THE COLLISION
That afternoon I was tired. The kind of tired that sits in your bones. Lectures, deadlines, and an empty stomach. All I wanted was my hostel. A bed. Silence.
I was rushing. Head down. Mind everywhere. And then I ran into her.
"Are you mad! Can't you see!?" The words came out before I could stop them. Harsh. Ugly.
"Sor...ry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, please." Her voice was soft. Too soft for the way I'd spoken.
Then footsteps. Fast.
"Oh my God, Dorothy! Are you fine?" A girl reached us, out of breath. "Today of all days you didn't bring your white cane. This is why I don't let you walk alone. Come on. Let's go home."
Then she looked at me. "Learn how to speak to people. If she could see, she wouldn't have bumped into you."
And they left. I stood there for a long time. Ashamed.
I didn't sleep that night. Her "sorry" kept playing in my head. The next morning I found Selby.
"I messed up," I told him, wearing a moody face. "I need to find her."
"Find who?" Selby asked.
"A girl I bumped into. I screamed at her, not knowing she's blind."
He raised a brow. "But why would you do that? You messed up bro, you of all people."
"You better look for her and apologize."
I sighed. "She is slim. Not too tall. She was wearing dark glasses. Her voice was soft. She walks carefully, like she is counting her steps. Yesterday she wasn't holding anything, but her friend said she usually has a white cane. And her friend called her Dorothy."
Selby nodded slowly. "Alright. Dorothy. Slim lady with white cane. We'll start there."
And just like that, a mistake became the reason I started looking.
