This fictional story is NOT sexually explicit
although some might perceive it to be so!
Frankie, A blind boy who can see!
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Frankie Did NOT need his Blind Eyes to See
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The best way to protect the
characters you write about is to say the names have been changed or at least
that is what some think. Others will try
to disguise the identity by changing the actual events and the time frame they
occurred in.
The story that follows… let’s
just say it is pure fiction so if there seems to be similarities to a real life
happening you are aware of, rest assured it isn’t the same event.
Hank or Henry as was his real
name was the first born into a well-to-do family. The father wasn’t a man who could be friendly
with people but he had some feelings for the child. Their baby pictures were so similar that it
overcame the coldness of the father’s nature.
Relations between the father
and mother were in the, “Not very often category” for the father had no desire
to sire another child.
Shall we say that the mother
had normal desires that could be stimulated by reading a love story or by
hearing some gossip about some one who may have stepped over the line.
Her sewing circles meetings
met a certain need for companionship and as far as we know none of the
immediate circle felt the need to seek the company of any outside of the
marriage regardless of its perceived shortcomings. In fact the stories exchanged there
reinforced the marriage ties and faithfulness.
The father was attending a meeting with his
old cronies when one of the hosts brought out a STEREOSCOPE with pictures of
very young women.
It was an evening when most
all of the men drank too much and upon the father’s arrival home he engaged in an
intimate act with his wife. A few months
later she announced she was with child again.
This enraged the father who
at first accused her of being unfaithful. When his rage subsided she reminded him of the
night of intimacy which he could scarcely remember due to his drunkenness. He blamed her for the whole thing and she
should have refused him and on it went.
He left and didn’t come home
for a week and when he did he made the proclamation; “I will never have
anything to do with the child for I hate it.”
It came time for the child to
be delivered but there was some difficulty and the midwife sent for the doctor.
He said we must get her to the hospital
immediately. After three days the child
was finally born with the help of the doctor’s instruments.
The mother was a strong woman
but was greatly weaken by the ordeal and it took three months before she could
regain her strength. Henry or Hank as
most called him was a strong lad and stayed nearby his mom and did what he
could do to help her.
Once the mother, Laney got on
her feet her sister Jan who also helped her went back to her home with her
mother and father. The new born Frankie
as his mother called him seemed different from Henry some how.
Laney couldn’t put her finger
on it but the way he acted didn’t appear normal. She took him to the doctor and he said, “I
don’t know if something is wrong or not.”
He went on to explain he didn’t have the
testing equipment necessary to test Frankie and he would have to go to the clinic
in the big city. He went on to explain
the costs to Laney and when the father found out it would be a thousand dollars
he went wild.
When he settled down he said
it takes me six months to earn that kind of money. On this point he was exaggerating but it still
was a lot of money for the finding out with the treatment to follow. He looked at the child and said “Freaky
Frankie” is on his own for I want nothing to do with him.
At six months much of what
Frankie did could have been considered normal but yet Laney knew he acted
different from Henry. At nine months she
realized that while he was nursing he would take his hand and feel her breast
and sometimes stop suckling and just feel the nipple. She knew it was normal for babies to do some
of that but this was different.
At one year he was walking though
not steady and she would try to get him to say simple words that Henry had said
at this age. The best Frankie could do
was to make a guttural sound. When Laney
was doing the necessary chores like ironing he would pull himself up and run
his hands over her legs as far as he could reach above the knee.
She would shake him off but
then he would feel her toes when she was barefooted. When she would be sitting resting he would do
the same kind of thing only he could reach farther.
The father had been observing
the way Frankie was acting and after several months he said, “Henry and I are
moving. I’m getting away from “Freaky Frankie.”
He didn’t say where he was
going but all she knew was they were gone. For a while he sent a little money but then it
stopped.
Things were getting desperate
and her sister Jan and one of her friends Lacy moved in with her and they set
up a dress making shop.
Joe the father filed for
divorce and when it was final he married a woman he had taken up with. Her feelings matched Joe’s in many ways one
being she didn’t care for children. She
wanted none of her own and wanted nothing to do with other people’s kids. In order to keep harmony in the home she
tolerated Henry for he would graduate in five years.
Henry or Hank as he preferred
to be called left home as soon as he finished high school and he being very
talented got a job in a mill. In two
years he had become a master mechanic.
