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That night, Rin sat on her wheelchair near the window in her room. Hospital ward never gave her inspiration for a song, so she never sang there. She hoped when she got back home she could write some songs again, but now she was home, the atmosphere was not much different from the hospital’s. Moreover, it was even more depressing. Ever since she was home, her tears never stopped. She really wanted to write songs again but she couldn’t and could never ever again.

All of the sudden, Rin felt a pat on her head. It was impossible but the stranger really was coming again although she was home already. Rin found comfort and her burden being taken by the stranger’s presence and hugged tightly. Although everything left her, only this person stayed.

Days passed by Rin now home schooling. She couldn’t manage to go to the same school with her friends again for now she was a disable girl. But she was glad none of her friends forgotten her. Every day there would be one or two of her friends alternately visited her. Len was actually her classmate too, but she was glad he never came because she didn’t know what she would do herself if he did. Maybe strangle him to death. Her parents didn’t like him too, so entrance was not possible for him.

One day, Rin’s parents told her that they found a donor for her eyes. Rin was overjoyed by the news. The donor couldn’t make her able to write songs but she still very glad. She missed seeing the sky, the trees, the flowers, the rainbow, everything. She would finally able to see them again. Of course she would still trapped in a silent world but colors finally would come back to her, so it was okay.

That night when the stranger came, Rin told about the news and she got a loving pat on her head. Rin now had grown to love the pat on her head. Actually she always loved her head to be patted but she never told anyone about it and somehow the pat the stranger’s gave, she loved it much more. From the way she felt the stroke on her hand, she could tell the stranger couldn’t wait until the surgery too. Rin got another loving pat on her head when she said she would finally able see the stranger’s face.

The day of her surgery finally came. If only she didn’t get a loving gentle pat on her head the previous night, Rin might be very very nervous right now. She was now ready for surgery and entered the surgery room as her parents and friends waiting hopefully outside. Rin could feel the anesthesia in her mouth tasted strange and then she fell unconscious.

When Rin awoke it was night and her hands were being held but not by the stranger but her parents. They told her the bandage around her eyes would be taken off in a week and around that time her parents would stay with her in the hospital. Rin was happy her parents would accompany her, but she really wanted them to go home or the stranger wouldn’t visit her. Somehow the stranger wouldn’t visit her if she wasn’t alone. Rin passed through the week in boredom not being able to feel a pat on her head.

Finally, the day had come of Rin taking off the bandage. The bandage was removed and it was now on the table, Rin was ready to open her eyes. Slowly Rin opened the lid but closed it again immediately. It was too bright.

[Bright? How do I know it was bright?]

Rin opened her new eyes again. The light from the window fell to her new eyes. After she adjusted with the light she saw her parents, doctor, and some of her friends. They looked so nervous.

“Rin, how many is it?” The doctor wrote on her palm, bringing some fruits in front of Rin.
“Three.”
“What are they?” He wrote again.
“Bananas.”

And then all of the sudden she was hugged by everyone. They looked so happy, Rin herself cried out of happiness. Being able to see was much better than trapped in the world of darkness and silent alone.

To congratulate, her parents took Rin and her friends to a park. A beautiful park where flowers blossoms, good thing it was spring. Rin went with her wheelchair across the flower field looking so contented. She didn’t realize that she was having fun by herself and when she did she went back to where her friends were. When she got back, they seemed discussing something serious.

“What is it? What are you talking about?” Rin couldn’t hear her own voice.

A friend wrote on her palm. “Teacher said Len is moving. His father got a new job in other city.”

At the word ‘Len’, Rin felt her blood boiled inside her vein. Len was success in ruining her beautiful time even if he was not there.

“Moving? Why moving? Why doesn’t he just die?”

Rin went again to a bush of roses smelling the sweet scent while happily enjoying the pretty flowers. Before, she wasn’t really attracted to roses but after being trapped in the darkness for so long, everything was beautiful in her new beautiful blue eyes. If only her hearing would come back and to be able to walk in this beautiful field. If only…

(END)