I can see you

On a warm evening Sheila was sitting outside on the balcony listening to the birds chirping eager to return to their nests after a long day just like her father who would be returning home soon today as he had promised in the morning. After a boring day at home, all she wanted was to relax and spend time with her father. Therefore, she loved the evenings when her father would return home early from the office and bring her snacks to eat from the local bakery.

Being blind from birth she was home schooled and went out only on weekends when her father was home. Hence, during weekdays she waited eagerly for her father to return home and explain her animatedly about all that he saw during the day. It was just Sheila, her father and her grandmother in her home after her mother passed away giving birth to her. Therefore, she loved her father very much and missed him throughout the day.

As it started getting a little cold Sheila was about to get up and go inside when someone placed a warm clothing on her shoulders. She touched the hand on her shoulders and recognized it was her father wearing her favourite sandalwood perfume on him.

"Daddy you are home. I was waiting for you. I missed you a lot. What have you got for me today?" said Sheila excitedly.

"Hi sweetheart, I missed you too! Today I've brought you good news."

Sheila felt her dad sitting beside her on the bench. She held out her hand, took her father’s hand, and kissed his knuckles.

"Good news, what good news daddy? Is it about your promotion? Or have you finally changed your mind and buying me a dog?" she said giggling.

"Hmmm no, it’s not anything that you are thinking. Moreover, I have told you no dog in this house. I do not like them. It's good news about your eyes."

"…my eyes? What do you mean daddy?"

"You will be able to see soon my dear. You will have an eye transplant soon. You will be able to see this beautiful world soon through your beautiful eyes."

"Daddy, please stop joking. You know it is not going to happen. We have tried twice with the cornea transplantation and it has not worked out both times. My body rejected them both times. What makes you think I'll get my vision back now and see this world?" she asked in a sad tone turning away from her father.

"This time I think it will work Sheila. The eye donor is a good match. I'm quite sure you will be able to see soon."

"Really?" she asked brightening up. "Will I be really able to see this time Daddy? Will it really work this time?" she asked in a voice laced with hope.

"Well I hope so sweetheart" whispered her father.

"Wow! This is a real good news Daddy," said Sheila in an excited voice bouncing on the bench. She got up and hugged her father tightly. Then suddenly Sheila became sad, touched her father’s cheek, and said "But Daddy it is a bad news for the family of the donor right. I'm feeling very sad for the family."

Petting her hair her father exhaled a loud breath and said, "It is my dear. But we cannot fight fate now can we?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes Daddy. But I'm still feeling sad" said Sheila with glassy eyes.

"Hmmm" After a long pause, her father asked her "Sheila I want you to promise me something. Will you promise me?"

"What is it Daddy? I promise. Tell me what is it?"

"Promise me you'll accept the transplant no matter what happens and what you hear. I want you to come see me once you will get your vision. Do you promise?"

"Yes Daddy. I promise. And of course I'll come see you as soon as I can see Daddy" said Sheila.

"Ok then go inside and tell your granny the good news and tell her I'll meet you at the hospital" said her father kissing her on the forehead.

After Sheila heard her father's retreating steps, she got up, took her walking cane, and went in search of her granny. When she was about to enter her granny's room she heard her granny sobbing. She went near her granny who was sobbing on the ground, hugged her granny, and asked, "What's wrong granny? What happened and why are you crying?"

Her granny hugged her tightly and said "Oh! Sheila, what has happened? Why is this happening to you? First your mother and now..." sobbing loudly.

"Granny..! Granny..! What happened tell me? Tell me Granny?"

"Sheila I just got a call from the hospital" hiccup "Your father passed away. He had a cardiac arrest in his office and was on the way to hospital." hiccup "Now he's no more my dear. No more" said her granny sobbing more and more.

"Granny, stop joking and stop your acting. I know daddy put you up to this. He had just come from office and told me that I will be getting an eye transplant and left to the hospital. He told that I should give you this good news and we should leave for the hospital soon. Stop your acting; come let us go to the hospital. Daddy has already left," said Sheila pulling her granny up.

"No dear I'm not joking nor acting. Your father's friend Ravi just called from the hospital and gave this news."

"Oh come on granny you know daddy. Daddy must be trying to play a prank on you like always. That is why he might have asked his friend to call you and tell like that. Come let's go. Daddy is in hospital."

"You think so Sheila. Hmmm maybe that idiot is trying to play a prank on me. He always does that. I think he wanted to cover your good news. Maybe that is why he played this prank on me to surprise me later. That idiot! He will never change," said granny getting up.

Sheila and her granny took an auto and left for the hospital. When they reached hospital, they met her father's friends and colleagues who seemed to be crying and were offering condolences to her and granny. She thought that her father might have asked his friends to continue playing the prank.

Her father's best friend Ravi came, hugged Sheila, and said sobbing "Oh Sheila my dear. This was not supposed to happen. It is unfair. Cannot believe he left this world and left you."

Sheila was angry that the prank was continued. She shouted on Ravi and said, “Enough. Stop playing the prank. Take me to daddy right now."

Ravi stepped back, looked at Sheila, and thought 'The child must be shocked after hearing the bad news. She thinks it is a prank. She is not ready to believe it. I feel bad for her.'

He said "Ok my dear, come I'll take you to your daddy" and took her to the hospital morgue where her father's body was kept.

Sheila was shocked after discovering her father was dead indeed. She could not believe it. She realised it was her daddy's soul that met her after his death and that's why he said she'll get her vision for sure this time for He was the eye donor.

She sobbed loudly hugging her father's body and said "Oh! Daddy how could you do this? I am devastated by the 'supposed to be good news' you gave me Daddy. I am not happy. And I'm really sad for the donor's family"

As promised to her father Sheila got the eye transplant done and it was a success this time. Two days after the surgery when she was able to see partially she visited the hospital morgue to see her daddy. After she saw her father's dead body shedding tears Sheila said, "I never thought I'll see you as a dead body Daddy. Nevertheless, I am happy that finally I am able to see you. I can see you Daddy. I can see you."