A Blind Date

Jorge: “I wish I had not agreed to this. But my parents think it is better than staying at home another night, reading one of my new books. There's a website that has been printing and selling some amazing books by new, up-and-coming authors. Oh, why do I have to go out instead?”

Frances: “This is just dumb. He'll take one look at me and think I'm ugly, then turn around and walk away. This is so utterly pointless. Maybe I can just excuse myself after a few minutes and go home. I just hope it won't hurt his feelings.”

Jorge: “I have showered, shaved, and dressed. To say I am nervous is putting it mildly. I have not been out on a date in a long time. And this time we haven't even met beforehand. I hope she won't mind that I'm a little rusty.”

Frances: “I've gotten ready. My long hair is soft and wavy. My mother helped me put on an emerald green satin minidress. She says I look beautiful in it and that my blind date won't be able to keep his eyes off of me. I just hope our personalities mesh, rather than clash. My last date was a complete failure. I got home from it and just cried my heart out, while my mother hugged me and told me that the next one would be better. I didn't want there to be a next one. But finally there is. I just hope this isn't a big mistake.”

Jorge: “I haven't worn this suit in a long time. Not since prom night in high school. I didn't think it would still fit, but it does. My dress shoes still fit, too. I hope my blind date will like how I look.”

Frances: “My mother drives me to the meeting place. It's at a cafe, and next door is a bookstore. She says that she'll find somewhere to sit in the cafe, but not too close to me and my blind date. She'll order a coffee and do some work with her laptop computer. She thinks I'll do just fine. I hope she's right.”

Jorge: “My brother drops me off at the cafe where I'm meeting my blind date. He's going to the bookstore next door. The cafe sounds crowded and busy. I hope I'll be able to find her or she'll be able to find me. I wish we'd picked a place with fewer people in it.”

Frances: “My mother says, 'There he is.' I ask her what he looks like. 'Tall, short dark hair, nice suit. I think he's looking for you.' I ask her to take me to him.”

Jorge: “A woman's voice speaks to me. 'Jorge Dominguez?' I nod. She places a hand against mine. I instinctively hold it in mine. It doesn't feel like a woman's hand. It feels like a girl's hand. 'Meet my daughter, Frances. There's a table nearby where you can sit and talk.' We sit down and then it seems to be just Frances and me. I say hello. She says hello. 'Have you been on a blind date before?' I ask her. She laughs softly. 'All my dates have been blind dates,' she says. 'Same here,' I say. 'You sound really nice.' 'So do you,' she says.”

Frances: “I reach out toward him, touching his hands on the tabletop. 'You have strong hands,' I say. 'Runs in the family,' he says. 'My father is a carpenter. He has his own workshop where he builds all sorts of wonderful things. Ever since I was little, he made me wooden toys. What about your mother? What's she like?' 'She's a teacher,' I say. 'She teaches sign language. I've heard that she's really good. Her students really like her.' 'I learned from my parents,' he says. 'Like how Helen Keller learned from her teacher. They were really patient, because it wasn't easy at first. And then I got used to it.' 'Show me,' I say. 'Give me your hands,' he says. I hold them out to him and he holds them in his hands.”

Jorge: “I say, 'You have really nice hands. Both soft and strong.' She says, 'Thank you. You have nice hands, too.' 'Have you ever had a conversation just with your hands?' I ask. 'Mostly with my parents,' she says. 'My friends at school prefer talking like you and I are.' 'Want to with me?' I ask. I can feel her make a fist with one hand, hold it horizontally, and move it up and down: Yes. 'What do you want to talk about?' I sign against her hands. 'Anything, as long as it isn't too personal,' she signs against my hands. 'What would be too personal?' I sign against her hands. 'Past relationships?' 'If you mean, have I had a boyfriend before, no, I haven't,' she signs against my hands. 'Have you had a girlfriend before?' 'No,' I sign against her hands. 'Most girls don't want to date a boy with vision problems.' 'I've had the same problem,' she signs against my hands. 'Once they find out that I'm blind they lose interest in me. You're the first boy who doesn't mind.' 'Because I'm blind, too,' I sign against her hands. 'It's easier to empathize when you're experiencing the same thing.' 'Definitely,' she signs against my hands."

