The teacher was very frank with Dahlia, explaining that sitting back, feeling sorry for yourself, did nothing but hold you back in life, and she was not going to be a participant to these actions. Dahlia listened but made no comments. Teacher continued on that while the student sat herself in a pool of pity, she, herself had made phone calls and had gone to appointments, trying to find the best way to help her, and she had now made a choice.

She explained about a new school that was a half hour away, and they had an appointment in the morning to go visit it and to take a tour. Dahlia sat up straighter and said with no hesitation, no. She wasn’t interested and she wasn’t going. She stood up and felt her way out of the kitchen and went to her bedroom and shut her door a little too hard.

Teacher ignored her, knowing this was going to happen but was already prepared for the fight. She tidied up the kitchen and went to her own bedroom and laid her clothes out for the appointment the next day and crawled into bed and took up where she had left off on reading her book. Before, long sleepy eyes fell on to the pages, and she was fast asleep.

Meanwhile across the hall Dahlia planned out each word on how she was going to have her own way. She was not going to any school for the blind. She wasn’t going anywhere that was so far away, and she didn’t need anyone’s help. She was blind, and this is the way it was. The dancing now was nothing but a dream. She pulled the covers up over her and drifted off into dreams about her non-existence.

Before either of them realized it, the sun was shining in the windows, and the teacher was knocking on her door announcing it was time to get up and get dressed. Breakfast would be soon, so let’s get cracking!

Dahlia roller over and covered herself up with her blankets and ignored the warnings of the teacher. While breakfast was being fixed, Dahlia once again went over in her mind what she was going to say, in order not to go. Soon there was another knock and since no one answered, the teacher walked in and saw that Dahlia was not dressed and ready to eat.

She walked over to the bed and ripped the blankets off causing such a force that they ended up lying on the floor. She grabbed a hold of Dahlia’s night-gown and pulled her to a sitting position and began to take off her night-clothes. Dahlia let out a gasp and was yelling and fighting with her hands to get the teacher to go away.

Teacher said, if you are not going to do this yourself, I am going to do it for you! We are going to this school, we are going to visit it and there will be no more bad actions from your end! Now let’s get moving!

Dahlia still fought, but the teacher pulled her nightgown off and with struggling from both sides and words flying, Dahlia was dressed. She walked her over to the bathroom, and sat her on the stool, and proceeded to wash her face and then braided her hair.

After all was complete, she told Dahlia, lets’ go to the kitchen and eat our already cold food. Dahlia sat, not moving, and once again, teacher helped her up and took her hand and guided her out of the bathroom. Before Dahlia could express any of her planned arguments, she was seated in a kitchen chair, and her plate was in front of her.

Teacher said a quick thank you to God for this food and then began to eat. Dahlia realizing she was not going to win, started to eat, but taking small bites, delaying their trip and the goal to be being late for this school.

There was no winning, if Dahlia didn’t eat, teacher was going to help her. Both ate in silence. It was so quiet, you could hear a mouse running along the floor boards. After breakfast, Dahlia sat, and the teacher cleaned up the dirty dishes. Soon a car honked out front, and teacher told her that she had made arrangements for a ride to the school, so it was time to go. With a slight tug of the shoulder, Dahlia got up and they both walked out the door, teacher smiling and waving to her friend that was driving them, and Dahlia with a big frown.

They got into the car and teacher and her friend chatted all the way and Dahlia sat in the back in silence. She believed she had drifted off because before she knew it they had arrived in the parking lot of the school.

Dahlia wished she could see what this place looked like, but she was not going to give any inkling of her questions. The teacher and Dahlia got out of the car, and together hand, in hand, they walked through the front doors, where they were met by the principal of the school.

Dahlia could tell it was a man, with a deep voice, a voice of authority. They walked into his office and Dahlia was able to hear what the criteria was for this school, the goals that would be accomplished, and the different teachers that were here to help the students.

He asked if they would like to go on a tour, and although Dahlia was not very excited about this, she also knew she did not want to make a fool of herself in front of this man with the deep voice. She stood up and they all made their way through the halls, and classrooms, and the gymnasium. This school had rails on each wall, and it made it much easier for Dahlia to make her way around.

The principal explained that here in the gymnasium there were no large mirrors on the walls but there were rails on each wall, and hand felt markers placed throughout the room would make walking much easier.

Dahlia was not going to let the teacher know that some interest had been perked in her, but the teacher also recognized that she didn’t have to force her to walk any longer. They finished the tour and ended back in the office, sitting in their original chairs.

The principal asked Dahlia what she thought of everything she had heard and he waited for her response. Dahlia mentioned that it was alright, nothing special, but she could not go here, even if she wanted to, as she had no way to and from .

The principal and teacher smiled at each other, as the principal told Dahlia that he had a plan if she was interested in knowing about it.

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