Blind Luck2: No Way Back Chapter 4
Blind Luck2: No Way Back
Chapter 4.
A loud ringing disturbed Sai's sleep, forcing his brain awake, then it abruptly stopped. Ogata grumbled and cussed, turning noisily on the next futon to Sai's right.
'Is it morning?' Sai asked, grandly yawning.
'Yeah, 7:45,' Ogata yawned, rolling over and then getting up. Sai flopped back down, tugging the soft comforter under his chin, hunkering down in the bedding.
'C'mon lazy head, I thought you were more chipper in the morning than this!' Ogata groused, but still sounding fitter than Sai felt right at that instance. Sai groaned and pulled the comforter over his head.
'Suit yourself, if you're not ready to go out by the time I am, I'm locking you in the house,' Ogata said as he moved into the living room.
The very thought of possibly being locked in was enough to get Sai up.
He took time for a quick shower after Ogata helped him wrap a plastic bag around his cast and tape it off, as he had done the day before. He decided to forgo washing his hair, so Ogata lent him a bath cap, to keep it dry.
Breakfast was the same as yesterday's; sandwiches, though there were a different type than the ones he had had for dinner the night before.
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When Mr. Uwayaku unlocked the door, some hours after Sai had been left at the shelter that first day, he sounded much calmer. He made coffee and gave Sai some, who promptly burned his mouth on the strange scolding liquid. For all the friendly gesture that the offer of the beverage had been, that fact that Sai didn't even know how to drink it, made him despair. How was he going to cope, even if he were to stay here? What would he do? Sit in on a bed all day, in the dark like he had in the hospital? What kind of life was that?
Meanwhile Mr. Uwayaku had started making phone calls, dozens of them. The only thing that Sai understood was that all the calls were about him. He could understand the tones of the call; Mr. Uwayaku argued with someone, then with another he pleaded, yet another he put firmly in their place. But the actual contents of the calls were like gibberish to him, meaningless. The argument in one call ran particularly heated and Sai felt sure he was going to be sent away, at that point. But then the tone changed, leaving the blind man once again in limbo about his future here.
Sai was getting so tense with the insecurity that his hands started to really hurt from all the wringing he had done while keeping them in his lap, ever since he'd been ordered to sit down, hours ago. His thoughts only seemed to be one repeated word, 'Please.' Sai didn't even know what he was pleading for. For the hospital to take him back? (Even though he knew that was not possible) For Mr. Uwayaku to let him stay? (Even if he didn't know what staying would entail)
It didn't even occur to him to plead for a return of his sight; the dark, though frightening still, was a part of him now, and he could not imagine himself different anymore.
In the end Mr. Uwayaku explained that yes Sai could stay. Sai almost sagged in relief. Than a new worry started as the shelter manger explained that in the daytime Sai would have to stay outside. He also pointed out it wasn't wise for Sai to hang around the shelter when it was closed. So what was Sai supposed to do? To help the blind man to get to a safer neighborhood in the daytime, the man had found a sociology student who would teach him over the next few days to get around.
Mr. Uwayaku then took Sai to a small room that turned out to be some sort of supply cupboard. There he sorted out a change of clothes, some sandals, some underwear, all old clothing, and a sturdy waterproof canvas bag to keep it all in for Sai. It was still early autumn so he didn't need any winter clothes just yet. Sai just stood there accepting each item as it was given to him, listening to the constant stream of advice and warnings that the shelter manger imparted on him. As the words did not seem to refer to anything that Sai was familiar with, he just memorized each word and hoped it would come in helpful at some point. The only thing he did understand was the no fighting rule. It worried him there was need for such a rule. There hadn't been so many rules at the hospital; this place must be very different, Sai feared. He wondered if he could adapt to living here.
Mr. Uwayaku ended with spewing a list of times when incomprehensible things would happen throughout the day at the shelter. Sai noted those in particular. That was all the time Mr. Uwayaku could spare the blind man, as Sai quickly found when he was ordered to again sit in the visitor's chair (Mr. Uwayaku apparently did not want Sai wandering about the shelter). Sai sat as still as he could while listening to Mr. Uwayaku make many more calls, most to do with food and fund raising, and sorting out paperwork.
Sai felt utterly useless, bewildered and confused. He was wondering about what was out there and if the 'sociology student' could help him to get about. He wondered about where he was to go inside the shelter, who he would meet and would they be nice? The staff at the hospital had been nice, but they had always been in too much of a hurry to give him much time. The other patients had not been so nice. He had been teased about his amnesia and his blindness and hadn't been able make any friends.
Sai hoped he'd do better here.
That evening he had the chance to interact with the other homeless men in the 'chow line'. He tried to talk to the person before him and then the one behind him, but neither would talk back, the one behind giving him a not so gentle push when Sai didn't move fast enough for his taste. The blind man gave up on these two, hanging his head and keeping small. /'Blind idiot,'/ was whispered somewhere behind him.
When his turn came he was given a warm bowl that smelled of rice and vegetables but before he had found a seat someone had snatched it out of his hand, leaving him with nothing. Sai stood with his hand still out for a moment in stumped silence, when he was shoved from behind, almost sending him to the floor. Something unkind was whispered to the side of him, and Sai moved away from the sound blindly, tripping several times before finding a wall to lean against.
