Me eh know how long dey was callin mih name nah. All ah know is when ah hear dem ah answer best ah could. Ah had good reason tuh not hear dem or answer good: Ah was still groggy from mih eye surgery.

Yes, me an dis silent killer glaucoma go be dancin till one ah we dead, It like ah terrorist — it doh give up once it set it sights orn you. You have tuh be watchin yuh ps an qs tuh prevent even ah Trini-style ISIS fanatic from winnin. Is de same way wid we glaucoma sufferers fightin tuh save we eyesight. Buh is not just fuh we fightin glaucoma; everybody fightin what lookin tuh harm or kill dem oui have tuh fight back.

So I dey, in de people hospital. Dis operation was de larse resort. It wuk an no more ah all dem eye drops an pills an side effects.

Ah understand dem British doh screw arong. Have glaucoma an is dis same operation time. It make sense tuh me cause takin all dem pills an drops require ah degree ah dedication dat doh always work out. I could ah have dis operation twenty years ago. Ah bettin mih eyesight would be ah whole lot better dan now too.

Ah did know what tuh expect so ah wasn’t worried when ah wake up not seein nuttin because mih eye was all bandaged up. Ah usin de singular because glaucoma done up one tuh nuttin in dis fight wid me an it. De best ah could hope for now is ah one-one draw.

Mih first question tuh de voice was what time it is. Half parse twelve it say. Ah do de maths — two hours plus ah was out like ah light. Ah was glad ah did make de choice tuh go full anesthesia. De idea ah being half awake wid somebody squeezin here, tuggin dey even pullin mih eye out wasn’t appealin tuh mih at all. Knock mih out. Ah go take mih chances dat ah wakin up in de right place afterwards tuh finish all dem tings ah start buh cyar done yet.

De larse ting I remember before lights out was mih ophthalmologist right up in mih face while ah dey in de operatin room scared like hell. Someting tell mih he had ah needle in he hand buh didn’t want me tuh see it. De first jook confirm mih suspicions so he really didn’t need dem udder jooks. Ah tink he was serious too when he tell mih tuh ignore he an watch someplace over he shoulder. Eef ah did know how mad he was ah would ah pick ah next doctor oui. Granted dey was gentle pokes, not even real jooks buh ah get stick wid ah sharp object an given all de violence dese days, dem was attempts orn mih life. Den he tell dis next doctor someting an de hand de nurse did jook earlier start tuh bun. Right where dat nurse wid de red, white an black glasses frames did put een ah IV. Ah tort about askin him eef he was ah Trini buh he did look so serious. Maybe he used tuh be ah immigration officer or someting or was tuh start tellin people dey too ole fuh GATE.

Anyway, once mih hand start tuh bun dat was it fuh me. Next ting was two hours later an somebody was callin mih name an ah cyar see who.

Fuh de next twenty-four hours ah was totally dependent orn udders. Tork about lorse. I dey inchin mih way arong my apartment like ah searchin fuh midgets tuh pat orn dey head. After about de fifth time stumblin into de bathroom ah finally stop searchin fuh de lights. When udder tings wasn’t where ah tort dey should be was panic time.

Ah did learn some tricks from ah blind teacher ah had back in college in Triniland. He was mih secret hero, not lettin blindness keep him back. Eef de TTPS had radar guns in dem days he would ah get arrested. Watchin dat man yuh would swear he was goin an bounce into ah wall or someting. Ah tink he used tuh count he steps so he did know when tuh gear dong tuh first an do he version ah searchin fuh midgets. He used tuh know what coins he had by checkin fuh ridges. Dimes had, pennies didn’t. Tuh full ah cup he would put ah finger dong inside before pourin. When de liquid reach he finger he did know tuh stop.

I was he fuh twenty-four hours.

Mih udder senses did feel like dey was pickin up de slack, especially mih hearin. Ah started tuh play bat an listen fuh where sounds was comin from. Ah also manage not tuh put anyting orn de table an have it tip over cause it was too close tuh de edge. Ah used tuh do dat nonsense when ah could see so ah was ready tuh prove ah had some sense durin dem twenty-four hours.

Eatin was horrors. Yes ah manage not tuh stick mihself wid de fork but dat was probably cause ah couldn’t get any damn food on de damn fork no matter how hard ah try. Ah was ready tuh pelt it away an go caveman style.

All dat done. Ah had mih first post-op visit. Gettin tuh de doctor was kicks. I eh have no car. Taxi tuh go dat far wasn’t happenin. Dat leave de bus. From by me tuh de station was ah trip in itself. Ah plan tuh watch any tape it have later orn in life when gettin vex would be ah waste ah time. It go be hilarious.

Eef yuh doh want tuh star in ah similar movie, listen good. Anybody volunteerin tuh help yuh get tuh de doctor when yuh eye bandage up an yuh cyar see, give dem ah seein test. De life yuh save might be yuh own. How much times I dey leanin orn dis person arm an ah hearin, ‘whoops’, ‘lookout’ or ‘oops sorry ah didn’t see dat, yuh awright?’

Up tuh know meh know what dem whoops was for. De lookout ah find out was because some idiot was ridin orn de pavement expectin people like me tuh avoid he.

De ‘oops sorry ah didn’t see dat, yuh awright?’ was because ah crash into dis pole mih seein eye companion eh see. Ah couldn’t say nuttin in case dey get vex ah leave mih by mihself an gorn. So heed mih warnin.

Anyway we make it tuh by de doctor. De walk from de bus tuh he orfice was de scariest part. Hearin dem expression would ah kill mih buh I eh hear dem or even new ones.

Mih twenty-four hours done. De bandage orf an I seein again. Better too.

Me eh know how udder countries does handle glaucoma. All ah know is eef you have it make sure an handle it de way yuh should. Remember terrorists.

Blind fuh twenty-fours inconvenient buh twenty-fours hours was temporary. Fuh too many it only temporary, until it become permanent. Doh let dat be you.