(Wednesday, 20th August 2014 - Mid Morning)(Shantelle's Apartment on Leff Street, San Luis, California.) SHANTELLE'S POV
******************************************************************************************* I'm not sure exactly how long I was layed out on my bed, or indeed if I actually slept at all, but next thing I knew I was feeling very nauseous so I tried to sit up, and there was a sensation that I was spinning. I steadied myself & realised I was likely to vomit any minute, so I thrust out my right fingers groping towards where my cane must be laying folded on top of my nightstand, but instead I found the strap for my watch which I must have taken off before I lay down. After further searching my finger tips make contact with my trusty cane, all folded up, laying next to the lamp base where I always try to leave it. Slipping the cord over my wrist and grasping the handle firmly, I flick my cane open, enabling me to stand shakily on my feet and tap my way out of my room and down the hallway towards our bathroom. I might have tried to run if I had been younger, but I know better now, from the bruised knees and cut hands resulting from crashing down when going too fast for my limitations, so I simply speed walk and am just turning into the bathroom doorway when I feel I can't hold the sick back any longer. ******************************************************************************************** I know the toilet is like at two o'clock when I stand in that doorway, a couple paces ahead and like one pace to the right. I sort of lunge forwards in that direction as the vomit comes gushing out of my mouth. Yuck, It tastes soooo bad, and definitely of the breakfast yoghurt too, but I really am concentrating on the noise of splashing I can hear, suggesting at least some of the sick has made it safely into the toilet bowl. I sure hope so, as I step forwards and my cane taps the toilet making a distinctive loud clanging noise as it strikes the porcelain. I push my face over what I know is definitely the toilet now and throw up violently but accurately too. The sudden release of my stomach contents also seems to coincide with a release from the dizzy nausea I had been feeling this last several minutes - so I'm already a whole lot better instantly, and I spit out the last mouthful of yuck and then reach to tear off toilet tissue, so I can wipe around my lips and face, before dropping the paper down the bowl. I reach for the flush and yank the lever, hoping I'm disposing of all of the mess. ******************************************************************************************** The wet sticky feel on my feet tells me I'm wrong - at least some vomit must be on the floor in front of the toilet. I snatch a handful of toilet pater and squatting down, first I wipe the top of my bare feet and toes, then the hard cold tiles around where I stand. Chucking the wet and yucky tissues down the toilet and grabbing more clean dry toilet paper, I rub my feet again and the floor all around me and back in what should have been the direction of the doorway - I can feel more wet on the tissues so I've done right to search for more vomit ! Ewwww ! Hopefully the floor is now decent, though I would have to ask mom to check properly when she comes home. We don't want any accidents, slipping on a vomit patch on the tiled floor, no way ! ******************************************************************************************** I realise I desperately needed to rinse water in my mouth, so I step left and forward til my cane raps against the washbasin, where I run water, gargle and spit and basically wash my face all over again. Behind the washbasin, between the two taps, we keep a plastic cup for water, so I run half a cup of cold, measuring with my little finger when it has enough in, and take a mouthful which I swill around and spit back into the sink. Still the weird taste is there in my mouth, but the horrid sickly taste of vomit at least has now largely gone. So, I'm hopeful I got both myself and the bathroom cleaned up - then a small smile crosses my face as I think to myself that once again I just demonstrated one of the great advantages of my bald, hairless head - there are no dangling curls from my head to get in the way of the flow of vomit from my mouth. Oh, happiness ! ******************************************************************************************* At this moment I take stock, with my headache really throbbing, and my tummy not great either. This would be a good moment to take one of my dodgy tummy pills which I should take twice daily and have done for years. They are in the cupboard to the left of the sink where earlier I'd gone for my toothpaste. The right of the cupboard is mine, with everything having a braille label stuck on so I know what is what. The other half is mom's with her denture products and plastic glasses for soaking her dentures when they are out of her mouth. She's had no teeth all my life so in that time she's had three sets of dentures made; the ones she has now are about three years old I think, but the older sets are still soaking in glasses in this cupboard, just in case mom ever needs a spare set ? Whatever that means ? What I do know is to keep my fingers out of mom's part of the cupboard cos without braille labels they could be anything and that's dangerous for a girl with no sight. I reach up onto the upper shelf in my half, grab a box of tummy pills and next to that I feel the packet containing the new headache tablets that mom got me earlier this summer when my headaches started to get bad. My headaches have been with me for years and may have started with all the radiation treatment on my eyes and then eye sockets when I was little, but this summer my headache seems worse somehow. Two pills and two tablets are soon in my mouth and a small swig of water from the little cup washes them down. I should have done this earlier and maybe my breakfast would still be inside my tum ! ******************************************************************************************** The pains in my head and tum and yucky taste in my mouth are not the only issues at this moment. I realise that all this dashing about the flat and specially bending down cleaning up vomit, has aggravated the itchy sore skin around my privates, so I decide to finish my makeover with a little treatment for that long term hurt. In my cupboard is a tube of cream which carries a braille label and I know is both antiseptic and anaesthetic combined, perfect for deadening the raw soreness in my irritated vulva skin. I smear the cream on my right finger tip and putting down the tube I lift my new skirt front with my now free left hand, allowing me to reach my right finger under my bare vulva to apply the cream to my sore privates, rubbing slowly and gently and repeating with a second dose. The touch makes this sore area really sting for the first moment, but as the gentle rubbing in proceeds the cream starts to work and I feel a cool soothing effect which is quite a pleasant relief. I usually end up creaming myself three times a day, but only when I feel the dryness or movement of my legs has rubbed things especially sore. A quick rinse of my hands under the cold tap cleans off the sticky cream. Awwwww. I'm not being spared from my regular daily hurts and discomforts, just cos it's my special teen birthday