Kevin Brown

"Kevin. I ran into Klara on my way out, and she told me that you would need taking care of. I took my promotion bonus and updated your computer system and added a newer version of the braille text interface. I also arranged for a helper for you, to keep you out of the deep end. When I get settled into my new place, I'll send you an email. If you think you're ready to move on from being a masseur, give me a call. I'll be waiting, but I won't wait forever. All my love for the past eighteen years, Sandy."

That's what the noise had been, the faint whine of a computer in the guest room. I felt my way around and finally settled at the new desk that had been put in there. Sandy must have had a whole team of people in my house setting all of this up. I felt a pang in my heart at that thought. She knew, deep down, that I would say no.

After a beeping and a whirring, the computer came to life. I felt the braille interface come alive under my fingertips, it gave me a brief tutorial on what was available to me on the terminal. For some reason, Sandy had included an IRC program, a throwback to the time that channels were the place to chat before there were unified chat rooms for the extreme novices flooding onto the internet.

I worked my way through the servers, forgetting that the Internet Relay Chat server I had once used was not public. The name eventually came to me, and I logged on with my old username: 1uckydud3. I didn't feel so lucky today, but maybe I could find some of the people I used to know on that server.

The initial response was one of suspicion. I had been off the net for years, and they thought I had either been caught by the Feds or dead. When I told them I had an accident and I was blind, that served to further their suspicions. I received an ASCII burst from one of the users, and the others accosted him or her for not using English in the channel. The burst was specially formatted for a braille interface, a test line: Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. I sent the response in English, mostly because I couldn't reply in kind. That lamb made a good meal for Mary and her hubby.

I couldn't 'see' who had sent the Braille message, but a user named tra1nwreck invited me into a DCC chat and I accepted.

He proceeded to quiz me about how I had lost my sight and how long it had been. Then he told me it might be possible to completely restore my sight, no cost at all, with an experimental procedure.

I declined with my thanks, and he left the private chat. Most of the chatter in the channel was about coding. The text to braille interface of the computer couldn't keep up, but I understood most of what it was trying to tell me.

Some of the coders offered to send me some ebooks regarding the current techniques, and I took them up on their offers. Two hundred books poured onto my drive at the speed of light, giving me something to read. I sent my thanks and logged off shortly after zero hour.

***

I almost called off my last day of work to avoid the goodbye with Elmer. I decided to go in, he deserved that much for keeping the shop open.

My first two customers were regulars come to say goodbye and sorry that the shop was closing. My third customer was Alison Leon, the owner of the massage and beauty parlor that was putting Elmer out of business.

Alison was there to offer me a job, and the interview was to consist of a massage. I started at her feet and started working my way up. When I got to her back, I stopped. She had two busted ribs and one of them felt dangerously close to her spine. I withdrew from giving her the massage and told her that she needed to go to the hospital. She got dressed, accosted me for trying to be a doctor and left in a huff.

My next appointment wasn't until fifteen hours, so I started packing up my things and twiddled my thumbs until he or she showed up.

At five minutes til, Klara walked into my room. I could tell it was her, she was all Irish Spring today. I hoped it wasn't some attempt to win me back, I was not in the mood.

Much to my surprise, she just disrobed and got onto the table. I knew it was Klara, but it didn't feel like Klara. I was always working out knots in her left shoulder, damage she did from lifting heavy things over her head. She didn't have those knots now, her muscles were firm and had very good tone. It almost made me wonder why she thought she needed a massage at all.

Klara's skin was also silky smooth, probably a benefit of whatever lotions her now fiance used on her. I felt torn at that, imagining their bodies intertwined, and realized I had seen that fantasy in Klara's dreams the night before she stopped sleeping with me.

I finished her hour and she left without a word. When I got the last of my things packed, I carried one of the boxes out to the counter. Klara was just going out the door, and I could tell Elmer was on edge by the way he was breathing.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'll get that box for you."

"Thanks." I went back for the other box and when I set it on the counter, I heard papers rustle.

