“…Eyeballs…” bk II: 10. Bad news
Hey! You Got Eyeballs In There?
By Kate Chamberlin
As Grace grows up, some of her stories are happy, some trying, some enlightening, and a few themes are sad, but, they’re all the warp and woof of what goes into the tapestry of life we call Family. The daily living skills demonstrated by the fictional characters in these stories are valid, tried, and true.
Blind teacher Kate Chamberlin photographed by Kevin Rivoli for “Blind Ambition” written by Michele Locastro Rivoli, Democrat and Chronicle Newspaper, December 30, 1998.
kathryngc1@verizon.net
“Dream it. Write it. Read it.
Copyright © July 20, 2016, January, 2017 All Rights Reserved
by Kate Chamberlin
Walworth, NY 14568
Hey! You Got Eyeballs In There?
By Kate Chamberlin
Book II: The Teenagers
#10. Bad News
“I absolutely refuse to go. There is no reason why I should and you can’t make me. I was happy in my old school. Why couldn’t they leave me there? No one asked me if I wanted to leave and come here to finish high school. It’s a dumb law and I’m not going to go. I don’t have anything to wear. I don’t know anyone. And I just won’t go,” Grace sobbed as her hands mutilated a wet tissue. Her shoulder length wavy brown hair was snarled and unkempt from all the crying and rocking on her bed.
“But, Grace, all the residential schools for the blind are being closed. The students are being main-streamed into the local high schools,” her mother tried to explain. “I know none of the others will be in your new high school; but, you’ll make other friends. It’s an opportunity to learn new things. Look how well you and your guide dog work together. Remember when you went to the Training Center to get Crackers, you weren’t so sure you could do that, either.”
Her Mother’s words droned on and on. Grace unconsciously reached down to pet Crackers on her head and tuned her Mother out. She really didn’t understand. It wasn’t happening to her. She had two good eyes and had never had anything embarrassing happen to her. So, what did she know, anyway?
Eventually, her Mother’s back rubbing and shoulder massage, calmed her down a little; or at least, it made her mother think she was calmer, so, she left the room. Grace knew it was far from over. She fell into a fitful sleep that was full of wrong buses, missed classes, staring kids, and stupid teachers.