Not Everyone Is Being Rude

Not Everyone Is Being Rude

Rylee Ombre was passing a small park when she felt as if she were being stared at. Irritated, she looked around. A young man standing at the monument to the fallen in the park seemed to be looking at her.

“Who does he think he is, staring like that! He needs a piece of my mind! I’m not a hunk of meat to be ogled at by men!”

Without a second thought, she marched onto the path in the park and walked quickly up to him.

“Lower your eyes, soldier! Stop looking at me,” she barked.

“Excuse me, madam! I was praying for my fellows who have fallen over the years...”

“You weren’t praying that I could see, you were staring at me!”

The fatigues-clad soldier removed his sunglasses.

“If I only could, I’m sure you’re beautiful,” he said quietly.

Rylee started.

“You’re lying! You don’t look blind!”

“What does blind look like?”

“Shouldn’t you have a white cane?”

The soldier reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded apparatus. With a flick of his wrist, it turned into a white cane. Rylee was so embarrassed; she was glad he couldn’t see how red she’d turned.

“It isn’t Remembrance Day yet, is it?

He shook his head.

“I remember them every day, awake or asleep. They deserve my respect as they perished, while I lived. Besides, I’ll be in the VA hospital then getting a new leg. My current one is about wore out.”

Rylee grew thoughtful.

“If you want, you can feel my face and see if I would have been worth staring at.”

He grinned.

“No need, I know you would be,” he said as he touched his cap and limped away. She watched him go with shame at her own rudeness.