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When daddy and mommy found out I was blind, they explained it to my sisters right away (and you now know how that turned out with Eva).
With my older sister, Mathilde, how was then 9 years old, things went quite differently.
She got it right away. Her eyes filled with sadness.
Mathilde : "It's a shame... he will never see the landscapes, the mountains, the see".
Daddy (hiding the knot in his throat) : "We'll explain, we'll describe it to him, we'll make him touch it..."
Mat : "Yes, but it's not the same thing..."
Daddy : "of course not, but that's the way it is honey..."
Mat (centering everything around her own interests) : "He won't be able to see cartoons".
Daddy : "He will listen to them and we'll explain when necessary".
Mat (looking for a comeback) "Yes but he won't be able to draw" (Mathilde's passion)
Daddy : "And why not ? It will be harder, we'll have to help him, teach him..."
Mat : "Anyway he won't be able to play too many board games, or hide and seek ... ( pause - then a sparkle in her eyes - ) ... but he'll be able to play Colin Maillard *!"
Daddy swallowed the knot in his throat, kissed Mathilde, and tolde her : "You're right, and he will beat you all ! You're a very bright and creative girl. So you'll see, we'll find lots of ways to take care of him."
After that daddy said (jokingly) that if anybody had said anything bad about Colin Maillard he would've punched him in the face !
Just goes to show once more that we can tell each other everything and dare to use words... as long as there is love and understanding.
*"Colin Maillard" is a game for children in openair : they close they eyes (op put a silk neckerchief before the eyes) and have to recognise and catch the others."
picture:
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