today. ******************************************************************************************** Just as I'm thinking should I try to double check that the bathroom floor doesn't still have a hidden pool of vomit somewhere, which would be a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack for a blind girl like me, requiring me to bend down and feel the whole area of tiled floor with my hands (not a nice prospect at all), I'm shaken by the distant sound of the ring of my phone back in my bedroom. Is it gran again ? Surely not. I decide to speedily exit the bathroom, counting out the six paces along the hallway into my room, turning left. Clang, the cane tip finds my nightstand ahead, and anyways the ringing phone is getting seriously louder - almost there. I reach out my left hand and feel for my phone, wrapping fingers around it, while I shake my right hand in the practiced way I can manoevre my cane so it's dropped by my fingers but safely dangling from my wrist. As I am definitely right handed I take my phone in my right fingers and find the side button which switches on the speaker voice to tell me who is calling ? ******************************************************************************************** Not my gran, but my schoolwork assistant helper called Sarah, the really nice girl who's about to become a high school junior, the girl who sent the birthday card in braille and the cuddly teddy with a braille label round it's neck - that Sarah. Wow ! I did want to thank her at some point today, but why not now ? I find the button which answers the call, and as the ringing stops I press the phone to my right ear and listen. If I was more confident in my speech I'd probably do what everyone else seems to do, that is speak up on answering, but that's not yet my habit - instead I listen for the other voice first. Sarah's sweet tone comes through loud and clear, ''Hello ish that Shantelle there, it'sh Sharah here, her shchoolwork asshhisshtant here ? Hello ?'' It must be a crackly connection cos I could swear Sarah is speaking with a sort of lisp. Maybe it's long distance, she does have family way up north somewhere ? ******************************************************************************************** I take a seriously deep breath as always before speaking, and say, ''Y-ye-yes, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, I-I-I'm h-he-here. Th-tha-than-thank y-y-you f-fo-for th-th-the l-lo-love-lovely c-ca-car-card a-an-and th-th-the p-pr-pres-present, n-ni-nice o-o-of y-y-you. H-ho-how d-di-did y-y-you kn-know I-I-I c-c-co-coll-collect t-ted-teddies ? I-I-I n-ne-nev-never kn-knew y-y-you c-cou-could d-d-do b-br-brai-braille. W-w-wow.'' ******************************************************************************************** I guess that is me all over, take a long time to spit out words and then they come thick and fast. I do feel confident talking to Sarah, though, she's really nice and always helpful, but this is our first phone call. I'm sure she was going away for her hols most of the summer, I've not had contact with her since May, when school was out, and I'm not expecting to meet up again until possibly this upcoming Friday in just a couple of days time when it's schedule collecting day, or for sure Monday of next week when school restarts properly. However, the next few moments change my plans. She replies with, ''Shantelle, Happy Birthday, when exshactly ish it ? I shent the card and little prezzshie thish Monday by posht jusht in cashe I misshed the actual day sho you got shomething from me. Thing ish, I emailed to ashk exshactly when ish your birthday but sho far no anshwer, sho I shent you a texsht thish morning and then worried if you're okay sho I decided to phone. Shorry, I know you prefer to get messhagesh rather than have to talk on the phone. Shorry. You sshe I'm in your neighborhood right now, if your at home, ish it okay for me to pop round to shee you ? I've got shomething elshe for you.'' Gosh ! ******************************************************************************************** Well, I really like her and that sounds interesting, I could really appreciate her company right now, perhaps she can check if the bathroom floor is okay or there's horrid mess, and maybe she can help with sorting out some scissors and then I can finish dressing. So, I reply with, ''A-aw-aw w-wo-wow, th-tha-that s-sou-sound-sounds g-gr-grea-great. I-I-I h-ha-have t-to-to g-go-go ou-ou-out th-th-thi-this a-af-aft-after-afternoon, b-bu-but I-I-I'm h-ho-home r-ri-right n-no-now. M-my-my a-ac-act-actu-actual b-bir-birth-birthday i-i-is t-to-tod-today. C-ca-can y-y-you l-li-like c-co-come h-he-here s-soo-soon ?'' That would help a ton if she's nearby. She has had her own car since I knew her cos she'd told me how she got her car and her first license bought by her step-dad when she was exactly fifteen and a half, which is like the very earliest age possible here in California. I'm not sure if she's able to carry passengers yet, but last school year it wasn't allowed for her to give me a lift anywhere, cos the provisional licence means no one under age without their own licence can be driven. I'm all excited now, and only a few minutes ago I was close to breaking down in sobs cos of all my hurts and upsets on this my special day. Awwwww, Sarah is soooooo sweet. ******************************************************************************************** As soon as I stop my stuttering, I hear Sarah say very rapidly, ''Shantelle, thatsh fantashtic, I can be round yoursh in like lessh than five minutesh, I'm almosht outshide now. It ish Leff Street I want, ish it building number 450 ? Apartment 4 ? I think, that'sh right, ishn't it ? I checked my addressh book when I poshted your shtuff a couple of daysh ago ?'' She goes quiet and I feel all giddy. A sort of warm glow takes over me, and for sure my aches and pains and anxieties melt away. I really like Sarah and she's almost here, on my special teen birthday, just what I'd sort of hoped for. Suddenly I feel sooo much better. Yipppeee !!!! ******************************************************************************************** I rapidly try to spit out my confirmation, saying, ''Y-ye-yes, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, y-you-you g-go-got i-i-it s-sp-spot o-o-on...'' I was going to repeat our address, but maybe Sarah knew that might take me a while cos the click of the phone going dead ended the call. She was clearly almost here. I suddenly realised I'm only half dressed, with my skirt on but no top and also I've not even finished getting myself ready, cos before I go out I'd usually want to sort out what to do with my eyes. That means another trip into the bathroom cos thats' where I store my prosthetic eyes overnight. Right now I'm still walking round with empty sockets. Should I do something about it ? I guess Sarah may have seen my eyeless face before, but not topless, so where did I put that new top ? My head hurts as it is, without all these confusing questions to sort out ! My dilemna just got solved for me, as the door bell boomed out ! Gosh, better tap my way to the intercom by the door, quick. She's here already. ******************************************************************************************** So, putting my phone back on the nightstand, grasping my dangling cane in my