Blind Faith

When I suggested going to the park on a Saturday afternoon, Isaac said no.When I told him that the park was only two blocks from his house, he again said no.When I added that I would bring Missy to play with Brady, Isaac still said no.

I was about to give up, wondering how much longer I could hold on before giving in completely, when Hannah walked in to silence Isaac and accept my offer.Isaac turned to her and pursed his lips in protest, but she ignored it.Hannah persuaded him to get out in the sun and tell him it would be good for him and Brady.Isaac told her to mind her own business, and Hannah grinned at me, so I told him I'd be at his house at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon.

Isaac protested angrily, but at Hannah's insistence, he finally relented.So on Saturday, I packed a big bag, put Missy in its special seat in the Jeep, and headed for Isaac's house.

On the drive to his house, I wondered if we — Hannah and I — were putting too much pressure on Isaac to do things he didn't want to do.

But when I arrived, Brady was on a leash and Isaac was dressed and ready to go.He looked like the summer beauty from the Ralph Lauren catalogue.If it was Hannah who bought the clothes, she had really good taste.His casual sweatpants, polo shirt, loafers and designer sunglasses eclipsed my other brands.

Isaac greeted me rather nonchalantly, as if he was spending the afternoon with me just to please me, or to do me a favor.Hannah was writing a shopping list, and as she asked Isaac if he had anything else he wanted to buy, she handed me a piece of paper with her emergency contact on it, and a line of small print at the bottom.

He is looking forward to today.He's been talking about it for the past two days.But he certainly wouldn't tell you that.

Isaac paused for a moment, then replied, "No, Hannah, I don't have anything to buy."

Then he turned to me, "I thought you were going to bring your dog."

"I have it," I replied. "It's outside. I have it waiting by the car. I think we should let him and Brady get to know each other outside first."

So we did.We walked to the car, and Missy was obediently staying in the shadow of the jeep. Then the border collie and the labrador started sniffing each other as soon as they met. Their tails flicked back and forth, and they seemed to get along very well. .

Hannah took the shopping list, locked the door behind her, and after confirming that Isaac had brought the keys and mobile phone, she said goodbye to us.

It's just us now.

We walked for a short distance in silence without driving, and I almost forgot that Brady was at work as I dragged Missy by the chain and leather leash.I didn't remember its duty until we got to the end of the block and Brady stopped.

"There are no cars now," I said, "you can pass." But after I finished this sentence, I hesitated if I needed to remind me aloud.After all, I'm not very familiar with how guide dogs work.Then we walked across the street to the sidewalk and I said, "Well, do I need to tell you when to cross the street? Or is this just Brady's job?"

He smiled smugly: "It doesn't matter, you can say that it is indeed Brady's job."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "If I say something that crosses the line, you can just tell me to shut up."

Isaac smiled, "Don't worry, I will."

In fact I don't doubt at all that he wouldn't hesitate to shut me up.But before I could answer, he asked, "What did Hannah give you?"

"give me?"

"Yes," he said. "When she asked me what I needed to buy, she gave you something, right?"

Oh My God.He really knows everything. "Um……"

He nodded, "I knew it." But he didn't stop, but raised his chin indignantly and asked, "Is it a piece of paper, a note?"

I can't lie to him. "right."

We reached the end of another block again, and Brady stopped. "There's a car coming from our right," I said softly.We waited for the car to drive by, and as we crossed the road and approached the park, I told him, "Hannah gave me a note with...her cell phone number. That's all."

Well, it's not all a lie.

He nodded and said, "I knew it. She must think I'm stupid."

I almost hummed. "How is that possible," I told him as we walked along the sidewalk in the park, "well, come down to our left," I reminded him, "about a hundred yards down there There's a bench right next to a tree In the shade, we can sit there if you like."

①Approximately 91.5 meters.

"Okay," he replied.

Then I thought about my sense of direction, or lack thereof. "Is it okay for me to guide like this, or is it not clear enough? If there is something I haven't explained well, you can point it out directly."

Isaac shook his head and replied politely, "You're doing a good job." Then, after a while, he added, "People usually show directions by the face of a clock, so what time is that park bench? "

so. "Oh, uh, at ten o'clock."

Isaac smiled, "The bench is at ten o'clock, a distance of one hundred yards. Look, isn't it very simple?"

I laughed too, "That's right."

We walked to the bench, and I watched Isaac run his hands over the back and top of the chair before I sat down.These small details—such as how he can find the position of the chair—are taken for granted by me.I'm amazed at how skilled he is.

"No bird droppings on it," I joked to him, "I promise."

Isaac smiled too. "Okay, thanks." He sat down next to me, and Brady sat obediently at his feet.

Missy sat at my feet, looking around the park with great interest.There were other tourists here - families, small children, and other dogs.This is a big park with recreational facilities for children and areas where you can sit and enjoy the shade.The place is located in a cozy suburb and looks popular.

"It's very lively here," I said aloud.

"It's always been very popular here," Isaac said. "Although I haven't been here for a long time."

