Immediately after being taken out of the ambulance I was pushed on a cart through the hospital to the emergency room. I kept asking the doctor where my other band mates were and if they were alright. He said I would be informed on all that information after my surgery. After they had recorded all my vitals they put me to sleep, and everything went black.
I woke to the smell of greasy bacon and fried eggs; the dream fresh and still lingering in my mind. My stomach, growling for the food, could not wait to consume this fantastic breakfast. Magdelene fixed me a plate and brought it to me with a cold glass of orange juice. I loved spending the night at Magdelene’s place. She always hooked me up with a great breakfast. Although Magdelene had to leave, she told me I could stay until I felt like going. About fifteen minutes after she left, the fire alarm went off. The loud, annoying sirens buzzed in my ears. I heard scared scampering feet outside the door but I stayed seated. Ever since my accident I had contemplated suicide. I had never been strong enough to do it by my own hand, but being caught in a burning building would be a great excuse. I just sat in the chair, hallways empty, eyes open; waiting to be engulfed by the flames, but the light never came, just darkness.

A sharp turn forced my bed to quickly jerk to the left. I laid on a firm bed in a bright white box. The sound of sirens filled the enclosed space and three paramedics sat around me, asking me as many questions as pain killers they were shooting in my vain. I felt no pain but was informed I had suffered severe head trauma and multiple broken bones. One of the paramedics informed me we were on our way to the hospital; but I just nodded my head and smiled, an obvious sign that the pain killers had taken over my brain. Just before we got to the hospital I was to receive one more shot. The paramedic raised the needle….”Oh!” I shouted. The cold sharp legs of creature slowly crept up my ashy skin. I jumped from my sleep and swatted off the surprisingly large bug. I heard it scamper of to safety, hurt and limp. I took a whiff of the cold air and caught a scent of the old stale couch at the Jaguar. I guess I had gotten so drunk the night before I forgot I came back to sleep here. I got to get out of this habit, I thought to myself. I would much rather sleep over at one of my friends houses.
With all this thought over bugs and sleep I almost forgot it was the day of the week when I meet with Jacen. We like to meet at the playground and talk about life and the challenges we both face everyday overcoming blindness.
When five o’clock rolled around Louis and I walked through the light snow to the playground where I searched for my favorite park bench that moans every time I sit on it. It was not long before Jacen arrived and we immediately jumped into a conversation. I could not help but bring up my dreams of my near fatal accident. As our conversation progressed the snow picked up and I could feel the cold melted snow seeping through the fibers of my jacket. Jacen and I decided to go to the Diner and finish our conversation. As we continued talking a unified “Awe” came from the mouths of all the other customers. Jacen and I were soon informed that the power had gone out. Of course we had know idea given the fact that neither one of us could see. But the situation was quite different for me than her. I had not been blind my whole life. I knew what it was like to see. And how people don’t take it for granted until all the lights are turned off. God, if it was not for that damned drunk driver my life would be so different now.

The crowd roared with applauses as we set foot on stage at the grand Apollo Theater. The brightly colored lights, forming a halo around us, only enhanced my adrenalin. I walked over to my chair, wearing my famous purple pinstriped suit, and started playing. The beautiful chorus of all our instruments fused together filling the auditorium with awe and amazement. Our music was like that of the gods, perfect and pure. Never before had we sounded so good. When we finished the audience exploded. The clapping and cheering was the loudest the Apollo had ever heard. At the end of the night we all got into our sparkling red limo and I told my band mates after that performance we would forever live in luxury. As we all laughed and shared a drink of the finest whisky I noticed a bright pair of head lights heading for use. In an instant there was a loud crash and the lights were gone.
I slowly arose to the loud sound of sirens. I was lying on a musty coach in the Jaguar. The sirens meant a shift change for the dancers, and the manager came over to talk to me. He was concerned about me and told me I had yelled in my sleep.
“Did you have a bad dream?” he asked me. I replied with a simple no and told him it was just a painful memory. He then thanked me for my performance earlier in the evening, shook my hand, and walked away.
I got up from the stale coach, my breath still potent with the smell of cheap sour whiskey, and collected my two belongings. One, a case containing my old brass saxophone and the second an empty guitar case with a change of clothes and a few belongings left over from the tragic car accident which occurred nearly fifty years prior. Not only did the accident take away my fame and fortune but my ability to see. I grabbed my cases and slowly walked out of the building, feeling each wall to ensure I did not hit anything on the way out. As I exited my seeing eye dog, Louis A, greeted me, and we took of into the night searching for a home to crash at until morning.