He married a girl who he had attended school with and proceeded to have
two children.
On occasion he would visit
his mom and bring the family but his father’s wife made it known she didn’t
want them visiting her home. Joe’s
father would visit once or twice a year but the new wife always declined the
invitation.
When Frankie was three years
old he couldn’t talk and bumped into things for he was still unsteady on his
feet. The habit he picked up as a baby
had grown worse for he would feel of the ladies who came to the shop when ever
he got a chance. The three ladies had
finally had got used to him so they paid no attention to him.
He loved to crawl up into
their lap and feel their face, shoulders, and ribs till he made them laugh. If
he caught one of them in bed in the morning he would go up and down their whole
body. There seem to be a design to what
he was doing like an explorer would map an area of land.
Laney had to watch Frankie
when she took him out for he would try to do what he always did when he got the
chance. He would cause people to stare
at him when he made the strange sounds when he tried to say something. He loved young girls for they were nigh unto
his size and if he got the chance he would feel their chest. He always looked confused when there was
nothing protruding out on them.
Laney bought Frankie some
drawing paper and pencils thinking he might occupy himself by scribbling on the
paper. To her surprise he would run his
hands over her legs and draw something that slightly resembled a leg. He did the same thing after fingering her
face.
After some time she and the
two women who worked with her realized he had a talent for drawing but he
couldn’t see clearly enough for the image to form so he used his hands and they
began to be his eyes. The women were excited about his new found talent and
encouraged him to draw different parts of the female figure.
A mother had brought her nine
year old daughter to the shop for a special dress. They had her remove he
clothes down to her underwear so she could be measured for size. While they
spent an hour selecting the materials for the dress Frankie came in with his
pad.
When Frankie began touching the girl at first she was frightened and yet curious at the same time for he wasn’t
hurting her. Frankie felt her ankles and feet and quickly made a sketch of
them. He moved up past the knees feeling them as he went and the added that
part of the sketch. Then he felt his way
to her neck and then her head and hair stopping to draw as he went.
He made one last feel of her
face and added some detail to his sketch. He then gave it to the somewhat bewildered
young girl and left the room as the mother came back. Jan said just a few more measurements and we
will be done.
The girl picked up the sketch
and the mother wanted to know where she got the drawing as the shop women began
to worry. They knew it had to be Frankie although they never saw him in there.
They were hoping the mother
would forget about the drawing for she was ordering several dresses for
different events they were going to. Frankie
had added a designed dress to the sketch and the mother said she would like to
have a dress like the one in the drawing. Laney quickly said they could do it with the
lace and all.
As they often were, they were
confused by the work that they knew had been done by Frankie but when they
asked him about it but he didn’t remember doing it. She left the sketch so the dress could be made
just like it and said I want it as soon as you are finished with it. Communicating wasn’t getting any easier with
Frankie he could scarcely hear or see and couldn’t talk at all.
They kept him away from the
customers as much as possible but when all three women had to work he would
slip in the fitting room and would touch the customers. This offended some of the women but strange as
it seems some asked for him to make sketches for them while they waited.
Of course this entailed him
touching them in order to know what to draw.
Eventually the word got out
that they could have a sketch drawn while they were fitted for a new frock. As the years went by Frankie did sketches for
anyone who asked for them and the business prospered mostly because of them.
One day Jan, Laney’s sister
and partner was shopping for groceries and she over heard three women talking
about this young man down at the dress shop who had magic fingers. He was handicapped due to being almost deaf
and blind but he had a way of touching you one said that almost makes her melt.
As they compared mental notes
they all finally agreed that they had a closet full of clothes they had bought
just because of the technique he used to create his sketches. A couple more women joined them and wanted to
know what they were talking about.
Jan took her groceries and
got out of there before the ladies could recognized her. When she got back to the shop she had a lot to
talk about.
They all agreed that there
would be no more drawing done by Frankie that is until business dropped of to
almost nothing.
One woman said it best when
she said the only reason I come here is to be touched if you know what I mean. They all said in unison “We know what you mean.”
The woman went on and said
since you are women you know we all like to be touched and most men don’t have
a clue what we mean by that. Much of
what they think is love making is no more than rough housing.
