Look me in the eye

A man who's afraid of having his profession discovered.

LOOK ME IN THE EYE

 

Daniel Taylor opened his opticians’ shop, where he had spent most of his adult life ever since he had chosen his profession. Why he had never married was a mystery to most people, including his mother, but not Daniel. He was simply too busy. He was never without work, which gave him a healthy income. Every day was the same, he arrived at the shop pulled up the blind and opened the front door. The lady who did for him, Mrs Allerton, was always on time, and in a flash, was with a huge trolley full of cleaning products going from one part of the shop to the examination rooms spraying liquids on rags and dusters. When that part of the cleaning was over, she got out the bucket and mop and proceeded to mop the floor. There were a couple of young girls who helped out part-time. They had been trained before going to work with Daniel, but having married and having young children, they worked half day, except on Saturdays, when they left the children with their husbands.

Daniel was a man of forty-five, and would have been good looking if he hadn’t had a permanent anguished expression on his face. He worried about the business and about his mother, with whom he still lived, everyone else having left home. He had had his moments, but at his age they were getting far and few between. His life was always the same: the client walked in for an eye test and he gave it, and then got one of the girls to help them choose a frame they felt suited their face and way of life.

“Please sit down in the chair and place your chin on the ledge right here,” he said to his clients. They complied with his wishes, and then he slid dials into position into the machine that measured the eye. The clients then had to let him know if they were capable of reading the bottom lines of several cards that were set up on a wall at the end of the room. When all was done, and the client had decided on the frames, all they had to do was wait for the lenses to be fixed in the frames. It was an easy business, but fortunately it was interesting too. Daniel also sold sunglasses which were costly, but however poor they were, people still paid a lot to get a decent pair. He tried to get the latest trends in all the frames and lenses, it was difficult enough with all the other opticians opening up.

One thing that Daniel enjoyed about his profession was looking at the eyes. Some of them were extraordinary, and no two pairs of eyes were the same. The strange effect that some eyes had, where the iris gave the impression of being split into segments just like an orange, fascinated him, just as it had done so before he had succeeded to become an optician. In some eyes the iris had a dark rim, and others were the same intensity from pupil to the rim. Daniel didn’t have a favourite colour of eyes, his only concern was that they should see well. The worst thing was to have a small child with poor sight. He knew that such a child would have problems for the rest of its life. The most profound result in Daniel’s life on being an optician was, that he couldn’t relate with those who didn’t look him straight in the eye. He never told anyone he met on holiday or at a dinner, what he did for a living. He had discovered from friends, that when anyone knew you worked in a health area, they wanted favours, and he wasn’t in the market for favours. You start handing out favours, and soon you find you have no business, he had been warned.

 

Daniel, with his expert knowledge and experience, knew when someone was being dishonest. In shops, he watched as an assistant would deliberately lie to the customer before him. That normally would occur during sales, when notices with ‘EVERYTHING 30 PER CENT OFF’ were placed all over the shop. Some of the reduced articles were kept back, till the less popular ones had been sold. In those cases, Daniel would stare at the assistants’ face while they were serving another customer. He never felt intrusive, only behaving in accordance with his profession. Eyes and their function were his business, and he was always on the job. Even when watching television he would automatically keep anyone with him informed about the actors’ eyes, as if they were his clients.

 

One day, a woman in a store took exception to his staring at her intently, “What do you think you’re staring at?”

“Madam, I think you have a problem with your sight, you keep squinting. It’s quite possible you need a pair of glasses.”

The woman’s retaliation was instant, “I don’t need glasses. If anyone needs glasses - it’s you! Who do you think you are, going around telling perfect strangers, they need glasses?” The lady in question raised her shoulders in disgust, and walked out of the store, huffing and puffing.

 

Daniel’s family provided him with enough work to avoid getting bored. His sisters-in-law were always on the prowl for the latest in sunglasses.

“Daniel, I’d like some new sunglasses for our next summer holiday,” declared his sister-in-law, Tess.

“What you need is a pair of sunglasses with prescription lenses, not the ones off the shelves. I suppose you read when away, don’t you?”

“Yes, but will anyone notice they’re not normal sunglasses?”

“No, of course not, and think what a boon they’ll be. You won’t have to screw up your eyes to see menus in restaurants or the prices of clothes you fancy buying. Your life will be made very much easier.”

Tess obeyed Daniel, which made her husband, Carl, happy in the knowledge he wouldn’t have to spend a thing on her new whimsy.

