Estrella

Waking up at 7 am gives me enough time to find a pair of jeans and a nice sweater. At 7:30 am the sound of Alfie's car is heard and I make my way outside.

"Good morning," I greet once I'm seated on the passenger's side.

"Good morning," Alfie repeats already driving to the flea market.

Living quite far from the market gave us perfect timing. At 8 am all the vendors had finished setting up, allowing us to start shopping. Interlocking Alfie's and my hand together lets me see everything he sees. He points toward a booth selling CD's and we start heading over there. Our day continues with stopping at most of the booths and looking at all the things that are on display.

After being here for an hour more people have shown making it more crowded and uncomfortable. Feeling claustrophobic I hold on tight to Alfie.
"Ow that hurts" Alfie puts his other hand over mine trying to loosen my grip, but someone pushes right between us at that moment. Alfie's hand leaves mine and I can no longer see. I feel bodies pushing all around me as I stand still.

I reach inside my bag for my cane all while trying not to panic. As my fingertips brush against my cane my mind starts to ease.
"Estrella," Alfie calla out from a distance. I pull out my cane using it to walk closer to Alfie's voice. Yet, I've been pushed again and my cane is no longer in my hand.
'Safety strap!' My mind yells at me.
Slowly I bend my knees sticking my hands outward in the air feeling very vulnerable.

"Estella," A voice whispers so close that I could feel her shaky breath. By now my knees are both on the ground as my hands search the ground for my cane. I ignore the voice hoping it's only in my mind.

"Put your hands out my dear we don't have enough time," From the rugged tone and deep breaths I can guess she's an elderly woman.

"It's a button for one use only, okay Estrella?" The voice breathes out and I lean in trying to see if I could reach her hand.

"Estrella, are you listening? I don't have enough time." She cries out leaning back.

"How will I know when to use it?" I ask still moving my hands trying to find hers.

"It will be a life and death emergency," She crooks out.

"Now hurry, stick your hand out." Thinking fast I do as she tells me quickly shoving my hand toward her. In response to my actions, I feel a cold weight being placed in my hand. Before she could let go of it I grab her hand flipping it over to feel her palm.

Standing directly ahead of me is an elderly woman with white hair and wrinkled skin. However, her palm shows who she really is a tall Nigerian woman. Only two memories are visible to me. A memory of her disguising herself as the women standing in front of me. The second memory is of her meeting a little girl. A little girl with the same color eyes as me and same color of skin. A memory that we share, the night she took my eyesight.

She quickly pulls her hand out of mine and I am left with nothing to see.
"Alfie!" I call out touching the ground in front of me.

"I'm here. I'm here." Alfie repeats his voice sounding closer. I feel a hand on my arm and I'm pulled up on my feet. Alfie places his palm on mine and I can see him holding my cane in his other hand.

"Look for an older lady with a black hoodie Alfie, " I tell him tugging on his arm to move forward.

"Why what happened?" Alfie asks while dragging his feet. My face starts to heat up as I try to look at the people walking around me. I tug on his arm which causes him to stop completely.

"Estella," Alfie places his other hand on to my arm.

"No Alfie, don't Estrella me! Find her Alfie! She couldn't have gone far." I plead shaking him.
Without responding he starts walking and we look everywhere searching for a specific elderly woman.

After finding our way to the parking lot we stop searching. Tears build up in my eyes out of frustration, my fist clenched around the object she gave me.
"Estrella, who is she?" Alfie whispers. I wipe my tears with the back of my hand.

"She's the women that took my vision. She's the women who made me this way. I felt her palm and saw my memory in her perspective. Alfie, she gave me something," I hand the object to Alfie looking at it I realize it's a pin with a purple button.

"She said to use it when the time is right. I don't know what that means." I tell him honestly.
Alfie ponders for awhile staring intensely at the pin.

"Do you think she has some answers?" Alfie asks.

"If she made me this way she has to know how and why," I respond carefully Alfie looks at me and pins the purple button on my shirt.

"Then we should look for this elderly women. Let's go eat first." Alfie smiles at me interlocking his arm around mine. As we eat I tell him about her and how she truly looks. Then we debate on how to find this mysterious woman.