Walk with Me: Part Two

Life's not fair. How many times did you have to read it in a book or hear it from another neopet to know it? And yet, you didn't really believe it until something bad happens to you. For some pets, it's not being allowed into go to their friend's party next weekend. Or not getting that item or article of clothing that some pets where sure they would die without.

     You didn't have to be a wise old geezer to know it. Life is just not fair. But for some pets like Tom, they had to learn the meaning of those words more sharply than other pets imagine. Tom learned by becoming blind.

     "I don't want to. I'm afraid." Tom sat on his bed, refusing to move an inch.

     "You're a terrible liar, you know that? You're not afraid, you're just stubborn."

     Tom shook his head. "I can't," he said.

     "You can," was the automatic response. "Now get up and let's go to school."

     Again came a shake from Tom's head. "I can't. I won't." Tom imagined the great pirate Lupe standing over him. Silver Streak's lip would be raised in the slightest bit of a snarl in his fierce determination. Silver had called him stubborn, but Tom knew that his older brother could challenge anyone in stubbornness, if his will was bent on it. Today, it was bent against Tom.

     "You can and you will. You don't have to have your eyesight for school. Use your other senses. Listen for noises that give you clues. Feel vibrations in the floor. And your sense of smell is an amazing tool when used properly."

     "But I don't know how to use my senses properly!" Tom wailed.

     Silver sat on the bed beside Tom and laid a large paw on his shoulder. "You'll learn," promised Silver. You'll get better as time will go on."

     Tom only snorted. "It's been a month since that last visit to the doctor and I haven't learned a thing about my senses in that time."

     Tom heard Silver Streak sigh. "It's our family's fault you haven't learned anything. My fault, really," Silver said in a depressed tone.

     Tom was shocked. "Your fault? But what did you do?" he demanded.

     Silver Streak furrowed his brow. "We've all let you sulk and be lazy for too long," he said. "I can't let you do that anymore. You won't be able to rely on us forever, Tom, so you're going to have to learn how to do things yourself."

     Tom knew he was right. Silver always seemed to be right. Kind of annoying, but also helpful, especially at times like this. "Well," Silver said as he stood up. "We're still going to school." Tom rolled his now pale, grey eyes. He wasn't looking forward to returning to school since Tara had pulled him out when his eyesight had started to fail.

     At that moment, Bonita entered the room. "Are you boys still talking?" asked the red Peophin. "Tara sent me up to see what is taking so long."

     "We're coming, Bonnie." Silver grinned at her. "It's just taking Tom a bit to get himself going this morning."

     "I still don't want to go to school," Tom said more to himself than anyone.

     "Oh come now, Tom!" said Bonita. "You can if..."

     Tom threw up his hooves in exasperation. "Good faeries!" he said. "I get it! I already got the lecture from Silver, I don't need it from you too."

     Bonita laughed. "Sorry, Tom. I should've known Silver Streak gave you the inspirational speech already." Silver Streak gave Bonita a wink, who returned it with a knowing smile.

     "Alright," said Tom, getting up. "I'll go." As Tom walked to the doorway, his hoof caught on a small object and nearly made him fall. "ARG! I am so tired of tripping over things and not seeing where I'm going!" he cried in dismay. Tom felt Silver and Bonita immediately at his side.

     "Relax, Tom," he heard Bonita say. "We won't let you fall while we're around." Bonita's tone had a comforting effect.

     Tom sighed as he stared into darkness. "I'll need a lot of help along the way," he said. "Will you guys walk with me?"

     Bonita gave her younger brother a hug. "Every step," she promised.

     ~*~*~*~

     It could be worse, Tom thought as Bonita lead him to music class. The neoschool halls were filled with neopets. Their voices seemed to fill the hall and Tom's head. He could hear one girl complaining about about a grade as they walked down the hall. Two neopets on the left agreed to meet after school to play Wingoball together. Another neopet practically squealed to her friends about the new makeup she received yesterday. A Uni no less, thought Tom. "It could be worse," Bonita said, echoing Tom's earlier thoughts.