This young man without ever
acting unseemly is able to meet a need most men don’t know exists. I’ll buy a dress a week if he “Sketches” me
during the process.
The women while sitting
around the kitchen table agreed the woman was right. None of them ever thought about wanting a man
for just being touched by Frankie relieved the animal desires without anything
sexual being done.
They agreed it was almost too
embarrassing to talk about but it was true.
There was within this young
boy, sensitivities few if any men have, and he could hardly see or hear. They talked way into the night without coming
to any conclusion as what to do.
On the one hand it seemed
immoral but on the other hand it provided a service. Something happened the next day that changed
the whole thing.
A lady had been in once
before after being recommended by a friend and said she wished to talk to all
three of them. She asked, how old
Frankie was and Laney said he just turned twelve. “And he’s always been like this?” she asked?
Laney said, “Yes he has.”
She asked, ‘Have you ever had
him examined to see if he could be helped?”
Laney related the story about
the doctor’s recommendation to take Frankie to the clinic but the cost was more
than they could afford and since the father left it was not an option for them.”
The lady, Marilyn, said, “My
husband David is the top specialist at the clinic and I will talk to him about
Frankie.”
That night she went through
the routine she goes through when she wants something and he recognized he was
being played so he said; “Why don’t we cut to the chase and save a lot of
trouble.”
She said, “You mean I don’t
have to go into my pouting stage?”
He said, ‘No, I have some
work to do so out with it.”
She left out everything
about… (well you know) and just told him about the defects the boy suffered
with.
He said, “You mean, he can
draw sketches but can’t see or hear?”
She answered, “Yes and does
an outstanding job.”
He said, “There is something
you aren’t telling me, but bring him in and I’ll take a look at him.”
The next day the arrangements
were made and after the doctor’s day was finished he said for his nurse to
bring the boy in. Laney said she would
have to stay with him at least until he got to know the people he was to be
around.
The doctor’s wife went in to
the examination room with them and told her husband; “This is Frankie, the
young man I told you about.”
Frankie drew back as the
Doctor started to check his heart and other vitals.
Laney said, “Let him feel
your face and hands and whatever until he relaxes.”
The doctor being very
understanding said sure and for the next ten minutes Frankie touched the doctor
and relaxed as he did.
Dr. David said, Okay let’s
check the ears first and all he said was hmmm and unhuh.
His wife finally said, “What’s
that mean?”
He said, “Now dear, let me do
it my way if you don’t mind. Now let’s
look at the eyes.”
Frankie reacted a little when
a bright light was shined into his eyes but didn’t resist the doctor. After the doctor finished he said, “I will
need to confirm my diagnoses with more sophisticated instruments, but I feel
sure he can be helped with an operation. In simple terms there is a film in the eyes
that needs to be removed and he will probably need to wear glasses. The ears have a problem I believe one of our specialists
can fix.”
Marilyn said, “David how soon
can this be done?”
He gave her a look meaning; “I’ll
talk to you about this when we get home,” but said; “I’ll talk to the other
doctors and then we’ll see what we can do.”
As they left Marilyn said to
Laney; “Don’t worry it will get done. I’ve got that patronizing look from him before
but I will straighten him out when he get’s home.”
By the time Dr. David arrived
home he thought it over and decided it would be better for him to take care of
this and not ignore Marilyn’s wishes in this matter.
He told his wife; “I talked
it over with everyone and they are willing to proceed with the operations as
soon as all the needed tests are done.”
She said, “Thank you my
wonderful husband, I have a surprise for you.”
Three weeks later the tests
were complete and the operation was scheduled. By this time Frankie had become
acquainted with all the people that were to be involved including the nurses
who would be treating him post opp.
The eyes were to be done
first and a week later the hearing problem. The reason for the space between was to give
Frankie time to being able to see and to get to know faces he had never seen
before.
It was necessary to tie his
hands to the side of the bed to keep him from damaging the work they had done
by scratching the itching that was naturally going to follow.
On the fourth day was the
unveiling and the first one he saw was Laney. He still needed to be fitted with glasses but
he could see her very well. He looked,
and stared for some time and finally shut his eyes and felt her face.
When he opened his eyes again
he had a big smile on his face and hugged her. He tried to speak but only unintelligible
sounds came out.
