Firstly, thank you everyone for the kind comments, and concerns about my ‘in between jobs’ status. The good news is that I’ve secured a new job (at a much improved salary) but the start date may be a couple of weeks away, enough time I hope, to complete the series - which will now be 3 episodes.
I also have to apologise for an author’s note digression in the middle of this episode - it is sort of instrumental to the plot.
Jane’s bespectacled appearance in the family lounge did not get the reaction she expected. Her mother’s response was “Oh Jane, why have you come home wearing glasses? They don’t suit you at all.” “ Well I had an eye test and ………Her mother interrupted her, “Hmm, you’ve never needed glasses before, I think they are just trying to take money off you, I told you that job was a poor choice” Turning to Jane’s father, she said. “First she starts going about looking like a tart, now glasses, shes never going to get a husband like this. “ She turned to Jane’s father, “Daddy, why don’t take Jane to the next the golf club dinner? There’s sure to be a nice young man there who might ask her out” and then turning to Jane.- “of course, as long as she’s presentable”
At this point, Jane stormed back upstairs and threw herself on the bed. “Oh I wish i was back at college and away from those two. I feel I am reliving Romeo & Juliet with those two as Capulets. [Author’s note] As we know, Jane studied English. On Jane’s behalf, here is a precis of a radical analysis of Romeo and Juliet. She has similar radical reworkings of most of the other plays.
The standard interpretation of Romeo & Juliet is one of adolescent romantic love thwarted by interfering adults. The real story is quite different. The play shows us that Lord Capulet has little time for his daughter and is wrapped up in commercial matters. Some productions place emphasis on Juliet’s realisation that her parents would be rather pleased to see the back of her - referencing the modern day angst of leaving home for Uni. However it’s the Nurse who is the key. She’s portrayed as a nosey busybody and has obviously been around since Juliet’s birth. With her husband away, the presence of the Nurse in the household is an obstacle to Lady Capulet’s MILF ambitions. In short she’s having an illicit affair with cousin Tybalt. Juliet has some inkling of this and despite the Masked ball, knows all along that Romeo is a Montague and takes up with him to spite her parents. [End of Authors note]
The next day Jane left the house early. Unseen by her parents, she slipped out, wearing a lot of makeup but without the glasses. She was early as she’d booked had a driving lesson before work. Learning to drive was her first positive action in breaking away from her parent’s grip. The driving school was a few doors down from the Practice and the instructor was waiting by the car. The instructor knew Jane was not a novice as she’d had a few lessons while at Uni. However, before she got in he said to her” Jane, before we start, you see that Red Audi, tell me the numbers on registration plate? Jane looked over fully expecting to be able to read them back to him, but was stunned when she realised all she could see was a blur. “Err ‘E’ ‘A’, “ she stuttered. “Ah I can tell you’re guessing, I quite often get you young women who are too vain to wear their glasses. I really can’t take you on the road ……… “ Jane was shocked, she’d apparently ruined her eyesight even though the optician and Sally had said wearing the contacts and glasses it was OK.
Thinking quickly Jane said, “guilty, my glasses are in my bag” Phil, the driving instructor said “Gotcha”. “I can’t understand you girls, do you not know the statistics? Without waiting for an answer, he went on to say “51% of men prefer women with Glasses – and most of the remaining 49% are gay”.
Jane laughed “wow, I will remember that and never go out without them again”.
Despite this lighthearted beginning, the driving lesson was a disaster as Jane could not escape the worry that she’ ruined her eyesight by wearing the contact lenses in the office.
As soon as she got to her desk, Jane phoned Sally, and was almost crying on the phone. “The opthalmist said my eyes would not be affected, but I could not read a number plate across the road” Sally calmed her down and said, “I think I know what’s happened and it’s nothing to worry about but I will ask the Opthalmist to come down and talk to you as soon as she’s free”
For the rest of the morning Jane left the contacts and glasses and the hearing aids in her draw. Eventually, the opthalmist came down and Sally took over reception. “Come up to the consulting room Jane and I will explain. “
The opthalmist took Jane through a simple examination with the phrorpter and wrote down some numbers.
“Jane, I can see in my colleague’s notes that when he measured your sight he diagnosed you were long sighted, more so in your right eye. This is not unusual in people of your age. That prescription was used to make up your real glasses but Sally tells me you’ve not really worn them?" Jane nodded. “When my colleague wrote up your contacts prescription he made two separate entries. The first balanced out the ’ office’ glasses completely but the second prescription was slightly weaker because it allowed for your real prescription. If you like, You’ve been wearing the wrong contacts. " “Think about it, although your real glasses have remained in your bag all this time, you’ve been using that very prescription every day. The measurements I have just taken suggest you need a slight increase in both eyes, because your eyes have relaxed your accommodative power has naturally reduced. Again, this is something we often see with people your age.”
He went on to say, “really, my colleague should have strongly advised you to wear the real glasses from day one” but in fact that’s exactly what you have been doing.
Jane was about to burst into tears, taking on board that she could well now be a full time glasses wearer ‘by accident’. The she remembered the strained conversation with her parents. “Dr, I know this is embarrassing to ask but please could you write a note for my parents, explaining that glasses are really necessary for me, as you said, many young people at my age unexpectedly find they need glasses, fashion accessory or not.
“Well Fuck you Mrs Capulet," said Jane under her breath.