     "You took the words out of my mouth," Tom agreed. "You know," he added thoughtfully. "It's actually kind of catchy."

     "Catchy?" Bonita sounded disgusted. "You call a nickname like 'Blind Tom' catchy? If it were me, I would be offended."

     Tom only chuckled. "Calm down, Bonita. You shouldn't be offended over something so little. Besides, it's true! I am blind. I can't change anything about it, so why should I be offended?" Bonita admired Tom's good attitude. He always saw the humor in everything.

     "We're here," she said. Bonita lead Tom into the music room. A few other pets already sat in chairs waiting for class to begin. "Good afternoon, Bonita, have a – oh! Why, hello, Tom! It's been a while since we last saw you here!"

     Tom recognized the voice that spoke. "Hello, Mrs. Surveil. How are you?" he said in the direction of the voice. Tom remembered the round green Koi and her bubbly personality.

     "Hehe!" Mrs. Surveil laughed. "I'm just fine, deary, thank you! I'm so glad you've returned to music class! Sit anywhere you like, honey!"

     "Thank you, Mrs. Surveil," Tom said respectfully.

     Bonita and Tom took a seat in the front row. After only a few fleeting minutes, the music room quickly filled up with students. "All right, dears. Settle down and let's begin," Mrs. Surveil said from the front of the room. "Let's warm up with scales." She then sat down at the old piano that sat alone in the corner. The moment she played the C Major chord Tom flattened his long ears and grimaced. Bonita noticed his scowl.

     "What's wrong?" she whispered.

     "The piano." Tom's frown became increasingly longer the more Mrs. Surveil played. "It's out of tune and it's going to make my ears bleed! Ugh!"

     "So tell her that," Bonita said.

     "Now?"

     "Do you want to keep listening to the piano?"

     "Ugh, no."

     "Then yes, now."

     "Do I have to do it?"

     "Of course! I can't hear a difference, so you have to be the one to tell her."

     "Aw, man."

     Tom cleared his throat. "Mrs. Surveil?" Mrs. Surveil continued to lead the class in scales. "Mrs. Surveil?!" Tom said a little louder.

     "La la la la – hm? Yes, deary?" Mrs. Surveil stopped.

     Tom stuttered a bit. "Er, M-mrs. Surveil, your piano is out of tune."

     Tom imagined her brow being furrowed as she said, "Are you sure, sweetie? I've been able to tell when a piano is out of tune in years past and this one sounds dandy to me."

     Tom nodded. "Yes. I'm sure." His confidence grew as he spoke.

     Mrs. Surveil played a note a few times over. "Well," she said. "Now that you mention it, it does sound a bit off tune. Dear me, I hadn't even noticed! Tom, honey, I'll call the tuner this very night to get this fixed. Well done!"

     Tom smiled and nodded. True to her word, Mrs. Surveil called the tuner that very evening.

     ~*~*~*~

     Tom lay on his bed, exhausted from the day. It had been nice, he had to admit, to return to school. Tom had seen, er... talked to his old friends again. Some sounded a little awkward and unsure of Tom's new predicament, but he had encouraged them by showing that he was still his trickster-self and they even laughed heartily at his old jokes. His teachers were willing to help him with his school and Tom's siblings and closest friends agreed to take turns reading the text books with him.

     Even so, Tom shifted uncomfortably on his bed. Now what? Tom had had dreams of becoming an artist, but how could he draw if he couldn't see what he was doing? The more Tom thought about it, the more frustrated he became. I can't draw. I can't see. I can't do any of the things I like to do! Tom's bitter words floated in his mind as tears began slowly dripping from his pale eyes. They were once a deep brown, but now they had a ghostly look that frightened both strangers and friends. "It's not fair!" he said aloud, trying desperately to choke back a sob. "All of my hopes, my dreams. They're gone, worth nothing now." Despair slowly crept over Tom as he buried his head in his pillow, softening the noise as he cried. "I'm worth nothing now." And Tom's sides heaved as he sobbed the last of his energy into a restless sleep.

To be continued...