right hand, I tap my way out of my room and along the hallway, counting off the five paces to the outer door on my left, which my cane finds, enabling me to feel with my fingers for the intercon on the wall to the right of the door. I quickly press the door release button, rather than trying to talk into the intercon. I hear the buzz go off downstairs and some sudden traffic noise outside indicates the door opening, then the clear sound of footsteps running up the stairs. This has to be Sarah, so I turn the key which had stayed in the door from the delivery man's visit earlier, and open the door. Just as the door swings open I feel someone, hopefully Sarah, push it open further, and I confirm it by hearing her sweet voice, saying, ''Hello birthday girl. Great to shee you, wow are you jusht getting dresshed ? You do know it'sh quarter pasht ten in the morning ? I've been up and dresshed for hours !'' ******************************************************************************************** This is all happening so quick and I'm smiling like crazy as I feel Sarah throw her arms around me in a big hug. She seems to have no worries with how I look, half naked and eyeless as I am. Instead I'm very much aware that the taller Sarah has pressed her distinctly pointy breasts into my upper chest, as her bra seems to be touching up against my naked collar bone area. I'm the tallest in our family at just about five six, a full couple inches taller than mom who is herself a couple inches taller than gran; I get the feeling that Sarah must be in the region of five eight or even five nine. What we do both have in common is we are skinny, though I'm a total flat chested bean pole, while Sarah is slim but with nice firm prominent breasts, as far as I can tell. When she sits next to me at school she always hotches close so our legs and bodies often touch, and it helps her see whatever it is I'm doing with my fingers, feeling for the braille letters on my electronic brailler or some special braille paper, or on the keyboard to the school computer that we put my assignments on. Sometimes my fingers, or even my elbow have brushed across her chest leaving the definite impression that her breasts must stick forwards quite a bit. I somehow imagine she would be very pretty, which is exactly what mom said when she describes her from the few times they met, trouble is I've no visual sense, so there's no picture of Sarah in my mind, just a nice soft voice, delicate and precise footsteps, and clean soapy smell on her skin and lemon shampoo scent on her hair. Those are the clues to someones identity in my blind girl world. ******************************************************************************************** Right now, in our doorway, Sarah is cuddling me, with her chin touching against the top of my bald head. Then, as she wraps her arms around my back in the embrace, something odd comes to my attention as I can feel something hard on her right hand or wrist as it brushes my left hip, and I can also detect that she must have a bag of some sort in her left hand as I feel it sort of crumpling against my right lower back and side, and I hear like a scrunchy noise, as if from something plastic. Awww. ''W-we-wel-welcome, co-co-come o-o-on i-i-in, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, I-I-I'm s-s-so h-ha-hap-happy y-you-you-you're h-he-here. I-I-I w-wa-was j-ju-jus-just g-ge-gett-getting d-dr-dre-dress-dressed i-i-in m-m-my b-b-bed-bedroo-bedroom,'' I blurt out by way of partial explanation for my state. Sarah just hugs me for the longest time and really tightly, so my flat chest is squashing into her lovely soft pointy breasts. A lovely warm feeling suddenly sweeps right through me, from top to toe I seem to tingle ! ******************************************************************************************** Sarah slowly lets me go from the hug and the press of her bra covered breasts disappears from below my neck. As I retreat into the hallway, she must be following me and entering the apartment, as I hear the main door slam shut, and I reach behind me for the key and manage to turn it in the lock. I now feel Sarah stand back from me but she's still holding onto my right shoulder with her left hand. She thrusts the plastic carrier bag into my left hand, saying, ''The teddy wash jusht a little shtocking filler, I found out from your mom when I met her at that mushic concert you were playing in. Here'sh your real preshentsh, shomethingsh I worked out for myshelf and one ish definitely shomething we share. Should we head back into your room sho you can open them there ?'' It feels quite heavy and bulky and did she say 'shomethingsh' ? Sounds like she's got me more than one prezzie - wow ! Now I'm not just a little hot and flushed but also my breathing is getting rapid as my excitement level goes sky high. ******************************************************************************************** However, before I can turn to lead her to my bedroom, she shrieks out, ''Shantelle, have you been unwell thish morning, by any chancshe ? It'sh jusht that you got shomething on your chin and now I can shee you better, there'sh shomething down your right leg and your shkirt ish wet I think ?'' Oh dear, now my earlier fears seem to be coming back to haunt me. I didn't manage to clean myself up properly, so what about the bathroom ? Oh my ! Please let the bathroom floor turn out clean. ******************************************************************************************** So, I was pretty much forced by the silence that followed Sarah's words, to admit I'd just been sick and needed help at cleaning up after cos being blind I couldn't manage on my own ! Awwww. A blow to my perky optimism for sure. I stuttered back, '' O-o-oh, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, I-I-I w-wa-was j-ju-jus-just s-si-sick, i-in-in th-th-the t-toi-toil-toilet b-bo-bowl j-ju-jus-just b-be-bef-before y-y-you ph-pho-phoned ea-earl-earlier. I-I-I th-thou-thought I-I-I g-go-got m-my-mysel-myself c-clea-cleaned u-u-up o-ok-okay b-bu-but o-ob-obv-obvious-obviously n-no-not. Th-the-there w-wa-was p-pu-puke o-on-on th-the-the b-ba-bath-bathroo-bathroom f-fl-floor b-bu-but I-I-I h-ho-hope-hoped I-I-I c-clea-cleaned i-it-it u-up-up o-ok-okay t-too-too. O-o-oh, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah c-cou-could I-I-I b-bo-borr-borrow y-you-your e-ey-eyes a-an-and ch-che-check e-ev-ever-every-everythi-everything i-is-is o-ok-okay ? C-cou-could y-you-you sh-sho-show m-me-me wh-whe-where I-I-I n-ne-need t-t-to c-clea-clean m-my-mysel-myself u-up-up ? P-pl-plea-please, I-I-I'm s-so-sorr-sorry, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah.'' By now I was really upset, and no doubt I'd be crying tears if I could, which is actually impossible when your tear ducts are removed along with your eyes ! I felt ill anyways, but also a little bit ashamed that here was my lovely helper friend, visiting my place for the very first time, after knowing her a year, and she ends up having to check the place for vomit, cos my blindness means I cannot be relied on. Awwwww ! ******************************************************************************************** Sarah, however, is a real sweety, cos she puts her left arm right around me and guides me into the bathroom and across to the washbasin, where she runs water and