Shooting Stars Don't Say Goodbye

by Marcos, J. A.

  I know it's very sad to imagine a child at the age of Louis going through everything he went through, but as they say; "God writes straight with crooked lines." It was due to his blindness that he came to know in depth what life was like for a person with visual impairment and the difficulties that we pass on a daily basis. At the time, there was a system of communication signals in relief that had been created by the French Charles Barbier de la Serre, Captain of Artillery Army of Louis XIII that due to the difficulties in transmission of orders overnight, produced a system writing that could be used in the dark, by touch. Called "spelling sound".

  Louis Braille Barbier saw that the system was complicated, there was no mathematical symbols, accents, figures and no musical notation, and still possessed a difficult and slow reading.

  In 1825, Louis decided to enhance the system and originated a similar method to what is used today and gets his name. His system using six raised dots arranged in two columns, enables the formation of 63 different symbols used in literary texts in different languages, but also in mathematical and scientific symbols in general, music and recently in Computing.

  Now, out of history class and returning to our day's activities, we went to the court where we would practice our unique sport. The court is the same size of a volleyball court, with nine feet wide by sixty feet long. The matches are 20 minutes long, divided into two halves of 10 minutes. Each team includes three senior players and three reserve players. On each side of the court there is a catch with nine meters wide and 1.2 high. Athletes, if I can include myself in this description are at the same time, pitchers and defenders. We can’t throw the ball through the air. Every shot should be done to the ground, so we won’t be hit in the face. Our objective is to score goals, swinging the opponent's net. Our ball is 76 cm in diameter and weighs 1.25 kg. It is more or less the same size of a basketball. She has a rattle inside that emits sounds, and it's all full of holes so the sound can come out and we can find it through the noise.

  The game started and Mat went to the wooden bleachers, which had been built with the help of donations made through the events the association organizes to achieve incomes and keep existing.

  In my team was Jessy, a girl who still had 10 % of the vision, Lucas, that as I, could not see anything at all, and Leon, who had lost his sight when he was 9 years old in a car accident where his parents had died. The opposite team was composed by Lucy, who had 20 % of the vision in the right eye and none on the left, Katelyn, who saw only 5 % and Richard, a very nice guy that I dated in the past and did not see anything .

  Goalball is a sport based on tactile and auditory perceptions, so one of the requirements for it to happen is that there can be no noise on the court during the match, except the moment between the goal and the restart of the game, when the celebration is allowed.

  Regardless of the type of disability that we have, in this type of sport everyone can compete together and are divided into three classes: B1, B2 and B3. B1 is one that is classified as a total blind, like me, for example, is one that has no light perception in either eye. B2 are those who already have some kind of perception of shadows, and B3 can define some images. Regardless of where each group is included, all utilize a blindfold during competition, to ensure that everyone will be on equal footing and that there will be no cheating on either side.

  Modesty aside, I play very well. The first few times I played when it was a team full of kids who had not the slightest idea what they were doing, it was difficult to score or even hit the ball with that little noise that guided us. It was funny. We hit and stumbled into each other. That's how I met Richard. We've been friends for many years until something began in one of these collisions by the way, I 'm sure it was intentional, of him, of course.

  Today, with all our experience, and our other senses heightened we have no difficulty in playing. I think we played better than a lot of people who see and in the traditional football can be considered a very bad player.

  In the first half we were winning 3-1 until something very unlikely and fun happened.

  - Look at that. You play well. - Mat said, clapping when I approached him.

  - To a blind, right? - I said, with my sarcastic and delicate way of be.

  - No, not for a blind. But for a lazy, yes. - He said giving one of those famous laughs.

  - I don’t know where you got from that I'm lazy.

  - It was you who said that prefer the perks of today technologies over practicing exercises.

  I drank some cold water, which Mat offered me, and prepared to return to court.

  - We will have a replacement. - Shouted the judge.

  - My God, I hope it's not on my team. - I said running back to the center of the court after giving a slight touch on Mat’s hand. Jeff was in reserve, and he was not one of our best players.

  - Luke gets out, Mathew gets in. - Shouted the technical, automatically making me scared.

  What did he mean with “Luke gets out, Mathew gets in”? I was unable to understand anything. Now the mess was made. Mat and one of his surprises. One minute later and I felt someone bump on my shoulder.

  - I said I wanted to live his world, didn’t I? - He stated beside me, and I felt that he was adjusting the blindfold.

  It is not forbidden to people with vision to participate, that’s why we use blindfolds. Just like that everyone can ensure equality in court. I was certain that wouldn’t work out very well. And even worse, he was playing on my team. This wouldn’t be a very cool thing. We were winning by a difference of two points, but with this change on the team I had a serious suspicion that things were about to change. Mat was like a giddy cockroach on the court, bumping into everyone, unable to control his other senses.

  - Breathe for a moment and try to be guided by sound. - I told him, trying to help him not hurt us. He just laughed with a mocking air, like someone is having fun.

