Why do people think it’s inessential for a blind person to say “sorry” when mistaken? Chronicles of a blind Nigerian (6)

By #DemolaAdeleke

Because I’m a blind Nigerian, there are some words people believe ought to have been banished from the pages of my lexicons.

Words like; see, watch, look, view, gaze, stare, glance, glimpse, etc.

To them, making use of words that involve the engagement of sight by a blind person will only expose him to fun making.

Little wonder why I will tell someone that I’m seeing a movie and he will be like, “with which eyes?

All those do not bug me anyways. In fact, it in turns opens rooms for me to educate people on why it wouldn’t be proper to eschew those words all because I’m blind. Well, that’s just by the way.

Hi buddies, I’ve been pondering on something.

Why do people think it’s inessential for a blind person to say “sorry” when mistaken?

Few days ago, I was walking with one of my friends and accidentally, I trod on a beautiful girl.

Wearing my hard boot could have worsened the whole issue as the girl jumped up and wailed in pains.

I felt so mad at myself. After all, I perceived that I was about bumping into someone, but I was just so insubordinate to my sense of feeling.

As I was about to say “sorry” to the girl whose toes I’d crushed, she looked up obviously with a line of insults in her mouth and her fingers still caressing the injured toes. I’m more than certain that realising the boy was blind was what substituted the supposed scolding for pity and regret.

Then she started echoing these statements; “I’m sorry, I’m very sorry dear, hope you didn’t wound?” As a matter of fact, I was completely dumbfounded.

Was I not supposed to be the one apologising? Hope I didn’t wound? As in how?

How come the table had turned around so anti-clockwisely?

The truth is that treading on her and leaving her toes with bruises bittered my heart, but what saddened me more was how my blindness had halted her from venting her anger. At least, yelling at me could have rounded it all off.

Asking me angrily if I had my eyes shut to have trodden on her. Or to cap it all, slap me for not being watchful of where I was going. Hmmm. Do I refer to this as one of the immunities blindness offers?

In cases where all the chairs in the class have been occupied and the lecturer orders a student who had come earlier to stand from his seat so the blind student could sit; also immunity right? And the occasional refusal of fares by those commercial bus drivers; guess you consider that immunity as well.

Or what do we call kleptos’ unwillingness to steal from the blind because of karma; immunity?

Oh, these immunities are indeed great. But where do we categorise having to be walked by a person before reaching destinations?

What do you think about having to show money to people before knowing what denomination it is? What about been seen as a weakling by people all because you are being led to walk? What of the provoking insults thrown at you all in the name of visual impairment? Shall we call them the menace of blindness or what?

At times, people who wouldn’t dare look into your eyes while talking supposing nothing is wrong will grab that opportunity that you are blind and throw words at you anyhow. Chillax, I will take care of all of you once I have the royal staff. Lols Read no meaning to my threats pals, I’m only airing my mind as a blind Nigerian. And to those who we, the blind, had offended but considered our apology as being unnecessary because we’re challenged, have our million sorries right away!