Some say that the sky was born in a storm of stars. Some say
the stars are something left behind from the gods that once ruled. Some even
say that the stars are a song that the sky sung long ago and it was so
beautiful that it still exists every time the wind blows. I have never seen the
sky or the stars, but I’m sure they are as beautiful as a piano playing in a
silent room.
My name is Sadie and I live in a small house in San Francisco, the great city of hustle and bustle as some might call it. I’ve been blind since the day I was born and even though the stars have been described to me a thousand times I still cannot picture them. My imagination is pure, unfiltered and completely black and white. I have no concept of color because no one can describe color for me. But I don’t really care about color, or seeing the streets of San Francisco rather than hearing them. All I really wanna do is lay on the grass and look up at the stars. I want to feel what it’s like to look up at the vast sky and know that we are just a small piece of the universe. I’m twenty-two years old and I’m tired of being blind, and I’ve made it my mission to see the stars. I’ve told people this plan and I can hear it in their voices that they think I’m crazy, but they only give me sympathy. What else can they do? They have never been through what I’m going through so all they can do is pity me. My name is Sadie and I’m going to see the stars someday.
My name is Sadie and I live in a small house in San Francisco, the great city of hustle and bustle as some might call it. I’ve been blind since the day I was born and even though the stars have been described to me a thousand times I still cannot picture them. My imagination is pure, unfiltered and completely black and white. I have no concept of color because no one can describe color for me. But I don’t really care about color, or seeing the streets of San Francisco rather than hearing them. All I really wanna do is lay on the grass and look up at the stars. I want to feel what it’s like to look up at the vast sky and know that we are just a small piece of the universe. I’m twenty-two years old and I’m tired of being blind, and I’ve made it my mission to see the stars. I’ve told people this plan and I can hear it in their voices that they think I’m crazy, but they only give me sympathy. What else can they do? They have never been through what I’m going through so all they can do is pity me. My name is Sadie and I’m going to see the stars someday.
I’m sitting at home reading a book by brail, it’s about Greek
gods. The smell of my mint tea floats in the air around me and fills my lungs with
peacefulness. Today is my birthday and every year I’ve made the same wish when
I blow out my candles. “I wish I could see, and the first thing I wanna see is
the stars above.” I say this mantra every single time and twenty-two years have
gone by and nothing has changed. But something has changed in me this year, a
determination I’ve never felt before. I’ve come to the realization that if my
wish doesn’t come true this year, that I give up. That’s why my determination is
so strong. I hear my roomate’s keys in the door and I close my book, waiting
for her to come into the room. The door opens and closes and I can hear her
clicking the lock into place.
“Sadie?” She calls my name. “In here!” I reply. Her footsteps creak on the hardwood floors as she walks into the living room.
“How was your day?” I ask as I cautiously reach out my hand toward my tea cup.
“It was…interesting.” Our old couch creaks as she sits down.
“What happened?” I ask taking a sip of tea.
“Well, we have a new doctor and he’s like super weird. Everyone has started calling him Strange Sam.” She says.
“Strange Sam? That’s an interesting nickname.” I laugh.
“Yeah, but it really fits him. Okay listen to this. So I was talking to Macy the other day and she was telling me a little about him. Apparently this is his tenth job and I guess he’s moved around a lot. Macy also told me that the reason he’s had ten jobs at different hospitals is because he always quits after something mysterious happens.” I’m so intrigued that I scoot closer in my chair towards the couch.
“Go on.” I say.
“So I asked Macy what kind of ‘mysterious things’ happened. Apparently all the patients that he’s treated have made full recoveries of their ailments and soon after that he quits the job. I didn’t believe her at first and then she showed me all these newspaper articles of people who had stage four cancer being completely healed, another story talked about a disabled man being able to walk again. I couldn’t believe it! So everyone thinks he’s some kind of witch doctor. Isn’t that crazy?” She says. Something on my face must change because she stands up and comes closer to me. “No, Sadie listen it’s probably just a hoax okay?” She says, but I get up from my chair and grab my cane. “Sadie what okay, shit I shouldn’t have said anything. Sadie wait!” I start walking toward the door and I can hear her behind me.
“Izzy, what if it’s true!! Don’t you get it? Screw birthday wishes, what if he heals me and I can finally see the stars.” I tell her. Her hand is on my shoulder now. “Sadie, what if nothing happens and you get yourself worked up for nothing? You can’t keep doing this to yourself.” She says. But I can’t let it go, Strange Sam is my only hope.
“Izzy, please just introduce me to him. I have to at least try. Please Izzy, it’s my birthday!!” I know it’s low using my birthday as a way to get her to do something, but I have to do this. “Fine!” She sighs.
“But you owe me one for going all the way back to freaking work!”
I follow closely behind Izzy at the hospital. The antiseptic smell of the hospital makes me want to gag. “Okay listen I’m just going to pretend I left something in the office, and then hopefully you’ll get to meet him. But I don’t know what you expect Sadie, it’s not like he’s going to touch your eyes and just heal you or something.” She says. I don’t say anything, just keep walking beside her as I tap my cane in front of me.
