Zac tentatively let his hand roam over the cool stone wall. He smiled as the almost-smooth surface scraped gently against his palm and fingertips. Opening his eyes, he turned to share the simple joy with his friend.
But once his eyes settled on him, he frowned and started to feel the familiar guilty feeling that always seemed to encase him when he was around.
"You're doing it again." His friend chided gently. "You're thinking too much about it."
Zac sighed and nodded, "I am." He confessed quietly.
They settled back against the concrete steps, side-by-side, and stared off at the sunlight glittering through the openings between the bright green leaves of the trees. "Jakob?" He asked quietly.
His friend tilted his head slightly, "Hm?"
"Was there a time when…" He stopped. "Did you ever…" Again his voice faltered. "Were you ever able to…"
Jakob smiled to himself. "Was there once a time when I could see?" He finished for his friend.
Zac laughed quietly, "Yeah." He said sighing to himself as his hands wringing tightly and nervously in front of him.
He nodded carefully, deep in thought, "When I was very young I had sight." He admitted softly. "But it's been so long, so many years have passed by that I don't remember what anything looks like."
"When did you start forgetting?" Zac asked curiously, remembering the time when he first started forgetting what people and things looked like.
Jakob shrugged, "Probably about two or three months afterwards."
He turned to look at him, "What caused it?"
"Meningitis," He replied, his face turning solemn. "I was really young when I got it, and it damaged my sight."
Not knowing what to say, Zac kept quiet, and Jakob continued on.
"I was really lucky though." He said smiling faintly, as if it were almost a difficult task to do such a simple thing. "Most mainly lose their hearing, I only lost my sight."
Zac cocked his head to the side and stared at him. "Would you trade it?" He asked suddenly. "Trade seeing for hearing?"
Jakob was thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "I need to hear people." He turned and smiled brightly at him. "I need to hear music."
Grinning Zac stood up and helped his friend up as well. "Come on," He said happily. "We've got classes to teach, and people to help."
"I still can't believe that you're working at Seymour Groves, Zac." Jakob said laughing. "And as a music teacher!"
Zac laughed as well, "Well," He started, "I love it here. I didn't want to leave it all behind and forget about it."
Jakob slung his arm around his shoulders, "I don't think you could if you tried."
No, Zac thought soberly. I never could. His eyes scanned the area around him. Not this place.
"Besides," He said out loud, smiling as he slung an arm around his friend's shoulder as well. "I know more about music than you."
Jakob grinned, "Of course." He agreed, then looked at him slyly. "But I can still tell a few stories about you when you first came here."
Zac smacked a hand against his own face and groaned. "I didn't know ok!" He said in exasperation. "It was my first time trying to read public signs in Braille."
His friend laughed loudly. "Still, when I heard that shriek from Mrs. Thompson in the ladies room!" He said laughing even more.
Reluctantly, Zac started to laugh as well. "She would've thought I was a girl until she saw I wasn't going into the stall!"
Jakob had to stop walking, and was bent over from laughing so hard, his face red from the strain. Zac's face was bright red as well, from the humiliation and humor of the event.
Once they had both settled down, they started their trip again to the main building. "I'll see you at two, right?" Zac asked as their shoes squeaked down the waxed hallway.
Jakob nodded and stopped in front of his door, Zac walked one door down, and they both entered their classrooms simultaneously.
"Good afternoon." Zac said cheerfully, his eyes scanning over his class. "This is Music One-O-One." He announced, "And I, Zac, get to be your teacher for today."
He was about to continue on when there was a light knock on the door. Mentally sighing at the interruption, he went and opened it.
A small girl stood there. Not small in age, no she was a young teenager, but small in height. A good two or three inches shorter than he was. "May I help you?" He asked politely.
Her head bobbed nervously, "I'm here for music." Her voice said quietly. "Is this the right room?"
Zac smiled, "Yes, it is. Why don't you come in?" He said holding his hand out to her.
It took a few seconds for her to find his hand, but she relaxed slightly against his touch.
He gave her a seat at the front of the classroom, before starting back up with introducing himself to the class, and teaching again. Occasionally he would sneak glances at his newest student, she was fidgeting noticeably in her seat, but her face was void of all emotions.
It was as if she were a toy that you wound up. The body would mechanically move, but the face always stayed the same. Never changing…
