Senses 03 - Love Comes Home (DA) (MM) (7 page)

“He can’t see,” Greg snapped.

Tom persisted. “I’ve been reading a lot in the last few days, and if he’s going to become familiar with his home, then he needs to be shown it in a new way, one he can understand. “Davey, would you stand up for me?” He did, but then didn’t move. “What’s right in front of you?”

“The coffee table?” Davey answered, reaching out to touch it.

“Now, if you take two small steps to the left and then two small steps forward you should be in front of the chair. Can you do that?” Tom wasn’t sure he should take charge like this, but everything he’d read said Davey needed to understand the spaces around him from his new perspective.

Davey moved slowly. “Is this right?”

“Feel behind you,” Tom said with a smile. “That’s the arm of the chair… and there you have the second arm, now, sit down.” Davey did. “Do you remember where the furniture was in the house and what the areas looked like?” Davey nodded. “Then feel your way from your chair to the dining table. I’ll instruct you if you need it. We’re both here to help, but we aren’t going to guide you. Is that okay?”

Davey smiled at him and nodded. When Tom looked at Greg he expected to see anger, but instead saw relief. Tom reached for Greg’s hand and squeezed it slightly.

“Thank you,” Greg mouthed.

“Tell me what’s next to the chair you’re sitting in?”

“There’s a table with a lamp on it, and then next to that is another sofa. Then an opening that I can use to get to the dining area.”

“Okay. Then why don’t you stand up and carefully make your way to the sofa, then along it until you’re out of the seating area. The distance between the sofa and coffee table is about a foot and a half. Use your hands if you need to, but give it a try,” Tom encouraged.

Davey hesitated.

“I know you can do it,” Greg said and came around to the coffee table, clearing it of anything Davey could knock over. He put those things away. “You’re doing great. The sofa is right alongside you and there’s nothing in front of it. The coffee table is on your right and you’re just fine.” Greg actually smiled, and it got larger as Davey reached the edge of the sofa. Tom remained quiet, since Greg seemed to have taken over. “The table is five small steps in front of you.”

Davey took the steps, searching in front of him with his hands until he felt the back of one of the chairs. He turned and grinned at them.

“See? You did it,” Tom said. “From where you’re standing, the kitchen is on your left. If you turned and walked about eight small steps, you’d be in line with the entrance. If you turned right and took eight or nine steps, you’d be at the entrance to the hall to the bedrooms.”

“Do you want to keep going?” Greg asked.

“Yeah,” Davey said, sounding relieved.

“Then where do you want to go? You’re in the center of the open part of the house. There’s a column back slightly and a few steps to the right. Why don’t you try to find it? That way you can use that as a marker.”

Davey moved and reached the post, then felt up and down it.

“Why don’t you tell us what’s where,” Tom suggested. “Picture the room in your mind and tell us where you are and what’s in each direction.”

Davey was quiet, and Tom thought maybe he’d pushed for too much too soon.

“The one sofa is right there.” Davey took a few steps and reached it. “The coffee table, chair, and other sofa are there. Behind me is the dining room table, with the kitchen over there.” He pointed in the right direction. “The fireplace is there, and the front door should be that way.”

“Very good,” Greg said. “Do you think you can make it to your bedroom from here?”

“I’ll try,” Davey said. Tom sat down and watched as Greg worked with Davey, opening his dark world up for him. Once Davey reached the door to his bedroom, he let out a small whoop. “I’m going to go to the bathroom.”

“Do you need me?” Greg asked, but Davey had already reached the door and was going inside. “That was great,” Greg told Tom once Davey closed the bathroom door. Then he paused, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. “I saw you’d called, but I… I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me again. And I’ve been so busy this past week with appointments and….”

“I stopped by to see how you and Davey were doing.” Tom suddenly felt uncomfortable. “I didn’t mean to interrupt or barge in on you. I was just concerned and wanted to make sure you were both all right.”

“No,” Greg said more lightly, “I’m glad you came. We’ve been wallowing for most of the week. Davey’s doctor sent us to a specialist, but there isn’t any hope. He’s seen every doctor who might help within hundreds of miles, not that there are many, but they all said the same thing.”

“Okay,” Tom said. “Then we need to help Davey adjust to being blind. He needs to be able to find his way around the house and he needs to learn to read Braille. Have you enrolled him in classes?”