  During the first five minutes of the second half I had no idea what he was doing. I'm pretty sure he was running out of bounds, doing zig zags unable to be guided in any way. When we were more or less in six minutes I felt someone bump heavily on me, grabbing me when he fell and turning so I fell over, and not on the floor.

  - Sorry, Ems. – He said, grabbing me while we were on the ground.

  - How do you know exactly that it’s me? - I asked, beginning to suspect that his blindfold had some failure.

  - I'd know your perfume anywhere, even if I was in the middle of a crowd.

  I confess that it was cute to hear. He was really starting to win me over with these small details and words, even when I remembered that along with these details I’d gain some bruising. I even managed to run my hands through that whole male body extension that was nothing to be throwing away. A slim type but manly at the same time. Strong arms, broad shoulders. The inevitable was happening, I was enjoying not only his voice but also to know his body. And what body!

  I heard cries of goal, which unfortunately were not favorable to my team. And this was to be expected, after all, we had not just one player less, we had two. If it wasn’t bad enough Mat, without knowing what was doing, now there was also me, bumping into him more than actually playing. I cared more about how he was doing on the court than with my duties on the team.

  It didn’t take longer, and when we were close to 10 minutes, another cry of goal was heard. Now we were with the score tied. The opponent had managed to make two goals quickly, and I could hear the voice of everyone from both teams complaining and laughing at the Mat, which collided into everybody.

  - Pay attention to the noise of the ball, Mathew. - I said, practically screaming, wanting him to try to watch what I was doing.

  - It's too much noise to concentrate. - He shouted, and the voice was on the other side of the court.

  How could he say he had much noise to concentrate? One of the obligatorily of the game is that everyone who is watching must be silent, exactly to not disrupt the noise coming from inside the ball. The only things we heard were the s
ounds of heavy breathing, the sound of the ball and the screams of everyone he bumped.

  At a certain moment I realized that he had broken into the goal and collided with the network. In this sport we are pitchers and defenders at the same time, but in addition, it appeared that he was also willing to be the ball.

  - I made a goal? I made a goal? - He shouted, clutching the network.

  - Only if you're the ball - the judge, who is the only one on the court who sees, shouted.

  No one was angry with the mess of Matt. We were having fun, after all, this why that practice was made for. For us to have fun. So we could relax of everything that happened in our lives.

  In two minutes the game would be finished and the opposing team did another goal.

  - Gooooaaaal - I heard Mat screaming.

  - Why are you celebrating? - I asked, speaking in his direction.

  - We made a goal, didn’t we? - He now had a voice of doubt.

  - No Mat. The goal was not ours. It was the opponents.

  - Aaah. I thought it was ours. What a bad team this of yours, huh! - He said laughing. - Losing?

  - Why do you think we are losing, Mathew? - I questioned him, implying that the blame of this defeat was not ours.

  - Not even with my help you managed to win. You all have to train a little more. - And there came another of those huge laughs he liked to give.

  The game ended with our team losing. But it was with just one goal of difference. The loss would be much bigger if Matthew had decided to join us in the first time. It was a very fun afternoon, the kind we partied even losing.

  He was trying to show that he could fit in my world. Despite his low age, he was someone cool, interesting, fun. I then decided to do some tests to see how Mat would do, and then, maybe, just maybe, I could go against my prejudices and give him a chance.

  CHAPTER 8

  A month has passed since that day when Mat decided to play Goalball. Our friendship grew even more, he always showed up at my house and at night we used to chat, either on the sidewalk of my house, or in the living room, or sometimes in my room. His intimacy with my family just grew. He often invaded our house and sit at the dinner table with us. For my family, it was like we were dating.

  That game was the subject of the entire month. He took me home and then we talked a bit before I got in and he went to his house. Now my holidays were about to arrive, as was common in the middle of the year. I didn’t have anything planned, but I had full conviction that Mat would work to create something different.

  As I had decided, I spent months thinking about the techniques that would show him the difficulties of being close to a blind person. By getting committed with one. This whole month we just talked, got distracted, strolled, but we didn’t kiss again. I confess that I wished, but my willpower was greater.

  That was the day of the premiere of one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The Man of Steel, which featured a superman in a modern, elegant design, with a voice beyond sensual and a very, very gorgeous body. Unfortunately, since I could not see the body, I had to content myself with the description that my teacher friends made, but the voice part I identified very well. Normally I don’t like going to the movies. As the audio was very good I wanted to know more, want a description of the environment, the clothes, the position in which they were, and everything that could be said. I then decided to give this challenge to Matt. He would have to take me to the movies and see how a blind is treated in this place. The film would be perfect. The place was packed, people of all ages, young people amazed by 3D effects and the physical gifts of the young actor.

  - I have a program for us tonight - I told Mat as he came to my house at about 15 h.