There was a great deal of papers on the counter, and when they moved around, I could smell Karmala's perfume. She had been in here while I was giving Klara her good-bye massage.

"She bought the store," Elmer said from the doorway. "We just closed the deal."

"Karmala put you out of business?"

"I've been going out of business for a while. This final deal was to make sure I could have a decent retirement after I closed the doors. She also left something for you."

"I don't want it," I shook my head.

"Kevin, it's a check for a hundred thousand dollars. That was part of the deal, the shop got split eighty-twenty."

"Fine," I sighed, glad that Elmer had gotten a big check. " Let's get to the bank before it closes."

The customer service representative assured me that the check was quite real and helped me decide what I was going to do with it. I initially wanted to pay off my mortgage, but she assured me that my wife had paid the mortgage off on Monday. How Klara had come up with nearly forty thousand dollars was beyond me, but I wasn't going to question it now.

I split the check up into a few accounts, one being a retirement account for on down the road. Once I was done signing papers I couldn't see, Elmer took me home. After helping me unload my boxes, he seemed anxious to be anywhere but where he was. I bade him goodbye with a handshake and a hug, suspecting I would never hear from him again.

***

Tara woke me up banging on my door at half past eight hours. I pulled on a robe, forgetting that I couldn't offend her even if I was naked.

She took me grocery shopping, grumbling all the time about how Klara had shit on me and she was stupid to run off on me like she did. We had a good conversation, but I didn't engage her when she was talking about Klara. I wanted to let it go.

Tara got a call on her cell while we were checking out. She didn't say much to the person on the phone, and after she hung up she gave me a kiss.

After we got done unloading my groceries and putting them away, Tara convinced me to go for a ride with her. The drive wasn't all that long, I could tell that we weren't going to Rockingham by amount of time that had passed. Tara pulled into a parking lot about an hour later, waiting until I got out before she started moving. I followed the sounds of her walking, all the way inside a hospital.

I paused, not really knowing why I was here. Tara started shuffling her foot to get my attention, and I kept on my course behind her. "Why are we here?" I finally asked.

"A surprise," she replied.

"In a hospital? Are you having a baby?"

Tera snorted. "Not today, man-child."

"Okay, woman-child," I chuckled.

We got into the elevator, and I put my hand on the panel, finding the central button. "What floor?"

"Seven."

I loved braille service plates. They made me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that Congress had passed laws to enable people like me to get around. I hit the seventh floor button and the doors started to close. At the last second I heard the sound of somebody hitting the safety bars and the door came back open.

"Hey, Tara, glad you could make it," a woman said.

"Yeah, me and my brother-in-law were out for a spin," Tara said.

"Floor?" I asked.

"Seven?" The woman didn't seem too sure, and now I really wasn't sure. I heard some rustling of clothes behind me on the way up, they were obviously signing to each other.

"You know, that's a little disturbing," I observed.

"It's a surprise," Tara grumbled.

"Sure," I said.

The doors opened and the woman took off. Tara went next, and I locked onto the sound of her footsteps to follow her. We ended up in a hospital room, of course, and by the sounds of breathing the room was full. I could almost feel all the eyes on me. "I'm glad you took my advice, Alison. Is your being here the result of the warning or did the pain get too bad?"

"I was on my way to Marshville anyway, thinking about what you had said. I told my daughter, Tracy, I needed to go to the hospital. Thank goodness she called 911 instead. They took their damn time, but I got here alive and with my spinal cord intact."

"I'm not sure as to why I'm here. A thank-you would have sufficed, and I really don't like being on display," I said.

"Are you sure he's blind?" I heard a woman ask.

"Kevin is blind," Tara said. "Kevin, meet the girls. These ladies are the department supervisors of Leon's Beauty and Spa, and they all wanted to thank you."

"Can I have a job?" I asked.

"That's a given," Alison said. "Come here, Kevin, give me a hug."

As it turned out, three of the five managers were Alison's daughters, and they were extra appreciative that I saved their mother from probable paralysis. Tara vanished after telling me she knew I had a ride home. Kady, the eldest daughter and the mani-pedi manager was impressed by the good job I did on my fingers.

