Bright Eyes

BRIGHT EYES

         It was only my second visit to a "chat" area of the Internet. Four other people were busily communicating when I logged on. All of them greeted me:

         WITCH WOMAN: Join the feast, Bright Eyes, and share a cup of mead!

         ANGEL: Welcome, Bright Eyes. How are you tonight?

         DIPSTICK: Good! Another female. Party time!

         KHAN: Hi. Glad you could join us.

         "hi all," I typed and entered.

         ANGEL: We're discussing my favorite subject--sex!

         This brought a round of comment from the others.

         KHAN: I checked Bright Eyes' biography, gang. Female, straight, single, twenty-one, blonde and blue. Likes pizza and old Jimmy Stewart movies.

         ANGEL: Straight, huh? Too bad.

         Then a small window opened up on the left side of my computer screen. Something I hadn't seen before.

         KHAN: I'm sending this so that only you can see it, Bright Eyes. Are you new?"

         I didn't know how to send a private message, so I answered on the regular chat screen. "yes r u"

         KHAN: About a month. Want to chat in private?

         Before I could answer, Khan typed in instructions telling me how to switch to private chat. I did as he said.

         KHAN: That's better. I'm twenty- three, a student at Southwest University and work part-time at Big Al's Burger Barn. What do you do?

         I hesitated. On the regular chat board you typed your reply then hit "enter" to make your whole message appear on the screen. Here, in private mode, I saw that the letters and words appeared as they were being typed.

         Knowing Khan would see the three or four second intervals between my letters, and would probably wonder at my shorthand, all lower-case letters and lack of punctuation, I began typing. "s - t - u - d - n - t u - t - a"

         KHAN: Good school. We're neighbors. What's your major?

         Slowly, carefully I entered my reply. "a - c - n - t -n - g"

         KHAN: Mine's math. I plan on teaching.

         "g - u - d 4 uuuuuuuuu" I typed, pressing too long on the last letter.

         KHAN: Just learning to type? Don't worry...you'll get faster.

         I swallowed hard. A warm tear traced a path down my cheek. Honesty time. "h - n - d - c - p - d. m - d" I typed laboriously, clenching the pencil I used to hunt and peck on the keyboard between my teeth.

         No response from Khan. I thought he had deserted me. I hoped not, because I didn't know how to get back to the regular chat area. Long seconds passed. I watched the cursor blink and waited.

         Finally, he responded.

         KHAN: I'm sorry. What an idiot. I shouldn’t have assumed you were a new typist. Muscular Dystrophy, huh? Bad?

         KHAN: No, wait...I'll try to ask questions you can answer easily. "y" for yes, "n" for no. Okay?

         I tapped "y" with the eraser end of the pencil.

         KHAN: Are you using your hands to type?

         "n"

         KHAN: Foot?

         "n"

         KHAN: Teeth--holding a stick or something?

         "y" I answered, my pride hurting, wondering why I had attempted to pass myself off as "normal" in the first place.

         KHAN: Live at home?

         "n"

         KHAN: Alone?

         "n r - m- m - a - t" I answered, wishing my roommate was there with me.

         KHAN: That's great. You sound very independent.

         I thought about that. He was right. My motorized wheelchair got me around campus with few restrictions. "y / n" I typed.

         KHAN: Ha-ha. I'll bet you're smart AND pretty.

         At that moment, Sarah, my roommate and oldest friend in the world, entered our room. She came and looked over my shoulder at the dialog on the monitor screen. "May I?" she asked, nodding toward the computer.

         I ducked my head toward my hand and slipped the pencil from my mouth with my thumb and forefinger. "What are you going to say?" I asked warily.

         She smiled. "Only the truth." She turned the keyboard toward her and typed rapidly. "Khan, this is Leslie's roommate. Yes. She is smart. But more than pretty. She's the most beautiful girl I know. Clear through."

         I read the screen. A warm blush caressed my neck and cheeks.

         KHAN: Who is Leslie???????

         Sarah grimaced. Typed. "Oops. I mean Bright Eyes."

         KHAN: Be careful giving out any information over the board. There be nuts-a- plenty out here. I'm Richard in the real world. She's beautiful, huh? Details about her M. D.?

         Sarah looked to me for consent. I nodded.

         "Bright Eyes has been in a wheelchair since she was ten. She has limited use of her arms and legs, but is very self- reliant. I help her dress and stuff like that, but she's a real dynamo."

         KHAN: Does she date?

         "Tell him no, Sarah!" I gasped.

         "What do you have in mind, big boy?" Sarah typed, totally ignoring me.

         KHAN: Pizza and Jimmy Stewart videos?

         Sarah glanced at me, one eyebrow arched in question. It had been a long time since I last dated, and it had not been a pleasant experience. In general, men don't like to feed their dates--literally. But Khan--Richard-- seemed so nice...

         "Give him the pay phone number in the hall, Sarah, so I can talk to him. Get to know him."

         And get to know him, I did.

         I graduate this Spring and, shortly thereafter, Richard and I are to be married. Like my friend, Sarah, Richard saw only the beauty in me.

The End

dm