Story Bazaar

I Can't Hear You

At two I realized my parents didn't love me...

They loved a child nearly like me, with one additional ability---it could hear.

We were acutely poor---I didn't attend school---I had no deaf friends.

I didn't start learning a recognized sign language until I was seven (though there were a small set of "house signs" between my parents and I)---we'd moved to a different state and it was sheer luck (or, Fate...) that I met Luke.

He was 10 and deaf like me---I'd stay away from home for days at a time so I could learn my language.

When I reached the age of nine, Luke helped me write a note to my parents telling them I was leaving home (they had no knowledge of Luke and his family...); and, I left home.

I never went back to see how they were---they never came after me.

In fact, Luke's folks questioned me closely about my parents for an hour then firmly decided to "adopt" me---there was no need for any legal action, we lived way out in the country...

Luke and his Mom spent every minute they could helping me read---she wasn't deaf but she sure was a smart woman.

I decided to be a writer shortly after my eleventh birthday...

~~~

Julia asked me again, "How did you ever learn to write?".

Naturally she was signing---she was just starting her studies as an interpreter.

I signed, "Two people's patience---matching signs to words, words to signs---it gave me my internal voice---I'd had real trouble doing any deep thinking before that---".

"But, do you think in words or signs?"

"I feel signs..."

"Whoa !"

We agreed she could practice being an interpreter with me---we roamed all over town talking to folks---she practiced interpreting, I did my research for my novel...

~~~

It would take Julia six years to become proficient enough to begin freelancing.

It would take me just as long to write the novel.

~~~

Julia held the sheets of paper with a sense of awe---I sat watching her face---she read:

There was no way Jason was going to give in---an implant in his ear was not going to make him a better person.

Plus, he treasured the silence---had learned through bitter disappointment how callous and insincere some of the hearing-world could be.

His world was just as full without the screeching, screaming, shrieking world he watched others navigating.

His appointment with the film director was at nine---he sat in the cafe working on memorizing the actions he'd been instructed to learn---reactions to other's actions and to certain happenings in the film.

He knew he'd have to improvise some of them but that was probably part of the audition---funny to Jason since "audition" came from a word that meant "to hear"...

~~~

Julia told me she liked the beginning.

I didn't want to show her more until I had about half the novel finished...

~~~

Novel finished---Julia got her first gig as an interpreter...

A year after that, I got tired of hearing from agents that there was no market for a book about a deaf actor---had they never heard of Katie Leclerc, Ella Mae Lentz, and Marlee Matlin?

I learned everything I could about self-publishing and had the book, in print and digital formats, available within a year.

Then, I worked for another year to save up enough to afford a trip around the country visiting Deaf Clubs to promote the book.

In three more years, I was the man working on memorizing the actions I'd been instructed to learn---auditioning for the main character in the film of my own book...

One more year and the book, and rumors of the film (we were working on a small budget), had me appearing on talk shows---Julia at my side...

By the time the film was released, we were married.

~~~

My son looks just like me.

He can hear.

He can also sign.

I'm going to make damn sure he doesn't have to work as hard as I did to find himself...

~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this story, consider giving it a vote :-)

If you have a question, please, do ask me in the Comments...

New Tale Next Saturday