Salam and Olla Lovelies :)
Well, I've decided for another story telling for today -
A story that I promise u guys wouldn't regret reading it. :)
It's a lil bit long maybe but umm, trust me,
it's worth reading.. :)
Let's rolllllllllll~~~~
Touched By Love
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with
the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her
hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told
her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane
against her leg.
It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis
she had been rendered sightness, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness,
anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt
condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, help-less burden on
everyone around her. "How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart
knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the
painful truth—her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over
Susan's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration
and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his heart. When she first
lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain
the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Mark's military
background had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this
was the most difficult battle he would ever face.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to
take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark
volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of
the city. At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless
wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Mark
realized that this arrangement wasn't working—it was hectic, and costly. Susan is going
to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of
mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she
react?
Just as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm
blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like
you're abandoning me."
Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised
Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it
took, until she got the hang of it.
And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all,
accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other
senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new
environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and
save her a seat. He made her
laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her
briefcase full of papers on the aisle floor.
Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a cab back to his
office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one,
Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her
own. He believed in her, in the Susan he used to know before she'd lost her sight, who
wasn't afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband,
and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and
his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.... Each day on her own went perfectly, and
Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself.
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying her fare to exit
the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you."
Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would
ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past
year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?"
The driver responded, "It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you
are."
Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, "What do you
mean?"
The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking
gentlemen in a military uniform
has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes
sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building. Then
he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."
Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For although she couldn't physically see
him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a
gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe—the gift of love that
can bring light where there had been darkness.
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