Auggie and Annie family and home part 7
Jeremy sat at his desk. He had already written a line full of „A" and „B". The first week at school had gone quite well and every morning Annie took him to school before she and Auggie went to Langley.
The little boy was still immersed into his homework, when Auggie entered the room. Slowly he made his way over to the desk, felt for Jeremy´s shoulder, patted it and said „Hey champion, how is homework going?"
The boy turned a bit, looked up from his workbook and said „I have already written a line with „A" And „B" and then he added in a slightly sad tone „I wish you could see that Dad"
But then Jeremy seemed to regret what he had just said and added „I love you so much Daddy whether you can see or not" and then he slung his little arms around Auggie´s waist.
Auggie smiled. He had gotten used to being blind long time ago, but since he was a father, being unable to see sometimes hurt him. He didn´t want his child to be the victim of his disability as he called it. He did not want his little son to suffer because he could not share everything with him like other fathers. Of course he could read stories to him in Braille, he could take a walk with him but he could not play soccer with him like other dads, he could not admire the pictures he had drawn and what hurt him most was the fact that he would never see how his little boy slowly became a man.
Auggie pushed these thoughts aside and replied „I love you, too, son" and then he bent down and placed a soft kiss on his son´s forehead.
„You are the best daddy" Jeremy said, before he asked „Did you read with the dots when you were a school kid?"
„No. When I was a kid I could see and I used to read like you and all the other kids. I went blind when I was already a man. I was 28 when the accident that took my eyesight happened."
For a moment Jeremy went quiet. He seemed to be thinking about something. Then he asked.
„Do adults go to school, too?"
„Well some of them do" Auggie said „Even adults need to learn new things from time to time for their job. We call that seminar"
„Did you go to a braille seminar Dad?"
„Yeah, in fact I did. After my accident and after the hospital stay, I went to a blind school to learn to live without seeing."
Now Jeremy grinned „I think it´s kind of funny that adults go to school again"
Auggie realized that his son was getting older. He was now a school kid and he asked more questions. Their conversations went deeper and Auggie was wondering what was going to come in the near future.
The next morning in Langley Auggie was busy again. He had just read a couple of e-mails and was about to print out a sheet when his phone rang. It was Joan.
„Auggie, I need to see you. Would you please come to my office in 5 minutes!" She said before she hung up and ended the call.
Auggie was curious. What might his boss want from him? He had no idea. He grabbed his cane and made his way along the halls to the elevator. He felt for the button and listened carefully. When he heard the elevator stop and the door opened, he stepped into the elevator. His hands found the third button, he pressed it and seconds later he was on his way to the third floor and to Joan Campebell´s office.
The door opened again and Auggie set his cane in motion. He walked a few steps and knocked.
„Come in" sounded Joan´s voice through the door. He grabbed the door handle and entered. Auggie was perfectly familiar with the layout of the room and headed straight away towards the desk.
„Good to see you, take a seat" Joan said and Auggie felt for the chair before he sat down across from Joan.
„I have a job for you" Joan started the conversation
„I thought I already have one" Auggie quipped and grinned into Joan´s direction.
„I need you to go on a mission again. I need your help. There is nobody else I would trust to do this job"
Auggie smiled. He loved to hear that. After his accident he had often felt useless. A desk job was not what he had expected from his career, but given is limitations, he took every opportunity to get out of his office. After all and despite his visual disability, he was still a spy and he loved an adventure from time to time. He needed to prove that he still could do valuable work.
„Tell me more about that job" Auggie said trying now to meet Joan´s gaze.
„Well, it is a very special job and you are the perfect person for it. It requires special skills"
„What kind of skills would that be? Computer hacking, deciphering tricky codes?" Auggie was extremely curious.
„Well, it requires the skills of a blind person" Joan explained.
„Pardon me?"
Auggie was confused.
„Auggie, this is a special case. I seems like somebody from the blind community is involved into a dirty business with weapons. There have been illegal deliveries of arms to Iran. We have nothing concrete so far but it looks like the person is operating from the rehab centre.
„And that means...?" Auggie´s brain started rattling. Was he supposed to go back to the rehab centre where he had spent time after his accident? He love missions and challenges but in this case...
„Auggie, I want you to go to the rehab centre and check what is going on there. We will introduce you as a teacher for computer and IT lessons"
Auggie started to feel uncomfortable. Going on a mission was one thing but going to the rehab centre for the blind where he had spent six months after his accident in Iraq was something that he had not expected and something he feared.
Auggie had come to terms with his blindness, but spending time at the rehab centre, would bring back memories of things, people and situations he wanted to forget. In such an institution, the ubiquitous problems of being blind were hard to ignore and Auggie did not want to go back on a journey to his past, to the time, when he had to adapt to living without sight. Being blind had become normal and most of the time he did not even think about it. But as soon as he was with other people who did not know him well, he realized his limitations.
„When do I start?" Auggie asked and his expression showed, that he was not very fond of his next mission.
Joan looked at him and asked „Auggie, I know you quite well, what is going on? Is there something that I should know?"
Auggie shifted in his chair and fumbled with his folded cane in his hands. „Joan, I...I...I...don´t know ..."
„Who would be more inconspicuous than you Auggie? I know something is bothering you. So spill it"
„Well..." Auggie cleared his throat and continued fumbling with his cane „I...I..I am afraid that going back to the centre will bring back memories of times that I wanted to forget. I was there after my accident... and... I had a hard time adapting to this" he waved his hands before his eyes before he continued
„I know that I am the right person for that job, but I have to admit, that I am a bit scared to deal with the problems of being blind on a daily basis because I would like to forget that I am different, so to speak."