  - You can tell. - He said, already passing close to me when I opened the door and headed toward the couch. It was easy to identify the trace of his scent was in the air.

  - Movie today. Premiere of Man of Steel. What do you think?

  - I think it’s great. But... today 's the premiere. I think it’s hard to still have tickets available.

  I had forgotten this detail. It was not the premiere, was the pre-premiere, which begins promptly at midnight, as it was usual to happen to major film productions. Moreover, the film wasn’t quite in our town, was in the nearby town and to go there at midnight was not a cool thing. Just thinking about riding those miles on the motorcycle in the late hours, already gave me laziness and fear.

  - But I guess I can try. I met a guy at the repair shop who is a smuggler. - He said laughing. I had forgotten that he was now one of the most popular in the region. In a meteoric way he befriended the whole town. The repair shop staff, the girls of the bakery, the boy of the newsstand, and the nurses in the hospital. Everyone knew and liked Mat. At school my students were already his fans. They said he had a sporting spirit that they wanted to have, not to mention the girls who sighed by the corners every time he would pick me.

  He barely warmed the couch and has risen to try to get these tickets.

  - You don’t have to, Matt - I said, deciding it would be best left to watch it in the next day.

  - Don’t worry. You know I have a solution for everything, don’t you? Be ready at night and I’ll come to pick you up.

  He went way faster than entered. I thought if I was really doing the right thing. Whenever I tried to do something to show that Mat was wrong he managed to surprise me and show me I was wrong. Time ran like the wind, and at 19hs I heard someone knocking at the door. I was lying on my bed when I heard the voice of my mother calling me. I was sure it was Mat, to say he had gotten the tickets, and as he was already “family” I decided to just make my life easier and scream for my mom to send him up. To tell the truth, I didn’t understand why he hasn’t come up yet, since now he didn’t do any further ceremony, either in the living room or in any room.

  - May I come in? - Said a male voice, which to my surprise was not Mat’s.

  - Sure - I said setting myself on the bed, jumping in a scare because I was still in bed, with my legs crossed and my hands over my belly.

  Have you ever heard that when you're alone no one is in your way, but just when they hear rumors that you are with someone, even if you are not, appears zombie, vampire, werewolf, headless mule and even extraterrestrial interested in you? And in the middle of all this fantastic creatures also that famous ex - boyfriend, who gave you a foot in the ass many years ago, with that old excuse of "the problem is not with you, it's me" appears. And that was what was happening now. An ex was knocking on my door, and that ex was Richard.

  We had seen each other for the last time a month ago, the last time we played Goalball. After that I had not gone back to the association, since Mat had invented various activities to practice on weekends. Walking, trail, bike riding. He always showed up with a different way to make me tired, breathless, laughing and baring his laugh.

  - Come in, Rich - I said awkwardly. Trying to understand what he was doing there.

  - You didn’t appear for a month, so I decided to come over and see how you are. - He said in that soft voice, as usual, and with flirtatious at the same time.

  - I've spent more time without appearing and you didn’t miss me. - Sometimes I even tried, but I couldn’t be sweet when I had something to say. And I was actually telling the truth. When we finished our relationship I went to the association every weekend, just to see him a little more. You understand when I say "see him", right? Well, as I said, I didn’t miss even one week, until the moment I found out he was getting along with Mila. A girl with no visual problem that had been his best friend for a long time. I always believed in friendship between men and women. I never really seen evil in Mila’s friendship with Richard. What I never imagined and I'm sure that it was what was happening, is that behind my back those two “had fun” and put a fine shiny pair of horns on my head. Not to mention the times in which they should have done it in front of me. So I firmly believe in that story that says that love is blind. It really blinds you, especially i
f you're already blind.

  As I was saying, when I found out they were together, I went into a depression that made me spend more than six months without showing up at the association, just to not have to witness their “love”.

  - Do you still keep some bad feelings about me? - He asked.

  - Of course not, Rich, you know that. We're friends. I have no reason to have anger or anything.

  I guess I should have been a bit thick in my answer, but he well deserved it.

  - And what brings you here? - I asked, already sitting. - You can come in. I know you're still on the door.

  - I told you, I came to see how you are. - He repeated, not being very convincing. - I heard you're dating.

  That was it then. My thoughts didn’t fool me. It was that famous old story of ex-boyfriends that decide to appear when person discover that the person that they left decided to continue with her life.

  - And how is Mila? - I asked, trying to dodge his question with another. Something that always works.

  - We're not together anymore. I thought you knew.

  - No, to be honest I had no curiosity to ask anything more about you, and matters involving me were always well diversified, so I had little time to talk about other people's lives.

  I realized he had made a different noise, like someone who has just snorting and rolling his eyes. I was being thick, and even I figured that out. It was my way, and he knew.

  - Sorry Richard - I said, this time trying to be more serene in my voice - I don’t mean to be rude, I’m really sorry. I expressed myself wrong and that's not what I meant.