His stomach complained of emptiness, and all he could think was 'God, get me out of here!' as he sat on the floor.
~(0)~
Later that night he was shown to his bed by Kuma, one of the shelter's staff, who gave him the advice to put his sandals in his bag and the bag under his head when he went to bed. Sai thought briefly about telling Kuma about what had happened to him in the chow line, but he was very worried that if he made a fuss, about anything, Mr. Uwayaku would not let him stay anymore, and even though this place was starting to look more and more like hell, there was just nowhere else to go.
It took a long time to fall asleep that night; the place was filled with different sounds than he had been used to at the hospital and his belly was quite empty. But the bed was not too bad and he had a warm blanket and a lumpy pillow, so finally he did sleep.
The next morning Kuma woke him and showed him where he could wash before breakfast. Mr. Uwayaku had decided it was better if Sai washed in the separate staff wash & shower room, something for which Sai was immensely grateful, as he had been pushed and shoved and tripped and pulled by the hair (Kuma suggested keeping his braid under his shirt) enough at dinner time to realize bathing with these people was going to be next to impossible.
He was not the only homeless person to get the privilege, the other was also young and so soft-spoken Sai had thought it was a woman at first, but 'she' turned out the be a 'transvestite', which 'she' explained as a man who is more comfortable to be dressed as a woman and behave as such. 'She' was very envious of Sai's hair, in fact all she did when she talked to Sai was to talk about hair care and clothing and what utter beasts men were. All it did was confuse Sai further, and he never knew what to say to her.
At the breakfast chow line, Sai managed to hold on to his bowl long enough to drink half of the soup before it was stolen from him. By now he was very hungry indeed and ready to cry again.
Kuma came to pick him up to go to the office where Mr. Uwayaku waited with the student, named Miss Kaori, who was to help him get around.
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Before they set off for the day, Ogata made Sai repeat the instructions and the phone numbers again. Sai complied, trying not to roll his eyes.
'Don't call unless it's an emergency; today I'm at one my oldest client's house, who is very old-fashioned and doesn't like phones.' Ogata lectured.
Sai nodded.
'I should be back here around two.'
Sai nodded again.
'Oh, and you'll need some money if you’re going to a mall.' Ogata started rattling with coins. 'Here's some,' he put a bunch of coins and paper in Sai's hand.
'Ogata-san, I can't take your money!' Sai exclaimed and tried to give the handful back to him.
'I owe you more than this from the bet,' Ogata reminded him, giving Sai's out stretched hand a gentle push.
'But the hospital bill from yesterday?'
'Hasn't come in yet,' Ogata finished off Sai's phrase.
'Anyway, I doubt it will be the full Y50,000. So how's about we reserve Y20,000 for the bill, and call what you have there a start for the rest.' Ogata folded Sai's hand closed over the money. 'I need to hit up a money machine later,' Ogata mused as he turned away from Sai to put on his shoes.
Sai stood a moment longer then came back to himself. He fingered the money, one bill of Y10,000,one of Y2,000, and some coins totaling Y150.
He was touched again by the pro player's generosity, but he was still ambivalent about this money. It had been Kawai that had made the bet and put up his cab as a pledge to it; had Sai lost, the cabby would have lost his only means of employment. By rights the Y50,000 was Kawai's, even if the man had run off on him, and spending it felt wrong to the blind man. He resolved not to spend much of it and give the cabby the rest if and when he saw him again.
He put the coins into the right outer pocket of his bag and the paper money into the pocket with the business cards, pushing the bigger bill all the way to the bottom for safekeeping.
oOOo
Ogata had set Sai walking in the right direction, again asking if he was sure he could find the way, before driving off to this morning's client. Sai started walking, counting his steps without having to consciously think about it.
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After that first horrid night in the shelter, Sai met the student who was going to help him get around. Miss Kaori was, hopefully, going to teach him how to get away from the shelter during the day time.
Standing with her outside of the shelter's door that morning Sai found out three things, one, Sai had a near flawless sense of direction, two, that that is not a normal trait, and three, that Miss Kaori had been given this assignment as a make-up test by her professor (who owed Mr. Uwayaku a favor, apparently) and if she didn't succeed she'd have redo the year. Miss Kaori was not happy about it and Sai promptly learned a fourth thing; she could cuss like a fishwife.
But unwilling or not over the next three days (that's how much time she had been given) Miss Kaori helped him to walk as far as Trade square*, and back and then again and again until he could walk the route blindly and by himself.
That very first day had been hardest; they had taken 3 hours over the outward stretch that would later take him only 20 minutes. Miss Kaori grudgingly shared her homemade sandwiches with him when they reached Trade sq. around noon; maybe she just felt sorry for him. It rankled Sai's pride that he needed the food, but he ate it all the same, alleviating his nagging hunger some.
The way back only took only an hour and a half, leaving them just enough time to go up and down again before Sai had to be back by dinner.
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Sai let the memories wash over him as he explored his new path. Miss Kaori had not been a skilled teacher nor had she ever worked with a blind person before. So it had fallen to Sai himself to figure out the best way for him to navigate, while Miss Kaori made sure they stayed on their chosen path. His time with her had been invaluable, for now he had the skills to go anywhere he liked and find his way back when he wanted to.
xXXx
Author’s note:
*I made up Trade square. Big surprise there.
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