„I get it" Joan said and her voice was laced with sympathy. She appreciated Auggie for all his capabilities and even she was sometimes a bit hurt, when she thought of everything that Auggie had gone through.
„But I have to insist on you doing this job. There is no better person for that mission and you know that, too. I understand your feelings Auggie, but it is important for us to find out what is going on there. Giving the job to somebody who has to pretend to be blind is way too risky and it requires too much time and preparation and we don´t have that time."
„When do I start?" Auggie asked before Joan rose from her seat and put a folder with information in Braille in Auggie´s hand. Auggie took it and slid his hands across the Braille label.
„This is everything you need to know" She said and patted Auggie´s shoulder reassuringly.
Auggie stood, unfolded his cane and walked to the door. He was out in the field, but he was not as happy as he usually was, when he went on a mission. This mission was also something like a trip into his past and that was what bothered him.
Back home again, Auggie took the three steps to the entrance of his house, fished the keys out of his pockets and unlocked the door. Annie was still out, picking up Jeremy who had visited one of his friends right after school.
Auggie went into the kitchen, walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He needed some comfort to forget about his worries concerning the next mission. He sat down on the couch and was lost in thought when Annie and Jeremy finally arrived.
„Hey Daddy" Jeremy ran towards the couch and threw himself onto Auggie´s lap.
„Hello champion, how was your day?" Auggie hugged his son tightly after he had set the beer bottle on the coffee table in front of him.
„We learned the letters C and D today at school and I can count up to 50 now! Jeremy declared proudly. „And when I went home with Tom, his Mum made us chocolate muffins and we played with his new race-car track.
„Sounds like a great day" Auggie smiled and grabbed his beer bottle from the table to take the last sip.
Jeremy climbed off Auggie´s lap and walked up the stairs to his room. He put his school bag on the desk chair and then he made his way to his father´s desk in the room next door. He grabbed the fairy tale book in Braille and walked down to the living room again.
„Daddy, do you read a story to me, pleeaaasseee..."
Auggie could hardly resist. He extended his hand and Jeremy handed the book over.
„Which of the stories do you want to hear?"
„I love the story of the three ducks and the fox"
„Okay" Auggie slid his hands across the pages to find the right story. When he had gotten to the page he was searching for, his hands quickly deciphered the Braille bumps and he started reading: once there were three little ducks and their mother always told them to be careful when they went out because the fox was after everything that had wings and feathers...
Jeremy snuggled down on the couch next to his father and listened to the story. When Auggie had read the last sentence Jeremy asked.
„Daddy, at school I learn how to read and write, but if I want YOU to read what I have written I need to write Braille. Can you show me how to read and write the dots?"
Auggie was surprised about so much interest in his world. His son was very intuitive and very helpful as well. But his request to learn Braille really moved him. So he replied.
„Of course, I will show you how to write and read Braille if you like"
„Can we start now Daddy? I am so curious"
Auggie smiled
„Sure, just let me grab my stylus and slate and then I will show you how that works"
Auggie made his way up to his desk, felt for the first drawer, opened it and grabbed a Braille slate and his stylus. He walked down the stairs again and took a seat at the kitchen table.
„Come over and watch" he said turning his head into Jeremy´s direction.
The little boy padded over to his dad and sat beside him.
„First of all you have to insert the paper" Auggie explained and opened the Braille slate. Then he put a sheet of paper in, closed the slate and grabbed the stylus.
„Do you see all of these littles squares?" Auggie asked
Jeremy nodded but then remembered that he had to reply and said „Yeah I do. What are these for?"
„Well, every square is for a letter. You take the stylus and place a dot either in one of the corners, in the middle or a bit further down."
Jeremy now looked at his father´s hands and how Auggie placed a little dot in the top right corner, one dot in the top right corner and one below, and finally one dot in the top right and one in the top left.
„These are the letters A,B and C" Auggie said. He opened the slate, took out the sheet and turned it before he showed it to his son.
„That is awesome" Jeremy said. admiration lacing his voice. He looked at the little dots on paper, slid his finger across the bumps and asked.
„May I also try it?"
„Sure" Auggie inserted the paper again and Jeremy took the slate and the stylus out of his father´s hand.
„Where do I write the A"?
„Place a little dot in the top right corner" Auggie instructed
„Done" Jeremy said
„Okay, now place one dot in the top right corner and one below, and you will have a B. In the next square you place a dot in the top right and one in the top left corner"
With zeal, Jeremy followed Auggie´s orders. Then he opened the slate, took out the paper and handed it to Auggie.
Auggie´s sensitive fingertips quickly slid across the sheet and he was stunned. Jeremy had written every dot correctly.
„You did it" Auggie said and patted Jeremy´s head. „You are a real talent"
Seconds later, the door opened and Annie came in
„Hey, what are you two up to?" She asked.
„Mum, Daddy has shown me how to write ABC in Braille" Jeremy exclaimed. He was so excited that he could write Braille dots.
„Yeah, that is really neat" Annie replied and walked over to the table to admire hers son´s work.
„I guess I will have to learn that as well" Annie remarked. „Don´t want to be the only one here who does not have a clue of that"
„Great idea Honey" Auggie said and pulled her closer for a kiss.