Status: Active
Seeing the Truth
Quatre.
During the children's lunch break, we were given a lunch break too, seeing as about 10 matrons arrived to assist. I found my way to a secluded bench in the large back garden. Most of the other volunteers had decided to sit on the grass or go out to a nearby cafe to eat. I preferred relaxing by myself.
I'd been sitting on the bench listening to music for about 10 minutes when I felt the weight shift. Someone was sitting next to me. I turned to my left and furrowed my eyebrows, 'Can I help you?' I asked the blond boy. I saw a smile slowly creep onto his face while he stared straight ahead, his light blue eyes piercing the air.
'Sorry, am I disturbing you? I didn't know that there was somebody already sitting here,' he replied, not shifting his gaze.
'How could you not have- Oh...' I let my sentence trail off as I realized, he's blind.
He still did not shift his gaze, but showed a sad smile. 'Yeah, you guessed it,' he said.
'Well, I suppose you could sit here if you really want to,' I sighed.
'Thank you,' he smiled again, a dazzling smile that I noticed could make any girl swoon. Not me, though. After what happened last time, I'm a tough cookie all the way through.
'What's your name?' he asked me quietly.
'Adelaide... but, I prefer to be called Ade.'
He gave a small smile before replying,'Oh, I'm Kaden.' Silence fell after that. A comfortable silence.
We had been sitting like that for a while when I noticed the receptionist from earlier coming around the corner, heading in our direction.
She slowed down after a while before she eventually stopped in front of Kaden, smiling at me before she spoke to him. 'Kaden, the next talk starts in 30 minutes, and I have to be somewhere in 10. So do you mind if I get you there a little bit early? Unless your friend over here doesn't mind assisting you?'
I bit my lip momentarily, 'Sure,' I replied quickly, before either of them sensed my hesitation, 'it's not a problem.'
She smiled at me sweetly before walking away hastily, her heels digging into the soil and causing her to wobble a bit.
I turned to Kaden, letting my curiosity get the better of me, 'I didn't know that the center had talks for people older than 13, too,' I stated, because Kaden looked as though he was at least 18.
'Well, that's true, I'm 18,' Spot on, I smiled. 'But I give a few talks here in the summer for kids that are a bit older. I just talk to them a bit about coming to terms with being blind... things like that...' he trailed off.
'I see,' I replied, after I remembered that he wouldn't be able to see me nodding. 'So, do you want to get going?' I offered.
He nodded and stood up. I stood up too, tucking my iPod into my bag and slinging it over my body. I told Kaden to put his arm around my waist while he held a modern looking walking stick in his left hand.
He told me that the talk was happening in the Conference Room. We headed in that direction and arrived after a few minutes. He found his way to the seat at the head of the table and I leaned against a pillar beside him. We spoke for a little while about his lectures, while I waited with him. Eventually kids around 13 and 14 started trickling in, accompanied by their parents. I patted Kaden on his shoulder, letting him know that it was time for me to get back. He caught my hand and squeezed it lightly, thanking me.
I'd been sitting on the bench listening to music for about 10 minutes when I felt the weight shift. Someone was sitting next to me. I turned to my left and furrowed my eyebrows, 'Can I help you?' I asked the blond boy. I saw a smile slowly creep onto his face while he stared straight ahead, his light blue eyes piercing the air.
'Sorry, am I disturbing you? I didn't know that there was somebody already sitting here,' he replied, not shifting his gaze.
'How could you not have- Oh...' I let my sentence trail off as I realized, he's blind.
He still did not shift his gaze, but showed a sad smile. 'Yeah, you guessed it,' he said.
'Well, I suppose you could sit here if you really want to,' I sighed.
'Thank you,' he smiled again, a dazzling smile that I noticed could make any girl swoon. Not me, though. After what happened last time, I'm a tough cookie all the way through.
'What's your name?' he asked me quietly.
'Adelaide... but, I prefer to be called Ade.'
He gave a small smile before replying,'Oh, I'm Kaden.' Silence fell after that. A comfortable silence.
We had been sitting like that for a while when I noticed the receptionist from earlier coming around the corner, heading in our direction.
She slowed down after a while before she eventually stopped in front of Kaden, smiling at me before she spoke to him. 'Kaden, the next talk starts in 30 minutes, and I have to be somewhere in 10. So do you mind if I get you there a little bit early? Unless your friend over here doesn't mind assisting you?'
I bit my lip momentarily, 'Sure,' I replied quickly, before either of them sensed my hesitation, 'it's not a problem.'
She smiled at me sweetly before walking away hastily, her heels digging into the soil and causing her to wobble a bit.
I turned to Kaden, letting my curiosity get the better of me, 'I didn't know that the center had talks for people older than 13, too,' I stated, because Kaden looked as though he was at least 18.
'Well, that's true, I'm 18,' Spot on, I smiled. 'But I give a few talks here in the summer for kids that are a bit older. I just talk to them a bit about coming to terms with being blind... things like that...' he trailed off.
'I see,' I replied, after I remembered that he wouldn't be able to see me nodding. 'So, do you want to get going?' I offered.
He nodded and stood up. I stood up too, tucking my iPod into my bag and slinging it over my body. I told Kaden to put his arm around my waist while he held a modern looking walking stick in his left hand.
He told me that the talk was happening in the Conference Room. We headed in that direction and arrived after a few minutes. He found his way to the seat at the head of the table and I leaned against a pillar beside him. We spoke for a little while about his lectures, while I waited with him. Eventually kids around 13 and 14 started trickling in, accompanied by their parents. I patted Kaden on his shoulder, letting him know that it was time for me to get back. He caught my hand and squeezed it lightly, thanking me.