Story

Sarah Toppin-Grade 10 Mrs.Amberg- Lesson #7 ELA- “Doors to Stories” Domiciles Project- Door #9 Gouverneur High School Blind Freedom In a quiet town, in a big house there lived a 16 year old girl named Jena Johnson. Ever since Jena was born, she has been blind. What she wanted most was to be free of her curse that she had gotten. But she can never do that because her father was a little too overprotective, more so than her mom, and wouldn’t even let her outside alone. Though she knows she can get her wish if she gets a Seeing Eye dog, her father won’t let her have one. This is because he fears that his little girl will leave him and he doesn’t want that. Even if Jena can’t see, every day she tries to go outside. But every attempt has ended in failure, either with her getting caught or her walking into a closet or a bedroom. “Mom, why won’t dad let me outside alone?” Jena asked one morning before Mr. Johnson came down for breakfast. “He just really cares for you and doesn’t want to see you get hurt,” she said while fixing pancakes. “You don’t act like him though.” “Well, you know how he worries about the little things.” Mrs. Johnson said while putting Jena’s plate of bite-sized pieces of pancakes in front of her. It took her a minute to find her fork, then she started eating. No sooner did she start, she heard her father come down the stairs and sit down at his seat. “This is my chance,” she thought, “to ask for a seeing eye dog.” So after a few minutes she set her fork down on what she thought was her plate and asked. Mom, Dad I have something very important to ask of you.” “Yes, what is it dear?” her mom asked “Can I please get a seeing eye dog, please? I know the perfect one. I heard about him from the neighbors when they came over last week,” she answered in one breath. Her mother agreed, hoping that her husband would too, but there was no such luck. “No.” he said with a little anger in his voice “We’ve already been over this.” “But dad I…” “No, you know you won’t be able to take care of a dog, and your mom and I are already busy with work,” he said calmly. Jena was about to say he was wrong when he cut her off saying “No means no”. A tear ran down ran cheek as she grabbed her walking stick and slowly walked up the stairs to her room. As she counted the doors to the fifth one, more tears ran down her face. Once she got to her room and lay down on her bed, she broke down crying. Back downstairs her parents were having a little argument. “Why can’t you just let her have one?” Mrs. Johnson asked from where she was standing at the sink. Mr. Johnson was quiet because he had no good reason and he knew it. “Well, answer me Jim,” she said, seriousness in her voice. “I don’t know,” he said though he knew the reason. It was because he didn’t trust Jena enough. But her birthday was in a few weeks, and he knew he had to make it up to her. The weeks went by, and with Jena mostly staying in her room, it was easier for Mr. Johnson to get the job of finding the perfect Seeing Eye dog done. Before they knew it, it was Jena’s birthday. That day Jena was woken up by her dad calling her downstairs, saying that he had a surprise for her. When Jena was three quarters of the way down though, she heard a noise that was new to her. That noise was the sound of a dog panting. “Dad?” she asked wondering if this was all just a trick. But she didn’t hear her dad, so she decided she would investigate. Once she got down the stairs, she carefully kneeled down and put her hand out in front of her. At first she felt nothing, and then she felt fur and then a dog’s wet nose. “Mom!” Jena yelled. She could hear footsteps, then her mom’s voice, “Well, it seems like you found your birthday present.” “But how? Dad said no.” Jena said rubbing the dog by her side. “Well after a little thought I guess your father saw that he was wrong, so he bought you a top-trained Seeing Eye dog named Derby. Now you can go outside safely,” she said as she grabbed the leash and put it in Jena’s hand. Jena was so excited, she told Derby to go to the door. Once she got there she open the big white door with the many windows and took her first real step outside. She knew that if Derby was by her side and her parents had her back, then she would always have her freedom.