DESTINY ESTATE, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE.
Ayanate wiped a streak of sweat that coated her brow with her right hand. It had been a really hectic day for her. Her head throbbed.
As was her routine, she had woken up at 4 a.m. and had her morning devotion for one solid hour before diving into the day's activities.
Since her brother, Preye, had moved out of the family house, most of the house chores, if not all, had become her burden to bear.
The only times she got a bit of relief from the workload were times when her mother didn't crow alongside the dawn cocks in a bid to get to work early or if her brother came home to spend the weekend. On other days, she would be the only one to vacuum the floors, do the dishes, the laundry, and attend to other things.
It wasn't like she was complaining. But sometimes, it could be challenging, especially on mornings when she woke up reluctantly to the loud blaring of her alarm clock. She had intentionally placed it far away lest she be tempted to hit snooze. It was usually worse when she had forced her weary self to study late into the night despite having a really tedious day prior.
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Five years ago, at the time when she became visually impaired, her mother had employed a maid to run errands in Ayanate's place, going as far as washing her clothes and assisting her with almost everything else.
At first, Ayanate went along with her mother's arrangement because she didn't know how to cope with her peculiarity at that time. Becoming blind was something she never envisioned in her life and thus she wasn't emotionally prepared beforehand for the challenges that came with it. Because she wasn't in their shoes, her mindset had been that people with visual impairment or any other kind of disability were incapable of doing anything for themselves. How ironic that the table was now turned on her! The painful, yet not too unexpected, part was that her peers and even strangers she came in contact with were having a similar view like she formerly did. The warped perspective was all a result of misunderstanding and lack of proper education of the state of special people.
Ayanate had to be enrolled in a special school for the blind and visually-impaired for a program called, "Short Course". Her misconceptions were radically transformed and her depressed self was challenged for the possibilities that this seeming limitation afforded her. She began to perceive all physically handicapped people in a new and clear-as-crystal light. They weren't disadvantaged; they were special.
Two years after her sight issue began, her mother was the one who suggested that Ayanate should come out of her shell and sign up for a help program. Initially, Ayanate had protested, unwilling to face the trauma of battling the real world, but her mother stood firm on the decision. Mrs Righteous started out by making strategic inquiries to ensure that Ayanate would be comfortable in the school she had in mind and that she would face close to no trouble.
After booking an appointment through a phone call, Mrs Righteous met with the proprietor, one Mr David James, in his office. He sat straight, swinging his swivel office chair back and forth as he peered intently at her from beneath his wire-framed spectacles.
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"Ma'am, the first thing I must say is that this place is no wonderland. This is a place where only the strong and determined survive."
Mrs Righteous' enthusiasm and hopes of a slow-and-steady-paced learning environment that could pamper her daughter to maturity dimmed considerably. Ayanate wasn't cut out for this, apparently. Mrs Righteous almost regretted bringing Ayanate with her. One glance at her daughter who sat rigid beside her made her heart squeeze.
When she had soaked in the information with a deep sigh, the proprietor proceeded with a lengthy explanation of the system, both within the confines of the school and also in the broader world that wasn't smiling at the visually-impaired.
"However, madam," Mr David James continued emphatically, "these students' welfare is our priority. We go to great extent to ensure the well-being and smooth learning transition of each student under our custody, and this is why we have provided a conducive environment for them."
"But you see, quite contrary to popular view, we allow them to do most things on their own. Including mobility."
Mrs Righteous couldn't believe her ears. Mobility? For blind people? What in the world were they thinking?
"I beg to differ at this point, sir. It is pure cruelty to allow blind, innocent people to walk on their own," Mrs Righteous interrupted, scared and even simmering beneath her skin at the absurdity of their training style.
"Oh, and don't even tell me that you care for these people," she continued, gesturing accusingly, "because if you do, you would be more considerate. A blind person walking unaided is next to impossible. What if they get injured, or collide headlong into something dangerous? Allowing people who cannot see to be self mobile is like
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expecting a day-old foal to leap over barriers. This will only expose them to all manners of danger. I, for one, will not allow that to happen to my child."
The man was calm. He allowed her to talk while he simply smiled.
"It's because you don't have a blind child. If you did, you wouldn't sit down here, telling me some outlandish ideas!"
The proprietor sighed, leaning forward as he removed his glasses and looked straight into her eyes. His sunken, brown eyes looked understanding as he replied calmly, "But that's where you are wrong, madam. Actually, three of my five children are blind."
Mrs Righteous' mouth almost hit the floor. That was the gravity of her shock. Everywhere was pin-drop silent as though someone had knocked the wind out of the office.
When she slightly recovered, she stuttered, "Are you... are you saying that..." Her hands involuntarily went to her mouth. "Oh dear... I'm so sorry, I had no idea. I'm terribly sorry for my outburst. I shouldn't have spilled such nonsense. Oh goodness."
Mr David James hushed her. "That's okay. Reactions like this are not unusual and I can understand your plight.
I love all my children dearly and if I were in your shoes, I might have exhibited a worse reaction if I didn't know better."
"Um, thank you, sir, for your understanding. I didn't mean to..."
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The proprietor signaled her to stop with the wave of his hands.
"Like I said earlier, I totally understand. Come to think of it, my own situation is not the worst. I've come across situations where every member of the family is blind."
Mrs Righteous couldn't imagine how horrible life would be for such a household.
"Do you know that blindness could also be genetic? I've seen people that blindness runs in their family gene and almost everyone from the 4th or 5th generation is blind.
"But that's a topic for another day. Now, where were we?" Mr David James snapped his fingers. "Uh-huh, I was going to tell you about how these things with the visually impaired works."
The proprietor leaned back comfortably on his seat as he began.
"Indeed, we allow the blind and the visually impaired to be independent in most areas of their lives. This is possible because when a person loses their sight, which is part of the five basic senses of a human, the person's brain eventually rewires and enhances the other four senses to compensate for the missing one. What I'm saying is that, an average blind person has more abilities than you and I, who have no special need, to hear, feel, smell and taste.
"This is why they can carry out almost all daily tasks with a dexterity that is unrivaled, even by those who can see. Currently, most of our students are already naturals, while those who are just starting out are gradually getting a hang of it."
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To say that Ayanate and her mother were dumbfounded would be putting it mildly.
"Oh yes, Mrs. Green, your daughter has these untapped abilities in her and even more. It's just that she hasn't explored it. But once she does, she'll be flying like a bird."
"Now, I hope you know that I meant to say that last statement as a figure of speech? Since this is a bit of orientation, you might want to accept and believe everything I say hook, line and sinker but before you do, I just want to tell you that I haven't seen anyone who flies naturally," the proprietor grinned mischievously at the two of them. Mrs Righteous got the joke and chuckled.
"The International Eye and Ear Research team discovered that the brains of those born blind make new connections in the absence of visual information."
"That's true. I remember reading something close to that on the internet. They said that blind people have a greater grasp of their olfactory, taste and touch senses," Mrs Righteous chirped in affirmation.
"I'm glad this isn't strange to you. The study also raises some new questions. Does training cause the brain to make these connections? Or, does the brain’s ability to make these connections make further training possible?
"Perhaps both are possible. The researchers hope that this new knowledge can be harnessed toward more effective rehabilitation efforts for blind individuals. Even in the case of being born blind, there is still tremendous potential for the brain to adapt.
"Now, the pivotal question is, if this is true, why do we still need to help them in most areas of their lives?"
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"Hmmm..." Righteous compared the figures on record with the reality surrounding her and couldn't reconcile the two.
Where was the discrepancy in the equation?
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