I wonder if it was Rose, his former guide dog, who was here with him last time, but that's not something I want to start the afternoon with.

So I put it another way and asked him, "Is this Brady's first time here?"

Isaac nodded, but said nothing.

"Okay," I shied away, not continuing the topic, "once it gets used to the path to come here, it will behave well. You can come here to play anytime then."

"Hmmm..." That voice was all he had to say in response, but it still gave me the feeling that he wasn't going to come back on his own.

"Anyway," I said after a moment of silence. "Tell me about your job description."

"I work?"

"Yes, just describe your usual day's work."

He looked a little surprised at my request. "Well, my first class is at nine, but I start work at about 08:30. Because I teach reading and writing in English Braille, there may be some theoretical and exam content that needs to be prepared ahead of time."

"How old are your students?"

"From six to sixteen," he replied. "I teach in every grade."

"Which age group do you prefer to teach?"

Isaac sighs: "It depends. We have audiobooks, but I prefer to teach the younger kids to read in Braille. It gives them the chance to explore a whole new world, but I'd love to take the older kids too." We appreciate literary masterpieces, do you understand?"

I grinned. "Sounds great."

"What about you?" he asked me. "Why do you want to be a veterinarian?"

I shrugged and said, "I like animals. Sometimes I even like animals more than humans. Because animals are so much simpler."

Isaac laughed. "I think they are."

I smiled and sighed, "I never thought of having another career."

Isaac was silent for a moment, and then I realized he was listening to the park. "I'm going to let Missy play for a while." I said while loosening Missy's leather rope, and then gave it an instruction to let it play.So it ran away with its nose on the ground and its tail raised high.I looked at Brady, who was sitting obediently at Isaac's feet. "Can Brady go play for a while?" I asked.Isaac turned his head sharply to face me, but he didn't say anything.

Obviously, my question was beyond his expectation.So I quickly added, "Or is it programmed to only work during certain hours? I don't know much about the procedures."

Isaac swallowed after taking a deep breath. "Well, I guess it should be able to..." he mumbled uncertainly.He then hesitantly let go of Brady's leash with a simple gesture, and Brady looked around before walking away.

"I won't let it go far," I assured Isaac. "It's just going to play with Missy under the tree over there."

Isaac shook his head. "It's busier than I remembered."

I look around the park, but never take my eyes off the dogs for too long. "When was the last time you were here?" I asked.

"Oh, I think it's been a while," he said softly. "It was more than two years ago."

It appears that my suspicions were correct.He came with Rose last time. "Okay," I said, "there are some sports facilities that look new, and they are on your right. About two o'clock," I corrected, "and then twelve o'clock is the green belt at the border of the park." , looks brand new."

"There's a crowd at eleven o'clock," Isaac said. "I think it's within five or ten people."

I laughed. "Yeah. Looks like a kids' party. They're at the BBQ."

"There's a barbecue area there?"

I laughed. "So, this is new too?"

Isaac laughed too, but then he sighed again. "As I said, I haven't been here for a long time."

"So are you coming again? With Brady?" I asked him.I looked at his face, even though his expression remained calm.

He shrugged. "Maybe."

I didn't want to push him too hard, so I skipped that topic.But he said, "Wompatuck State Park on Route 228, I used to take the bus there. I would walk along the path in front of the pond. The sound of the water and the singing of the birds is amazing .”

I thought about that scene.I used to go there by bus. "Wait. Are you going there alone?"

He turned to me.

I shook my head, still in disbelief. "You hiking alone in the forest near the lake?" I asked again, and he nodded.I laughed out loud in disbelief. "I don't even know if you are brave or crazy!"

As a result, something unexpected happened.Isaac Branigan laughed.It was neither a mocking smirk nor a complacent sneer, but a genuinely candid smile.

If he is beautiful in normal times, he looks even more dazzling when he smiles.His hair and face were given a halo in the sunlight, which made him look radiant.With perfect teeth and pink lips, his whole face seemed to be lit up.

He still had those sunglasses on, and I wondered how he would look without them.Then I wondered if I was lucky enough to meet him like that.

He's still smiling. "Well, I don't know what it means to be brave, but if I were crazy, I wouldn't know and admit it myself, would I?"

I laughed too. "I feel the same way." Then I asked, "Have you ever actually done this? Go hiking alone?"

“At first it was with Hannah or friends from school, but usually with a sighted person,” and then his smile faded. "Of course I'll bring a guide dog and a walking stick."

I knew which dog he was talking about, but since he brought up the subject first, I thought it might be a good time to ask.

"guide dog?"

Isaac smiled sadly. "His name is Rose. He knows every trail and route." He sighed softly, and turned away.

I could see that just mentioning his previous guide dog was enough to upset him.His good mood was gone, so I decided to divert his focus.

"I remember I told you that I used to hike a lot," I said lightly. "When I was in Hartford, whenever I had time to rest, I would go hiking and camping in the mountains on the weekends. It was my personal space, separate from the real world, if you know what I mean."

Isaac nodded, but was silent.

