THE MOURNING

Squatted on the ground, his head buried between his knees, hot tears were streaming down Jeremy's cold cheeks; he was wearing a black suit. He didn't have the sounds to express the pain that was tearing him apart. At his feet, a cane and several metres underground lay his mother. With her, his whole universe had been engulfed in dust, swept away by a sudden and violent accident. He was truly alone in the world from that moment on.

'Jeremy,' Malik's voice rose softly behind him; his friend placed a light, but firm hand on his shoulder. The young man grabbed his cane before getting up to follow his friend.

***

Jeremy had been receiving on his devices, social media, and email address many advertisements from a company called Libera Justice for some time. However, those days, the advertisements kept popping up even more often and they wouldn't stop. He was bombarded with them. His mother's accident happened in the middle of his first year at university, which had started well. However, the young man had deserted the lecture halls since his mother's death, and he spent most of his days in bed, hiding in the warm and protective darkness of his small dormitory room.

'Jeremy, open the door!' Malik's voice came from behind the door as he knocked firmly on it.

'It's open!' Jeremy shouted, annoyed; his head still dug in his pillow.

'Okay, you have to get up now,' Malik ordered, pulling the blanket over before turning on the light, blinding his own eyes.

'Are you trying to wake up a blind person by turning on the light?' Jeremy mocked as he sat up on his bed, 'What do you want?' he said with a yawn.

'There's a job fair at Uni this Thursday, you must attend this event. If you have to stop studying, you must at least find yourself a job,' Malik said with conviction.

Then, after a long silence, he added calmly, 'Your mother wouldn't want you to waste your future on her like that; and I don't want it either. So, get up!' he shouted at Jeremy with a glare.

Jeremy sat still for a moment, his face expressionless and ruffled with sleep, seemingly churning his friend's words in his head. Finally, he dragged himself out of bed very slowly.

Malik smiled when he saw Jeremy appear in the crowd. The young man was wearing his visual audio reader – a portable device fitted with a camera that blind or partially sighted people wore in their ears to listen live to the description of the scene unfolding in front of them. Cheaper models, like the one he was wearing, only worked well when the person wasn't in motion.

Jeremy continued to make his way through the crowd using his cane. He arrived at the spot where some seats were available. He sat down waiting for his friend to join him. Together, they could go to the employers' stands. Suddenly, a person came to sit down next to him, but it wasn't his friend.

'May I ask you if you're blind from birth,' a female voice asked from his right side. Jeremy cocked his face towards the voice.

'No, it was an accident when I was very little,' he answered.

When Malik noticed that Jeremy had struck up a conversation with someone, he stopped short, preferring to give his friend the opportunity to chat alone.

'I work for an organisation called Libera Justice; you've probably heard of it,' the woman continued as she moved closer to the young man.

'Did you know that we may be able to fund an operation on your eyes, which will help you regain your eyesight in exchange for just two years of service with us.'

Two years of service at Libra Justice or he will have to reimburse all the costs of the operation he will have undergone.

***

Jeremy seems to have regained all his senses and strength now. He props himself up on one elbow to sit on the bed. He knows that nobody can tell where his gaze goes so, he stares at Mr Vaughen, determined to also hide in his voice the rage that is gnawing at him; he realises too late that the choice of the man pushed to the door of despair can never be wise. In fact, the choice of the man pushed to the door of despair can only be good for the men who want to catch easy prey.