My father was a somniloquist; he only talked to me in his sleep. Lured at night by his one-sided conversation one room over, I would escape the cot I'd grown out of, gaze at my sleeping mother, and ... [+]
William Thompson's story, "Superhero of the Supermarket," was selected by Short Edition in partnership with Edmonton International Airport. William is totally blind, and his stories and essays have appeared in journals in both North America and the UK. He maintains a blog at www.OfOtherWorlds.ca.
I am the superhero of the supermarket. Shoppers look at me oddly as I dodge through the produce section or cut down the pasta aisle. But I help those in need—the blind guy who shops by himself, the mothers with babes in arms and toddlers in tow, or the old people who can't read the labels or manage their carts. Chaos would come to the supermarket without me to reach down boxes and cans, to unstick stubborn carts, or to help carry groceries.The manager with the thick lips and black glasses is my nemesis. He watches me, glaring as I scoot through dairy then past the meat department. He doesn't k