{"id":3394,"date":"2010-04-19T06:29:10","date_gmt":"2010-04-19T11:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/?p=3394"},"modified":"2022-01-02T07:35:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T12:35:33","slug":"covert-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/?p=3394","title":{"rendered":"Covert Warriors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The barista turned and cocked her ear, recognizing the familiar footfalls<\/span>\u2014one human, male, one canine, sex undetermined. <\/span>She <\/span>was the <\/span>ti<\/span>p of the caffeinated spear and took pride in <\/span>knowing <\/span>her regulars<\/span>, including each one’s drink, stride length and cadence.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The usual? <\/span>Gran<\/span>de cappuccino<\/span>?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Ha, <\/span>you\u2019ve got me nailed.<\/span> <\/span> Better make it a <\/span>v<\/span>enti<\/span>. Long night ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

She mixed th<\/span>e conc<\/span>oction <\/span>quickly <\/span>and handed the cup to the cashier.<\/span> Hope you enjoy<\/span> it<\/span>, sir.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Thanks, <\/span>smells great<\/span>.<\/span> He took a quick <\/span>sip. <\/span> <\/span>Mmm, awesome.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

She liked the soun<\/span>d of his voice. <\/span>He <\/span>was <\/span>youn<\/span>g but seemed <\/span>an<\/span> old soul.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

S<\/span>h<\/span>e<\/span> grabbed a towel<\/span> and started cleaning tables, moving <\/span>systemically<\/span>, <\/span>counterclockwise<\/span>,<\/span> until she was near his, the one by the window. <\/span>The dog\u2019s tail picked up the beat.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I t<\/span>hink he likes you.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s his name? <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Homer.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>I l<\/span>ove that show!<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I love that show too, but not that Homer. The poet.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh…<\/span>D<\/span><\/em>\u2019<\/span><\/em>oh<\/span><\/em>!<\/span> The<\/span>y<\/span> both laughed.<\/span> <\/span>What kind is he?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Uhh, a German shepherd\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

O<\/span>f course<\/span>, I<\/span>, I<\/span> should have known that. May I pet him?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, <\/span>he\u2019s a <\/span>guide dog<\/span>, but since he\u2019s not working<\/span>, feel free.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

She drew in a quick <\/span>breath. Oh, I\u2019m <\/span>sorry. I di<\/span>dn\u2019t realize<\/span> you<\/span>\u2019re<\/span>\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Blind? It\u2019s okay, <\/span>glad i<\/span>t\u2019s not <\/span>obvious. W<\/span>e don\u2019t all <\/span>wear <\/span>dark glasses<\/span> and <\/span>play the piano<\/span> like Stevie Wonder<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

She relaxed<\/span> and <\/span>slowly <\/span>reached down to pet Homer<\/span>, her fingers extended<\/span>, searching<\/span>. He readily accepted he<\/span>r touch and <\/span>stretched<\/span> his snout<\/span> upward<\/span> so she <\/span>could scratch <\/span>the <\/span>soft underside of his neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope you don\u2019t mind me asking, but you seem awfully young to be blind<\/span>. Were you born that way?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I <\/span>don\u2019t mind. <\/span>Been b<\/span>lind <\/span>since <\/span>August, <\/span>2006. <\/span>IE<\/span>D<\/span>, piece of shrapnel, right, here\u2026 He<\/span> pointed<\/span> <\/span> to the bone just under his left eyebrow. <\/span>Took out my left eye<\/span>, <\/span>sliced my <\/span>right optic nerve<\/span> in half<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh my God, I\u2019m so sorry.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

D<\/span>o<\/span>n\u2019t be. I lost my sight<\/span>,<\/span> but <\/span>I had <\/span>b<\/span>uddies <\/span>who lost more<\/span>.<\/span> I still have two good legs<\/span> and arms and a brain<\/span>. <\/span>All my other parts work, too<\/span>, h<\/span>e <\/span>smiled<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

She felt her face flush warm<\/span>.<\/span> Still, that<\/span>\u2019s a raw<\/span> deal<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>I manage<\/span>. Blind Rehab <\/span>and a good shrink <\/span>at the VA <\/span>helped a lot.<\/span> I\u2019m in school.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Cool. <\/span>What are you studying?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

T<\/span>aking classes at <\/span>City<\/span> U.<\/span> to be a <\/span>high school counselor<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Wow, t<\/span>all order<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Ha<\/span>, barista humor! Y<\/span>eah<\/span>,<\/span> I was <\/span>pretty clueless myself in high school.<\/span> May<\/span>be <\/span>I can talk<\/span> some sense <\/span>and <\/span>get <\/span>\u2019em<\/span> to think a little. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The time is THREE O\u2019CLOCK<\/span><\/em>, a digital<\/span> voice chimed. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

What was <\/span>that<\/span><\/em>?
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, <\/span>just <\/span>my<\/span> talking watch. <\/span>Look<\/span>, n<\/span>ice to meet you<\/span>, but I gotta go<\/span>\u2014<\/span>3:<\/span>30<\/span> class<\/span>. He threw <\/span>on his backpack, <\/span>grabbed Homer\u2019s harness a<\/span>nd <\/span>started out t<\/span>he door.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

See <\/span>ya,<\/span> he <\/span>called out, laughing<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Yeah, yeah, <\/span>see ya<\/span><\/em>, she replied<\/span>, completely getting the joke.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

As she wiped his table, <\/span>she fingered<\/span> a magazine<\/span> he\u2019<\/span>d left<\/span> behind. <\/span>Reflexively, <\/span>she <\/span>began to move both <\/span>hands across the pages<\/span>, her index fingers lightly skimming the peaks and valleys of embossed code<\/span>. <\/span>It was <\/span>Rolling Stone<\/span><\/em>, and o<\/span>ne <\/span>headline<\/span> in particular <\/span>caught her attention: <\/span>President Sends 10,000 More Troops To <\/span><\/em>Afghanistan<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

S<\/span>he always hated to admit it, <\/span>but <\/span>she was glad her mother had insisted she learn Braille. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Her eyes <\/span>started to ache<\/span>, <\/span>the pressure inside them rising like the afternoon mercury. S<\/span>he <\/span>walked behind the counter<\/span>, found<\/span> her purse<\/span>,<\/span> and fish<\/span>ed<\/span> out <\/span>the tiny bottle<\/span> with the teal cap in the side pocket.<\/span> It <\/span>didn\u2019t <\/span>take <\/span>a talking watch to tell her i<\/span>t was time for her afternoon eye<\/span> drops. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The barista turned and cocked her ear, recognizing the familiar footfalls\u2014one human, male, one canine, sex undetermined. She was the tip of the caffeinated spear and took pride in knowing her regulars, including each one’s drink,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,36,31,100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-events","category-eyes","category-military","category-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3394"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3433,"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3394\/revisions\/3433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ocularfusion.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}