Blindsided by Cummings Priscilla

Author:Cummings, Priscilla [Cummings, Priscilla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Puffin
Published: 2010-06-09T00:00:00+00:00

Miss Audra knew something was bothering Natalie. “Are things at home okay?” she asked. “That good friend of yours—Meredith?”

Natalie picked up her folded cane from the floor. “Meredith has a boyfriend now, so I don’t see much of her,” she said. “Between Richie and driver’s ed and getting ready for Homecoming, she’s pretty busy.” She turned toward her cane instructor and smiled ever so slightly. “Miss Audra, isn’t it Ms. Kravitz’s job to pry into my personal life?”

“I’m sorry, Nat. I didn’t mean to pry,” she said, “but I need your full attention today, because you’re going all the way to the traffic light.”

Down the hallway, Natalie focused as she swept her cane side to side in a perfect arc. Outside, Natalie moved her cane against the grass that grew along the sidewalk—shorelining, they called it—and made her way to the big bush, where she turned right and shorelined her way to Nader Lane.

“Are you listening?” Miss Audra asked. “Tell me what you hear.”

Natalie stopped. “A lawn mower,” she said. “Off to the right, on the hillside. Children playing.” She pointed with her left hand. “There, at the nursery school.” Natalie lifted her chin. “And traffic moving.”

“Is it close?” Miss Audra asked.

Natalie shook her head. “No. It’s up ahead.”

“Excellent.”

When Natalie’s cane detected the beginning of a sidewalk to her left, she turned, knowing the walk ran west along Dunbar Avenue. Traffic on Dunbar was steady and brisk. Soon Natalie’s cane hit a metal pole. Vehicles converged from all sides. “We’re at the traffic light,” she said.

“Are you sure?” Miss Audra asked. “Maybe it’s just a stop sign.”

“No. Because if it was a stop sign the pole would feel different—skinnier—and cars would be stopping briefly, before moving on.”

“Good. This is the traffic light,” Miss Audra confirmed. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do here?”

“Listen,” Natalie replied. “When traffic directly in front of me has stopped, and when the traffic to my right moves, it’s my signal to cross.”

“Right.”

But there was no way Natalie was going to cross that street. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not ever. “Is it okay if we go back now?”

“Absolutely, Natalie. You did a great job coming this far. But next time, Natalie, I do expect you to cross.”

“Yes, I’ll try,” Natalie assured her. But only to please Miss Audra.

“You can do it,” her instructor insisted. “You’re going to come to a lot of intersections in your life, Natalie, roads and otherwise, and you can’t always just turn around. You have to summon the courage to go forward.”

Natalie nodded again. “I understand.” She was a good student after all. And an excellent faker.

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