next thing I feel a wet cloth on my face, rubbing around my mouth and chin, then down my right leg from mid thigh, down past my knee, almost to my ankle. She finally speaks, from obviously a crouching position, cos her voice seems to come up from the floor in front of me, ''Shantelle, there now, don't be getting upshet about a little thing like thish. I got you all nicshe and clean I think, but there ish a wet shtain acrossh the front of your shkirt sho maybe it'sh besht if you let me take it off carefully. Don't be embarasshed, Shantelle, I sheen your leg bag dozensh of timesh already, peeking out from under shkirts sho don't worry about me getting to shee it all. I know about you not wearing any under pantiesh too, it wash told to me by Missh Shullivan lasht year when she firsht informed me I'd be your schoolwork asshishtant, sho I'm well aware about your pershonal isshues, Shantelle, and itsh all perfectly okay by me. Let me jusht shlip down your shkirt now. It looksh more like water than vomit on your shkirt anywaysh.'' ******************************************************************************************** With that I just stood still and felt Sarah take down my new birthday skirt from mom, hoping she was right and it only had a water stain, not a puke mark. Somehow, I'm so used to other people dressing me and undressing me, poking and proding after years of being a blind girl getting hospital treatment, that it really didn't bother me that Sarah had just undressed me and could see me naked for the first time, preteen skinny body with catheter tube and leg bag as well. Hey, if it was okay for her, it's for sure okay with me. Her hands felt really soft too. Awwww. ******************************************************************************************** There was a slightly awkward silence, but then I felt Sarah stand up, and she said, ''Shantelle, ish there a dirty washing bashket somewhere, sho I can put thish lovely little shkirt out for your mom'sh laundry ? Oh, I shee, jusht behind the door by the bidet. Hey, thatsh real fancshy and neat. My shtep dad is really wealthy and getsh all the exshpenshive shtuff he can, yet we don't have ash nicshe looking bidet ash you. Ah, Shantelle, there ish a pool of shick in front of the bidet, let me jusht clean it up, sho no one shlips in it.'' Her words trail off as she must be crossing the bathroom, and I hear the squeaky noise of the floor being cleaned, probably by some toilet tissue, I would guess. ******************************************************************************************** I'm sort of having one of those days - great moments and bad moments, all wrapped in together. Here is another, with my really nice assistant actually in our house for the first time, and here on my birthday with a bag full of presents, but here she is now cleaning sick up off me and the bathroom, while I stand and listen and still feel quite unwell at exactly same time as I keep smiling in happiness. I just don't know, is being an actual teen at last going to mean I'm on a roller coaster ride always ? Then Sarah, has more to say, ''Shantelle, I can shee the floor mop here in the corner and I wonder if I can find shome floor cleaner sho I can give the bathroom tilesh a quick clean, then all will be back to shparkling again ? Should I try looking in one of theshe cupboardsh, do you think ?'' ******************************************************************************************** By now all I can do is smile, as Sarah really is the sweetest girl ever. I think and stutter back, ''I-I-I'm n-no-not e-ex-exact-exactly s-su-sure wh-whi-which c-cu-cupb-cupboard w-wou-would b-b-be t-th-the b-be-best, y-y-you s-s-see m-mo-mom d-do-does-doesn't l-li-like m-me-me g-go-going i-in-in t-th-the o-oth-other o-on-ones b-bu-but m-my-my c-cu-cupb-cupboard b-b-by t-th-the w-wa-wash-washbasin i-in-in c-ca-case I-I-I a-acc-accid-accident-accidentally t-tou-touch s-so-some-something th-tha-that m-mi-might h-ha-harm m-m-me. S-so-so so-sor-sorry, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, I-I-I'm n-no-not m-mu-much u-us-use, a-am-am I-I-I ?'' A wave of helplessness hits me as it does everytime my blindness is found to stop me living life as fully as I want. Awwwww. ******************************************************************************************** Once more Sarah seems to have the answer, as she says, ''Don't get upshet, Shantelle, you are amazshing. You can do sho much more than mosht people can believe a blind girl can posshibly do, you are not ushelessh, you are an inshpiration ! And anywaysh I opened the big cupboard here and I can shee a bottle of floor cleaner, sho I'm jusht going to give the floor a quick mop, sho can you shtep out into the hallway, then I can have the tilesh all shparkling clean in no time ?'' So, I tapped my way out into the doorway from the bathroom to the hall & turned to take in the sounds from Sarah rubbing the mop across the tiled floor and making squeaking noises as she made each stroke. Again, my emotional rollercoaster was turning, for the sad helpless feeling of just a minute or so back has now turned into bright smiles as I realise my dream is coming true - I want Sarah to be more like a friend than just a schoolwork helper, and she seems to be acting like a real friend right now ! Is it my hormones, is my sickness, is it my birthday excitement, is it my medications ? Whatever it is, I'm up in the sky now after being down in the dumps just sixty seconds before. Wow. This must be teen life, I guess ? ******************************************************************************************** Another minute and Sarah is done cleaning and I can hear her rinsing the mop out under the shower tap, before replacing it in the corner just inside the door where I'm standing. She speaks to me, all close up and friendly again. ''Shantelle, I'm sho shorry you've been ill on thish your shpecshial birthday of all daysh, but at leasht we got all the messh cleared up and you nicshe and clean too. I'm really glad I was passhing and decshided to ashk if I could vishit, cosh at leasht you are okay again now. And, in cashe you forgot, you were half undreshed when I got here, now you're completely naked. I know itsh your birthday, but jusht ash well it wash me calling and not shome stranger. He he. By the way, you do look cute, but shouldn't we be thinking about getting shome clothesh back on your bare body ?'' ******************************************************************************************** So, I turn down the hallway towards my room, and wave for Sarah to follow me, rather than spending any more time trying to force my stutter to tell her in words. At last, I'm leading the way down the hallway, cane sweeping the way ahead of me as always. Six paces later we enter my room and I turn left towards the bed. Sarah is so close behind me that I can hear her breathing and feel her fingers brush my back a couple of times when I must have slowed up a little too suddenly. I realise if I was to do the sensible thing it would mean getting some clothes on before anything else, but I'm way too impatient and want to get into the carrier bag and find out what extra presents Sarah has just brought me. Boring clothes can wait. ******************************************************************************************** I turn and sit on my bed, then