I Saw Everything

• Rose Collins, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2016

“How was your day Violet?” my mum asked me as she began to help me into the car.
It was a typical school day for me. Mum asking how my day was, attending school and chatting to my friends. But my life was different to most other teenage girls.
“Good, I guess…” I replied.
It was my regular daily response. It never changed. My life never did. I thought everyone with a vision impairment would respond like that. I should’ve considered myself fortunate for still having my other senses, my best friend and a loving mum but my life was more complex than you would think.
“Night mum!” I shouted out to her.
Mum was the only person who was there for me, except my best friend, Casey, everyone else bullied and insulted me. Eventually, mum came in and tucked me in.
“Have a good sleep, Vi and remember that you shouldn’t let people get to you,” Mum said as she kissed my forehead.
I nodded. She walked out of my room and closed my door. I always listened to mum. There was something different about that night. I went to sleep more shattered and confused than I had ever been.
I woke up in a sweat and in shock and immediately stood up out of bed and looked around. Something was different… I saw my feet? My bedroom? I saw everything? So many thoughts circled around in my head. Not caring, I frantically jumped around my room looking at everything. I couldn’t help but smile. Finally, after admiring all the features in my room, I knew there was something more important than just that. Trying to find my way around the house, I searched for the most important part of all, my mum. When I found her, all I could think about was how beautiful she was. She looked exactly like I imagined her. Everything did. My house, my room and even my mum. My life couldn’t get better. However, there was still one thing I was worried about…
“Move! Blind bat!” someone yelled out to me as soon as I stepped into the school gates.
I couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t they see I wasn’t blind anymore? I thought school would’ve been different. Not just how it looked, but how the people were. I immediately tried to find the toilets to hide. I knew that Casey would be at school any second, so I waited.
“Violet! There you are!” Casey said.
“Hey Case,” I replied.
She hooked her arm around mine and guided me to class.
What was going on? Couldn’t she see I wasn’t blind anymore?
I woke up this time and was unable to see my bedroom, my feet, my mum. My imagination had ran wild, my body was exhausted and my fantasy had come back to my reality. Being blind was the hardest thing about my life, but I learnt to live through it. Even if my mind goes a bit crazy sometimes… I saw everything.