SUPREME VISION SYSTEM

As he resumed his journey to Vin's house, Cole felt like for one moment he could not see anything at all. His view became black and white and then back to black before turning frozen white.

He stopped in his tracks afraid. Damn! What was happening? He thought as he rubbed his eyes multiple times to generate a clear view but it was not working. He tried again and only on the nth time, his vision was somewhat back to normal but still, it was not clear.

This made him concerned about his eyes. There was nothing wrong with his vision. Then what happened now? 

A slight...little discomfort would have been fine considering many people lose the power of their eyesight with age but with him, things were worse. 

The moment before it felt like he was blind and could not see a thing. Everything turned black and white and frozen. He wanted to run back home and call the doctor for a quick eye check-up. 

It was needed...his eyes needed immediate attention. Prolonging it would only cause more problems and curing it might become difficult later. 

Maybe early diagnosis could save his eyesight and also time and money? He decided to drop a text to the doctor by himself and not inform his mother about it. He did not want her to be worried anymore about him.

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"What happened?" Ivory asked concerned.

She saw that her son was lost in something. He was sitting in front of her with his diner plate before him but he was not there mentally. 

"Cole? Are you alright?" Ivory leaned her face forward to get his attention.

That got Cole to look up at her. He was still having the same problem of not being able to have a clear view. Why? He had no idea. Did he catch a deadly disease that would render him without a vision for the rest of his life? 

He did not even do drugs and shit like that as the students in his school did then why did he catch such a disease. He was really clueless here. 

Every minute or in gaps between, his vision would turn completely black and then white all of a sudden. The cycle would go on for a few moments before it stabilized and he could see but still, the view was unclear. 

"I m...I m alright. .." Cole uttered out not matching eyes with his mother's.

"Are you sure? If there is anything...you can say it to me.." Ivory stretched.

She was aware by now that her son was hiding something from her. But she had no idea what could that be exactly. She was suspicious now.

"There...there is nothing. I m fine mom. I just do not have an appetite. " Cole lied.

"It's your favorite bean fried rice. What happened? You do not like it anymore?" Ivory intervened.

She spent hours inside the kitchen thinking about what should she cook because Cole just left the house and missed the lunch. She got anxious but Mr. Evans told her that he would come in just fine and indeed he did but ever since he was not behaving like himself.

"Did you go to meet Vincent?" 

Cole nodded his head, moving his spoon on the plate half-filled with the bean dried rice. 

"Is he alright? Why did he not come to see you in the hospital?" Ivory interviewed?

"I have no idea, mom I did not meet him. " Cole replied.

" But did you not go to his house to visit him?"

"I did but I returned home in the midway " Cole answered.

He could not tell her that he went blind and could not see anything. His vision totally gave up on him and so he had to stop in one place about a half-hour or so for his vision to return to him. 

She would get worried uselessly as it was clear that something was very wrong with his visions. And he knew that if not found out what was wrong in the earliest possible time, the disease might spread and get worse.

But in the meantime, he did not want to worry his mother when she just got a break from taking care of him. She would force them to get to the hospital right away.

"Why? Why did you return from the halfway and if you did, where the hell was you for so long?" Ivory narrowed her eyes.

It was now confirmed that he was hiding something from her and she wanted to find out right away but she knew that Cole being Cole would not let it out right away thinking it would hurt her.

"I...I... strolled around the park and met some guys."

Cole lied closing his eyes. He did not lie at all especially to his mother. He was at present too finding it difficult to see clearly. That was killing him inside.

It was confirmed too much now that her son was stuttering that Cole lying and not telling her the truth.

"Oh...then maybe if you do not feel like eating anymore, take your medicine and rest for tonight." Ivory concluded.

She reminded herself that when he felt like telling her, he would tell her. She did not want to intrude on his privacy. Teen years were very crucial and she did not want him to have any wrong idea or impression.

"Yeah..yeah thank you for this." Cole smiled pointing to the bean fried rice.

He stood up and headed towards the bureau to get his medicine. It was then suddenly once again his vision started to fluctuate, turning black and white, back to black making him slid his hand on the surface searching for the medicine.

Ivory noticed that and she was shocked to see what was going on. What was he doing? Why did not pick up the medicine right away from the table instead of searching for it by sliding his hand over it? 

"Cole...Cole are you alright?" 

Ivory could not help but ask. She strode towards him and shortly his vision got normal, not too clear but at least visible. He picked up the medicine and gulped it inside with the glass of water kept beside it.

"Yes...I m alright. Why? What is wrong?" He acted to be all normal

"Is everything really alright, honey? You can tell me anything you want right?" Ivory implored again.

She was getting late for her night shift in the diner. After taking a day's leave, she could not manage to take another day off because that would mean a major cut in the salary, and right then she was in the dire need of money.

She had to return it to Mr.Evans and also to buy one new desktop computer for Cole. The boy loved playing there, she reminded herself. But looking at him right then, she felt like she should not leave him all alone here right after he had been discharged from the hospital.

"Every...everything is alright mom. " Cole tried to sound convincing to his mother.

Although Ivory was not satisfied, but she decided to let it go got now as she was getting late for work. So she collected the dishes and spoons bringing them inside the kitchen and cleaning them in the sink. 

She made sure to double-check the stove and the oven. She put the lighter a feet away from the stove and also plugged out the oven. At this point, she did not risk it with anything with her son.

Once done, she went to her bedroom and slipped inside her waitress uniform, pink skirt, and a white t-shirt. She came out once done to see Cole sitting by the front sofa in the living room.

"You have not gone to bed yet? Not tired?" Ivory asked lighting her cigarette. 

The nights became cold in their part of the city. Thank God for the heater that was still working fine even after ten years of continuous working. Ivory slipped in the long furry coat, getting ready to leave.

"Mom I need you to promise me something," Cole said.

Ivory looked at her son with seriousness evident in his eyes, she thought maybe it was something, he was going to say it out loud to her now. She felt somewhat relief knowing that she would come to know why he was behaving that way bit was somewhat anxious too what if the news, the thing he was about to say was going to be bad news.

She did not say anything and instead nodded her head letting him know that he could continue with whatever he wanted to say to her. She always wanted him to be free with her and share everything with her. 

Being a cold boy, who did not say much, Ivory always tried to make him open up to her and tell things to her but with time, it seemed things had improved.

"Promise me you will not work in the club. It's... it's not that I m embarrassed or something of you working there but I just do not like the fact that those perverted men watch you for the show. Please...please promise you will not work there anymore." Cole explained.

Ivory understood her son's concern. She let him know she left the job and asked him to sleep as she bid him good night. She was yet waiting for him to open up to her. 

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