Daniel’s other in-laws were just as demanding as Tess, and whatever she had, they had to have. So in the run up to the summer holiday season he was inundated by them for new sunglasses, prescription swimming goggles, and they weren’t just for the adults but for his nieces and nephews, too.

 

Daniel’s mother, Angela, was very understanding and tolerant of her son. After all, he was company for her, and the stories with which he regaled her from the shop, lightened her elderly life. She knew that without him she’d be lost. Every year he took her away on holiday wherever she wanted to go. She went with the desire to get him a woman of some sort, and he, for a total rest. Angela was warned beforehand that she should refrain from mentioning his profession to anyone. What ideas the elderly lady had in her head, Daniel was ignorant of, but he had been given some strange stares when on holiday with her.

When holiday-time was looming up, and Daniel had given his assistants the month of August off and they had booked their holidays, he sat down one evening after dinner and broached the subject.

“Mother, have you any ideas of where you’d like to go for a holiday?”

Angela had been collecting ideas from magazines and the television for months. She got a lot of satisfaction from spending her free time when Daniel was at work, imagining a sandy beach or a cruise, or anything that was as far away from normal routine as was possible.

Angela wasn’t going to make it easy for Daniel, and chose to wait before answering. Then she launched forward with, “I’d prefer to go to an hotel-cum-spa this summer. There’s also a golf course for those who prefer to spend a golfing holiday. The spa has a huge swimming-pool and a gym, apart from being set in wonderful countryside. Say something please, Daniel.”

Daniel was surprised, because his mother usually named a summer resort or a summer cruise for a holiday. Now she had come up with the idea of spending the holiday in a health resort, because that’s what it would be.

“Where is this wonder place situated?”

“High up in the north of England, in a pure clear landscape. There are rivers and lakes, and they have tennis courts and other sports facilities, as well as golf.”

“Is there any particular motive behind your change of heart as regards the holiday this year?”

“We always do something foreign and hot, so it came to me that staying here might be a good idea. I won’t have to hear you going on about being robbed by the locals, and complaining about the food. It’ll be much easier for us up there than leaving the country, don’t you think?”

“Honestly, I haven’t given it a thought, but if that’s what you want then we’ll do it.”

“Oh, thank you, Darling. I was hoping you’d agree. Even if the weather is bad, there’ll be activities for everyone to join in. I think it should be all right, as there won’t be any small children. They are not accepted. Not everyone will be an ‘oldie’ like me, but there will be younger people there too. The spa is for those who wish to relax and get themselves fit for autumn and winter. Think, Daniel, you might come back rejuvenated. Wouldn’t that be lovely?”

“Yes, Mother, it would be lovely. While up there, I’ll have to stop staring in other people’s eyes, in order to keep out of trouble.”

 

In the last days before the holiday, Daniel and his assistants cleaned out the displays inside the shop and the windows. All the models were placed in their protective cases, and then put inside the large safe in the back part of the shop, out of sight of the public. Daniel then bade his assistants a good holiday, and closed the shop. His mother, who loved holidays, was at home with a huge dinner waiting for him to eat. Daniel managed to devour the food, which of course was far too much, and then went to bed. They would be setting out at first light for the hotel spa.

 

Daniel had ordered train tickets for the two, instead of travelling by car. They boarded the train in a busy station full of holiday-makers. Daniel put some of their bags on the overhead rack, and made his mother comfortable. He had a newspaper to keep himself awake, but he ended up falling asleep anyway. Inside the train it was comfortable and the vast majority of passengers were also fast asleep in a short time.

A woman entered their compartment with a small boy who had a scandalous squint. Daniel’s mother wondered what he would say if he saw it. But Daniel was on holiday and had made the decision to make no comments about the state of other people’s eyes. The train rolled on further and further north, until it stopped at the small village near the hotel spa. The small boy had fallen asleep too, and so Daniel was spared the vision of seeing the child’s poor eyes.

 

The hotel which boasted the spa, gymnasium and other sports facilities was out in the country on a small slope. The entrance doors were massive, and there was a sense of business, suggested by the running around of flunkeys, and the doors of taxis and private cars opening. Daniel’s mother was most suitably impressed, and she hoped above all that the hotel would live up to its appearance.

Daniel took hold of their cases and marched his mother to the lift. All he wanted was a rest, but from the number of people milling around, he doubted he would find any rest here.

