All Eyes Blind

I used to wear glasses. Not so cool ones which I called Side mirrors. The wire framed ones which had those darkening lenses in presence of light. That was back in high school. I had a shoddy reason for wearing them. My eyes did not really have a problem. They just became itchy whenever I was in the presence of strong sunlight, some cheap bulbs, too near the television, our schools old C.R.T’s etc. See, it was a small problem. 

I started sporting them by mere chance. There was this mean chemistry teacher who hated me, and I hated him ten times more. This was the reason I skived his classes and never wrote any notes. I had resigned to a chemistry failure. The one day he had an awakening, he decided to check on how each and every student was faring. This was by taking all the note books and going through them while the owner stood on the side to explain the mistakes available. I knew I was cooked meat. I had no chance against the monster. I did not even have the chemistry book. He had these powerful slaps which made you feel as if you have been cornered looking suspicious by hungry policemen at river road in the dead of the night. They were really hot. My turn came, I walked up to him my palms sweating and my ears already having that distinctive ring. In my hands I had an exercise book, my form one exercise book whereas I was in form two the second term. I handed him the book and looked at my shoe laces intently as if they held the secret to immortality.

I did not anticipate it, I thought the time would be longer, a bruising slap landed on my left cheek. It was so hot my face reddened, and I am black! There was no way I could take another one. I walked out, rather ran out. He did not follow me. He sent a prefect to tell me to meet him at the principal’s office come Monday morning because it was already Friday afternoon.  I had to think fast. The meeting meant a suspension on the least or expulsion. I could not handle any.

Then a light bulb struck, ingenious idea not to be easily rivalled. That evening I went to see the school nurse complaining of aching eyes. She was not in any way an optician and whenever she was faced with a problem of the sort she advised you to go home and seek further medical attention. That is how Saturday found me home with severe eye problems. It did not take two minutes to convince dad and mum how I needed to see an optician A.S.A.P. I think I should pursue an acting career. Monday found me at some clinic in Machakos, accompanied by Dad. The optician was a Kenyan to the bone. Money minded. If he had the chance he could pronounce me blind since birth. He played by my tune and half an hour later I had my side mirrors. They cost 2500/=. The only cash dad could give for something he was not sure functioned properly or was really legitimate. He drove me to school and went back home.

Now it was my chance to beat the stupid teacher at his own game. I waited till his lesson was on then made my grand entry.  He asked me why I did not honour the meeting. I told him his slap had badly injured my eyes and I was coming straight from a qualified optician. I added that my parents were seriously considering pressing charges. The man chickened. I have never seen a grown ass man look so scared, I was thrilled. He told me to take my seat. 

My glasses did not last long. I broke them the next year, in a fight. I got involved in a fight after losing a game of poker to this dumbass. Poker was illegal, so was fighting. I could not force the sucka to pay me because he would be forced to explain the circumstances in which the glasses broke. I did not tell mum and dad either, not until later, very later. After high school. But my eyes were just fine all the time so they did not see the need of second pair of glasses. Neither did I.

Frame less glasse

Now my eyes have had it, after years of constant exposure to computers because my life revolves around them. They are hurting and they are giving me these silly headaches, writer’s blocks, high libido, mild deaths and a host of other medical paraphernalia .And now it’s for real. I know glasses are expensive, the ones I have in mind. Those cute frameless ones which make one look like a cool geek.  I know apart from aiding my sight they will increase my rating with the fairer sex. They cost somewhere between 10k and 15 k. That’s alot, for a jobless guy like me. I am out of my parent’s house so going back and claiming that I am going blind is hard, and weird. Soon I won’t be able to write or do any designing. I won’t be even able to watch a movie, or walk in the sunlight. It’s insane. Sooner or later ill swallow my pride, until then, who is ready to donate? There are some contacts in the author page at the top of this one. Click......