hotch my bum a little towards the left so there's plenty of space for Sarah to sit next to me on my right. I'm just about to pat the bed indicating for her to sit, but hearing the bed creak a little and feeling the matress sort of dip over to my right side, I know she's sitting exactly where I had in mind. I reach out my right hand and push on my cane to get it to fold up, then reach across Sarah towards my nightstand to pop it safely there - now I have both hands free ! I place the bag on my knees and feel inside. There seems to be three separate packages, different in size, shape and firmness, and I carefully pull the solid one out while I let the carrier bag with the other parcels slip down between my legs and feet onto the floor for later. ''W-we-wel-welc-welcome t-to-to m-my-my r-roo-room, I-I-I h-ho-hope y-you-you l-li-like ? I-I-It r-rea-really sh-sh-shou-should b-be-be t-ti-tid-tidy c-co-cos i-it-it a-al-alw-alway-always i-i-is, o-oth-other-otherwise I-I-I t-tr-trip o-ov-over st-stu-stuff. Sh-shou-should I-I-I j-ju-jus-just r-ri-rip o-o-off th-th-the n-ni-nice wr-wrapp-wrapping p-pa-pap-paper ? I-I-It f-fee-feels n-ni-nice p-pa-pap-paper.'' The parcel I hold is solid and box shaped and feels to be covered in shiny wrapping paper. It feels expensive, and just as I'm about to let rip with my finger nails, I feel an envelope with no doubt a card attached, so I hesitate. I 'm now all smiles with that same feeling I had earlier this morning when my mom had brought in my birthday gifts. Awwww. ******************************************************************************************** ''Oh, Shantelle, I love your room, and what a lot of teddiesh ? Very nicshe and very tidy, but you have shuch a lot of nicshe thingsh. The wrapping paper hash teddiesh on it, sho you might want to shave it, sho take care. Ah, you found the card.'' Sarah is sitting so close to my right side that her left thigh is touching against my right leg, and she's speaking all sweet and softly but still seems to be lisping a bit - strange I think. However, this is not the time to ask about that just yet, cos my fingers are exploring the card stuck on the side of the package. Suddenly the card opens out and I feel bumps inside. Is this card written in braille too, just like the stuff from her this morning ? ******************************************************************************************** I squeal with delight as my fingers now run all over the braille bumps. ''W-wo-wow, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, th-th-this r-rea-rea-reall-really i-i-is b-br-brai-braille, j-ju-jus-just l-li-like m-m-my c-car-card a-an-and th-th-the t-ted-teddy p-pr-pres-present th-th-this m-mor-morn-morning ! Th-th-thankyou.'' ******************************************************************************************** (Please Note - Braille is based on a six dot cell, which we experienced blind students number one two three from top to bottom on the left side, then four five six from top to bottom on right, but I know from talking to my specialist disability student co-ordinator lady at school, that to beginners or even fellow students who never saw braille before, that it's just easier to give general descriptors on where the dots are to describe each letter, so that's what I want to use here so everyone can hope to follow me.) ******************************************************************************************** I feel carefully for the bumps and find three dots (two side by side and one above the first) for letter 'H'{dots 1,2,5}, then just a single dot (in top left) for letter 'A'{dot 1}, then three dots (all in row one over the other down the left side) with a fourth dot (top right) indicating 'P'{dots 1,2,3,4} and exactly the same again, so another 'P', then five dots (with just a space mid left where one was missing) for the letter 'Y'{dots 1,2,3,4,6}. The gap indicates to me new word next, so I have 'HAPPY' already and now I feel the 'B'{dots 1 & 2} (two dots left top and middle), letter 'I'{dots 2 & 4} (two dots, top right mid left) then 'R'{1,2,3,5} (four dots, all three on left plus mid right), letter 'T'{dots 2,3,4,5} (four dots, top and mid right, mid and lower left), 'H' again, then a 'D'{dots 1,4,5} (three dots, both tops and right mid), another 'A' and another 'Y'. So we have ''HAPPY BIRTHDAY'' in braille. ******************************************************************************************** Next, underneath I make out my name, which has 'S'{dots 2,3,4} (three dots, top right and left middle and bottom), another 'H', an 'A', then an 'N'{dots 1,3,4,5} (which has four dots, both top, right middle, left bottom), another 'T' followed by an 'E'{dots 1 & 5} (two dots, top left, mid right), then an 'L'{dots 1,2,3} (three dots all on left), and another 'L' and a final 'E' - ''HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANTELLE''. It carries on with more - an 'L' an 'O'{dots 1,3,5} (three dots, left top and bottom, right mid), a 'V'{dots 1,2,3,6} (four dots, all three left plus bottom right) and an 'E', so that makes ''LOVE''. Then an 'F'{dots 1,2,4} (three dots, both tops and mid left), another 'R' and an 'O' and an 'M'{dots 1,3,4} (three dots, both tops and left bottom), spelling ''FROM''. The next set of bumps are another 'S' and an 'A' and an 'R' and yet another 'A' and a last 'H', making out her name, ''SARAH''. I think that will be it, but no, a last line of dots are underneath, but all the same - I soon get it cos each is an 'X'{dots 1,3,4,6} (four dots, both tops and both bottoms), and repeated thirteen times. Wow. It all spells out, ''HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANTELLE LOVE FROM SARAH XXXXXXXXXXXXX''. ******************************************************************************************** I speak out each letter as I find it and each complete word as they appear, then finally the whole message with all those kisses at the end. I don't stutter over the single letters or the kisses, but as usual it's still really a mouthful for me to say the full words of the message, so it comes out sounding something sort of like, ''H-ha-happ-happy b-bi-bir-birth-birthday Sh-Shan-Shant-Shantelle l-lo-love f-fr-fro-from S-Sa-Sar-Sarah.'' ******************************************************************************************** I 'm beaming with the hugest grin and feel so warm and cuddly. I turn towards Sarah and try to pull her into a hug and kiss. That's when I discover much more about her than I expected. My right hand passes all the way around her back, brushing the back of her top, which I notice seems strangely hard. My hand then makes contact with her right arm beyond, where I can't help but notice the feel of something hard and solid wrapping over her lower arm, something I've never felt before but which I would guess is something like a plaster cast that people with injuries might wear. I'm shocked by what my fingers may have found, and so I start to say to her, ''S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, w-wha-what-what's th-tha-that o-on-on y-you-your a-ar-arm, a-a-are y-y-you o-ok-okay ? D-Di-Did I-I-I a-al-also f-fee-feel s-so-some-something h-ha-hard o-on-on y-you-your b-baback ? '' Suddenly, I feel a little worried, as I remember the feel of something hard on her arm, from when we first hugged by the door to the