Seeing Clearly

Prologue 

“Days turn to sand, losing strength in every hand”-Already Dead (Beck)

The awkward practically hung in the air. It felt like someone could walk through it.

The car ride continued in silence. Not a single word was exchanged between the fifty something year old lady and 16 year old girl. 

The flowers and tress passed by in a blur of motion. Towering mountains hung behind them like a backdrop, making everything else look very small in comparison.

The woman bit her lip as she watched the beautiful scenery passing by. It took all her will power not to comment on it.

The girl beside her was staring out the window with a stiff back and blank look on her face.  The woman shifted in her seat again as they pulled off the highway and drove onto a street with a big sign that read “Welcome to Violet Ridge”. Under the greeting, was the population: 8,903.

The road leading into town wasn’t paved as well as the highway, and made the drive a little less smooth. The girl moved around a bit and folded her hands together on her lap before turning her head to the front window and staring vacantly ahead.

The GPS beeped and a few numbers appeared onscreen before it returned to the road map.

“Alaya, we’re about twenty minutes away from your aunt’s house,” the lady said slowly; watching Alaya carefully from the corner of her glasses. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she tried to come up with a way to start a conversation with the young girl.

“Thank you Mrs.Ulila,” Alaya responded causing the lady to jump. Those were the first words Alaya had spoken since the start of the trip. 

Mrs. Uilia waited for Alaya to speak again but the girl had returned to her own thoughts.  

Exactly twenty minutes later the car pulled up to a big house. It was made of wood logs and looked like it belonged in the country. A bright blue door and quaint windows added to the cottage feel. Perfectly trimmed rose bushes lined the pathway up to the door and wrapped around the black iron fence.

The neighbouring houses surrounding it looked just as charming and picturesque. Mrs.Ulila made a promise to herself, right there and then, that when she retired from being a social worker, she was going to move to someplace like this.

Alaya placed her hand on the door and slid it along the top before finding the handle and pushing it open with a stiff practiced movement.

Mrs. Uilia opened her door quickly and ran to Alaya’s door just in time to grab her hand and help her down.  The door to the house in front of them opened, and a lady ran out wearing a bright smile. 

“Alaya!” 

Mrs. Uilia released Alaya’s hand and moved away just in time for the lady to embrace Alaya in a giant hug. The older lady watched as Alaya returned the hug lightly, without a smile. 

“Hello Aunt Lily.” 

Lily Dranias  kept her smile as she released her niece and turned to Mrs. Uilia with an outstretched hand.

“You must me Mrs. Uilia.” 

“I am,” Mrs. Uilia replied shaking Lily’s hand firmly. Her eyes traveled to the girl again and frowned. 

Lily followed her gaze and her smile faltered a bit as she really looked at her niece. The two ladies exchanged knowing glance before Lilly clapped her hands together and said happily, “Why don’t I grab your stuff so Mrs. Uilia head home before it gets too dark Alaya?”

 Lily walked around to the back of her jeep and pulled open the trunk revealing three black and white striped suitcases. 

“Did everything else make it here?” Mrs. Ulia asked as she closed Alaya’s door and walked over to the girl; giving her hand a small squeeze. 

“It did, if I remember correctly. It all arrived...” Lily relieved Mrs. Ulia of the bags as she spoke. “Last Monday I think.”

Lily  slammed the trunk shut, and proceeded to wheel the luggage trolley style up the driveway, the smaller suitcase on top of one of the bigger ones. She set the luggage down suddenly and spun around. “Thank you so much for all your hard work Mrs. Uilia.”

 “It was no problem.” 

Mrs. Uilia looked like she was going to say more, but stopped and, after blinking a few times, said her goodbyes. “Well, you’ll be receiving a packet in the mail with all the guardian information and you’ll also be getting a call from another social worker in this area who will answer any questions you may have.”

“Thank you,” Alaya said quietly. Her voice sounded almost robotic. 

Mrs. Uilia walked back around to the driver’s side of the car and then left with a final small wave at Lily. 

Alaya and Lily stood still for a few moments watching the car fade into the distance. Lily opened her mouth to speak when Alaya interrupted. “Aunt Lily, could you....help me to the door please? I’m really tired and wouldn’t mind getting some sleep.”

It killed Lily to watch her niece struggle over the words she’d probably have to use a lot more now. She nodded, before realizing that she Alaya couldn’t see her.

“Of course honey.” 

Lily walked over and placed her hand gingerly on her Alaya’s shoulder. Slowly, they walked towards the door together. She placed her niece in front of her gently, entering the house and gradually starting up the staircase. She could hear Alaya counting the steps under her breath. 

Lilly pushed open the first door to the right to reveal a small but well furnished room. The windows were open allowing a breeze to float through the room. 

“It’s set up exactly the same way it was...” Lily coughed and then continued her sentence. “...The same way as it was back home.”

Alaya nodded mutely and pulled herself away from her aunt. She shuffled across the floor and over to the bed directly across from them. Her shins hit the frame with a thump, but Alaya ignored it. She bent down slowly; placing her hands down first and feeling her way across to her pillows.

Lily wrung her hands out uncertainly and fought the urge to rush over and help. Alaya would snap; or, the Alaya she used to know would have, this one might not. This one looked almost dead.

Finally fully on the mattress, Alaya pulled her knees up to her chest and curled into a ball.  Her pin- straight red hair fanned out around her, making her appear childlike in the big bed. 

“Have a good nap honey,” Lily said as she just about ran for the door, closing it quietly behind her as she made her escape.

Lily ran her hands through her short black bob and let a few tears run down her face as she stared at the picture hanging on the wall across the hall. Two girls smiled widely at the camera, their matching smiles were wide and their bright eyes shone. 

Lily stepped closer to the photo, a few more silent tears falling across her cheeks, and trailed a finger down the body of the taller girl. She covered half the picture with her hand, leaving only the one girl.  The slighter girl who smiled back at her didn’t look at all like the one currently sleeping in Lily’s guest room. 

“It’s not the same without you Arianna.” 

Lily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and took a second to compose herself before heading back downstairs to grab Alaya’s bags. She set them next to the stairway and walked into the kitchen. 

Her eyes fell on several light pink pamphlets that stood out against the black marble top. Lily picked up the first one, and read the title aloud: How to Care for your Visually Impaired Teen.