Silent Voice

Chapter One

The late afternoon sun hung low in the clear soft blue sky.
At this time of the day the streets of Nelspruit are buzzing and busy with people coming home from a long hard busy day of work. Every once in a while a car could be heard zooming around on the street, and the people that were walking along the road while they were talking with each other.

Cassidy just stared out of her small bedroom window, fiddling with the small bronze whistle hanging from her neck. She was twirling the thin piece of copper around and about in between her fingers. She was so deep in thought as she stared at all the people and cars passing by on the street.
To observe people was one of her favorite things to do in her pass time whenever she was unsettled or unhappy. It usually helps her to clear her head and relaxes her, making her forget her own problems and issues sometimes. But most of the time why she actually does it was because she just plainly loves people in general. She loves reading them like a book. Every person she sees on the street or in town or the mall, they are just so fascinating to her. The way they act so alike but yet so different at the same time as well, simply just amazed her to no end. She liked the way they communicated with each other and how they react to one another. Every tiny little action and movements is like a new chapter from a story book to her, telling her more and more about a person. She could keep herself busy for hours with just trying to learn the behaviors and mannerisms of people she sees that walks pass her.

"Cassidy?" Her mother's voice rang through the house, breaking her train of thoughts. She stopped playing with her whistle and held on to it in her left hand. "Where are you sweetheart?" Her mother called out again.
Without looking away from the window Cassidy took the whistle, brought it up to her lips and gently blew on it. A lazy high pitch note came out of the small copper flute as air rushed through the thin pipe. She dropped the whistle again and carried on looking out of her window.

After a moment Gena stood by the bedroom door. "There you are hon." Cassidy turned around with a bright smile on her face and made a few gestures with her hands. 'Do you need me for something?' She signed.
Gena took a loud dramatic breath as one hand moved to her mouth with pretend shock. "I can't believe that you always think I need you for something every time I call you, that is so hurtful." Both her hands went to her heart and a pout made its way on her face as she looked to the ground. Her pout was quickly replaced with a small smirk as she took a small peak from under her long lashes at her daughter who was silently rolling on the bed with laughter.
She soften her smirk and a chuckle escaped pass her lips while she stepped in to her daughter's room. "I was actually going to start with dinner now and just came to find out what you would like to eat tonight." She sat next to her daughter on the double bed and looked at her daughter expectantly. "So what are you in the mood for?" She asked as she tilted her head to the side, waiting for her daughter's answer. Cassidy thought about it for a second before she looked at her mother eagerly. 'Can we have spaghetti and meatballs?' She gestured with her hands with excitement. 'They are my favorite.' "Sure."Gena agreed as she crossed her arms. "As long as you are going to help me with the pasta sauce." Gena suggested. "You always make the best pasta sauces." Cassidy nodded in agreement.

"Well let's get a move on, shall we?"Gena stood up from the bed and made her way out of her daughter's room.
Cassidy quickly followed after her mother to the kitchen.

The two of them made their way down the hallway on their way to the kitchen. When they were there they got the ingredients and supplies ready to start with dinner.
Gena cooked the pasta and the meatballs while Cassidy prepared the sauce for the dish.
In no time at all the food was made and ready to be eaten.

Each of them took a plate and began to dish up their serving of spaghetti and meatballs.
They made their way to the dinning and took a seat at the table after they have filled their plates.

Gena picked up some of the spaghetti and twirled it around on her fork. "School is starting soon." She put the pasta in her mouth and chewed it before swallowing the food down. "Are you excited about it?"
Cassidy just gave a shrug of her shoulders before she gestured. 'I just hope I will be able to keep up with everyone, I am joining a little late in the year.' She signed. 'And it will be a little harder for me to catch up.' She took a bite of her own food.
"I am sure you will." Gena reassured her daughter. "You are very adaptable and very smart too." She cut off a piece of one of her meatballs and put it in her mouth. 'You really think so?' Cassidy gestured.

