Storytime: The Blind Leading The Blind pt 2

And just like that, I learned the truth about the man I'd been seeing for eight months.

“The slippers belonged to WHO”?

Maya almost spit out her freshly pressed beet juice which almost landed on my newly thrifted Issey Miyake blouse.

“Girl”

We both stared at each other in disbelief. We always knew something felt off about the guy I’d been dating for the past eight months, but I don’t think either of us were expecting something this insane.

“Okay so wait, start from the beginning bitch.”

So, basically I’d been dating a man for the past eight months who in many ways seemed perfect: tall, attractive, artistic, fun, LOVER boy!! (or so I thought)

But there was this voice that told me otherwise. I ignored her and the signs, time after time, so ultimately eight months later after the signs were more red and the voice was deep, I said a prayer asking God to reveal what may be hiding in the dark. And within 48-business hours, I got my answer.

In the form of a neighbor. His neighbor.

This wasn’t just any neighbor either, no; this was a blind man in his 70s who I saw on rare occasions sitting outside his front porch with his caretaker nearby.

If a blind man breaking the damn news wasn’t God, then I don’t know what it could’ve been. Coincidence? I think the fuck not.

Because out of nowhere out of the blue, during my normal morning routine of watering the small garden I planted outside his house, this old man shouted Good Morning to me across the way.

I think both myself and the caretaker were surprised by it all.

I yelled back. Good morning!

He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered something to her, something that made her wave me on over to the both of them.

I was sure that he had gotten the wrong person.

So I walked on over, unsure of what was about to happen next.

“Girl this is giving biblical”

Maya was SAT, slurping up the non-existent beet juice left in her cup. We were at Kyu Cafe. Our neighborhood favorite.

“He looked at me, the cataracts in his eyes greyed out to almost completion, and said, I just wanna let you know you are much kinder than the other girl.”

I looked at him and then I looked at the caretaker who smiled while walking herself inside the house.

“Not she wanted no parts” Maya chuckled.

I literally was frozen on his words -

“What do you mean, other girl?” I asked him.

“The one who used to live with him”

I looked at Maya’s face. Her mouth dropped just like mine did when I first heard the news.

“Bitchhhh. The slippers!”

“She used to live with him?” I repeated, unsure if I’d heard it correctly.

The man I’d been dating, mind you, told me that he hasn’t had a girlfriend in years; that he has never lived with a woman before aside from his mother.

“Maybe I’ve said too much” the old man said.

“Ya think!” Maya said, jokingly.

“No…no, thank you” I said genuinely, slowly turning to leave.

“So what did you do???” Maya asked. She was still slurping on her beet juice, using her straw to scrape the bottom for any leftovers. It was day 3 of her detox cleanse and I know she was hungry as hell.

It all made sense. Suddenly, the web of lies became even clearer. Of course he couldn’t tell me whose slippers they were. Or who took the photos he’d show me from his past. Or why after eight months of dating, he still got weird whenever I’d ask about his last relationship.

The signs were ALL there!

“I didn’t do anything. I went inside, packed my things, and left.”

Maya looked at me.

“You can say it.”

“Say what?”

Since the first sign of BS, Maya had advocated to leave that man and his suspicious activity behind.

“Girl bye. That ain’t no use at this point. If anything I wanna know how the blind man knew you were kinder.”

We both busted out laughing, because I actually don’t know how or why he would say that. God I suppose.

“Well enough about me. How are things with you and your guy?”

She gave up on the beet juice and looked at me, a smile forming on her face…