Blinded

Prom Date...

16 years old...

      Alesia stares at the phone hiding under the table, a smile cracking across her lips at the message that appears

"I would love to," she replies back, just as the book in front of her slams shut. She jumps clean off her seat, nearly dropping her cell phone in the process.

"Mr. Hale."

She stares up into the dark glasses that always adorn his face. His mouth set in a firm, grim line, and she realizes she'd been caught in the act of texting.

"I could hear your fingers tapping away at that device." Mr. Hale stands taking the book with him to set it on the shelf it came from. She'd yet to figure out how he does that, thinking at first that Mr. hale is only partially blind, after being around for a couple of years she's found that he is completely blind.

"I'm sorry. it was a momentary distraction," Alesia explains, quickly pocketing her phone and standing to retrieve the book. Mr. Hale's fingers slide across her hand to grip her wrist, allowing him to shove her hand away from the shelf as he releases her.

"Go home, you've studied enough Latin for the day." He turns, his cane half guiding him out of the room. By now, it is second nature for the man to march through the place as if he can see every inch of it, Nothing has been moved in years, at least for not as long as her mother worked here.

Sighing, she grabs her school bag and makes her way to the kitchen. It is late evening, and Vivian is helping Teresa with the evening meal. The smell of roasted chicken, potatoes, stuffing and freshly cooked corn wafts into her nose, and a smile spreads across her lips.

"Smells good, mama."

"How was your lesson?" Vivian asks, turning to smile at her daughter as she slips on to one of the stools in the overly large kitchen.

"I was supposed to give a summary of what happened in the chapter?"

Alesia turns her head down to the bag sitting on the table, fingers picking at a loose strand that starts to unravel.

"Supposed to?"

"Yeah, Daniel messaged me asking if I would go to homecoming with him." Alesia's smile goes from ear to ear, her insides giddy with the news. Until Teresa walks over, placing a plate down and giving Alesia her special eye.

"Any boy who isn't man enough to ask you on a date in person isn't worth your time."

Alesia rolls her eyes at the middle-aged woman, sure she is sweet and well meaning, but the woman is behind on the times.

"Thanks for the advice Teresa, but it's different now and days."

"Well it shouldn't be. I remember my first boyfriend. I still smile when I think about the way his hands shook when he wiped the sweat off his brows as he fretted over asking me out for the first time." She gives a long sigh before standing straight again, "the romance is lost when you are looking at a screen."

Alesia rolls her eyes again when the woman turns to her stove. The phone buzzes and Alesia glances at the screen. The conversation forgotten while they finish up the dinner and Vivian packs enough for two into some Tupperware.

"Ms. Sykes, I didn't realize you were still here."

Alesia looks up in time to see Mr. Hale walk into the room, hide her shock at not seeing him in a full suit. He stands on the other side of the counter in a button-up shirt and slacks, the buttons around his wrist undone and the arms pushed up as far as they will go. What shocks her the most is his youth. She sits there counting in her head how many years her mother worked for the man. Their first meeting still fresh in her mind, recalling how young he looked then and realizing he hasn't aged a day.