Lauren Deatzy's New Secondhand Eye

• Vivian Morrice, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2015

When Lauren Deatzy was 10 years, two months and 17 days old, by entirely the fault of a toothbrush and a hair-clip, she lost all sight in her left eye. And, like any true 10 year, two month, 17 day old she was rather excited by the prospect… Something about eye-patches apparently.

So three days later when Lauren's father was telephoned by Susan the ophthalmologist (not optometrist, there’s a difference), it was a truly bitter-sweet moment indeed to learn her eye could simply be replaced. Because, at least according to Susan, Lauren’s loss of sight was a very special case. In fact she was the first recorded case ever where they've had this opportunity of replacement. So naturally, Susan was bound to get her name in a couple of history books.

Nine day later, Lauren found herself in the operation room at her follow up examination. Where, Susan was finally taking off Lauren's bandages, about to reveal her (hopefully functioning) new second hand eye. The suspense was building to say the least… and… and...
[Spoiler] the operation was a complete success but that didn't change the fact that the world resembled dreary mashed potatoes when Lauren used both eyes.

Confused? You aren't the only one. Lauren tried to get her head around this mashed potatoes phenomenon for a good 30 minutes before it clicked! She even resorted to the scientific method, just out of desperation!

It was a very interesting situation really. When Lauren used her original eye, let’s say to look at a pot, the pot looked how it always had. However, when she looked at the pot through her new eye, it was skewed. The colours, lengths, light and more were all completely different. That is when Lauren hypothesised that the original owner of her eye probably just saw things differently, and now, she could the see world through his perspective.

Literally.

Tragically, rather interrupting our pondering minds, the school-bell rang and Lauren had to go back to ‘learning’. In a strangely mundane fashion, Lauren found herself again surrounded by hundreds of other people. People, as she just recently found out, who saw the world in a distinctly individual way. And thus, people who were all profoundly different.

At 10:35 that very same day, Lauren witnessed two friends arguing over what colour their heading should be. One said blue, while the other said orange. Finally, in the true primary student fashion, they demanded the teacher to say who's right. Lauren presumed they both were.

By the beginning of lunch, Lauren’s head started to throb. Every single person around her saw things completely differently, yet all assumed to be right. And, because of the mashed potato phenomenon, she knew conflict was inevitable with any more than one view.

Lauren sighed. She moved her eye-patch so it sat over her original eye. She took a deep breath, and exhaled.

Looking out over the world in some else’s perspective, she went over to her friends and started talking about rag-dolls.