“Now, just you remember, Mother, no letting on what my profession is. OK?”

Angela sat on the sofa and said nothing. She knew he was tired, but he had to realize that she was on holiday too.

“Darling, dinner is served from seven on. What time shall we dine?”

Daniel said, “I don’t think I’ll go down, but have something sent up here. I only finished work yesterday, and need more time to recuperate my energy. If you want to go down by yourself, that’s all right by me. In the meantime, I need a nice long rest.”

Angela wasn’t surprised by Daniel’s attitude, and didn’t argue with him. She thought she would suss out the local situation. A bit before seven, Angela went down to the dining-room. She had just stepped inside the dining-room, when she was pounced on by a woman wearing a bright violet gown and an orange boa. Angela had never seen such a thing since she had been very young. Immediately she felt jealous of Daniel upstairs in the bedroom sound asleep. The woman kept talking. On and on she went.

“That’s Flora. She’s getting a painful divorce and is on the lookout for some nice male company.” Angela thought, I’d better warn Daniel about that one. The woman said, “Your son should have a good time while here, as there are so many single women.”

 

Meanwhile, Daniel was lying on the bed with an outsize headache. He sent down for some light food, to eat in peace. The young man who served him had a terrible problem in one of his eyes, and Daniel said to him, “Look me in the eye, please. I think you need to see a specialist about that.”

The young man said in reply, “You don’t want to be so fresh. There’s nothing wrong with my eyes. Cheek!” before leaving the room.

Daniel knew he had made a mistake. Why couldn’t he leave his profession at home where it belonged? He dressed in casual clothes and went down to see what his mother was doing.

He found her in the dining-room, gossiping with her new friends. “Look who’s here! My son Daniel. Say hello, Darling.”

Daniel gave the required greeting, and sat down in a huge armchair in the corner of the room by the bushes. “I hear you came here by train. Most of the guests arrive under their own steam. The hotel’s got a minibus which I drive, if you’d like to come for a drive some time. By the way, my name’s Clara.”

Clara had a cloud in her left eye, which Daniel didn’t like the look of. “Do you wear glasses?”

Clara looked horrified, “Do I look so old to you that I need glasses? No, I don’t wear them because I haven’t got any.” Clara stood up, and tossing her head in the air, walked out of the dining-room. Daniel didn’t like what he had seen in her eyes, and she hadn’t liked what he had said.

 

Two days later, after Angela and Daniel were more settled in at the hotel, Clara announced to all those present in the dining-room, that she was going to drive the hotel’s minibus and go to where there were some wonderful waterfalls.

“I’d rather have a massage with seaweed and chocolate. What do you think, Daniel?” Angela asked.

“I asked her if she wore glasses, because she has a cloud in her left eye. She didn’t like my tone, so I’ve never said any more to her. A swim in the pool would suit me fine. So while you’re lying down being smothered in some stinking mess, I’ll be floating, and swimming hard, to get my body into shape. By the way, do you know when and how many guests will be going on the minibus ride?”

“I don’t know, but I’m pleased we shan’t be going. She strikes me as a foolhardy woman. The hotel runs trips up to the waterfalls and other places of interest, and why she has to be the driver I can’t imagine. What are you going to do now?”

“I still have a book to finish, so I’m going up to the room to get on with it. See you later.” Daniel left his mother sitting along with the other elderly ladies. There was no sign of Clara.

Daniel went to the room, and when inside picked up the still unfinished book. He got onto his bed and began reading, but it wasn’t long before he was asleep.

 

Angela saw her son on the bed, and when he showed more signs of life, said, “Clara’s going to the waterfalls tomorrow.”

“Has anyone asked about the condition of the falls?  Because if it hasn’t rained for some months, there will be hardly any water,” Daniel said

“Nobody has said anything about rain, or anything else for that matter. Coming down for dinner?”

“Yes, I might as well. Nothing much to do here tonight, is there?”

“There’s a bridge group that plays regularly. I’m thinking of joining them, to see how well they play,” Angela commented.

Mother and son went down to dinner and the usual chatter. There was some gossip about Clara and the drive to the waterfalls, but nothing to note. Daniel, dinner over, went to the reception desk and asked if there were bus trips up to the waterfalls. The receptionist replied, “Yes, there are, Sir. There’s one tomorrow. Do you want to go?”