“Okay we’re here.” She whispers. “Oh hey Sam, uh I think I left some papers in here, but I’m not sure.” She says. I stand there awkwardly in silence.
“Oh and this is my roommate by the way, Sadie this is Sam. Sam this is Sadie.” She says. I reach out my hand, hoping that it’s close to where he’s sitting. Suddenly I feel a warm hand grip mine.
“Nice to me you Sadie.” He says. His voice is deep and beautiful and I can only imagine what he looks like. “Nice to meet you too.” I say letting go of his hand. I laugh at myself thinking that just touching him would help my sight come back. The sound of papers fluttering around the room as I assume Izzy is pretending to look for papers. “Well I must have left them in the car.” Izzy says. “Well bye Sam I’ll see you tomorrow!” She says, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. “It was nice meeting you!” He calls after us. “What the hell Izzy?!” I whisper at her.
“What?” She asks.
“You didn’t even give us a chance to talk!!” I say. “Also you didn’t mention that he was attractive.” I say.
“What-wait..How’d you know he was attractive? You don’t even know what attractive is..”
“I base attractiveness on people’s voices, and also he had really smooth hands and he smelled really good!” I say.
“Okay listen he was looking at you weird okay?” She says.
“Weird how?” I ask.
“Like….nevermind. Listen maybe you’ll get to talk to him again-“
“SADIE!” I hear Sam yell running up behind us.
I turn around and my cane hits him in the leg. “oh sorry Sam.” I say.
“It’s okay, listen my number is 425-0188. Give me a call sometime okay?” He says. “425-0188.”
He barely taps my shoulder and then he his foot steps leaving.
“….yeah he was looking at you like you were his soulmate..” Izzy says and I slap her arm.
“Okay I deserve that, but I just thought it would be weird if you dated the dude who you think is going to heal you!!!” I slap her arm again.
“Okay..okay..I thought it would be weird if you dated Strange Sam. I don’t trust that guy.” She says.
“You just don’t trust him because you don’t even know him!” I say and I walk off down the hallway.
Sam and I have become really close, we talk on the phone almost every day and sometimes he’ll visit me for lunch. I’ve told him practically everything about myself and him the same, but I haven’t even brought up the ‘witch doctor thing’. I’m afraid that if I bring it up, it will make things weird between us. I realize that I’m really starting to like Sam, but at the same time I really want to know if he can heal me.
We meet up for dinner at a café that’s close to my house so I don’t have to travel far by myself. I don’t like to walk at night because it’s even harder to get my bearings.
He gives me a little hug and then helps me find my seat. We talk for a while and then suddenly he says something. “Sadie, I never got to give you your Birthday present.” He says.
“Sam, you don’t even have to worry about it. That was like a month ago, it’s no big deal.” I say, but then he presses his lips to mine. It feels like my heart stops beating. His lips tingle against mine and I close my eyes anyway because I know that’s what you do when you kiss. His hand cups my cheek and the kissing becomes more intense and then suddenly it’s over. When I open my eyes I see his face.
I blink rapidly over and over again, but I can see him in front of me. I can see everything. My mouth drops open as I stare at him and he smiles at me. “Don’t panic okay? I just thought you of all people deserved to see the world. You’re beautiful Sadie.” He tells me. I look up at the sky and I see bright beautiful dots shining up above. It’s more than I ever dreamed it would be. “Thank you.” I say my eyes tearing up. “Izzy told me how badly you wanted to see the stars, and once I heard that my decision was made.” He says. I look at him, his face is so much more amazing that Imagined it to be. His eyes are a bright blue and I’m struck with the realization that his eyes are more beautiful than the stars will ever be.
“Sadie?” She calls my name. “In here!” I reply. Her footsteps creak on the hardwood floors as she walks into the living room.
“How was your day?” I ask as I cautiously reach out my hand toward my tea cup.
“It was…interesting.” Our old couch creaks as she sits down.
“What happened?” I ask taking a sip of tea.
“Well, we have a new doctor and he’s like super weird. Everyone has started calling him Strange Sam.” She says.
“Strange Sam? That’s an interesting nickname.” I laugh.
“Yeah, but it really fits him. Okay listen to this. So I was talking to Macy the other day and she was telling me a little about him. Apparently this is his tenth job and I guess he’s moved around a lot. Macy also told me that the reason he’s had ten jobs at different hospitals is because he always quits after something mysterious happens.” I’m so intrigued that I scoot closer in my chair towards the couch.
“Go on.” I say.
“So I asked Macy what kind of ‘mysterious things’ happened. Apparently all the patients that he’s treated have made full recoveries of their ailments and soon after that he quits the job. I didn’t believe her at first and then she showed me all these newspaper articles of people who had stage four cancer being completely healed, another story talked about a disabled man being able to walk again. I couldn’t believe it! So everyone thinks he’s some kind of witch doctor. Isn’t that crazy?” She says. Something on my face must change because she stands up and comes closer to me. “No, Sadie listen it’s probably just a hoax okay?” She says, but I get up from my chair and grab my cane. “Sadie what okay, shit I shouldn’t have said anything. Sadie wait!” I start walking toward the door and I can hear her behind me.
