Sleeping with sunglasses on
Yesterday, while waiting for my mother outside a massage clinic I noticed three blind masseurs: two were seated but one of them, whose head was tilted up and mouth wide-open, was obviously fast asleep. The third guy was also sleeping, but in a more comfortable and conventional position: atop an unused massage table and a folded bedsheet served as his pillow.
The quiteness of the place, broken only by the sound of the radio tuned-in to an afternoon drama series, made me feel like we were in a rural setting.
When the ‘third guy’ awoke I was curious to watch him move about in a familiar territory: When he arose his feet precisely touched the strap of his slippers on the side of the converted bed, then he put it on and stood up. I was impressed.
Before he proceeded he fixed his shirt and I noticed and thought to myself that he wore his clothes better than some of the guys I know with 20-20 vision.
Then he let me down by bumping into a narra sofa, but he quickly regained his composure and confidently walked the long hallway leading to a makeshift kitchen.
All those time a thought was lingering in my mind about asking them to describe for me how they imagine their surroundings, or me - talking to them, ‘look’ like. But if they were born blind then it would be a stupid query since these things I am asking requires visualization, which they have no idea. If they were not born blind,- like lost their eyesight recently - then obviously, it is still a dumb question.
When I imagine, it is always in ‘full color’. I’m sure they imagine too, so my question anew is: how?
Anyway, A woman arrived who, I presumed, worked there, am certain has something wrong with her vision otherwise she wouldn’t have looked at me -as she was approaching- like a bull whose about to charge.
After reporting to the receptionist she brought out her ‘ulam’ and went to the kitchen. When she came back after meal she picked up a cracker sandwich wrapper and a pair of scissors on the receptionist’s table. I’m not debasing her or being prejudicial or anyhing, I meant it in a good way when I thought that she’s the kind of pragmatic ‘manang’ who makes toothpicks out of discarded cracker wrappers…which she did.
