Albert's story: the start of an unusual journey
It is often a confusing time when one first starts seeing things that are not really there. Albert's first experience happened while having lunch at his dining table one winter's day. In a moment when a soft shaft of light flooded the room, he seemed distracted by something below the table. He lowered his eyes and distinctly saw a child with pretty ribbons in her hair playing at the foot of the table. She could be seen in perfect detail: the dress material, her facial expressions and the dainty shoes she wore.
Albert was taken aback. Not only because he lived alone but also as this girl looked like she'd been plucked straight from the 1930s. She wore a traditional Bonnie Jean dress with a white rounded collar and black Mary Jane shoes. Initially he tried to speak to the girl but she never replied. He eventually reached out to touch her and to his amazement she vanished into thin air. It was the first of many encounters for Albert with the girl in hair ribbons. She often appeared in the afternoon and sometimes in the evening.
The whole experience was…well, odd to say the least. Who was this girl? Why was she suddenly (re-)appearing? And perhaps most important of all, how on earth could Albert be seeing her so clearly? After all, he was living with advanced macular degeneration and struggled to see anything with any sort of clarity. His central vision was shot. There was this invisible hole whenever he looked straight ahead. Letters and numbers were now very hard to read and they often appeared warped. Faces seemed to get swallowed up. Driving was now very much a thing of the past. Trying to find the tin of beans from the pantry or determine what colour shirt he had selected from his wardrobe was no easy task. And yet the girl with hair ribbons was seen with no trouble at all. In fact, Albert could describe her in remarkable detail. It seemed to be a massive contradiction that made no sense.
Once when Albert was a front seat passenger in his daughter’s car, he saw the girl again. This time she was riding a bike as she merrily weaved her way through the traffic. It was a bit unnerving for Albert as her movements seemed to be putting her at risk and he was concerned for her safety. He made some awkward sounds as if in acute discomfort but did not respond to his daughter’s direct question, “What’s wrong, Dad?”
Albert simply could not work it out. The 1930s girl who now made regular appearances in his life was real but also not real. He saw her clearer and better than anything else. But she never spoke and on the occasions when he extended his arm to touch her, his hand passed right through. He felt nothing but empty space. She was a phantom.
The eye specialist had told Albert he was legally blind quite some time ago and his everyday life challenges reflected this diagnosis. Except for the girl with the ribbons. She completely defied his failing vision.
To be continued