“Izzy, what if it’s true!! Don’t you get it? Screw birthday wishes, what if he heals me and I can finally see the stars.” I tell her. Her hand is on my shoulder now. “Sadie, what if nothing happens and you get yourself worked up for nothing? You can’t keep doing this to yourself.” She says. But I can’t let it go, Strange Sam is my only hope.
“Izzy, please just introduce me to him. I have to at least try. Please Izzy, it’s my birthday!!” I know it’s low using my birthday as a way to get her to do something, but I have to do this. “Fine!” She sighs.
“But you owe me one for going all the way back to freaking work!”
I follow closely behind Izzy at the hospital. The antiseptic smell of the hospital makes me want to gag. “Okay listen I’m just going to pretend I left something in the office, and then hopefully you’ll get to meet him. But I don’t know what you expect Sadie, it’s not like he’s going to touch your eyes and just heal you or something.” She says. I don’t say anything, just keep walking beside her as I tap my cane in front of me.
“Okay we’re here.” She whispers. “Oh hey Sam, uh I think I left some papers in here, but I’m not sure.” She says. I stand there awkwardly in silence.
“Oh and this is my roommate by the way, Sadie this is Sam. Sam this is Sadie.” She says. I reach out my hand, hoping that it’s close to where he’s sitting. Suddenly I feel a warm hand grip mine.
“Nice to me you Sadie.” He says. His voice is deep and beautiful and I can only imagine what he looks like. “Nice to meet you too.” I say letting go of his hand. I laugh at myself thinking that just touching him would help my sight come back. The sound of papers fluttering around the room as I assume Izzy is pretending to look for papers. “Well I must have left them in the car.” Izzy says. “Well bye Sam I’ll see you tomorrow!” She says, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. “It was nice meeting you!” He calls after us. “What the hell Izzy?!” I whisper at her.
“What?” She asks.
“You didn’t even give us a chance to talk!!” I say. “Also you didn’t mention that he was attractive.” I say.
“What-wait..How’d you know he was attractive? You don’t even know what attractive is..”
“I base attractiveness on people’s voices, and also he had really smooth hands and he smelled really good!” I say.
“Okay listen he was looking at you weird okay?” She says.
“Weird how?” I ask.
“Like….nevermind. Listen maybe you’ll get to talk to him again-“
“SADIE!” I hear Sam yell running up behind us.
I turn around and my cane hits him in the leg. “oh sorry Sam.” I say.
“It’s okay, listen my number is 425-0188. Give me a call sometime okay?” He says. “425-0188.”
He barely taps my shoulder and then he his foot steps leaving.
“….yeah he was looking at you like you were his soulmate..” Izzy says and I slap her arm.
“Okay I deserve that, but I just thought it would be weird if you dated the dude who you think is going to heal you!!!” I slap her arm again.
“Okay..okay..I thought it would be weird if you dated Strange Sam. I don’t trust that guy.” She says.
“You just don’t trust him because you don’t even know him!” I say and I walk off down the hallway.
Sam and I have become really close, we talk on the phone almost every day and sometimes he’ll visit me for lunch. I’ve told him practically everything about myself and him the same, but I haven’t even brought up the ‘witch doctor thing’. I’m afraid that if I bring it up, it will make things weird between us. I realize that I’m really starting to like Sam, but at the same time I really want to know if he can heal me.
We meet up for dinner at a café that’s close to my house so I don’t have to travel far by myself. I don’t like to walk at night because it’s even harder to get my bearings.
He gives me a little hug and then helps me find my seat. We talk for a while and then suddenly he says something. “Sadie, I never got to give you your Birthday present.” He says.
“Sam, you don’t even have to worry about it. That was like a month ago, it’s no big deal.” I say, but then he presses his lips to mine. It feels like my heart stops beating. His lips tingle against mine and I close my eyes anyway because I know that’s what you do when you kiss. His hand cups my cheek and the kissing becomes more intense and then suddenly it’s over. When I open my eyes I see his face.
I blink rapidly over and over again, but I can see him in front of me. I can see everything. My mouth drops open as I stare at him and he smiles at me. “Don’t panic okay? I just thought you of all people deserved to see the world. You’re beautiful Sadie.” He tells me. I look up at the sky and I see bright beautiful dots shining up above. It’s more than I ever dreamed it would be. “Thank you.” I say my eyes tearing up. “Izzy told me how badly you wanted to see the stars, and once I heard that my decision was made.” He says. I look at him, his face is so much more amazing that Imagined it to be. His eyes are a bright blue and I’m struck with the realization that his eyes are more beautiful than the stars will ever be.
No comments:
Post a Comment