Kady offered to do a personal mani-pedi at her house, an obvious come-on. I told her that I was getting over some heartache, but would be happy to get one done at the salon.

None of the other women hit on me, which was a blessing, I didn't want to hurt any feelings. The last woman, Bev, quietly admitted she had been the woman to ask for the front massage. I forgave her, cause I couldn't help being handsome.

I stood and listened to them talk for a few minutes, not really knowing what my place was and not having any clue as to what to do.

The massage supervisor, Nadine, came over to me, putting her hand on my arm. "Alison says you still need to apply for the job, to see if you're really as good as all your former regulars say you are."

"Fine," I shrugged. "Are you my ride?"

"Certainly. Let's make our exit."

Nadine wasn't sure what to do, so I told her I would follow her. I'm sure she gave me a weird look, but I followed behind her, my cane going its regular tap-tap-tap.

She took me to the parlor, which sounded very busy, but contained. Nadine led me into a massage room, not wasting any time shedding her clothes.

I picked along the shelves, trying to find the best smell of oil to suit her. Peaches. I began with her upper back, working my way down, and then up from her feet. The moans and groans I got along the way assured me I was doing well.

When I finished with my normal routine, I found the sink and washed my hands. The soap was the good stuff, it washed the oil right off without stripping the oil from my skin.

"So that's a Kevin Special," Nadine sighed.

I let out a snort. If I had given her a Kevin Special, I'd probably get kicked out. "Good enough for a job?"

"What was that snort?" I could tell she was facing me.

"That wasn't a Kevin Special. I didn't think that was a good introduction to my skill set."

"Is it sexual? I can't be having that shit here, it's hard enough for Alison to keep her license now."

"It's not sexual, it may feel sexual, but it's not. I swear on my fingers."

"Hmph. Show me then."

"Nadine, that's not the sort of thing I want to do on a regular basis. It's loud and sometimes messy." The thought of Karmala's vaginal fluid puddle on my table made me smile.

"Let me decide that."

Nadine was so loud that there was knocking at the door when I finished with her. After assuring the woman that she was all right, Nadine slid off the table. "Now that's a massage to put a spring in my step. You were right about it being messy."

"I warned you."

There was a rustle of cloth, it wasn't Nadine putting her clothes back on, probably just a robe "I'll send someone to help you clean that up. I'm gonna to hit the shower."

Nadine pulled open the door, having to accost the woman who was probably there to eavesdrop. After a moment of discussion, Nadine closed the door behind her.

The door immediately opened again, dashing my hopes of cleaning the table before anyone else could see it. She introduced herself as Patty, shushing me out of the way so that she could do the cleaning for me. I found the chair in the corner and listened to the sounds of the salon.

Nadine came back fifteen minutes later smelling like coconut. "Kevin, you're officially hired. Normally, the massage employees work for thirty percent of the room hourly rate plus tips. Our seventy percent is facility fees and incidentals like the oils and towels. We'll also schedule your appointments and the like."

"You said normally."

"Your regular technique is extremely good, and your special technique is beyond stellar. Your presence here may affect other business, giving a boost to the manicurists or the waxing department. So we'll start out at paying you thirty percent plus tips and then a percentage of any increased business we see in other departments. We'll be able to tell that from stacked bookings, clients who come here for massage plus waxing, whomever gets the better mention."

"Like if someone wants a fifteen hour appointment but I'm not available until sixteen hours, so they book a pedicure and a massage," I said. "That's fair."

"Good. You'll start on Tuesday if you can find a way to work. I thought I heard Tara volunteer?"

"I'll have to ask when I'm around her again," I said.

"She just got done with doing a manicure, I'll take you out to her."

Tara said that she was more than happy to give me transportation to work, adding that the deal was only good until I got my driver's license. She deftly soaked, trimmed, and generally pampered my hands until they didn't feel like my hands. When she started to run a brush over my nails, I asked her what she was doing. She merrily replied that Klara had once told her that blue was my favorite color. Before I could panic, she told me it was just a clear coat to protect the edges against chipping.