“Yes. He starts next week,” Greg answered. “He isn’t thrilled about it.”

“Of course not, because he’s still hoping for that miracle, just like you were. But he needs help and he needs to learn.” God, he sounded preachy. Tom quieted. “I came up with an idea that Davey might like, but I wanted to talk about it with you first. I heard a story and read online about beep baseball. It’s for the blind. You said Davey used to play, and I thought if we could arrange it, that he might like to join.”

Greg shook his head. “How can Davey catch a ball?” He sounded skeptical.

“He doesn’t. The rules are different. The ball beeps, and so do the bases. There are roles for sighted people, but the players are visually impaired. I thought if you were interested, I’d get a set of equipment and we could see if Davey likes it. He’s going to have to learn to follow sounds, and since he can already play baseball, this might be a transitional activity for him. Howard and Gordy are going to put the word out. I don’t know if we’ll get enough players for a team, but it might be fun just as an activity.” Tom had originally thought of trying to set up actual games, but maybe that wasn’t necessary. Maybe just playing and allowing Davey to hit and try to field the ball would help him. If he were the only blind player, it wouldn’t matter, as long as he got something out of it. “I bet we could get Howard to play too.”

“I don’t know,” Greg said. “Running and hitting, with balls coming at him, beeping or not. What if he gets hurt?”

Tom had been warned and he’d thought about that the entire ride over. “There would be plenty of supervision, including you. Maybe you could pitch,” he suggested. “You used to play, so you have to have a good throwing arm. It doesn’t have to be fast or anything. The whole point is to make it fun.”

“Make what fun?” Davey asked, standing outside the bathroom door. His shirt was half tucked in and there was toilet paper on his shoe.

“Nothing, Davey,” Greg said hastily. “It’s nothing.”

Davey felt along the walls as he made his way toward where Greg was standing. He nearly stumbled multiple times. Greg moved toward him.

“Don’t help me, Dad!” Davey yelled. “I want to do this. I’m not a baby, and I want to know what you were talking about.” He reached the sofa and half sat, half tripped onto its cushions. “Make what fun?”

“Davey, it’s been a hard week and you’re upset,” Greg said quietly.

“Of course I’m upset, Daddy. I’m blind. I want to play with my friends, but I can’t.” Davey sat up and began rocking back and forth, occasionally punching the cushions. “I want… I want…,” Davey kept chanting over and over.

Tom figured he didn’t have the words to explain what he wanted, but it was clear as day to Tom. He wanted his old life back, which was something he could never have. His life, and for that matter, Greg’s life, had changed forever.

“Davey,” Greg whispered and sat next to his son, trying to comfort him, but it didn’t work. After a while, Davey began pummeling his dad with shallow blows. “Calm down.”

Davey kept struggling and hitting. The blows had no power other than to wound Greg’s spirit. Tom could see the hurt building with each frustrated blow.

“Davey,” Tom said firmly, and Davey paused. “You shouldn’t hit your father.”

Davey looked in Tom’s direction and then seemed to understand what he’d been doing. Tears welled in his eyes, and then Davey gripped his dad tight, sobbing on his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Greg soothed. “You didn’t hurt me.” Greg held Davey, and Tom got ready to go. The two of them had to work things out. He didn’t have a place here and he’d most likely overstayed his welcome and overstepped his bounds already.

“Tom was just telling me about a version of baseball for people who can’t see very well,” Greg said. “The ball and bases make noise so you can find them. He came over to ask if you’d be interested in playing. He said Uncle Howard might play, and they’re trying to find other people to play too.” Greg paused and looked at him. “You don’t have to play if you don’t want to. No one is going to make you.”

“How can I hit a ball I can’t see? How can I do anything when I can’t see?”

“Davey,” Tom said as softly and carefully as he could. “There are people who play this game all over the country. People like you and Uncle Howard. They have fun. It isn’t the same as it was before, but you can hit the ball because it beeps. So do the bases. All you have to do is follow the sound. Keep your ear on the ball.”

Davey stilled and lifted his head from Greg’s shoulder. He wiped his eyes and slowly shifted on the sofa, but not too far away from his dad.

“Would you like to give that a try?” Greg asked. “Like I said, you don’t have to.”