apartment. ******************************************************************************************** After a fairly long silence, Sarah finally speaks up, ''Well, detective Shanchezsh, cannot keep a shecret from the famoush blind detective, he he. Shantelle, I've had quite a shummer, and I've lotsh to tell you, one thing that happened wash I had an accshident when I wash on holiday near Sheattle where my dad livesh, we were on hish boat out in Puget Shound, and I shlipped when I wash climbing down the stepsh into the cabinsh below deck. I hurt my hand, broke my wrisht and bruished my shoulder and back ash well. What you jusht felt ish the plashter casht I've had put on in the emergencshy room shtraight after the fall. It'sh to keep my wrisht shtraight while the bone mendsh. Trouble ish, itsh taking agesh and ish shtill not okay yet, after two monthsh. The bone is shupposhed to be fixshed now, shpecshially with a metal pin keeping the whole joint shtraight, but the big worry ish I can't feel my fingersh or hand, not at all, even now, after two monthsh. They alsho made a moulded plashtic body bracshe to give shupport to my back like twenty four sheven, and that'sh like wearing a shell ash if I'm a tortoishe. It goesh from my hipsh up to my collar bonesh but with a piecshe cut out where my bra goesh. It was very uncomfortable, eshpecshialy at night, but after eight weeksh I'm getting more ushed to it. My shoulder is okay now, but my back shtill hurtsh, sho tomorrow I have a hoshpital appointment and hopefully we'll know more then.'' She stops and we sit in silence for a moment. ******************************************************************************************** I'm originally going to carry on with my present unwrapping, but then I decide that can wait a few minutes while I find out more about Sarah's accident. So I turn to face her, saying ''S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, t-te-tell m-me-me m-mo-more a-ab-abou-about h-ho-how y-yo-you h-hu-hur-hurt y-you-your-yourself o-o-on y-you-your h-ho-hol-holi-holid-holiday, p-pl-plea-please, w-wha-what e-ex-exac-exact-exactly d-di-did y-you-you m-ma-man-manage t-to-to d-do-do t-to-to y-you-your-your-yourself ? W-who-who d-di-did y-y-you s-sp-spen-spend y-you-your h-ho-hol-holi-holid-holiday w-wi-with ? W-wa-was i-it-it f-fa-fam-fami-family ? I-I-I d-do-do n-no-not r-re-remem-remember w-wh-who i-is-is i-in-in y-you-your f-fa-fam-fami-family ? S-sor-sorry a-ab-abou-about th-tha-that, S-Sa-Sar-Sarah ?'' I still have my right arm wrapped around her, and now it's obvious that my arm is touching the hard back of her body brace as well as my hand going all the way round to this plaster cast on her right forearm and hand. I keep my arm there and give a little squeeze, so we're like pulled closer together, sitting side by side on my bed. I can feel the smoothe skin of her left leg pressing tightly against the outside of my right thigh. I feel so close to Sarah and all I want is to discover more and more about her. I've known her nearly a year but I realise suddenly that she knows nearly all about me, and I know so little about her. She feels like far more than just a helper with my schoolwork. She feels like someone who could become my very best friend. I hope so. She really is so nice. ******************************************************************************************** I feel really warm and cuddly as I sit there hugging onto Sarah, and after a short silence, I feel her wrap her left arm around my body so she's pulling me even closer to her. Our arms are like linked around each other's bodies, and it feels so nice. I can hear her sweet, soft voice speaking again. ''Shantelle, I'm sho glad you want to know more. I think of you ash far more than jusht a girl I help with her shchoolwork, and I hope you feel the shame about me. I think you are sho shpecshial and you really inshpire me. When I wash helping with your shpeach therapy asshignments each week, I did find I could ashk sho many queshtionsh and you had to practicshe your shpeach anshwering, sho I learned sho much. It made me realishe you are shuch an amazshing girl. Shorry I didn't shay more about myshelf, but I'm very quiet and shy normally, but alsho by the time you finished your shpeaking exshercshishesh it wash time to finish. Shorry. If you like, I could tell you all about me and my family and my shummer and my accshident if you like ?'' She pauses and I feel a little squeeze from her left hand around my waist. I'm smiling so widely, both on my face and deep inside my heart. ******************************************************************************************** This is another really happy moment, helping make my special teen birthday into the most special day in my life, I think. So I make a decision there and then, I start by asking Sarah, ''S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, w-whe-when I-I-I'm a-all-all c-co-cos-cosy w-wi-with m-mo-mom a-an-and w-w-we t-te-tell ea-ea-each o-oth-other a-ab-abou-about ou-our-our d-da-days m-mo-mom a-alw-alway-always l-le-lets m-me-me s-si-sit o-on-on h-he-her kn-knee-knee, p-pl-plea-please S-Sa-Sar-Sarah c-ca-can I-I-I s-si-sit o-on-on y-you-your kn-knee-knee t-to-to h-h-hear a-all-all a-ab-abou-about y-you-your l-li-life, p-pl-plea-please S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, p-pl-plea-please ?'' I'm nervous and hot but I feel a closeness to Sarah right now that is a lot like the lovely feeling of being cuddled up close with my lovely mom. ******************************************************************************************** Sarah is quiet for just a moment before I hear her giggling and in the softest sweetest voice she says, ''Awww, Shantelle, of courshe, you can shit on my lap, but you'll have to help me by climbing on cosh I'm short of one armed at the moment, and Shantelle, you do know you are shtill not dresshed in a shingle shtitch of clothing yet, you do know, don't you ?'' I can feel her body turning towards me and I just push up off the bed and launch my bum to the right and I am sitting on Sarah's bare right leg. I swivell a bit so I'm more sideways than straight, so I'm on her right thigh facing into her at a sort of right angles. I can feel her left arm behind my back steadying me, and I try wrapping my right arm tightly around her body, now feeling the hard plastic body brace in detail for the first time. Wow we are close. ******************************************************************************************** I've not actually answered her last comment with words, rather with actions, and I know all is okay as she giggles close to my right ear. Then she starts, with, ''oh, Shantelle, that feelsh nicshe and coshey, hope you're shitting comfy cosh the shtory'sh about to begin. Well, I guessh you know that I'm Sharah Shahara Shillinghursht, and I'm shixteen yearsh old, being born on twenty shecond of November in 1997. That'sh the eashy bit, now it getsh complicated. You shee, my mom was called Shahara Shuarezsh and shhe was jusht sheventeen but shadly shhe passhed away in the recovery room after my birth, from shome kind of heart failure I've been told, and sho I've never been brought up by my real mom, jusht my step-mom.'' She pauses, and gives a little sigh, so I tighten the grip of my rigt arm and hand around her body squeezing the hard back brace, but then I realise Sarah might not