BRIAN chapter 147

It was a bright sunny day as Al and I sat in a window booth at Captain Cooks for lunch. The meal was over and we were just shooting the breeze when we noticed a blind man at the back of the church. He appeared to be trying to find a way in. We both knew that was going to be impossible. Even if he found a door, it would be locked.

We scrambled back across the car lot that allowed us a clear view from the restaurant to the church and found him near the door by the kitchen. Al had another appointment so he left. I introduced myself and took him to my office.

Brian was young, early twenties, about my height and build (5’10”) with very dark brown hair. He had arrived from Winnipeg looking for help and saying he had been referred to us from Central Alliance. He had the right name of the pastor but that meant nothing. I called the church to check him out. Brian was born with sight and as a young child was running with scissors and fell on them. He lost one eye immediately and the other gradually dimmed.

While in Saskatoon I was given the task of meeting with everyone who came to the church looking for a handout. Many people with cars claimed to have just arrived from some place or other and most knew the name of the pastor at a local Alliance church. All mentioned they were referred to our church by the pastor. I learned quickly they had picked up that name on the church reader board or from a yellow pages ad. I never met a one who had attended the church they claimed. The pastor had never heard of them.

In Brian’s case the pastor did know him and did refer him. Brian explained that he was moving here because of a job offer and that there was a downtown residence for the blind where he was trying to get a room.

He had been here over a week. He could not get into the apartment for the blind until someone moved out and he was not hired for the job he was promised. He needed to find a place to stay for a month or so and needed help finding a job. He had been renting a room in a flophouse and was running out of money.

I called Della and we took him in. Rodney liked Brian. He seemed to have no comprehension that Brain could not see. He would bring his toys to show Brian and they played on the floor together.

It turned out we had a lot to learn from Brian. He enjoyed playing with the toys and he loved to “watch” TV. He had an uncanny ability to follow a TV story.

He had worked in a photo processing dark room in Winnipeg and was looking for that kind of work as his first choice. We went over his possible jobs, made a list of businesses that might work and the next day I planned to drive him to the various places to see if he could get a job.

That morning he called me into is room to ask about a pair of pants he had bought in Winnipeg for his job interview. He wanted to be sure of the color and wanted his clothes to work together. He handed me the pants and I got angry. The pants were not hemmed and looked like they had small holes up and down the leg. At lest one was a cigarette burn. How could someone sell him these pants? It was clear he had never worn them. He could not go out wearing those pants. I walked to my closet of six suits, pulled one out and had him try it on. It fit perfectly and out we went job hunting.

I had to laugh. At every place we stopped the person asked me about Brian’s skills and abilities even when Brian initiated the conversation. When I told them he wanted the job not me, ask him, they repeated the question louder. I would say, "He’s blind, not deaf."

I got him hooked up with the bus system routes from my place to downtown and he took off most days hitting all the various agencies that might be of help to him.  He got around very well. All you have to do is ask and most people are very helpful he would say.

Living with us was very difficult. When he would return on the bus he would be lost. The neighborhood was too quiet. He preferred to live around noise. It helped him with directions and traffic. We were new in the neighborhood and once he got more than a block away, we were unknown. He wandered before finding us. He wanted to get downtown as soon as possible. Then came an early opening at the apartment he wanted and I moved him to a neighborhood so noisy I would not be able to sleep at night. It was over near Bernard and prefect for him.

When he left us, he still had no job, but he was getting some government aid and said he was going to manage just fine. He did get a job processing photos in a dark room eventually. He already knew how.

There was a day we were at my office when he insisted I pray for his healing. I told him had never seen it happen because I prayed. I did not have that gift. After much discussion, I finally agreed and prayed. When I finished he said, “I still can’t see.” “I can heal no one, only God can do that. I do not know what God has for you.” He was disappointed and felt like he would never see again. I suspected as much but said nothing.