“Uncle Howard’s going to do it?” Davey asked.

“Yes,” Tom said, hoping like hell he wasn’t telling a bald-faced lie. Howard hadn’t exactly said he’d play, but he’d said he’d help, and that was probably good enough for now. “I’m going to order the equipment, and once it comes we can set it up and see how it works. Is that okay?”

Davey nodded. At least he seemed calmer.

Greg moved away from Davey and slowly stood up. He motioned toward the back of the living area, and Tom followed him. “Thank you. He’s been like this most of the week, and I don’t know what to do.”

“He’s grieving,” Tom said.

“No one died,” Greg whispered.

“His sight did. He’s grieving its loss. I think it’s probably normal. He’s ten years old and doesn’t have the words to describe all the things he’s feeling, so it comes out in frustration and anger.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I majored in psychology in school,” Tom explained. “The money stuff came purely by accident. Help him through what he’s feeling and do your best to give him a voice.”

Greg nodded and looked over at Davey.

“He also needs something to occupy his time. A major sensory input is gone. He used to watch television, play video games, and things like that. Those are gone too. He’s going to mourn the loss of each thing he discovers he can’t do anymore. So you have to have ideas of things he
can
do. If he were older, he’d find them himself, but he’s young enough that he’s going to need your help.”

“I can hear you,” Davey called.

Greg raised his eyebrows. “Would you like to stay for dinner? I think we could both use some company.”

“If you don’t think I’m intruding,” Tom said.

“You’d be a godsend.”

Tom agreed to stay as long as he could help with dinner. “So what do you want to do, Davey?” he asked as he walked closer to where he sat. Davey shrugged. “Do you have a computer?”

“Duh.”

“Davey,” Greg scolded.

“It’s in my room,” Davey supplied with a little less attitude.

“I’ll get it,” Greg volunteered, and he returned with a tablet. Greg handed it to him, and Tom began searching.

“Have you ever read
The Hobbit
?” Tom asked. Davey shook his head. “Do you want to?” When Davey nodded, Tom found an audio version and bought it after Greg put in the password, then waited for it to download. He placed the tablet in Davey’s hands and started the story. Then he explained where the volume control was and stepped away. Few things soothed a haggard spirit like a good story. Once Davey seemed to settle into the tale, Tom got up and left Davey alone.

“I should have thought of that,” Greg said.

“I suggest you get him a good headset, because there are lots of stories available, and since you said he liked to read, he’ll go through a lot of audiobooks. I’d get him an iPod or something portable and set him up with an account he can use. You’ll need to help him at first. There are software products that will read the contents of the computer screen for him, but I don’t think you’ll need to help him for long. He’ll figure out how to use computers to help himself pretty quickly.”

Greg turned to watch Davey sitting on the sofa. “That’s the most he’s been still and quiet in days. Even when he’s been sitting, he’s jittery and restless.”

“He’s young and has a lot of energy, but doesn’t know what to do with himself. Everything has changed for him in the past week. His entire world has changed. I know I keep saying that, but it’s true.” Tom lowered his voice. “But that doesn’t mean you can give him whatever he wants. Just like you did before, you need to make sure he understands the boundaries. At some point he’s going to figure out that he can try to use his condition to get what he wants, from you and from others. Maybe not right away….”

Greg inhaled deeply. “I never thought of that.”

“Of course not, and I’m probably throwing a lot at you at once, but it seems the world is doing that too.”

Greg looked overwhelmed, so Tom stopped his commentary. There was only so much they could comprehend in one go.

“I should start making dinner while I have the chance,” Greg said. “I’ve been making finger food because that seems to be the easiest for Davey to eat. When I signed him up for the classes, they said they’d teach him how to use utensils and stuff like that.” Greg stopped. “I never thought about it before, but Davey is going to have to relearn almost everything.” He reached out for the table and steadied himself.

“It will be all right. There are people who can teach him what he needs to know. Howard can help him as well, and once Davey’s able to do things for himself, his life and your life will be easier. Davey needs to be as independent as possible. I understand that Howard lived alone before he met Gordy. It can be done.” Tom moved closer to Greg. “I know it seems overwhelming for you.” Tom put his arm around Greg’s waist. “People forget that it isn’t just Davey affected by all this. Your life changed too.”