Did he know?
Auggie walked to the bus stop. He was supposed to meet Helen. She wanted to talk to him and he was not sure what she wanted. His cane found the post of the bus stop sign and he waited. A minute later, a bus stopped. Auggie made a few steps forward, held his cane vertically in front of him, found the first step and walked onto the bus. He showed his ticket to the driver and finally found a free seat. He sat down and leaned his cane against his shoulder.
The doors of the bus closed and the driver started the engine. Two minutes later, the bus came to a halt. The door opened again and a number of new passengers walked in. Auggie noticed that somebody took a seat next to him. The light footsteps made him think it was a woman. The lady did not wear perfume but even if he could not see it, there was something that told him that the person was familiar.
Auggie felt that he was being stared at. He was convinced that the woman looked over to him. Maybe she had never seen a blind person before, maybe she knew him. But if she knew him, why did she not talk to him? Auggie sensed something that felt like a special tension between him and the passenger next to him. Should he talk to her? Should he start one of his charme offensives and start a conversation?
Auggie pondered the pros and cons list for a while, but then decided to remain quiet. Should the person really be somebody familiar why would she not talk to him? It did not make any sense. And then, for a second the picture of Annie appeared like a flash in his mind. He had never actually seen her, he had his own picture of her based on audible, tactile and olfactory cues but it was her picture that he saw.
Auggie was confused. Why would the picture of Annie all of a sudden appear so clearly before his eyes? Did that have something to do with the person on the seat next to him?
Was it possible that this person was...No, the idea seemed far fetched and ridiculous. Annie Walker would never ignore him. She would talk to him. She would not take advantage of his blindness. Annie Walker had gone dark and nobody knew where she was. The thought of her being so close was utterly ridiculous.
Auggie frowned, all these feelings were confusing. Annie could not be here. His mind was playing tricks on him. He had the desire to talk to her. There was so much he had to say but he couldn´t. Maybe she would never return. His desire to talk to her made him feel and believe things that were impossible.
I am being stupid he scolded himself before the bus stopped and Auggie swept his cane, finding the door, taking the three steps down onto the sidewalk where Helen was already waiting for him.
„Hey Auggie" she said and he walked towards her voice. He had already forgotten the strange sensation he had had on the bus.
