlia was able to hear what the criteria was for this school, the goals that would be accomplished, and the different teachers that were here to help the students.

He asked if they would like to go on a tour, and although Dahlia was not very excited about this, she also knew she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of this man with the deep voice. She stood up and they all made their way through the halls, and classrooms, and the gymnasium. This school had rails on each wall, and it made it much easier for Dahlia to make her way around.

The principal explained that here in the gymnasium there were no large mirrors on the walls but there were rails on each wall, and hand felt markers placed throughout the room would make walking much easier.

Dahlia was not going to let the teacher know that some interest had been perked in her, but the teacher also recognized that she didn’t have to force her to walk any longer. They finished the tour and ended back in the office, sitting in their original chairs.

The principal asked Dahlia what she thought of everything she had heard and he waited for her response. Dahlia mentioned that it was alright, nothing special, but she could not go here, even if she wanted to, as she had no way to and from .

The principal and teacher smiled at each other, as the principal told Dahlia that he had a plan if she was interested in knowing about it.

English: The music and dance school of Torcy, ...

Continuing Story Part 8

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The next Dahlia woke up to darkness. She sat there blinking her eyes, but no shadow came into play. She tried crawling out of bed to get her robe on and tripped over her slippers. This caused a loud noise, which brought the teacher directly from her bed to Dahlia’s bedroom.

The teacher knelt over and helped pick her up and sat her down on the bed and checked her out for any cuts or blood. After seeing nothing, the teacher asked  what had happened, had she fallen, and Dahlia burst into tears, saying she could not see.

The teacher laid her down in her bed, and told her she would be back, that she  was going to go call the doctor, and told her to please lie still and try not to get out of bed. The teacher could be heard going through the house, sounding like fast running horses.

In mid morning, the doctor came over with his special tools and checked Dahlia’s eyes out, and found that a few of her blood vessels had broken in both eyes, and there was no way to fix this. She was blind. Dahlia broke out in wails and the teacher came to her side and put her arm around her and tried to comfort her, but it did not work. She told Dahlia that she was going to walk the doctor to the door, and that she would be back in a few minutes.

On the way to the door to let him out, she asked him if there was something that could be done and he shook his head no. There was no fixing the already damaged vessels. She thanked him for coming and he told her if they needed him, just to let him know.

Teacher walked back to the bedroom where Dahlia was still sobbing and sat down in the rocker across from the bed in silence. All that could be heard in the room was gasping and cries. The teacher felt helpless and didn’t know what to say or do, but she knew that they had to move forth in their lives.

She stood up and told Dahlia that she was going to go prepare them some breakfast, and they would talk when she got back to the room. Dahlia told her she didn’t want any breakfast and that she wanted to be left alone.

The teacher walked out of the room, ignoring the request, and went to the kitchen and started breakfast. Two hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, toast with jelly and hot tea. She brought the tray back to Dahlia’s room and rested it on her dresser. Dahlia did not move towards her, in fact, she rolled over the other direction and pulled the covers up over her head.

The teacher said that they must eat, that they neither would be able to think clearly about what to do with this new information if they didn’t have nourishment. She took the blankets back and helped her sit up in her bed, and then brought a small table over and placed her breakfast on the table. She took Dahlia’s hands and helped her feel where each food and silver ware was, showed her where the cup was placed. There was no sound, so teacher went back to the rocker and balancing her breakfast on her lap, she began to eat and think about what their next move was.

She had her first bite swallowed and all of a sudden a loud crash was heard, and food was splattered everywhere. On the bed, the floor, and her bed-clothes. Dahlia laid back down and covered herself back up, and said to the teacher, go away, leave me alone.

The teacher continued to eat, ignoring the outburst from Dahlia, and when she finished she took her tray down along with the broken dish pieces, and then brought back a mop and bucket and cleaned up the floor.

She left Dahlia alone, to tend to her grieving and did not offer to help clean her clothing or bed up. In the teacher’s mind this was bad, but she knew of people who had life much worse, and they would work around this. To Dahlia, life was over. Her dreams had vanished along with her sight. Dahlia went deep into herself, never wanting to live again.

The teacher checked in on her periodically to see if she was alright, but for the fact of only getting up to  use the restroom, she never left her bed. Meanwhile, the teacher made a trip to the school and explained the absence of the past day of why Dahlia was not in school.

The school personal called her into a small quiet room and had her wait here. Within a few moments two other personal came in to the room and they all sat at the table. They stated what a fine girl Dahlia was, and that she worked hard and had outstanding grades, but, there was no special equipment here at the school for someone who was blind. They hated to excuse her from this school, they hated seeing her go, but they had no choice. They dropped Dahlia from the classes.

The teacher sat there with tears flowing down her cheeks. Her own visions of this beautiful girl not being able to dance and teach had been broken also. She held out her hand to shake and tell her good-byes. They went to where Dahlia’s books were kept and gathered them up and they all walked to the front door, letting the teacher out and the door closing softly behind them. This was it, it was over. So hard to get into school, and so easy to be let go. How could this happen, and what could be done about it. These were all thoughts that were racing around in her head, on her walk home to a student that refused to get out of bed, thinking that her life was totally over.

English: Line art drawing of a dahlia.

English: Line art drawing of a dahlia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)