“No, thanks,” Daniel replied, not wanting to pursue the matter further. He went outside to smell the fresh damp wind, and watch the drops of rain fall onto the ground and the car roofs. He felt a little chilly, and went inside to find his mother, who was now actually playing cards. She seemed happy enough, so he took himself off to the bar, where he had an Irish mist, a drink he had discovered some years ago while on holiday with an old girl friend. He had remembered the name of the drink, but not of the girl. Daniel sipped at it slowly, and then made his way to his room. He stood by the window that faced the grounds at the back, where the tennis courts were situated and the golf course spread off into the distance. There were a few stalwarts walking about in the cold air. He wondered whether it rained up there very often, and if so, what it was like in the winter.

 

The next day brought Clara’s drive to the waterfalls, and all those who were keen on going were standing by the minibus, waiting in anticipation. Clara arrived and they all piled in. Daniel thought he ought to stop the ride, but knowing what human nature was like, he decided against it. So he stood with his mother and other ladies who hadn’t had breakfast yet, waiting for the minibus to start up. As soon as it got going, the onlookers went inside for breakfast. The morning passed well, and Daniel was immersed in a new book. His mother was downstairs playing cards.

 

 

 

Clara hadn’t thought that the heavy rain would be so disastrous high up on the mountain roads. There was a mist at times, making visibility more difficult. Clara pushed on, and didn’t let the rain or anything else get in her way of enjoying herself. She liked driving, and considered herself a good driver. Clara’s poor vision began to let her down. She wasn’t sure whether she was seeing what was real, or a trick of the light and the mist. They hadn’t come across any other vehicles so far, until a huge trailer, some distance away, was coming towards them. Clara beeped at the vehicle in temper. She wasn’t going to budge for anyone, or any vehicle, even if it was bigger than hers was. She ploughed onwards, as the sign for the waterfalls had indicated.

 

She would never know what made her vehicle slide off the road and gently fall down the cliff side. Clara did what she could to stabilize it, but she had no luck, and the vehicle stayed where it finally landed. There had been little noise, and the driver of the trailer truck stopped to see what had happened. He rang the police, and then the hotel, to let them know that some of their guests wouldn’t be showing up any more.

 

Daniel was sitting in the reading-room with his half-read novel. His mother was playing cards with her other stalwarts. The atmosphere was peaceful and quiet. It was turning out to be the perfect holiday. He had seen some more dodgy eyes, but had made no mention of them to their owners. After Clara’s outburst he had kept himself to himself, and his mother was so busy with playing cards, she and her card playing companions hardly spoke a word.

 

A police car pulled up outside the hotel, and a couple of policemen got out. They walked up the steps to the entrance hall and reception. One of them spoke to the receptionist, “We have been informed of a serious accident involving one of your minibuses and a heavier vehicle. May we speak to the manager, please?”

The receptionist picked up an internal line telephone, and told the manager he was wanted by two policemen.

The manager entered the reception hall a few minutes later. “What’s all this about an accident?”

“We saw from the logo on the side of the minibus, that it came from this hotel. When the rescuers peered inside, they saw many passengers just lying there. By the way, the driver was a woman working for this hotel. She is now - dead.”

The manager cleared his throat, and said, “I’ll let the relatives and friends of the passengers know what has happened. What hospital have they been taken to?”

“The new hospital that’s on the other side of the hills.”

 

The manager announced over a microphone, that there had been an accident with the minibus from the hotel that was on its way to the waterfalls. He told them that anyone who had a friend or relative on the bus to please come forward, and he would give them the telephone number and address of the hospital, to get in touch with them.

 

When Daniel heard the news he was rather shattered. He had never thought that such a terrible thing would happen. He also felt that he could have done something to stop Clara from driving. But could he have done?

 

The aftermath of the accident was that there were fewer guests at the hotel, and those who had lost a dear one, were loath to stay on, so the next few days saw the exiting of many vehicles.

Daniel and his mother stayed on till the end of their holiday, and then took the train back home. Angela was not too upset about the accident or the fatalities. She said it was a fact of life.

 

The mother and son were relieved and relaxed at being back in their home again. Angela went into the kitchen to make the tea and cut some cake. Daniel went out to the back garden to see the sunset fall on the flowers at the far end. He gazed up at the sky and wondered what he could do about other stubborn people who refused to wear glasses.

“Tea’s ready,” his mother called out, and he went back inside the kitchen.

 

“Mother, did I mention that I had met Clara, the late driver of the minibus accident, and that I had warned her about driving with her poor eyes?”

“Yes, you did.”