even be able to feel that. Awwww. ******************************************************************************************** So, I ask a question, ''S-Sa-Sar-Sarah, d-do-do y-y-you kn-kno-know a-an-any-anything a-ab-about h-he-her th-th-then, l-li-like wh-wha-what w-wa-was sh-she l-li-like ? L-lo-lov-lovely n-na-name, I-I-I'm g-gla-glad y-you-you h-ha-have h-he-her n-na-name. A-an-and I-I-I w-wo-wond-wonder, wh-wha-what a-ab-about y-you-your d-da-dad ?'' ******************************************************************************************** Well, I hear her take a deep breath, and continue with, ''I have three photosh of my mom, onesh my dad took in the short time he knew her, and all while she wash pregnant carrying me. She wash hishpanic with golden brown shkin and jet black long bunched hair, but the shpecshial thing about her wash she wash blind. She'd alwaysh been blind, born with some condition which meant her eyesh never developed, I think it'sh got a fancy long name 'bilateral anopthalmia', but she bashically wash born without eyesh, jusht empty shocketsh. It's amazshing, Shantelle. I have one photo of her wearing dark glasshesh, much darker than yoursh when you chooshe to wear your tinted onesh, and a photo of her with two bright shining proshthetic eyesh, amazshingly life-like, sho you can almosht think they were really looking out the picture at you, but they couldn't. Until I met you I'd never sheen a real blind pershon and your proshtheticsh are all shiny in the same way ash mom'sh in that photo. The third picture is even more like you cosh she had empty shocketsh when it wash taken, and she looksh sho much like you do jusht this very moment, shitting here on my knee. Awww. It wash partly cosh of mom that I jusht knew that I wanted to be your shchoolwork asshishtant, even though when I firsht shigned up for the activity no one knew exshactly what type of shtudentsh we'd get. Ash shoon ash I heard there wash a blind girl I ashked to be given you ash my pupil, and Shantelle, that meansh we both owe the fact we've met and become friendsh, and you're shitting here all bare and cuddly on my knee, it'sh all down to my mom really.'' ******************************************************************************************** There is a long pause, while Sarah takes in a huge big breath. I raise my right hand up towards her upper arm just below her shoulder and give a squeeze which I know this time she should feel for sure. Wow, I'm so amazed by all I've just heard, both sad for her mom being blind all her life and sad for her dying so young without experiencing Sarah grow up at all, but I'm also really happy, for Sarah is such a wonderful girl and she sure would have made her mom proud, and also I'm happy to think of the bond betwen me and her mom, and how my situation means I can actually imagine how her mom lived. So, by becoming Sarah's close friend I should be able to help her understand a lot more about her mom, and maybe I've done that already without realising ? ******************************************************************************************** After the pause and deep breath, Sarah continues, ''Now, Shantelle, until thish shummer I alwaysh believed that my real dad wash the man who wash there with my mom when I wash born, who cared for me firsht ash a shingle dad then with hish new wife, until they divorcshed when I wash not quite four yet, and he moved away and I ended up shtaying with my shtep-mom and now with her shecond hubby, my shtep-dad. Sho, the man in Sheattle wash my real dad, I thought. He'sh called Shylveshter Shillinghursht, and he wash 35 back on 9th July thish shummer when we had a birthday party on hish boat. You shee, the divorcshe deal meant I could vishit my dad for three weeksh of holiday every shummer and alsho for a week at either Thankshgiving or Chrishtmash, one year I travel for turkey, the nexsht year for Shanta. Sho, over the yearsh I've shpent tonsh of time with my dad and hish new family and I even know pretty well all about partsh of Sheattle and the big bay called Puget Shound where dad keepsh hish boat. He wash originally from Shan Francshishco, though his family are Afro-Caribbean going back. I alwaysh figured that exshplained my dark brown chocolate shkin color, cosh my mom wash hishpanic and my dad wash black, rather like you, in fact'' At that, Sarah takes a short pause, but I don't want to slow things down by trying to stutter out any comments, so I just wait for her to continue. ******************************************************************************************** Sarah carries on with, ''Hish mom, my gran, took care of me when I wash a baby, before Shylveshter married my shtep-mom, Shelley, and after they broke up he went to hish mom in Shan Francshishco where he met hish new lady, and they all went with him to Sheattle. Hish mom'sh called Renata and ish quite old now, like 58 I think, but amazshingly she's gone blind, jusht thish lasht few monthsh from cataractsh, she'sh hoping shurgery shoon might bring her shight back. I wash telling her all about you and how great you are at doing thingsh independently, ash a sort of encouragement cosh she'sh pretty frail and shcared of her blindnessh, short of shimilar to what you were telling me about your gran. She livesh with Shylveshter and he even got her onto hish yacht, but shhe had to be bashically carried aboard. My dad'sh shecond wife ish called Melanie and she'sh really nicshe, and they have two preteen girlsh and a boy age nine. Oh, and there'sh alsho Shylveshter'sh shon, Shawn, who now jusht had hish 18th. You shee my dad, Shylveshter, wash a bashketball player at high shchool and college and he had hish shon by a woman who died from drugsh not long after, then knew my mom, then he met Shelley, my shtep-mom cosh she wash a shtudent here at Cal Poly in Shan Luish, and he wash a player at Cal Poly in Pomona, outshide of Losh Angelesh, sho they met shomehow at a Poly v Poly event. Sho Shawn is like my half-brother, or sho I thought.'' ******************************************************************************************** Once again Sarah pauses, this time to compose herself I think. I desperately want to hear what it was that makes her think Sylvester isn't her real dad, so instead of trying to prompt, I just keep quiet and let her resume when she is ready. I guess Sarah is naturally quiet, maybe shy - so she's probably talked more to me this morning than she would do to others in a month ! But then my stutter stops me from saying half as much as maybe I'd like, so we both are quiet but for different reasons. ***************************************************************************************** Sarah soon continues, saying, ''Shantelle, it wash the shecond day of our holiday on dad'sh boat, like a Tueshday, I know it wash 24th June, and I jusht misshed my shtep going down into the cabinsh below decksh, where you go down a short of ladder. I musht have shlipped with shtill a couple shtepsh to go and my back and shoulder hit the shtepsh behind me, while I put down my hand to break my fall and it hit on a shtep really violently and twishted back my hand at the wrisht. I thought I'd shomehow shnapped my hand right off, cosh it wash bent back at a crazshy angle and wash sho painful and I wash shcreaming. Dad got to me and did shome firsht aid but bashically they got