Pathway to Freedom Broken and Healed:

Book One How a Seeing Eye Dog Retrieved My Life

(Second Edition)

Book cover image description: A garden with rocks and pebbles, surrounded by grass and trees. To the left, a bench sits below a tree with a seated dog silhouetted on the grass in front of it. An ethereal glow of gold and green shines through the middle of the picture with the title of the book written in fantasy style lettering in darker gold and with black shadowing.

In the first book of her memoir trilogy, Pathway to Freedom Broken and Healed: Book One How a Seeing Eye Dog Retrieved My Life, Patty Fletcher shares how choosing to attend The Seeing Eye guide dog school in Morristown, New Jersey, helped her to gain complete independence. But this decision would reveal glimpses into worlds she had never before known existed.

Once home from The Seeing Eye, Patty soon begins to realize that all is not right in her own world.

Watch your step as you journey down the winding path with Patty and Campbell, for there are many obstacles along the way. Through triumphs and tribulations, through tears and fears, that forever guide remains at her side. King Campbell works tirelessly to keep Patty safe from harm.

Chapter Two:

Journey to The Seeing Eye

No Good Excuse…

April 2nd, 2011 finally arrived, and it was time to go. My dad was in the driveway waiting; my luggage was loaded. I stood at the door with tears in my eyes, saying my goodbyes. On what should have been one of the most exciting days of my life, I was upset. Why? Because as had become the norm more and more of late, Donnie was putting himself before me.

Furthermore, he had no good excuse for his selfishness.

I’d asked Donnie to come with us to the airport, and he had refused. His excuse was he had his son that weekend, and his son had a friend over. My dad had told us more than once it wouldn’t be a problem – he’d even offered to let the boys hang out and watch planes take off and land after I’d gone – but Donnie still wouldn’t go. I asked him why, but he never gave me a straight answer. Considering we’d argued about my going the night before, to me, the answer was obvious. Though he would never admit it in front of his son or my dad, he simply didn’t want me to go. He was pissed off because I was going ahead, against his wishes.

As I started to step out, I decided to try once more. I loved him so very much. Why could he not enjoy this with me? What did I have to do to make him realize I wouldn’t stop loving him or needing him once I had this dog?

“Donnie?” I pleaded. “Please, come with us? This is one of the most important days of my life. I want and need you to share it with me.”

“No!” he exclaimed in a low, gruff voice. “I told you last night, if you do this, I won’t be here when you get back.”

“Fine. I’d suggest you get packed, and don’t bother leaving anything behind to come back for later,” I growled in a harsh whisper, suddenly furious. He wasn’t bullying me out of this. “I’m done dealing with you and your bullying ways. Just one question,” I sneered.

“What?” He snapped.

“What are you going to do without my income once I’m back and reclaim my job? The stupid idea you’ve got they’re going to want you more than me, well, it’s just what I said, stupid. Lynn would never fire me and hire you, and he’d never demote me and put you over me. You’re just full of horseshit. Stay here. Be an ass. I don’t care. This time, I’m having my way, and if you don’t like it – fine. I’m not your mom. You can’t throw a hissy fit and make me change my mind.”

I stood for another minute, but finally, there was nothing to do but go on without him. So, I wiped away my tears as best I could, said goodbye, and was on my way.

About Patty L. Fletcher

Patty Fletcher is a single mother with a beautiful daughter, of whom she is enormously proud. She has a great son-in-law and six incredible grandchildren.

Patty was born one and a half months premature, and her blindness was caused by receiving too much oxygen in the incubator. She was partially sighted until 1991, when she lost her sight after complications from cataract surgery.

Patty writes with the goal of bridging the great chasm separating the disabled from the non-disabled.

To learn more, visit https://pattysworlds.com

Pathway to Freedom: How a Seeing Eye Dog Retrieved My Life is available on Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1056347 and on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Pathway-Freedom-Broken-Healed-Retrieved-ebook/dp/B08P823TNJ/