First day of School: Part One

It was my first day in Technical School. I'd taken a year off between high school and college working as a full time maintenance man at the Anders & Goodwin Department Store Chain. Now I was back, going for a degree in Business. I was going to Tech School because it was cheeper. Looking around campus at the student body I could see why.

My first class was "Art and Popular Culture." Surprisingly the lab designed was full of people when I arrived. The teacher was a bit of a control freak because there was a seating chart. Jackson (me) was placed next to "Samantha." I dropped my backpack on the floor next to my chair, pulled out my laptop, and dropped my windbreaker over the back of the chair. As I sat I noticed there was no chair in the spot next to me. The rest of the students filed in and I bent over my textbook when a voice spoke next to me. "Could you move your backpack?"

I jumped. Next to me a woman, about 20, was seated in a motorized wheelchair. She had brown curly hair, a nice round face, enormous breasts, and a small round belly. I said "Sure" or something, bent over, and looked at her legs for a fraction of a second. She was wearing yoga pants and there were braces pushing out under the fabric. I moved the backpack and she parked in the space next to me. I barely noticed first half of the class. The professor droned on and I kept trying not to look over at "Samantha."

The Professor called break and I headed out. I used the bathroom and then came back to the classroom. Samantha's car was empty. Then I saw her. She was on forearm crutches coming back from the front of the room. Her butt, I couldn't help noticing, was large, pushed out at the sides, and jiggled up and down. She collapsed into the chair which had been turned sideways, took a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and spread it on the table. The professor was nowhere to be seen. I walked toward the shared bench and she said "Jackson right?" I nodded "We're supposed to grab one of those papers from the table." I picked one up, found a list of modern artists along with their "School" and walked back. I sat down and felt something crackle through my windbreaker. I turned and saw a note leaned against my chair back. I'd been so busy NOT looking that I'd failed to see it. I unfolded it and read "Meet me after class. Also is that modern art in your pants or are you happy to see me?"

I looked down then over at her. She was grinning.

After class we walked down the hall toward the elevators and she said "Let's head over to the cafeteria." So we did. We took the elevator down to the second floor then the skyway over to the Student Union building. We got Pizza, soda, and jello at the cafeteria and I sat at one of the table which had lost a chair, probably to the crowd of people who were gathered around a table playing games on their phones. I sat and she rolled up. She started "You want to know what is 'wrong' with me. I have spina bifida. You know what that is?" I nodded. I had been a devotee for years without knowing it. I didn't know it for sure at the time. I just knew that I had spent hours on the internet one day with a hard on researching various disabilities. "Well anyway my legs are paralyzed from just above the knees down. I used crutches when I was younger but after Elementary School and distances got longer I got a wheelchair. I gained some weight and didn't work my arms out enough so I got a motorized wheelchair. I still like to use my crutches because they don't require as much tight control as a wheelchair."

She finished and I said "Why me?"

"Because you have been the only person, male or female, not to stare at me for the whole class period. So I think you are attracted to me. Is that so?"

I looked deep into her brown eyes and nodded. She smiled. "Good. Because I'm attracted to you."

The New Job:
Part One:

Julius Vern got out of his five year old Honda and walked up to the apartment complex. He was a CNA with no experience in caretaking. He had worked as a nurses aid for two years in the pediatric unit at a hospital. He had hired on with a private caretaking company. He was paid a small salary to be expanded on commission. He was being sent out for this interview. All he knew was that she was 25, and had muscular dystrophy.

Julius was buzzed in and after knocking entered Condo 111. An alto female voice which sounded like it wanted to talk softly called "Come in it's unlocked!" He walked in, it smelled slightly of very slightly of dirty diapers and cinnamon, sugar, with fresh cut apples. He passed though the foyer with a closet and washer dryer setup on the left and the door to a bedroom on the right. Then he walked into the living area. There was an open living room/kitchen divided only by an island. He could see a private terrace out the sliding door. However he paid no attention to these details because he was looking at the client.

Julius had the assumption built into his head that she would be twisted, deformed and almost anorexic in appearance. Instead he found her propped up in her wheelchair on several pillows. Her head lolled to the left but was stopped by the wraparound headrest. She had brown hair and piercing green eyes. Her mouth was closed although it looked like it was being held up by the trach tube which was almost buried under her double chin. She was wearing a white tee shirt with the handicapped logo on it and "Free Rides" written on it. It had barely perceptible yellow stains in the armpits and across the chest. Underneath the shirt a black bra was rising and falling with the ventilator. She was wearing nothing below the waist but a diaper. Her legs hung lifelessly with fat bulging out as they pressed against the chair. They had no muscle tone at all.She said "I hope you don't mind but I am a casual dresser. Please sit. Do you want anything to drink? Because you'll have to get it yourself.""No thank you. Do you want my resume?""No. I want to find out if we'll live well together. I need 24 hour care so you can live in the bedroom just off the hall. First things first. What did they tell you?""Ma'am?Her face hardened slightly. "Please don't say that ever again. My name is Emma. Call me Emma. Now what did your boss, Steven Calliwell say about me.""Nothing special. He said that he had a potential employer for me and that...""Word for word!"Julius sighed. "He said 'Juls I've got a cripple for you to work for but don't get too attached because she''ll be dead in five years."Emma laughed. "That's really what he said all right!" She started coughing and gasped for a couple breaths until the ventilator caught up with her. She glanced at him but he was registering nothing but concern. "Where did you work prior to this?""The Pediatric Wing at St. Judes.""Alright. I'm going to be serious now. I can't breath, feed, bathe or clothe myself. I can't control my bowels or bladder. I need someone who can manhandle me around this apartment, cook for me, and help me with anything I ask. I watch football occasionally. So now is the time for the resume.""Okay. I can do everything you said. I don't know if you have a g-tube or not but I can care for those too. I can sort of cook, enjoy football and don't mind living in."Emma thought. There was silence in the room except for the ventilator humming. Finally Emma said "When can you start?""Whenever you need me too.""Tonight too soon?""No.""Great. We'll have Pizza for dinner. However before you go can you help me change out of these clothes. They were just to see if you got disgusted by me before we started talking. I can be hard to handle and anyone grossed out by pit stains won't last long when it comes to diapers and my, well, fat folds."Julius thought for a moment as he followed her toward the master bedroom which was located to the left of the entrance and bathroom. Then he said "Am I officially hired or do I need to do probation and training?""My other caretaker walked out on me today the bitch. So I got my brother to come and help me put these clothes on. I'll tell you what to do as we go along."Julius grinned. This could be interesting.