I made a mental note to give her a Kevin Special if I ever got her on a massage table.

When we got to my house, I invited Tara in for a beer. She asked if I had any wine, and I asked her if she wanted white or red. She chuckled before saying that the wine was for me, beer was too strong for the man-child.

I went into the kitchen to get the beers and heard Tara whistle at something in the dining room. I followed her sounds and she asked me who had bought me the laptop. The confusion on my face must have been evident because she put a piece of paper into my hand. It was a letter, somebody had went through a lot of trouble to emboss it for me:

Dear Kevin,

Was so sorry to hear about your salon closing down. I thought you might want to hone your computer skills while you moonlight at your new job with this Elegraf Special Edition laptop. It was specially designed for the visually impaired and should help you a lot. Along with that, I got you the matching phone.

There are a lot of features built into these devices. I've included the manual in braille, but you can ask them to give you the basics. All you have to do is say 'phone give me the basic features.'

I hear that RCC has some good coding courses.

Yours truly,

tra1nwreck

"So?" Tara wanted details.

"I don't know," I admitted. "The person who signed the letter is a hacker I chatted with a couple days ago. I'm sure when you are 'elite' it is child's play to find out a home address, but to drop a custom-made laptop and phone off at my house? Crazy."

"Five grand," Tara said. "At least that's what their website says. Not cheap."

"I'm afraid to carry around a laptop that costs five grand." I picked it up to test the weight. It wasn't light, telling me it probably had a braille-standard touch interface built in.

"Kevin, that's just the phone. And get this, the Elegraf phone is not for sale to US residents. The laptop...they start at twenty, there is no pricing for the custom jobs. Oh."

Like I couldn't feel any worse. "What?"

"They both use variants of something called Harpesion Nine?"

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"The name of the manufacturer is on the boxes, the website is giving me the information," Tara replied.

"Oh, smartphones," I said. "I'll have to figure out how mine works."

"You can do that tomorrow," Tara said.

"When's the closing date for registrations at RCC?" I asked.

"Monday. You thinking about signing up? I could help out, I'm not working Monday, either."

"Tara, I think that's an excellent idea." Thank you, tra1nwreck.

I spent all day Sunday playing with my toys. The laptop had a command-line browsing interface, which meant that I could go visit websites and be able to choose from a list of pure text options as opposed to trying to navigate through the coding on the pages.

What I couldn't do was find tra1nwreck to thank him for the gifts and ask him why he had sent them. When I couldn't find him on IRC, I took to looking through NNTP. I was wary navigating the groups, even though I couldn't be 'seen' on them unless I posted something, I was pretty sure that my downloading the headers could be monitored from the usenet providers. The text groups that were public were filled with script kiddies looking for an easy way to score hacks or even money. The groups I was looking for were dark, their postings between headers for pictures of porn stars and some messages buried in the pictures themselves.

I retreated from looking for the dark, and found some classical music pieces posted on the binary boards. Klara had never understood my fascination with classical music, preferring to hold to the southern tradition of sad songs in country music.

I retired at a quarter before one hour, questions racing through my mind. I was wanting to plan for the future where I could reclaim my mad skills with no sight.

***

I was just finishing up breakfast when Tara came knocking on my door. She was her usual grumpy self and wanted to get me through the registration process as quick as possible. When we got to the campus, we were doubly lost. She didn't know where to go, and I couldn't help her at all. Help came in the form of a sweet-sounding girl with a slight Chinese accent who offered to help me get registered. Tara relinquished me to her care, a veiled threat to break the girl in two if anything bad happened to me.

The coding classes came with a load of prerequisites that I had to sign up for. Zhi Fan, the woman who had graciously offered to help me wander around the campus, admitted that she had signed me up for some of the same classes as her.

She also asked me if I needed help to find a place to live after I told her where I was going to be working. I told her I had to think about that, as I already had a house in Wadesboro. I felt torn about living away from my home of many years, but I knew that I needed to be as independent as possible. Having an apartment in Rockingham would be easier on Tara because she wouldn't have to pick me up all the time.