G1+Group+4

Blind Dreams Brittany Hatt, Charles Moore, Aaron Rushin

It was the same as always. Black and white shapes swirled and flew all around her; just blobs, the only thing she had ever been able to see. She woke up as a rain drop falling from the ceiling stung her face. “Jazminn, Edward!” she shouted, “The roof is leaking again!” "What was that, Noelani?" Jazminn shouted back up. "I said the roof is leaking! Water is dropping right on my face!" "I'll call the carpenter today, and ask him to actually fix the roof this time," replied Edward.

Since the rain woke her up, Noelani decided to get up and start her day. She got dressed and brushed her teeth, and went downstairs. It was chilly morning in Coalville, Utah, and Noelani couldn't even hear the birds chirping. She was having her favorite cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, in silence, when Jazminn and Edward spoke up. "Noelani, is there a particular reason why you call us by our first names?" She stopped eating and dropped the spoon back into the bowl. She sat in silence for a few moments, gathering her thoughts. "Well, I've always wondered who my biological parents are and where they live. It's not that I don't love you, because I do, it's just that I want to meet them, and ask them why they didn’t want me." Her parents were stunned and didn’t know how to respond. Noelani had never talked about her real parents, let alone reveal her feelings about her real parents for the three years she had lived with them.

Later, Noelani and Jazminn drove to the local grocery store. When they walked through the automatic sliding doors into the store, millions of pleasant smells filled her nose. As they were going down the fruit isle, a little boy saw Noelani and it was obvious to him that she couldn't see anything. Noelani overheard him ask his mom, "Is she blind?" She tried to stop listening, but couldn’t. His mother replied, "Shhh, she might hear you, honey!" "But is she?" he persisted. Noelani spoke up, "Yes, I'm blind." "What's it like?" he questioned. "It isn't something that I can describe. Since I've always been blind, I don't know what it's like not to be. But my doctor says that my other senses are stronger than yours. For example, I have a better sense of smell than you, and most people, too.” “I wish that I could smell good, ‘cause then I would smell chocolate all day!” The boy smiled. "Are your parents blind too?" asked the boy. Noelani thought about this, and replied, "No, neither of my parents is blind. You don't inherit being blind from your parents." The boy took this in, and said goodbye. Jazminn and Noelani continued their grocery shopping, buying chocolate chip cookies and anything else that they wanted.

They didn’t speak during the ride home. Noelani was thinking about what the boy had said, about her biological parents being blind. She realized that she didn't know a thing about them! Once they arrived, Noelani went straight to her room. She felt for a remote then turned on the television. She flipped to a channel that sounded good and imagined the actors' faces while lying on her bed.

They next thing she knew, Noelani awoke from another one of her strange black and white dreams. She stayed in bed for a few more minutes, and then stumbled down the stairs. She knew her adoptive parents weren't up, because she couldn’t hear the familiar hum of the lights or smell breakfast being cooked. She quietly slipped out the back door, and headed towards the bus stop. Her short walk was accompanied by the brisk morning air. Once she got there, Noelani waited impatiently. All she could smell was gasoline and all she could hear was the roaring sound of cars passing by. She nervously tapped her fingers against the cold lamppost. Finally, the dull navy blue bus screeched to a stop in front of her. Noelani felt her way up the handle bar. She noticed how warm and stuffy it was as she felt for an empty seat. She could feel eyes looking at her, curious why a young blind girl is alone on a bus.

The bus ride was extremely bumpy, and after thirty minutes she was almost numb. The bus tires squeaked as it slowed to a stop. “Is this the Salt Lake City stop?” asked Noelani in a small voice. “Yes it is, young lady. Have a nice trip, and watch yourself! It’s busy out there!” said the bus driver.

