Singing Sunsets

The day was beautiful with its crisp coolness and warm colors of the early morning sun rise. The young apprentice marveled and smiled as she walked though the small farm community. As she walked, she came upon a man who was sitting on a bench facing the sun rise but not looking, just sitting. She walked up to him, he did not turn but kept staring off into the sun rise, occasionally closing his eyes. "Sir. ?"

The man continued to face the direction of the sun rise but answered her. "Yes, is there something you want?"

Winter Heart sat down next to him and looked at the sunrise, then looked at him. She noticed that his eyes were dull, and then realized that he was blind. "...Why do you sit here, when you can't see the sun rise?"

The man smiled and turned in Winter’s direction. "Who says that I can't 'see' the sunrise? I might not be able to 'see' it with my eyes, but I can feel its warmth upon my skin, and tell how far up it is. I don't need to see it with my eyes for the imagination has a much wider field of colors..." He turned in the direction of the sunrise and continued. "...I'm not saying that I don't miss being "sighted" but I have learned many other things by not being sighted."

"Thank you Sir., you made me realize something." Winter smiled and they talked about other events. Then she left the town near dusk with a new feeling and smiled.

The next day she walked into the next town. As she meandered though the small town she came upon an aviary of birds. A fascination of birds drew her towards the aviary. An old man sat at the entrance with two birds on his shoulders. One on one side and another on the next side.

The man got up and smiled, but when he spoke it was a little choppy so she had to listen a little more carefully than usual. "Ahh, good day, Mizz. Mah eh Help you with sommethin?" She paused and watched the two birds on his shoulders.

"I was wondering if I could take a look at some of your birds?" Just as she started to talk she noticed that his eyes darted to her lips. Then he smiled and nodded.

"Wite thiz way." Winter followed him into the large aviary. The two large birds on his shoulders almost immediately started to squak at the top of their lungs, hurting Winter’s ears, but the man did not seem to notice.

A small bird flew down and landed on Winter’s shoulder and looked up at her, she smiled. After discussing the price Winter walked out of the, aviary with the small bird and turned to the man to pay him. As she gave him the credits, she asked something that had been bugging her as she first got there. "Are you deaf?" As he read her lips he nodded.

"Yes, eh ham deaf, but eh did not used to beah. So eh know what they sound like." He smiled as he gestured to his large variance of birds. "Eh do at times misz havin mah hearin buah so iz life." He laughed "Eh think dat somethn' funny es eh can jus' pretend eh did not hear 'em say somethin' when eh did." They talked for most of the day and the she headed out to the next town by night fall.

As she sat under a tree, she reflected on the past two days. Each man could have been rude or dwelled on the past where they knew what they had. But instead they lived on and learned new things. She also noticed that with this, they can use excuses, that nessiarly did not need to be used. She shrugged and sat back, closed her eyes and felt the cool breeze flow accost her skin. She was glad to be alive.

...Winter Heart

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