Frances: “I try not to laugh, and he signs against my hands, 'What's so funny?' 'I never thought I'd meet a boy like you,' I sign against his hands. 'And I never thought I'd meet a girl like you,' he signs against my hands. 'Are you hungry?' 'Yes,' I sign against his hands. 'Mom?' I call out loud. She comes over. 'Do you need any help?' she asks us. 'We want to order, but you'll have to tell us what's on the menu,' I say. 'No problem,' she says. I hear her pick up a menu and read what the choices are, from appetizers to salads to entrees to desserts to drinks. Jorge and I order and the waiter signs against our hands, 'Thank you for your orders. They'll be ready in about fifteen or twenty minutes. I'll be back with your drinks soon.' The waiter leaves the table. 'I wish you could've seen him looking at you, Frances,' my mother says. I can feel myself blushing. 'I hope he wasn't staring,' I say. 'No,' my mother says. 'Need any other help?' I shake my head. 'Thank you, Mom,' I said. 'Anytime, sweetheart,' she said and went back to her table.”

Jorge: “I sign against Frances' hands, 'You have a very nice mother.' 'I know,' she signs against my hands. 'I couldn't ask for a better one. I bet your parents are really nice, too.' 'They sure are,' I sign against her hands. 'Things would've been much worse without all their help.' 'Can they see?' she signs against my hands. 'Yes,' I sign against her hands. 'I'm the only one who can't. Can your father see, or is it just your mother?' 'Both can see, but Dad is nearsighted,' she signs against my hands. 'He almost lost his vision entirely but he got an operation just in time.' 'Must be nice to be nearsighted,' I sign against her hands. 'I don't know,' she signs against my hands. 'I don't think being blind is so bad. Not with parents like mine. And friends like you.' 'You're right,' I sign against her hands. The waiter returns with her drinks, and soon after he brings our food. We thank him. 'A toast?' I sign against Frances' hands. 'To what or to whom?' she signs against my hands. 'To you,' I sign against her hands. 'What about to both of us?' she signs against my hands. 'Even better,' I sign against her hands. 'A toast to us both. May we stay friends forever.' 'Forever,' she signs against my hands and we carefully tap glasses and take sips from them.”

Frances: “We keep signing in and around eating. I sign against his hands, 'I'm glad I went on another blind date. Because I got to meet you.' 'Likewise,' he signs against my hands. 'Do you want to talk out loud again or keep signing to each other?' 'I like signing instead of talking,' I sign against his hands. 'So do I,' he signs against my hands. 'So where do you want to meet the next time?' 'Anywhere you like, but you'll have to let my mother know where it'll be,' I sign against his hands. 'What about the botanical gardens?' he signs against my hands. 'We can sit on the bench, feel the breeze, and smell the flowers.' 'I'd like that,' I sign against his hands. 'You're really nice, Jorge.' 'So are you, Frances,' he signs against my hands.”

Jorge: “We kept signing and signing and signing. She's just so much fun and interesting to sign with. But eventually her mother said it was time for them to go home. As far as I can tell, our blind date was a success It didn't really matter what we looked like after all.”

Frances: “I'm so glad that we're going to have another date. I love being in gardens. It's easy to touch and smell the trees, bushes, plants, and flowers. My mother was very happy when she drove us home. Dad was happy too when I told him about the blind date."

Jorge: “Before we said good-by and went our separate ways, we exchanged email addresses. Her mom wrote down mine, and then wrote Frances' on a slip of paper for me. When we get back home, my brother can tell me what Frances' is. Since we both have Braille keyboards, we can send messages to each other. I sent her one just a few minutes ago. I'm waiting for the 'ding' sound that tells me that I have a new message in my email inbox."

Frances: “He sent me an email message today. It was very sweet. Sometimes I wish I could see him with my eyes, but maybe it's better than I can only see him with my heart. I told him so in my reply message.”

Jorge: “I agreed with her. Who needs eyes anyway when you can see with your heart?”

Frances: “It's wonderful having someone I can communicate with via emails. He isn't just really nice, but also really smart. Maybe he'll help me with my math homework. I've been having trouble with a recent Calculus assignment.”

Jorge: “No problem. And in return she can help me with my English homework. We're studying Shakespeare's play, 'As You Like It'. It's one of my favorites.”

Frances: “It's one of mine, too! I wish tomorrow was already our next day together. I'll try to be patient. Take care.”

Jorge: “You, too. Meet you in the lunchroom at school tomorrow?”

Frances: “Definitely. Sleep well.”

Jorge: “You, too. Hope you'll have happy dreams.”

Frances: “Hope you will, too. Thank you again for a wonderful blind date. Good night, Jorge.”

Jorge: “You're welcome. Good night, Frances.”