Ancient Island

by David Harp

Chapter 9

  Haley’s Eyes

  One week after Chris received his acceptance letter to Duke, Dan and his father were going to Becky’s for breakfast. As they were leaving the cabin, Mr. Naidoo saw Chris hosing off his canoe. He suggested Dan invite him to join them.

  Dan called to Chris to ask if he wanted to go. He didn’t say a word, simply dropped the hose, turned off the faucet, and was in the back seat within seconds.

  “Guess that was a yes,” Dan said. “You must be hungry.”

  “I already ate,” Chris replied with little expression. “I want to talk to Haley about school.”

  They drove to the restaurant and parked the car in a small grassy area. Dan saw Renee working in the garden. Haley had described him many times as the scruffy but lovable man who “fixed things.” She referred to him as Dr. Rogers, so Dan hadn’t realized the caretaker was their hippie friend from the pier.

  Mr. Naidoo and the boys were greeted at the door by Becky. She escorted them through the meticulously decorated living room filled with antique furniture. The room vibrated with the echo of their shoes on hardwood floors and the melodious chimes of an antique Westminster clock. Ancient oak trees cast a gentle shade over the long rustic tables, each positioned near the windows to offer a clear view of the garden.

  The interior of the restaurant appeared as if a charming English cottage had fallen through the Earth and rematerialized in the old south. The establishment’s appearance wasn’t Mr. Naidoo’s main interest. Becky’s warmth and familiarity provided a sense of belonging that was missing after the death of his wife.

  Becky took the order while Chris went into the kitchen to talk to Haley. Dan couldn’t hear the conversation, but could tell it was very animated. Becky joined Dan and his father at the table a few minutes later. She looked at Mr. Naidoo, took a deep breath and began speaking.

  “Tell me Ernie, what are you going to do with yourself when Daniel leaves for college?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Haley seems determined to follow Chris. I know they’ll be only a short distance away in Gainesville, but she’s my baby and my best friend since Ben died.”

  Becky glared at Dan with a stern expression, “Do not tell Haley!” Then she looked back at Mr. Naidoo, “I’m scared.”

  Without ever looking away from her, Mr. Naidoo reached across the table, held her hand tightly and said two words, “Me too.” A slight smile flashed across Becky’s face as tears welled in her eyes. She stood up, dabbed her cheeks with a tissue, and headed back to the kitchen.

  It had been nearly eight years since Dan’s mother died. He and his Dad had become nearly inseparable. What would his father do when he left home? This morning’s encounter comforted him as he considered the possibility that his father and Becky might be sharing more than breakfast.

  Chris reemerged from the kitchen and fell into his chair like a man who had finished a marathon. It was obvious Haley hadn’t taken the news well. Dan recalled the dream Chris shared with him. The part about Haley getting upset had come true.

  Haley was a devout Christian who found meaning in everything. In her mind, nothing happened that wasn’t part of God’s plan. She felt God had intervened from the moment she saw Rebecca’s Dollhouse. The improbable events that followed made her even more certain.

  Then Haley met Chris who seemed like a gift from heaven. He was a handsome, devout Christian who instantly fell in love with her when no boy had ever shown an interest. To Haley, Chris was literally a gift from God.

  Four years earlier, Ms. Shelby told Becky that Renee was an eye doctor. Haley had assumed Renee was a regular physician, addressing him as Dr. Rogers out of respect. When she learned a week ago that he was an ophthalmologist from Yale University, Haley’s mind starting turning. What are the odds that Dr. Rogers and I would wind up together? She concluded it was more than a coincidence.

  Even though her current ophthalmologist was the most respected in Hernando County, she told Chris, “I may be legally blind, but even I can see that this is part of God’s plan. Dr. Rogers and I were brought together for a reason. I can’t leave now!”

  The problem was that Chris was equally convinced God wanted him to attend college in North Carolina.

  Haley was a meticulous records keeper. She had gathered multiple copies of every prescription, every report, every study done, and every paper written regarding her eyes since her adoption.

  Even though Renee made it clear he no longer had a medical license, Haley begged him to read the comprehensive file she had prepared. He agreed after weeks of persistent appeals, but “only if you stop calling me Dr. Rogers. Please call me Renee!”

  Renee began reviewing Haley’s file. What he read was hard to accept. He expected to find nutritional deficiencies or physical abnormalities, but instead found her eyes were healthy.

  Her vision tests ranked above the top one percent. What the doctors hadn’t been able to understand was why it took her five seconds to see what other people see in an instant.

  Renee assumed Haley wore sunglasses to hide her yellow eyes, but began to wonder if they might also be therapeutic. He spoke to her in the garden the following day.

  “Good morning Haley. Those are pretty sunglasses. Do they help you see?”

  “Sort-of,” she said. “I know it sounds strange, but dark sunglasses make me feel less confused. My ophthalmologist said sunglasses shouldn’t make any difference, but it won’t hurt if I like wearing them.”

  Since standard tests had shown Haley’s vision was exceptional, her current ophthalmologist was certain the problem was in her brain. She began working with a surgeon at the University of Florida. He agreed to perform an exploratory operation on the dorsal stream, which is the part of the visual cortex associated with motion. Becky had postponed the surgery on the advice of an old friend, but the ophthalmologist was determined to get the procedure rescheduled as soon as possible.

  Renee’s reaction was even stronger than Becky’s. The thought of surgery made him sick. He was beginning to think Haley’s new doctor was no better than the stalker from NYU. It seemed the new doctor was more interested in satisfying her scientific curiosity than doing what was best for Haley.

  Haley’s iris was twice as thick and her retina ten times denser than a typical eye. The small red flecks in her iris appeared to be receptors that no other human on Earth possessed. Her eyes were gathering vastly more information than the typical human eye.

  We don’t need to improve her vision, Renee thought. We need to restrict it! If we can screen out certain wavelengths of light like a pair of sunglasses, we may be able to speed up her reaction time.