As Noelani stepped off of the bus, the cold air greeted her, chilling her to the bone. She couldn't remember ever being outside of Coalville, and this place seemed so different from the smells to the sounds. Noelani was intimidated by the honking and screeching of cars and the hustle and bustle of people hurrying about their day.  Once in Salt Lake City, she had no idea what to look for. She felt her way to a bench, and sat down to think. After fifteen minutes, she realized that she knew her parents’ last name, so she went to a phone booth. Unfortunately, it was not in Braille, so she didn’t know what to do next. She thought about asking somebody to help her, but she was too shy. She wondered if there were any other possible options, but couldn’t think of any, so she willed herself to ask somebody. Out of the blue, she heard a voice she recognizes. She thought about it for a minute, and then realized it wass the boy from the grocery store back in Coalville! She walked towards his voice, but doesn’t make it too far, because he saw her and yanked his mother towards her. Noelani became shy again, but the boy asked her what she was doing by herself. “I was looking for my parents. I was adopted by the woman you saw at the grocery store, and I got upset, ran away, and was wondering who I could ask for help to read something for me.” “I can read it for you, if you want. Mom, can I help her out real quick to read something?” She agrees and says, “No more than ten minutes, hon. Meet me next to this bench when you’re done.” Noelani brought him to the phone booth and asked him to flip to the letter ‘K’ for Kingsley. He did, and he asked if she knew the first name. She didn't, so he took an extra pencil lying around, and a sheet of scrap paper, and wrote down the four addresses, phone numbers, and names of the Kingsleys'. Noelani thanked him, and he ran off to find his mom. Each phone call costed fifty cents, and she only had one dollar. She hoped it was one of the first two names on the list, and decided to call the first one on the list first. After inserting the money, pressing the buttons, and listening to the ring, a hoarse voice came onto the phone. "Who is this?" the voice questioned. At this point Noelani did't really know what to say. "Um, this is Noelani," she ended up replying. "I don't know no Noelani."' She remembered that her parents would have had to live in Coalville at some point, so she asked, "Did you ever live in Coalville?" "Where the heck is Coalville?" The voice asked back. "Oh, never mind," Noelani sighed. "What?" The man shouted. "Nothing!" she shouted back and hung up the phone. She only had one more call left; her birth parents had to be this one. She dialed again and another voice came onto the phone. "Hello?" a woman asked, or at least it sounded like a woman. "Hi," Noelani shyly replied. "Can I take a message?" she asked "Well, no I guess," Noelani found herself not knowing how to handle this. "Gah, stupid telemarketers!" she heard, and the payphone went dead. Noelani had no more money and it was getting late.  Noelani thought she should go home. She knew her parents would be very mad, and she would be in major trouble. After taking the over-crowded smelly bus, she walked slowly up the stairs to the front porch, thinking about what she should say. Edward saw her walking up the stairs, and ranout, thanking God that she was alright! “Where have you been?” he frantically asked. “I don’t want to tell you,” Noelani replied. “Young lady, if I ask you where you have been, you tell me!” “I was in Salt Lake City.” <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“By yourself? That is the worst place for an eleven year old girl to go, and you can’t even see! Why would you go there?” asked Jazminn as she ran outside. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“I went there because…” Noelani hesitated. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Missy, you better tell us!” <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“I wanted, and still want, to find my biological parents, and I thought that going there might help. I have the possible addresses, phone numbers, and names of my mom and dad because a boy that I met at the grocery store a week ago read and wrote it down for me. I remembered their last name because I looked at the adoption certificate, but it didn't have their first names,” Noelani answered. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Honey, if you had asked us, we could have driven there with you, and we wouldn’t have been so worried!” Jazminn communicates with Edward using their eyes and mouthing the words. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“We both agree that you will not be allowed to turn your TV on for a week. Also, we are going to help you find your parents. Had we realized you were so passionate about finding them, we would have started a long time ago! You said that you have the possible phone numbers, so we can call the rest tomorrow. Does that sound OK?” Jazminn says. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“That sounds great. Thank you so much! I would have asked you if I thought you would help, but I wasn’t sure if you even wanted me to find them, so I didn’t want to bother asking,” Noelani replied. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Of course we would have helped you! You are our daughter! How could we not help you, especially when you seem so passionate about it? And they are your biological parents that you are trying to find, not just some random person!” <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“I love you, Mom and Dad.” <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Jazminn and Edward’s eyes bulged! They were shocked that Noelani finally called them Mom and Dad. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Wow, Noelani, what made you call us Mom and Dad?” Edward wonders aloud. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Well, you love me, and you treat me like your real daughter, and, well, I love you.” Noelani said shyly. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“We love you too, honey." <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Jazminn and Edward made a small circle around Noelani, enclosing her into a hug. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">After a few moments, Noelani’s parents let go. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Edward told Noelani to not forget she still wasn’t allowed to turn on the TV and they said goodnight. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> The next morning Noelani woke up in the anticipation of calling and meeting her parents. She walked as fast as she could down the stairs, being careful not to fall. She walked to the phone and yelled up to her parents to help her. Edward came down and asked what he should do. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Can you read the numbers to me please?” She responded. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Edward did, and Noelani dialed, waiting impatiently for an answer. It rang for what seemed like forever. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">A woman picked up, “Hello?” <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Hi, this is Noelani. I am eleven years old.” <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Noelani." She pauses. "Are you adopted?” <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Yes, ma’am.” <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“I think you might be my daughter!” <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“I think so, too.” Noelani heard sobbing on the other end of the phone. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“I Just want to know one thing.” <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“What is it?” her real mother managed to ask through the crying. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR: #00b050; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Why did you leave me?” "Honey, we never wanted to leave you! We couldn't afford the cost of a baby. If we did, we would have loved you forever! I'm so sorry!" They exchange a few more minutes worth of conversation and Noelani hangs up.

That night, Noelani went to bed expecting the same dream as always, but to her surprise, the dream was full of color and happiness. Instead of the dull black and white blobs, she found a world of color and happiness as the familiar shapes were new and exotic. This was a whole new world to Noelani and she was truly happy.