Chapter 1: The Man Who Thought He Knew Better
A man mocked my blind grandfather for walking too slowly through the grocery store because "people like him should stay home" — five minutes later, he regretted every word.
My grandfather, Joe, practically raised me.
After my parents divorced when I was young, he became the person I could always depend on.
He taught me how to ride a bike, helped me with my homework, and somehow always knew when I needed encouragement without me having to say a word.
He lost his sight several years ago, but he refused to let that take away his independence.
Every Saturday, we went grocery shopping together.
Grandpa knew the store almost by heart, but I still walked beside him as he used his cane, describing anything that had been moved and helping him find what he needed.
Last Saturday, the store was unusually crowded.
We were making our way through a narrow aisle when a man behind us grew impatient.
Grandpa was moving carefully, so I guided him closer to the shelves to let the man pass.
Instead, he stopped.
"Seriously?" he muttered.
"If you're going to move that slowly, maybe you shouldn't be here."
Before I could respond, he glanced at Grandpa's cane and added,
"People like him should stay home instead of making everyone else wait."
Grandpa quietly squeezed my hand and asked me to let it go.
I was furious, but I didn't want to upset him any more than that man already had, so I swallowed my anger and walked away with him.
The man rolled his eyes and continued shopping.
A moment later, Grandpa reminded me that we'd forgotten the butter, so I left him by our cart and hurried back to the dairy section.
I couldn't have been gone for more than a few minutes.
But when I returned, the same man was rushing toward us, his face pale with panic.
He stopped directly in front of Grandpa and shouted,
"What did you do?!"
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What did Joe do that left that man pale with panic?
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