Page 8 - Contrast1962Decemberv1n1

"Oh no, I came to see your flowers ••~if it's all right with

you." He was bursting with eagerness. Does your mother

"What is your name ?"
"David peterson."
"Where do you live, David?"

"129 West John Street."
"Dontt you think you ought to go home?

know where you are?"
"Not exact 1y •••she cloesn't care .". David was beginning to

wonder if the flowers were worth all the agony of Mrs. Morris'

questiJounsst. then he caught a whiff of narcissus and he was over-
whelmed. "Mrs. Morris, where are the narcissus?"

"Over there."
David waitec1 for her to say more. "Where over there? Will
you t ake me to them?" He lifted his sightless, shining eyes,

pleading silently.
Mrs. Morris didn't say anything for a long time. David

slowly beca~ aware that she was studying him. He waited pa-
tiently. When she finally spoke her voice had a far-away,

unreal sound. "David •••what color is my dress?"
"I don't know. I can't see." He thought he had waited

long e"nCoaunghw.e look at the narcissus now?" He held out his hand

for her. Together t~ey walked over and knelt down on the edge
of the patch. She ~howed him the whole plant, just as he had

discove~ed the lilies of the valley for himself.
"Narcissus are white, aren't they, Mrs. Morris? ••arentt

they?"
"Yes, except for the little part in the middle--did you find

it? It is yellow." Her voice almost cracked.. A year fell on
David's arm. He put his hand lightly on her cheek.

"Are you crying?" His light touch scanned her face again.
"\!Jhyare you crying? ...B.ecause I~m blind? Don't cry for me •••
I can smell and feel the flowers and wh en you tell me the colors
you make a picture in my mind •••" He felt her arms close around
him; he snuggled a little closer to try to comfort her. He had
never seen a grown-up cry before except his mother~

"Did I do something wrong?"
"No...." She squeezed him. "David, do you think I could

learn to find my way around like you do?"
David's head bobbed up_ "What would you want to do that

for? You can see, can't you?1t
"Now I can, but •••my eyes are sick •••the doctor says they

won't get better. "
"Oh." David was taken back for a moment, then his face

brightened. "You'll be all right. Can we look at some more

flowers?"
Mrs. Morris cleared her throat and blew her nose. "Surely,

what would you like to see--there are hyacinths, tulips, mock
orange, dog wood, roses •••" Her voice trailed off as they

travelled to another spot.
It was the four o'clock whistle that brought them back to

reality. They haflgotten so engrossed in the flowers that they

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