Hi, What's Your Name?

There was once a small boy. He lived in an orphanage as his parents had left him there when he was just 4 days old. That's what Mother had told him. She said he had been found out, at the gate.

"They had not even thought to knock, or walk up the steps to the door." Mother had said. Little was known about who had left him there, and the only thing the boy kept dear to his heart was the note he had been found with. Nothing on it remotely said anything that could tell him who they were, nothing but a few scribbled words. The letters were made with a pen, and in the bolder lines, you could see the prints of the oak tree standing a few meters from the door. They were cold words. Not what you would expect from the mother of this boy. If you had looked at him, after reading the note, you would have thought, 'No, that can't be him. This child is simply too innocent.' The boy did not care for who had brought him there. He believed that who you are is shaped by where you are. You might grow to look like your beginnings, but that would never truly be who you were. You could be from anywhere in the world, but if you lived in China, you would probably speak Chinese. The orphanage was hardly open. The windows had just been opened for the first time, and the large, red "Sold" sign had only been stripped off the post outside the day before. Nobody had come in yet, although that might have been good news. Most people who came to the orphanage were in a quite unfortunate situation. Most came as babies, but every so often they would receive a child of two or three. This was always a celebration, because they seemed to understand the warm welcome much better than the infants left at the oak door. The orphanage was a rather un-noticeable place. It looked just like any other house would. It was placed in an area where you might reside in a house, yet the community was large with shops as if you were in a city. The orphanage was surrounded by walls. These were never too high, and many stray cats danced on them at night. A beautiful archway welcomed visitors. The yard was large, and the sides were filled with small greenhouses, home to many wonderful herbs and fruits alike. This was the boy's favorite place. His name was Lucus. He sat in the middle of the third garden and breathed deeply. He felt that, if he smelled hard enough, one day he might be able to see them. He always carried a book in his bag on that occasion. It was a leather satchel. It only housed the book, his stick, and any other things that might be useful that day. A bell rang. "Come inside! Today is the day that Lucus attends a real school for the first time! We must send him off." Lucus popped up and hopped out the door. He walked at a fast pace and hopped over the railing that separated the ground from the steps. As he pushed open the door, he could hear a warm welcome. The cheers were quite loud, but the tone was soft so that his ears did not ring.

"Thank you. But Mother, should you have woken up Sarah and Anna this early. It may be my first day, but there will still be many more to come." He fidgeted with his bag's leather strap. While he might not be able to see everyone, he could hear the yawns coming from the side. He walked over and picked up Anna. Everybody here was distinctly different. Whether in the way they breathed, or smelled. While he could not tell if they were as beautiful as Mother had commented the day they had arrived, he could hear each soft coo they let out when they played with each other.

"They woke up on their own when we were getting ready, although, I am secretly glad we were all able to send you off." She handed him a pencil. It was a soft wood with rough carvings. Inscribed on the side were a few bumps. Lucus dragged his thumb across it and smiled.

"My sunshine" Lucus read aloud. He set down Anna and put up his hand. He didn't often do this. It seemed trivial to make a gesture, when he could not witness it himself. Anything that had to be said seemed easy enough to accomplish through word alone.

He stepped out the door and unbuttoned his bag. In it, he removed his stick and pulled it into a white rod. He rhythmically tapped it to the beat of his new favorite song. He had heard it, playing from over the wall next door. He often heard songs from there. He walked over to the bus stop. He had rehearsed this route countless times with Mother, but walking without the cane was still like walking into an abyss. He sat at the metal bench. He heard the quiet breathing of a person next to him. It smelled familiar. The other side. He was his neighbor.

"Hello." he said, folding back up his stick, "My name is Lucus. I think I'm your neighbor. Are you going to school?" He reached his hand out in front of him. He had rehearsed this greeting too. Mother had been so anxious about him making friends, she began to "train" him in a sort of way.

"Are you blind?" Asked the boy in a curious tone. He did not shake his hand. Lucus left it hanging there for a few more seconds then stuck it back inside his jacket pocket. These comments used to faze him, but not anymore.

"People will always be curious, so you need to understand them. That way, they might understand you too." Mother had said this to him when he was just 9. He had gone to the park for the first time and a girl with a high voice had asked him a similar question. He had gotten mad, and shoved her. He unknowingly pushed her off the side of the jungle gym, but it was thankfully, low. She only sported a small scrape on her elbow. Her screams that day had made him run away under the slide.

"Yes. Are you going to school too? What's your name?" Lucus asked again.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry. My mom says I can be a bit rude sometimes. Did I offend you? My name's Ben and yes, today's my first day at this school. Judging by your uniform." he paused and looked him up and down. This for Lucas, was simply an empty silence, "You're in the same year as me." He stuck out his hand for a handshake. He held it there, then seemed to be embarrassed. "Sorry, I forgot."

"The bus is here" Lucus cut in abruptly, standing up.

"But I don't see it. It isn't here." Ben started looking down the road.

"I hear it. It's around the corner." He pointed to the corner a block down. Sure enough, the bus soon came into view.

"Wow! It's like a super power! You heard that all the way over there?" The bus pulled up to the stop.

"If I can't see, well then I guess I ought to have some other way to see the world." Lucus stepped up and fidgeted his card until it slid into the slot. Ben inserted his card and they walked over to an opened seat. It was loud. It wasn't full, but he could hear the opening of a bag. The chattering of gossip. The fiz of a soda can. His ears hurt. He opened his bag, and pulled out some ear plugs. They blocked out most of the noise. It was only a few more minutes on this bus, and then they would be at school.