Great Expectations 3 Essay, Research Paper

A Whole New Perspective

She walked toward the light. She felt a slight tug on the leash and realized that she had to stop. She guessed that the light was red and that was the reason the dog came to a halt. However she could feel the breeze of people passing by her and was curious as to why the dog stopped walking. Suddenly the dog pulled and they continued on their everyday route. Past the bakery, where she could smell the most delicious breads and pastries; she walked past the hair salon on her left and then the car garage. She learned of all these places when she moved to the little town because her kind mother explained it all to her in great detail. As she felt the side walk tilt up a touch she knew she was close to the comfort and safety of her home. The dog then stopped and she felt around for her key she spent a good seven minutes trying to fit the key into the hole. She climbed the never-ending spiral staircase and made a cup of tea. It was getting cold out, but she recalled the warm sun hitting her face as she walked westward towards her apartment earlier. She sat on the windowsill and listened. She listened to the children running by as they did everyday and heard the rush hour traffic slowly build and then fade. She sometimes wished that she was able to lead a normal life, but the thought came and went as fast as children with ice cream. At the age of 22 she finally realized that she would never be able to see. She came to accept this and thought that maybe God created her this way for a reason. She thought positively, she would never have to see pictures of death and destruction from wars and she would never have to look at herself and criticize. However in the back of her mind she always wanted to see her mother s face. It was true she had developed a way of seeing through her hands by feeling, but it wasn t the same.

Her mother was so far away. Boston took a day on the train. Besides, she hated traveling; she felt out of place. Even though she couldn t see, she felt people s cold glares piercing through the air and hitting her face. Her mother had always told her that she was beautiful, but mothers are bias! She was jerked from her thoughts by the phone ringing, it was a long distance ring and she prayed that she had put the phone back in the cradle before she had left.

She had, Hello she answered,

Hi darling, how was your day? It was her mother and there was nothing more comforting and soothing then her voice. It was her mother that always stood by her. It was her mother s voice that she had woken up to in the hospitals after surgery. It was something that was hers alone, her mother. She went on to explain her day which was pretty similar to the one before and the one before that. Her mother explained about hers and continued to tell her that she was coming to visit and was bringing exciting news.

When are you coming? She asked, and her mother exclaimed,

Tomorrow!

That was it, there was no need to speak any longer.

She was up late that night thinking about what her mother had to say when she arrived the next day. Maybe mother was going to move to be closer to be with her, but that was not realistic considering her life was in Boston. She figured that she would just wait to hear the news. If anything good had come out of her blindness is was her patience. She didn t get frustrated and was always calm and collected. Maybe because when she was younger people were always patient with her. The doctors, her mother and the people that spent countless hours teaching her to read braille and getting to know her seeing eye dog, Niagara. Teaching her every pull, every tug and every sound. Niagara was her best friend and he enabled her to go out into the world with some confidence and pride. She felt that was important.

The next morning she awoke, gathered her thoughts about what was happening that day and went about her normal morning routine. She made a cup of coffee, black and curled up to listen to TV. She showered and got dressed made her bed and walked down the never-ending spiral staircase. She felt around for her key and spent a good seven minutes trying to fit the key in the hole. She began to walk and as she felt the sidewalk dip a touch she knew she was close to the bakery. She picked out the most wonderful desserts and walked the route again, only backwards. She sat on the windowsill with a cup of tea and around one-thirty she heard a car door slam in front of her apartment. One minute later the buzzer went off and she ran to the intercom to ask who it was.

It s mother an excited voice sang. And that was it, no need for explanations.

Her mother climbed the spiral staircase. She never understood why it was a spiral one; there was plenty of room to have just built a normal staircase and it wouldn t be as difficult to climb. She reached the top and they flung their arms around each other. They embraced for quite some time and she began running her hands up and down her mother s face.

Mom! She cried and she knew she was safe and was understood. Even though she couldn t see her, she knew her mother never looked at with a cold glare it was always warm and caring, she could feel it.

As her mother settled in she could not wait any longer and inquired about the reason for the visit. Her mother reiterated that she had wonderful news and then proceeded to tell of the medical break through at Boston General Hospital. She told her daughter of medical miracles, people that were never able to see, now could. She didn t know how to deal with this information. She began to cry. She had been waiting for this type of news for her entire life.

She lay awake in bed that night; she couldn t fall asleep. She didn t want too. She imagined herself opening her eyes and looking at the world. She wanted to see the colour red, her mother s face, her own face. She had very mixed feelings though. She tried not to think about the repercussions of surgery. She got up and put her feet on the cold floor. She wanted to jump and run and smile and she did. Right there on her cold apartment floor. Danced around like she was a child again jumping on the bed and rolling all over the place. She then lost her breath and settled down. She slept very well that night. It was the first time; in a long time and that she closed her eyes and dreamt of the future. What a beautiful future it was!

Mother! she yelled, please come and help me carry my bag to the taxi! It was the day she would travel; today traveling didn t seem so bad. On the way to the train station she dreamt of traveling all over the world, with her new perspective in life, her eyes. She arrived in Boston at quarter past nine and headed to her mother s home. There she had a light meal and sat by the fire, letting the warmth caress her face. What did fire look like she thought? Next week she told herself, she would be able to answer that question. The week past and nothing out of the ordinary happened. She was in and out of the hospital getting tests done and speaking to doctors.

The day finally arrived as she stepped foot into the hospital, with her mother by her side; she thought of what it would be like to walk out. She checked in and was placed in room 141, that was to be her home for the next little while. She settled in and was very anxious to get going with the procedure. This was the first time in her life when she had no patience. She took note of that. The day passed slowly and she slept relatively well that night. The next morning the nurse woke her up. The nurse told her that Dr. Erving, was coming. He was the doctor that was going to perform the surgery. So it happened and she was scared and exited at the same time, this was something she had never felt before. She was wheeled in her bed to the operating room. Her mother was there, holding her hand. She described the room as yellow, big and bright. She wanted to see it, and her mother told her that she would be able to in less then twenty-four hours. They proceeded into the room, and she let go of her mother s hand.

I will see you soon, mom she exclaimed!

Sari opened her eyes,

Where am I? MOM, Mom, mom are you there? she screamed. Her mother jerked up from her chair and ran to her daughter s side.

Can you see me? her mother insisted.

Yes mom, I can, she said through her tears. Mother and daughter just lay there and sobbed and talked and looked at each other. Sari s mother was beautiful, more so then she ever imagined. She ran her hands down her mother s face and watched her hand as she did so.

Sari went home. Her mom stayed with her until she was fine on her own. She explained everything, every colour, every letter every cooking utensil. There was definitely need for explanation. It was like Sari was reborn. She looked at herself in the mirror. She didn t see anything wrong, she didn t criticize, and in fact she liked her looks. She now had confidence. People didn t stare at her anymore; she loved herself. How could she love other people properly if she wasn t happy with who she was. Sari now loved life and she saw everything from then on in a whole new perspective. She could see, she was Sari.