When I arrived with Vanessa Jill was already there,she looked very grown up and had put nice makeup on. This was the first time she had meet Vanessa, she just looked in a trance staring at Vanessa. “I Love your glasses and hearing aids,do you think I can have hearing aids like that before I leave school,you look so sexy Vanessa” Jill had made an appointment book and arranged for girls to come at 45 minutes intervals, she would check them in and pass the card to Vanessa who would check thier eyes on the 2 new machines that we had before showing them into my room for testing. The first 3 girls I prescribed nearly the same prescription as Jill,but with slightly different astigmatism corrections The 4th girl was very different she was rather short sighted.i asked “her how she managed at lesson” “I sit at the front of the class so nobody knows I’m meant to wear glasses,but it was much easier with her ipad but she was getting headaches now”. She took her glasses out of her bag to show me, They looked much to small for her and rather old. “Can you put them on and read the chart while I hold this black paddle In Front of you other eye” “Ok let’s see if we can help you see better,just put these test frames on” “That’s much better you will find it a lot easier to see now” “Please don’t tell the others I had glasses before,I did not want to be the girl wearing glasses” “When you collect your new glasses on Saturday you can give me your old ones and nobody will know” One girl had not turned up so we finished early, I thanked Jill for her help and said on Saturday I would bring all the glasses and their prescriptions so she could fill in the cards When I arrived on Saturday,Jill was already there and looking excited, “My new glasses are fantastic,no headache now,and it’s so easy hearing in my form room were you fitted the hearing loop.and nobody knows I’m wearing hearing aids haha,Mum sent me the money for a different pair of glasses to wear when I’m not at school can I come to your shop next week to try some different frames”.
One at a time Jill brought the girls into my office with the glasses case and the cards that she had copied the prescription onto for me to check that it was correct. Before she brought the last girl in she brought the glasses and card in and asked. “Why are Pams glasses different to all the others” I explained that Pam was shortsighted, that’s why she sat at the front of the class.and these glasses would help her to see better in the distance now and t bottom part are the same as the other girls to help her read the iPad and not get headaches.But please do not say anything to her or the other girls,now you work here anything you know or see must be kept private or I can’t allow you to work here. “Ok I understand shall I show Pam in now” When I fitted Pams glasses she was shocked how much she could see “is this how the other girls always see things in the distance,I knew my eyes were different,but not so bad”” “Don’t worry nobody will know you should have worn glasses before,give me your old glasses and I will hide them in my bag”
The next week we tested the remaining girls that had been selected for the trial. We discovered that 2 other girls that were short sighted like Pam. I thanked Jill for her help and arrange to come again in 2 weeks to see how the girls were getting on with their glasses.
2 days before I was due to visit the school,Jill came in to the shop to see me. “I forgot to tell you when we arranged your next visit that it is the start of our Easter holiday and lots of us are going home,would you like me to rearrange the girls appointment”. “I have brought the money my mother gave me,could you Test my eyes again and make a pair for me today” “I don’t think you need your eyes testing again we only did it 2 weeks ago” “Mum said they will have to last me a year can you make them stronger for me so they last longer” I thought about it for a few minutes,if I made them to strong for her would that stop her keep wanting stronger glasses and be satisfied with what she had. I started with the right eye and intcreased her distance by +1.00 “that’s better she said as she read the better but I can’t read the next line, can I try another lens, I thought ok young lady you won’t read this so I add another +1.00 “That’s even better sir” After I had finished testing her distance I gave her a reading card.agian I increased it until she was happy and read the line to me. Then I increased her add to 4.00 But she said that she still had some double vision,so I increased the out prism Her prescription now read R +4.00 1.00 110 add 4.00 Prism out 10 L. +4.25 1.25 90 add.4.00. Prism our 10 “Are you really sure you want me to make them in C39 lens I could ring your mum and ask if she could send some more money for thinner lens,they will be very think”. “No it’s ok mum will say I have to wear my school glasses,I don’t mind if they thicker than these”. She handed me the frames she had chosen,Vanessa had tried to persuade her the have thicker plastic frames to hide the thickness of her lens but she wanted Black Harry Potter round glasses in the larger size. “Can I go to the basement and watch them make my glasses please”. A hour later she came up and asked for a coke and said the technician was just polishing the edges for and would bring them up soon I went down stair to see how he had managed. I was shocked with what I saw. “Why have you not thinned the lens properly,you have left the edges so thick” “It’s what she wanted and the edges polished sorry but she said it’s what you suggested ”ok you had better bring them up when you have finished polishing the edges I want to see what she say when she sees them” ““Your glasses are ready Jill do you want to try them on” “They are perfect,just what I wanted,thank you so much” “I love how big my eyes look,but I can’t hear as well I miss my hearing aids,I did not realise how much they helped”. Just then Vanessa walked in.”Hello Jill I love your new glasses the lens are much thicker and I love the way the edges have been polished,your eye sight must have got a lot worse,I expect you love how your big and beautiful your eyes look” “yes I love them and I can see so good already,but I can’t hear as well,I never realised how much the hearing aids in the glasses arms helped me”.- “I wanted to wear them home this week but I’m afraid now to travel on trains,I have got so used to the hearing aid glasses now. Vanessa looked at me “why don’t you test Jill’s hearing and adjust my spare hearing aids for her” “I don’t know they are rather large and I’m sure Jill won’t want to wear them” “Please sir can I try them, if Vanessa wore them I’m sure I won’t mind,I can’t go out without hearing aids now.I love hearing better”. Half an hour later Jill was looking at herself in the mirror.”Thank you so much Vanessa I love them I can hear even better With these. “Can I go to the lady’s room and change before I catch my train,will it be ok if I leave my school uniform here” 20 minutes later Jill came out. She looked stunning, she had put lovely eye makeup on making her eyes look even more beautiful the sides of her lens sparkled and the bright red lipstick matched her dress, also she had put her hair up making the large hearing look even bigger. She was now a beautiful 17 year teenager not the school girl that we meet a few months ago.
Her mother was at the station,she did not recognise this beautiful young lady walking towards her until she heard “hello mum it’s me Jill”,do you like my lovely new glasses,I’m head girl now and and top of my year.i help run an experiment at the opticians that we have set up at school ,I will tell you all about it when we get home. “Do you remember you used to grumble at me and say why don’t you listen to what we say are you deaf” “Well I have got hearing aids now and I love them”. Her mum just looked and said “ you look very nice dear”
To be continued.