Standing on the crosswalk filled with people. Wielding a fine, polished metal cane in front of her, Arya, a young lady of twenty-two years old with brown eyes and blonde curls, stopped at a point just above her waist.
"Arya, the lights have signaled it's time to go. Let's hurry up, " an energetic voice spoke.
She uses her cane to tap the ground ahead of her as she walks, straining her ear's listening to the sounds around her as she takes each careful step on the road. Gripping tightly on her friend's arm in a sense of direction, she walked down the lane covered with red pants and blue stripes.
Taking large strolls, wanting to move as quickly as possible from the road, her movement slowed down when her friend cautioned her to take it easy.
"I don't want you to be late because of me," she said softly for only the two of them to hear.
"At the rate at which you are walking, you will miss your steps." Guiding Arya to the other side of the road.
"Have been like this for years now so it's nearly impossible for me to fall," she paused her movement when she felt her friend stop walking. "Erin, what is it? Why did you stop?".
It took a few moments for Erin to reply. Her entire focus was on the other person who was entering a cab.
"I thought I saw Alex".
"You said you were over him and that you are moving on with your life ".
"So, can someone not look at her ex anymore because they broke up." Erin rolled her eyes.
"No, you can't. With that lustful gaze of yours, that's called eye raping. "
She proclaimed, "Regardless of the language used, when I look at handsome men, I always admire their physical beauty,How did you know I was giving him the stare?"
"You're Erin, have known you too long to know what look you give men".
Arya facepalm. Why would someone be so obsessed with handsome dudes? Now she was more convinced that Erin needs medical attention.
When they arrived at the restaurant, there was a big signboard that had BLUE PEPPERS written on it. That was filled with baby breath flowers at the front entrance.
As they stepped into the restaurant, two people were sitting by the window sipping iced tea.
She aided Arya in settling down on one of the chairs, and then she peered towards the counter to look for her boss. The back doors opened, and mid-aged age with blonde curly hair came into view holding a tray of fresh steaks.
Going to the counter, she greeted him, "Morning Mr. Caris, " reaching out for the tray, she took it.
"Morning Erin, take that to table five," he said, wiping his hands on the apron he was wearing.
Dropping the dish on their table, she gave them a sweet smile and said, "Please enjoy your meal." They murmured a thank you.
Now behind the counter, standing in front of her boss, who was scolding her for bringing Arya to work.
"I told you to stop bringing her here. She's making the customers uncomfortable".
"Uncomfortable? How is she making people uncomfortable? She does nothing but sit down there all day," she tried to explain.
"That's the issue. She just sits there doing nothing." pointing out the obvious truth
"She's blind Mr. Caris. What do you expect her to do, wash dishes?."
How was he was going to make the girl understand that she continues bringing her friend? He was going to lose more customers.
"Mr. Caris, I can't leave her by herself alone, there's no-".
"Your problem, not mine. I don't want to see her here again and if you are hellbent on not listening, you leave me no choice but to fire you," said with a serious look on his face.
Erin watched the man exit through the back door, pulling her hair in frustration. "Argh!." What was she going to do? She certainly can't leave her at home nor can she bring her to work, damn this was all Xander's fault. Why did he have to travel?
Xander was a friend of theirs who works at an orphanage as a caregiver. The orphanage was a block away from their house. Dropping Arya there every morning under his care assured her that she was in excellent hands.
Getting another job in parks city was no joke and lots of paperwork, and in today's world companies only accept people who graduated from a prestigious university or people who have something else to offer, and she falls in neither of these categories.
Glancing at Arya, who was using the voice command on a phone to instruct it to find something for her. Erin's mind went back to the day she left Arya at home.
Coming back home, extremely tired and hungry, she took out her keys to open the door. Turning on the living room's light, she called out, "Arya, am home." Throwing her bag on the sofa, she walked in and headed to the bedroom when she heard someone sobbing, which came from the kitchen.
She panicked and ran into the kitchen. scattered broken pieces of glass spread across the floor that were stained with blood, and her eyes widened at the sight, searching for Arya as she was out of the picture.
She heard the sobbing again, following the sound until she got to the sink. Bending down, she found her cuddled like a ball racking herself back and forth, her face buried in between her knees.
Pulling Arya in her arms, she whispered, "It's okay now dear, am here nothing to be afraid of ".
Listening to Erin's comforting tone, she burst out in tears, hugging her friend closely, her tears disappearing quickly into Erin's top.
"I…. I….. was trying to get a glass of water from the dispenser, the glass slipped from my hands and broke". Her voice was barely audible.
"I left a bottle of water beside your bed. You could have just drank that instead of come all the way here. What if you got badly hurt? ".
Arya sniffed her nose." I thought of practicing the walk math you taught me ."
The walking path was a technique Erin taught her so she will be able to move around without any assistance, counting her footsteps from one place to another at a specific pace. And since they just moved into their new apartment, she had to teach her over again.
After the minor mishap, she told herself that in no occurrence must she leave Arya alone until she was familiar with the surroundings of the house.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she saw the two customers come, and it appeared that they were a couple. Putting a healthy smile as they continue walking to the counter.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but do you guys need someone to play the piano? " The man asked.
She was about to reply when an idea popped up in her head, and the smile.on her lips broaden. "No, mister, we already have a pianist. There she is. " pointing at Arya.
The couple turned to look at the person that had plugged her ears with earphones.
"But she's blind. How can she play?". The lady who stood beside the man questioned.
"Being blind doesn't hinder a person from doing what he or she loves doing". Erin retorted by giving her a dirty look.
The woman awkwardly smiled, not knowing how to reply. The man quickly settled the bills, and they walked out.
Twilight came soon as the day was coming to an end. The restaurant that was empty in the daytime was now filled with bussing customers from left to center.
In the mists of these people, they placed a piano in the right corner, giving the audience an excellent view.
Seated in front of the piano, Arya became more nervous, feeling the gaze of the people as her palms became sweaty. Placing her delicate fingers on the keys, it produced a light sound .
At the peak of lunch, waves of melody flowed from the piano area separated by crystal tassels.
The girl sat in front of the piano, her ten fingers flexed flexibly on the black and white keys, and a 'nighters' popped under her fingertips, like a magic sound, which was very intoxicating
The entire room was totally quiet. People kept on looking at the girl. How could someone who was unable to see play such a beautiful key?.
Then someone clapped, loud enough to bring everyone from their fallacy, and soon the entire audience joined, with some cheering.
Arya could not believe what she just played, the famous piece by Anespasto Pry. Happiness bobbled from her stomach, and finally, for once, she showed people that she was more than a blind, ordinary girl who had nothing to offer.
Erin, who stood beside her, screamed her lungs out, "That's my bestie!!". She shook Arya. "You did it, girl ."
Mr. Caris walked up to where she stood, facing the audience. "Our new pianist Arya Quinn. performed that wonderful piece you heard," giving Arya the limelight she deserved.
Meanwhile outside the restaurant, a not so suspicious car packed just across the street, it looks, Like the person knew precisely what he came there for choosing the right car to blend into the surrounding. The drive wore a black hoodie which blanketed half of his face, the night concealed him perfectly. His dark eyes which matched his appearance were fixed on the glass window of the restaurant, watching keenly on the play.
"You could do better than that. " he spoke while his fingers tapped to the beat of the keys, humming the song she played, which was strange because the distance between him and where the piano was positioned there was no way he could have heard it.