“Can you promise me something?” Maybe it was the serious tone in his voice, or, just that particular arrangement of words, but Shawn’s question made Celia panic. “That depends…” she said with hesitance.
“Promise me you’ll wipe the extra ice cream off my face before we leave.”
Celia instantly relaxed and began laughing.
“You know,” said Shawn, his tone heavy with sarcasm, “it’s rude to laugh at people. Especially those with disabilities.”
Celia gasped dramatically. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I am appalled that you hold such an unfavorable opinion of me.”
It was Shawn’s turn to laugh, “Nice vocabulary you got there.”
“Thanks,” said Celia, still joking. “It’s new.”
Shawn’s smile widened again. “I see. Not literally, of course,” …show more content…
Chicken? Oh, no,” Celia leaned forward with her forearms on the table. “No, I just don’t want to prove you wrong again.”
“Is that so?” Shawn playfully asked.
“Yep.”
“Alright,” said Shawn, “I propose a challenge. I’ve been told that it is impossible to describe colors. Now, I don’t know what color is but, if this vocabulary of yours can make me understand what it is and what it’s like, I will… I don’t know… do… something.”
“Challenge accepted,” Celia proudly stated.
As she began looking around the tiny ice cream parlor for inspiration, Celia realized just how difficult this task was. She looked at the black and white checkered floor tiles, then, the melted strawberry ice cream in the disposable cup sitting a few inches away, and even her own brown curls caught her eye. How in the heck can I do this? she thought.
After a moment, it came to her: “Color is to sight, as texture and temperature are to touch. Every tangible object has color, temperature, and texture.”
Shawn was intrigued, “Go on.”
“Okay, um, blue. Blue is cool and refreshing, like water. Yellow is warm and energizing, like rays of sunshine on your skin. White is… weird.”
Shawn …show more content…
“Wow,” he said. “I think I finally get it. Should I say thank you, or congratulations?”
“Definitely congratulations,” Celia said, “because I just won and it’s time for you to do… something.”
The two laughed.
“I will ask you to get the extra ice cream off my face,” Shawn said.
Celia stood, picking up a napkin as she moved closer to Shawn. “That’s not a prize and I already told you I would do it,” she said.
“It is a prize! You get to touch my face.” Shawn grinned. Celia wiped the tiny amount of ice cream off Shawn’s chin. “Whatever you say,” she said with a smile.
After she finished wiping the ice cream from his face, Celia straightened up and said, “You’re all clean. Ready to go?”
“Ready if you are,” Shawn carefully rose from his chair, taking Celia’s arm as he did so.
As they walked out the door, Shawn asked another question. “Would you be upset if I called you by your middle name?”
Celia was confused. “Why would you call me ‘Rose’?”
“Because the way you described red is the same way I could describe you. You draw people in, mainly because of your warmth. And if roses are red… You should be called ‘Rose’.”
“I think I would like that,” said
“Promise me you’ll wipe the extra ice cream off my face before we leave.”
Celia instantly relaxed and began laughing.
“You know,” said Shawn, his tone heavy with sarcasm, “it’s rude to laugh at people. Especially those with disabilities.”
Celia gasped dramatically. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing! I am appalled that you hold such an unfavorable opinion of me.”
It was Shawn’s turn to laugh, “Nice vocabulary you got there.”
“Thanks,” said Celia, still joking. “It’s new.”
Shawn’s smile widened again. “I see. Not literally, of course,” …show more content…
Chicken? Oh, no,” Celia leaned forward with her forearms on the table. “No, I just don’t want to prove you wrong again.”
“Is that so?” Shawn playfully asked.
“Yep.”
“Alright,” said Shawn, “I propose a challenge. I’ve been told that it is impossible to describe colors. Now, I don’t know what color is but, if this vocabulary of yours can make me understand what it is and what it’s like, I will… I don’t know… do… something.”
“Challenge accepted,” Celia proudly stated.
As she began looking around the tiny ice cream parlor for inspiration, Celia realized just how difficult this task was. She looked at the black and white checkered floor tiles, then, the melted strawberry ice cream in the disposable cup sitting a few inches away, and even her own brown curls caught her eye. How in the heck can I do this? she thought.
After a moment, it came to her: “Color is to sight, as texture and temperature are to touch. Every tangible object has color, temperature, and texture.”
Shawn was intrigued, “Go on.”
“Okay, um, blue. Blue is cool and refreshing, like water. Yellow is warm and energizing, like rays of sunshine on your skin. White is… weird.”
Shawn …show more content…
“Wow,” he said. “I think I finally get it. Should I say thank you, or congratulations?”
“Definitely congratulations,” Celia said, “because I just won and it’s time for you to do… something.”
The two laughed.
“I will ask you to get the extra ice cream off my face,” Shawn said.
Celia stood, picking up a napkin as she moved closer to Shawn. “That’s not a prize and I already told you I would do it,” she said.
“It is a prize! You get to touch my face.” Shawn grinned. Celia wiped the tiny amount of ice cream off Shawn’s chin. “Whatever you say,” she said with a smile.
After she finished wiping the ice cream from his face, Celia straightened up and said, “You’re all clean. Ready to go?”
“Ready if you are,” Shawn carefully rose from his chair, taking Celia’s arm as he did so.
As they walked out the door, Shawn asked another question. “Would you be upset if I called you by your middle name?”
Celia was confused. “Why would you call me ‘Rose’?”
“Because the way you described red is the same way I could describe you. You draw people in, mainly because of your warmth. And if roses are red… You should be called ‘Rose’.”
“I think I would like that,” said