Power of love

It was a bright Monday morning. The passengers sitting in the chartered bus watched with sympathy as the beautiful young woman, with the walking stick, carefully made her way up the steep steps of the bus. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the seats, she moved ahead, walked down the aisle and found the seat that the conductor said was empty. Finally she settled in, placed her bag on her lap and rested her stick against her leg.

It had been a year since Sara became blind due to a medical misdiagnosis. And there had been changes galore. From the jolly person she had once been, she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, frustration and self-pity. And in her present state of hopelessness, all she had to cling to was her husband Rob.

Rob, who was in the Air Force, loved Sara madly. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help her gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Yes, he wanted her to be on her own.

Months passed and Rob wanted Sara to start working again. But Sara wasn’t too sure. Finally, Sara felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to go out by herself. What if she fell, what if she had another accident?

Rob volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted her. Rob was also happy with the arrangement as she could protect his wife who was very insecure about performing even the slightest task.

Soon, however, Rob realised the arrangement wasn’t working – Sara was getting too dependent on him. Sara needed to start taking the bus again, needed to be on her own again. But she was still so vulnerable, so angry – he wondered how would she react?

Just as he had predicted, Sara was horrified at the idea of taking the bus and travelling alone again.

“I’m bloody blind!”, she shouted. “How am I to know where I am going? You’re abandoning me.”

Rob’s heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Sara to ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Rob, in his military uniform, accompanied Sara to and from work each day.

He taught her how to rely on and trust her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.

Finally after another three months, Sara decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Rob, her bus-riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty and patience, and his LOVE.

She said good-bye, and for the first time after months, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… Each day on her own went perfectly, and Sara had never felt prouder. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself.

On Friday morning, Sara took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying the fare, the driver said, “Ma’am, I sure do envy you.” Sara wasn’t sure if the driver was speaking to her. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, “Why did you say so?”

The driver responded, “It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are.”

Sara had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, “What do you mean?”

The driver answered, “You know, every morning for the past week, a very handsome-looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you as you get on and off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady.”

Tears of happiness poured down Sara’s cheeks. Although she couldn’t physically see him, she had always felt Rob’s presence. She was lucky, so lucky, to have a husband like him. He had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn’t need to see to believe – the gift of love that can light up even the darkest of darkness.