Degrees of Sight (Excerpt) - Kimberly Fleek
An Excerpt from "Degrees of Sight", a new book published by Underground Media
Two days ago, the seventy year old man hobbled into the nondescript building, led by his patient and ever attentive son. The cataracts which completely whited out his eyes had rendered Abu incapable of seeing anything on his own, and twelve years of living in the dark had dampened his once joyful spirit. This previously strong and independent man had spent years working the fields and caring for his family, but his days now consisted of sitting on the floor of his humble wooden hut, watching the images that still played in his mind’s eye. He was blind, and any hope of seeing again had long since vanished.
Today the bandage was slowly removed, and the watching crowd held its breath. Abu’s head nodded backwards and shook a slight bit, and then he jumped as if startled. He saw the doctor who had performed his surgery standing in front of him. He saw her.
Abu turned his head a few degrees to the left, and He jumped again, astounded to see the chairs that sat directly in front of him. He had felt the objects with his hands as he was guided past them many times, but he had forgotten quite what they looked like. Turning the other direction, Abu shifted his gaze out the door of the tiny village clinic to the trees that were blowing in the tropical breeze. He shook his head from side to side then slowly nodded in recognition, almost as if seeing a long lost friend. How green the leaves must look to his long darkened eyes!
Abu looked to his right, and there he came face to face with his son. How different did his child look after twelve years of time had aged him? The eyes were the same; the mouth was the same; those were the same cheeks that Abu had pinched a thousand times. The laugh lines were etched a little more deeply now, though, and the weathering of his skin was more noticeable. A few gray hairs had grown out amongst the dark brown strands that Abu had lovingly stroked so many times. His son smiled. Abu remembered that smile, having seen it every day in his mind and longed for many years to see it again with his eyes. He began to cry.
Abu could see.