Gena put down her knife and fork and placed it in her half empty plate in front of her. "Well you are a Brimmers after all."
Cassidy gave her mother a questioning look. 'What does me being a Brimmers have to do with anything?' Gena stood up from the table and walked to the cupboards. "Firstly, a Brimmers look out for their own, secondly, a Brimmers never quit." She came back to the table with a plastic container in her hands. "Thirdly, and it has been proven by history, a Brimmers is always capable to adapt to their surroundings." Cassidy looked at her mother skeptically. "What is that face for?" Gena asked when she saw the look on her daughter's face. Cassidy just raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know that the Brimmers and the van Klaasens are pretty tough families." Said Gena matter of factly as she scooped up the remaining food on her plate and placed it in the container.

'Whatever you say, mom.' Cassidy gestured before she placed another fork full of pasta in her mouth.

While Cassidy continued to eat her spaghetti and meatballs she and her mother carried on with their conversation. Just talking about this and that until Cassidy had finished her food. After that they cleaned up the kitchen and then went to the living room to watch a little tv until it was time for Cassidy to go to bed.

The next day they went to the shop to  buy groceries and some school supplies for Cassidy. They looked all over town for the supplies. It was in the middle of the afternoon by the time they came back home and they finally got everything.
"I can't believe how hard it is just to buy a few school supplies." Gena walked in to the kitchen with three full grocery bags in her hands. "Are you sure we have everything?" She called out to Cassidy as she put the bags down on the counter and dusted off her hands. Cassidy came in with a new backpack draped over her shoulders along with the last few grocery bags which she placed next to the other three her mother brought in. 'I don't know, let me go and check the list.' She went to her room while Gena started unpacking the stuff from the bags.

As she was busy unpacking stuff out of the bags her cell phone started to ring. She took the phone out of her jean pocket and looked at the screen. "Oo, it's Nath." She answered the call and put the phone on speaker. "Hi hon, how's it going over there?" She placed the phone on the counter and continued unpacking.
"Hey mom, I am doing fine." Nathan replied. "Just finished classes for the day and I am on my way to work right now."

Cassidy came back with a piece of paper in her hands. 'Is that Nathan?' Gena gave a nod before pointing to the paper she was holding and then the grocery bags on the table. "Go and sort out your stuff so long, and pack them neatly on the one side." She whispered to her daughter. "What did you just say mom?" Nathan asked. "Nothing Nath, I was just talking to your sister." Gena replied. "Do you maybe want to say hi?"

"Oo really?" Nathan asked before calling out. "Hi Cas!" Cassidy gave three knocks on the counter as a reply before carrying on taking her stuff out of the grocery bags.
Gena let out a small chuckle. "We just got back from town, and now she is making sure we've got everything on the supply list." She explained. "Oo yeah, that's right, she's going to start school in a week." Said Nathan.

He remembered a while back his mother told him that she had found a great school for Cassidy that would help her with her communication problem. "How does Cassidy feel about it all?" He asked. "Is she happy about the idea?"
"She's still a little unsure but she seems fine with it." Gena answered. "Actually, she seems quite excited about going to school now that we got the supplies." She explained. "That's good to hear." Nathan replied.

Suddenly a beeping alarm sounded over the phone. "Oo sorry, that was my phone alarm." The alarm stopped. "I have to get going or I will miss my shift."
Gena gave an understanding nod as she picked up the phone. "Okay then, thank you for the call and have a great day sweetie." She replied as she heldp the phone infront of her. "Love you." She added.
"Love you too mom, and give a big hug and kiss to Cass for me?" Nathan asked. Gena just smiled as she spared a glance at Cassidy who was packing the last bit of things on the table next to the new school bag. "Don't worry, I will." She replied. "Thanks, chat again next time mom."
"You too hun, bye." With those last words the line went dead and Gena put her phone down and carried on unpacking with her daughter.