He did the same to everyone
he saw the first time but after that he knew who they were. At the end of the week the second operation
was done and he wore ear muffs to limit the amount of sound he could hear.
After another week they were removed and he heard his first words. How often Laney had said “I love you” to him
but he never heard it until now.
Before they released him they
set up an appointment with a speech therapist to work with him and he could
almost say mama and a few more simple words a baby might be able to say. She told Laney how to teach him to talk and
had a session with him twice a week.
Six months later he was
talking pretty good but still had a ways to go. He also had to learn to read and write. This
was going to take some time.
He continued to make sketches
of women who came into the shop. His
ability to draw had improved greatly but he found himself having to return to
the old touch and feel in order to get the soul of the person down on paper.
Dr. David asked Marilyn if
she had been to see Frankie recently and she said yes very recently.
He said, “How is Don Juan?”
She smiled and said, “Being
honest I must say his touch has improved and is more thorough and able to
communicate with his hands more sensually since you helped him.”
“That,” she said, “And the
fact he is now able to say what he feels when he touches you.”
He said, “How much does he
charge you for a treatment… treatment is the right word isn’t it?”
She laughed and said; “For
me, it’s free for life thanks to you.”
He said, “It’s all in your
mind; it has to be for I can do the same thing and you don’t have the same
reaction.”
She said, “No, no, no, no one
can do the same thing, only him.”
He said, “Well, I hope you
enjoy it then, good night.”
She said, “Ha-ha-ha good
night.”
Frankie was growing up and
had basically caught up with his age group in school and was at the point of
his high school degree. In many areas he
was far ahead of his class mates.
He understood the emotions
and the failing of many who never get their needs met. His success in life from a small lad was
because of his grasp of persons needs. In
his case it was the female gender. He
was able to sense at first without verbalization, because he couldn’t see or
hear, and was totally dependent upon the touch.
But now their sounds and body
language together gave him added input.
Now he was at a crossroads as
what his future would be. College didn’t
interest him. The study of art and
painting wasn’t something he wanted to pursue.
He was expert in the only
field he wanted to continue in which was pencil sketches. He could make a good income doing only that, but
he felt there was more that he needed to learn.
He was chosen to be one of
the speakers at graduation and was to be the last one on the schedule. Since he kept to himself most of the time no
one knew him very well. In fact no one
knew him hardly at all.
When it became his time to
speak the crowd were getting restless for the speakers before him weren’t very
interesting and too long winded. He
started right in without notes or a written speech and said he wished to
address the two most important factors of life. “The two most driving forces of life,” he said,
“Are lust and love. It is only when the
two forces are in balance can we succeed in life. Lust drives us to attain while love is giving.”
He went on for seven minutes
defining these two forces and their interactions and then stopped. He slipped from the stage and there was no
applause, scarcely a sound until the school principal stood and started giving
out the diplomas.
His mother and her Dress Shop partners
were proud of their boy. The father had
been invited but didn’t sit with the other parents. He was as it were hid outside of the seating
but heard Frankie’s short speech and wept from the embarrassment of how he had
treated his child.
No one saw Frankie after that
for he stayed hidden away for a year at his home. He designed dresses for the “Three Ladies” as
they now called themselves; then he left for good.
Many rumors went around
concerning him with many women claiming to have had sexual affairs with him. While many were drawn to listen to them no one
believed them and eventually they all admitted they lied.
After a couple of years
people went on with their lives and the stories about Frankie stopped.
I am the only who knows what
really happen to him and I am pledged to secrecy. What I will do is repeat a rumor and seems to
be the most likely to be true.
It seems an elderly lady
hired a man named Franklin M. to be her driver when she traveled. It is said that he would sketch street scenes
while waiting for his employer.
Sometimes he would wait all
day while she partied at her club. Some would add at this point he would relax
her after one of these events and that was the main reason for keeping him on. There were many versions of this story all
just a little different but there were a couple of common threads in all of
them.
One of the main stories was
about a young woman who also worked for the rich lady and Franklin M. became
enamored with her and they were wed.
They had two boys from their
union and the word is they have taken after their father in most every way.
One final thing; after
Franklin M. married he started adding one color to each of his sketches it
seemed the color he used was a reflection of his mood as he drew on the paper.
Some have said they have on
occasion spotted the family visiting three women who were supposed to have owned
a dress shop at one time.
