Esther’s eyes

Esther arrived with autumn. She had been travelling on a business trip in the United States when she was faced with an impossible decision: return to her Central American country of origin—and certain persecution—or seek safety by crossing the border into Canada—and endure an indefinite separation from her husband and two children. The choice that led Esther to our doors was motivated by survival, which was evident in the way she arrived—carrying one small suitcase. On a warm September afternoon, I watched Esther walk through the back gate and set down her bag. Then, she straightened up and took in her new surroundings with all of her senses but one; Esther was visually impaired—she had been blind since birth.   

During her first week at Kinbrace, Esther asked me if I would take her shopping for clothes. I agreed, though I had never guided someone with visual impairment before. As we boarded the number twenty bus and made our way downtown to the mall, I was a haphazard combination of overly cautious and nearly negligent. At times, Esther would practically drag me along, laughing, and other times, I would forget to warn her when the sidewalk abruptly ended. But we got through it, and once we had successfully found her some new clothes, we celebrated with hot drinks. 

As we sat outside the mall at a little patio table in the sun, I looked at Esther, her hands cupping her coffee, and I marveled at her trust. She had come to Canada seeking protection, but she had to assess the safety of her new environment without the aid of her eyes. Though she was unable to read facial expressions and body language, she openly received the welcome of new neighbours and Kinbrace staff. She was both incredibly vulnerable and remarkably trusting. She had accepted the offer of my outstretched arm, entrusting her very self to me—a stranger. Her trust, freely given, invited my own, and in the weeks that followed, Esther became the neighbour I would go to for guidance…for the outstretched arm of a friend. 

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of my neighbours.