I seemed to live in a world of vanity. My mother and father were world renowned British designers, if you hadn't heard of the label 'Feance' you are nobody in the fashion world. They had boutiques in every major city in the world, each with its own exclusive range. If a celebrity needed good press or an up lift in their image all they needed to do was wear a Feance dress or suit and you would be admired. The line had gotten so big that we had to move to Japan to be closer to the shareholders and suppliers of the exquisite fabrics used for the complex designs. Japan was beautiful; a culture change had increased my parent's creativity. They began to design geisha styled outfits and others designed around the cherry blossoms that England lacked. We had moved into a large estate, with room upon room, large grounds and even a quad bike track. Well so I had been told. It seems ironic that the heiress to an international company based on beauty to the eye and complex designs, could see none of this beauty herself.
At the age of twelve I had become blind due to an infection that had spread through my eyes like wild fire. My eye sight had slowly begun to deteriorate before suddenly it had gone altogether. I can still remember that day; I had been in my bed having just been woken up by a maid due to the doctor coming to check up on my condition. I had rolled over feeling for my light switch with my eyes still shut with drowsiness. I had pulled the switch on the light and opened my eyes. It had been black, like when a light has been turned off and your pupils don't react quick enough so all you see is the darkness. I had sat there in stillness until I had heard the doctor entering my room. I had turned my head in the direction of the sound and simply said.
"I can't see you."
That day had changed my life forever, I was instantly taken to a new adapted living quarters. Servants were hired to look after me, to be my eyes for me. We had then moved to Japan when I was about to become 15. I secure enough to fly and manage on my own to walk with my special stick. It had taken me a year to just map out the house and be able to move freely about its many stories. My parents of course had had an elevator installed and with my new knowledge of brail, allowed me to use it.
And here you find me at present day, being dressed by my maids in preparation from my first day at school. I placed my hands on the dress feeling the pattern of it; I had been told it was the colour of sunshine yellow. I smiled at this, yellow had always been my favourite colour and I could still see the colour in my mind clearly. I was then escorted to the car by my main 'Seer' (as I like to call them) Ootogi, who had been my first Seer and now a close friend. He was going to be accompanying to school, it was his new task to help me around the school until I was used to the site. He also had to take notes for me, which my parents would then have translated into brail for me to study from.
"Do you think they will like me?" I asked unable to stay in silence. I raised my hand for Ootogi's face which he pressed into my palm.
"I'm sure they will love you." He replied, I could feel him smile under my hand which reassured me.
"I hope you're correct Ootogi."