Michigan Fall Page 5

  Chapter Four

  Our journey home was enchanting. I was mounted on Oldie, Adam walking by my side, and Abby ahead of us.

  ‘So, what is your favorite meal Delilah?’ He asked.

  ‘I eat almost anything and you?’ I teased trying to get him to open up.

  ‘Everything, but I love boiled sweet corn and mashed potatoes.’

  ‘Yuk!’ I answered back.

  ‘What?' He asked sounding surprised. 'You don’t like mashed potatoes? Everybody I know does.’

  ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you Mister Holloway, but I don’t.’

  ‘What’s your favorite television series? ’I asked. I guessed everyone was hooked onto television, although, I heard the voices, I still couldn’t comprehend people speaking through a box right inside our living room.

  ‘Gillian’s Island,’ he replied.

  ‘What’s it about?’

  ‘Well, it’s based on the crew and passengers of a charter boat S.S Minnow who get shipwrecked on an inhabited island where they attempt to survive.’

  ‘Do they get to get off the Island?’ I asked.

  ‘I don’t know because it’s still airing.' He answered in reply.

  'I hope they finally do get home.’ I said trying to sound concerned.

  ‘So Delilah, convince me.’

  ‘It is Leila by the way,' I corrected, 'and what do you mean I convince you?’

  ‘Convince me about you.’

  ‘Ah, you want to know about my life?’

  ‘Yes as a matter of fact I do.’ he replied.

  ‘There is nothing interesting, really, sorry to disappoint you.’

  ‘Or maybe you haven’t lived it yet.’ He said.

  ‘So, you’re a genie now?' I asked 'here to grant my wish?’

  ‘Maybe’

  ‘Okay, but first let’s hear yours, and then maybe I will tell you mine.’ I said. I was desperate to hear his story.

  ‘Alright then, hard nut, my full names are Adam William Holloway the third.’

  ‘Oh, that’s kind of interesting already,' I interrupted. 'So, tell me, who’s the first and second?' I teased,

  ‘My grandfather and my father respectively’

  ‘Is there a fourth?’ I asked.

  ‘I am certain he just might be hiding somewhere in my loins.’ He added with a chuckle.

  ‘That’s very silly of you to say.’ I said trying hard not to seem amused by this remark.

  ‘Where’s Abby?’ I asked realizing I hadn’t thought of her in the last couple of minutes.

  ‘I am here’ her voice came to me about ten yards ahead of us. ‘Worry not about me.’

  ‘So back to you Adam William Holloway the third, let’s get to know more about you and please do spare me the ‘your family blames my family for your blindness’ story.’

  He burst out laughing, and what a sweet sound his laughter brought to my ears.

  ‘Okay, how old are you?’ I asked.

  ‘Twenty two’

  ‘And you?’

  ‘Seventeen’ I answered in reply.

  ‘You kind of look fifteen to me, are you sure you are seventeen?’ He asked.

  ‘You my friend, on the other hand mister Holloway might be fifty, I can't see remember?’

  ‘Feel my skin then?’

  ‘No! I won’t.’

  ‘But, you wish to prove my age.’

  ‘Alright, listen,' I interjected, 'let’s just say you are twenty two since you are more than eager to prove it, then what else is there to know about you?’

  ‘Well, I play for the Michigan Wolverines football team at right halfback and I sing too.’

  ‘Really! That’s kind of odd,’ I replied, ‘a football player who happens to sing and before I forget, is also pursuing a law degree. You are a puzzle Adam William Holloway the third. I’m not sure you are safe to be around. What about family? You’ve hardly spoken about your family?’ I quizzed.

  ‘I never knew my mother, she left soon after I was born. I never really got to know why and Pips never speaks about the subject. It seems to hurt him just to mention her name. So, anyway, Pips raised me on his own, mostly away at my grandpa's in Burlington, Vermont.’

  ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘No, you don’t have to be, I have had a pretty decent life, although I miss knowing who my mother is or was for that matter. Okay, enough about me, now your turn.’

  ‘Well' I began, 'growing up, for a while, I thought everybody else was blind and that there were just a few people who could see, but soon, I started to ask about person after person in our family and among our friends trying to find out who was blind and who was not. This was because every time we went to the grocery store with my mother, I could hear whispers all around us, ‘What’s wrong with the little girl.’ Gradually I came to realize that I knew more people who could see than who could not. It was very hard on me after that. I kept wondering what it was that was wrong with me. But anyways, I’m so thankful for my family that they took me through school. I got to know other blind children and adults so I did not feel isolated or alone anymore. Finally, I began to feel good knowing someone else too shared something common with me. And while at school, I learned to read Braille, I also became interested in knowing how sighted people read, what they saw and how they perceived the world around them. Of course I got teased a lot by peers and some rude teachers about my blindness, but soon, I realized it wasn’t a problem to be born blind, or that I was different from people who had functioning eyesight, rather, it was how they were different from me than how I was different from them.’

  ‘That was deep.’

  ‘Shut up Adam.’ I shot back.

  ‘No honestly, it makes me want to know you even more.’ He said. I hadn’t expected him to say that. I had to change the subject.

  ‘So mister, what can you sing for your royal highness mounted high up on this regal donkey?’ I asked. Reader, what Adam did next took my breath away.

  ‘Aright,' he said, 'I have been thinking about singing for you one of my favorite songs. It’s a song by the Everly brothers called 'all I have to do is dream'.’

  ‘Go on’ I said I was of the view he was just kidding.

  Then he began to sing. His voice sounded so sweet, sending me into a trance.

  Dream, dream, dream, dream

  Dream, dream, dream, dream

  When I want you, in my arms

  When I want you and all your charms,

  Whenever I want you, all I have to do, is

  Dream, dream, dream, dream

  When I feel blue, in the night

  And I need you, to hold me tight

  Whenever I want you, all I have to do is

  Dream

  I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine

  Anytime night or day

  Only trouble is, gee whiz,

  I’m dreaming my life away.

  I need you so, that I could die…

  Dear friend, I wish I hadn’t asked him about his singing nor about anything because before I knew it, my heart was enveloped in Adam’s sweet notes erupting into a volcano of feelings. Adam William Holloway the third had just swallowed up my feeble being.

  ‘Hey, what do you think?’ He asked as soon as he was done. ‘I hope you liked it.’

  ‘It was wonderful, marvelous,’ Abby’s voice answered sparing my blushes.

  ‘Thank you Abigail.’ he replied.

  ‘The pleasure is all mine.’ she answered right back.

  ‘Okay, let’s get you down from there,' Turning to address me, 'you, are almost home. I wouldn’t want to trespass onto your property a second time.’ He said helping me down from the donkey.

  ‘Thank you.’ is all I could muster my voice to say extending my hand for a handshake. Instead, I felt a soft warm wet kiss on my cheek sending spasms throughout my body.

  ‘Will you come to service this Sunday?’ He whispered into my ear before adding loudly,

  ‘Goodbye mi ladies, it was a pleasur
e meeting you both.’