me off the boat and to the hoshpital where I got fixshed up, with thish body bracshe for my back. To keep me shtill until my shoulder healed the body brace had an exshtra bit going up to my chin at the front like a neck bracshe bit, sho I couldn't twisht and do more damage to my bruished but not broken shoulder. They put on thish arm casht to let the broken bonesh in my wrisht shet, after they'd done a sgurgery to put a metal rod in to re-sgtraighten the joint. Sho the holiday had to be poshtponed and I shpent a week in the hoshpital before they were happy to dishcharge me, then I reshted for another week at dad'sh and we finally got on hish yacht for two weeksh before I flew home cosh we were heading for the holiday with my shtep-mom and shtep-dad in Mexshico. I know, it'sh really complicated shometimesh. That'sh what happensh when your folksh are shplit up and all over the wesht coasht.'' ******************************************************************************************** Awww, poor Sarah, that sounds like it really hurts, and still does. She resumes after just gathering breath, with, ''My hand was totally numb ash well, but they shaid the feeling should come back when the bonesh healed and to begin with thish wash least of my worriesh, cosh a numb hand didn't hurt, like the other bitsh, even though I've had to do thingsh one-handed ever shince, and I wash actually right-handed ! Well, it wash like a couple daysh into the hoshpital shtay and dad came in and shpoke to me all quiet, with jusht the two of ush there. He told me he needed to put me shtraight on shomething, then shaid he wash not really my dad, jusht the boyfriend of my mom, but after she wash already exshpecting me. The real dad wash unknown ! My mom either wouldn't shay or more likely couldn't shay who he wash. Being blind she probably didn't even know. She didn't shay it wash rape, though that'sh what he figured. He hoped to find out more after she had given birth and then she died, sho whatever she knew or didn't went to the grave with her. Wow. Why tell me now, I wondered, and it turned out that my medical recordsh would show that he wash not my real dad, cosh Shelley had inshishted on raishing the matter and having DNA teshtsh done during the divorcshe, and that wash why I wash only allowed thoshe four weeksh a year vishiting dad. With me in hoshpital, shomeone might shee the record and shay something, sho dad wanted to do it sho at leasht I heard it from him. He alsho shaid he intended to tell me it all when I wash 18 cosh then we were free of the divorcshe shettlement rulesh. Wow, I wash both upshet and angry, shocked and confushed, but alsho short of happy with dad, cosh he alwaysh treatsh me more grown up than my shtep-family who really baby me. Confushed, definitely.'' ******************************************************************************************** I really feel for Sarah and twist around on her knee, which is really soft and comfy and warm, so I am pretty much face to face with her. I can hear she is breathing pretty heavily, and I'm sort of listening out in case I can hear sobs, or some kind of whimper noises that might be a clue that she's crying. What an amazing and pretty horrid time she's had this summer, getting hurt in her fall and a week in hospital with a pot on her broken wrist, this amazing back brace contraption, and now she says she cannot feel her hand ! Wow, to cap all that to hear that the man you thought was your dad isn't your dad at all - awwwww. I am just going to reach in and kiss her on the lips, anywhere on her face, just so she knows I'm right there with her, on her side whenever, always, but just then she speaks again, so I hold off. ******************************************************************************************** Sarah speaks in a faltering sad voice, obviously choking back tears, saying, ''Thankyou, Shantelle, I'm really grateful, thankyou for letting me shay all that and getting it off my chesht, it's nicshe to have a friend to share shtuff with. Jusht shorry it'sh not shuch a nicshe shtory. I have to go to a shpecshialisht in the hoshpital here tomorrow, sho we should find out what'sh wrong with my numb hand and my shtill shore back, and if my wrisht and shoulder really are okay now. That should be a bit of progressh. The other thing, it'sh harder. You shee, dad had to let Shelley know he'd told me, cosh he thought he had no choicshe, and she went ballishtic about it, but eventually before I returned from Sheattle, it was short of agreed that we would all carry on ash if nothing happened, nothing changed, and I'm not to tell my shtep brothersh and shishtersh anything. In a way that'sh okay cosh it stopsh lotsh of awful shouting or upshet, and it meansh my shtep family cannot make me even more of an outcasht and a shpare part cosh I'm not even partly related to anybody, actually anybody at all ! That'sh bad enough, to think I'm like an orphan now, though I told dad he'sh shtill my dad ash far ash I'm concerned and he'sh happy to call me hish daughter too. But it'sh bad cosh I feel like I have thish burden and I cannot share it. Sho talking to you like thish ish jusht fanatashtic. It'sh making me emotional, but moshtly cosh I'm full of joy that you're happy to shit here on my lap and lishten to the shad shorry shtory not jusht of my shummer, but of my life sho far.'' ******************************************************************************************** My heart was breaking hearing thoses last few sentences, cos even if no one else wants Sarah, I know I do, she's my fantastic new friend, and that's for sure. My bare body is now turned so that while my legs might be sideways as my bum's sitting on her right thigh, my torso is now twisted around so I'm facing her, probably looking straight at her, maybe even so she's looking straight into my empty eye sockets. I reach out with both my hands to find her shoulders and remember to be careful not to press too hard in case it causes hurt to her dodgy shoulder. I'm definitely not as tall, even though on her lap I should be a bit raised, as I know her head and face are probably towering above me, so I just lean in and press my face and my ready lips into her neck. Maybe she saw this coming and raised her chin, but my lips find the base of her neck and I give a sloppy wet kiss to her warm skin, while my arms around her shoulders press her body forwards and into mine. I can feel her left arm and hand encircle my back and tug me closer too. It's like the embraces I'm so used to with mom, and it makes me happy in my heart that I have such a wonderful new friend to love. ******************************************************************************************** Sarah and I hold our wondeful embrace for seconds, then minutes, just hugging in a loving sort of silence, me nibbling little kisses into her neck and both of us tugging our arms so our bodies press into each other. I've more birthday presents to unwrap, but right now with Sarah so close and cuddly, I feel that I'm just experiencing the greatest birthday present ever....
YOU ARE READING
Thirteen Weeks
Teen FictionA fictional story set in the central California city of San Luis Obispo, describing the growing pains and dental traumas of a very active and sensitive blind teen girl. Will her thirteenth birthday bring on more health issues or will she find that b...