So I went on talking.I tell him about the few camping adventures I've had, or the time my buddy Mark insisted on joining me and ended up in a mess.In the middle of my schmoozing, I paused once or twice to call the dogs back—even though they hadn’t run very far—and it didn’t take me long to get Isaac to smile again.

He even asked me a few questions about my work and life in Hartford, about my friendship with Mark and how we met through mutual friends, but soon he seemed uncomfortable up.He turned his head away as if listening to a certain sound.

"Where's Brady?"

"It's about 55 yards to our left with Missy," I told him. "They're still sniffing and sniffing around and having a good time." But I could see Isaac was getting a little upset, so I called the dogs back and got a water bottle and plastic container out of my backpack and let They drank some water.

"Do you always carry your dog's water bowl with you?" Isaac asked, amused.

"Yeah," I replied with a smile. "And there's my bottle and yours," I said, handing him a bottle of water. "It's just water," I added, "not exactly cold, but always drinkable."

Isaac smiled at me and thanked me softly.After he finished his water, he handed the bottle back to me and said, "I want to go home."

"Okay, of course," I told him.Then as I watched Isaac quickly reattach Brady, feeling the familiar buckle with my fingers, I marveled at how capable and independent he was.I found myself smiling at him.

"I had a great time this afternoon," I told him. "We can come again next time."

Isaac froze, but only for a moment. "Well……"

I hurriedly patted Missy earnestly to overshadow his words. "I think Missy and Brady had a good time too. I've been too busy since retiring from Dr. Fields to keep an eye on Missy as much as I used to, so it should be a good day for him."

Isaac stood silently facing the direction we had come from.I take this as a sign that we should leave.When we were halfway there, he asked me if Dr. Fields had officially retired.

"Retired yesterday."

His voice was soft, "Oh."

"I'm sure he'll be calling the hospital to ask how we're doing after he's gone," I tried to reassure him. "I can have him call you if you want?"

Isaac's eyebrows furrowed together. "That's not what I mean," he said. "I don't want you to think I'm secretly disapproving of your inspection of Brady."

I laughed. "Isaac, Dr. Fields is your friend, right?"

"Hmm," he said uncertainly. "Should it count?"

"Then call him," I told him. "Come and see how his golf is doing as a friend."

Isaac was a little annoyed, "How could I know golf?"

I chuckled, "You don't need to know anything. You just need to hear him tell you."

He smiled back at that and asked me about my work, what I liked and what I didn't like, and my impressions of other people.When he finally made up his mind that he wanted to, it was a breeze to talk to him.Isaac is a very conflicted person.He seems cheerful, but for reasons known only to him, he suddenly turns people away.He is puzzling.At the same time he is fascinating.

We arrived at his house, and the chat was going well, until he asked how I was getting on with the other co-workers. "When I call, it's basically Lanny and Kate," he said, "whether I call them or I leave a message for Max."

"Oh," I said, leaning on his kitchen counter, "Lanny was my assistant, great and professional. Kate was an expert at reception, but..." I'm not really sure why I'm saying this . "But I think she kind of likes me."

Isaac puts Brady's leash on the countertop and turns his face to me. "Oh. How did you know?"

I smiled awkwardly. "She's always hanging around me, staring at me, giggling, blushing every now and then. That's pretty much it."

Isaac turned away blankly.I tried to read something in his expression, but he had put on that cool mask again. "Then you should ask her out."

That's the problem.I hesitated for a few seconds, considering whether I should tell him I was gay, and finally decided to tell the truth. "Well, she's actually not quite to my liking..."

"Why not?" Isaac cut me off, and then said sarcastically, "Didn't realize you were the kind of guy who judges people by their appearance, Carter."

I was surprised by the sharpness of his tone. "What did you say?"

"What don't you like about her," he asked grimly. "Because she's blond, or is she not blond? Because she's too tall, or is she too short? You know, judging people by their appearance is..."

"God, you can't stop lecturing me, can you?" I interrupted him, stopping his scolding. "No, I'm not the kind of guy who judges people by their appearance, thank you for your teaching. And although it has nothing to do with you, if you insist on knowing why she is not to my liking, it is because she is a woman of."

I saw him look terribly shocked, firstly because I slammed him back, and secondly because he realized what I had just said.Women are not to my liking.He opened his mouth wide and then closed it abruptly, his face turning white and red.

"Oh." Other than that, he didn't seem to know what to say.

I was confused by his hot and cold emotions and his aggressive personality, but as much as I wanted to tell him so directly, I still couldn't.He is my customer, my client.And I just came out to him.So instead, I choose to state the facts calmly.

"You accuse me of judging by appearances, Isaac, but what makes you think you're qualified to judge me."

"No, I—" he started, but I didn't want to hear him explain.

"I'm sorry, Isaac," I said as I walked out of the kitchen. "I gotta go." I packed my backpack, called Missy back, and slammed the door so he knew I was gone.

Yes, Isaac is enigmatic, puzzling, even stunning.

But he's also a damn moody jerk.