Love To Deaf (COMPLETE)

Chapter 07

"What's your favorite color?" I asked signing and he just stared at me. I signed it again, in case he needed it again. But he just kept staring at me with his piercing green eyes.

"Miss Classur?"

"Yes, sorry!" I signed a frantic apology. I'd dozed into my own mind when I was supposed to be in a work meeting. "They're old enough to feel that a talent show, or something of the sort, is a bit too elementary. That's how I felt, anyways." I signed my opinion to the other deaf staff members in the meeting. One older man, a teacher, was also color blind. When he signed about it, I guess it triggered some memory again.

One that connected to another memory, that I'm sure my mind would beg me to remember. "Good point," the principal nodded at my comment. "So, what about prom, or a dance?" He looked around the table, and we all simply thought for a moment. I put my pencil to my temple, and slowly bit down on my bottom lip as I thought.

Every time something concerned the children I worked for, I put my younger self in that situation. Would I have ever gone to a dance, let alone a prom? The odds are not. "Personally, I wouldn't go if I were them. But maybe, maybe, they want that option." I tried to stress the 'maybe' part with an expression, one that only a serious person could conjure up. Maybe I didn't do it well, but I tried. At least my point was out there.

"You know, you have a point. If no students seem to want to go, or say they'll go, we cancel it before we fund it all. But I have a feeling that they'll want to go." Mrs.Issac signed with a warm smile on her face as she agreed with me. To be honest, we didn't get along all that well, so we often times did our best to avoid the whole thing, by keeping our distance. I don't know, something just didn't click between us.

It was almost an irking feeling, that she had something against me. As if she had a grudge that I didn't know existed, and she kept a firm grip on it. Maybe it was just superstition but it still send chills down my spine when she agreed with me. Not to mention, she was one of the only hearing teachers. I have nothing against hearing people, everyone is a person.

But the way she said things, when she spoke with her lips anyways, always seemed ill-intentioned.

"Agreed," the principal, our boss, nodded his head before closing up his folder. "We'll pitch it to the students tomorrow, Friday, at ten a.m. during mid-day announcements. I'll make sure you all get a copy so you can sign it to your students around then." As he closed up the meeting, I began to shuffle my things into my bag.

I felt like a schoolgirl again, packing up a backpack or a book bag.

"Hey, Abira." I saw two feminine hands sign to me as I stood up. Mrs.Issac, or otherwise known as Christi.

I waved, and wondered why she would talk to me, when she hardly did. "I think it's good for the children to do this, don't you?" she almost looked concerned.

I realized everyone else had gone, and we were the only two people left in the room. She could not have been much older than I, maybe by three years or so. But she was much taller than I ever was, and it almost seemed like she was towering over me. I slowly nodded in reply.

"Oh, good! Because you looked like you didn't want it to happen. I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page." She crossed her arms and started speaking. More like speaking down to me.

Once more, the chilling feeling ran up my spine. "Of course." I began but then I realized I was lying. "I just think it's a lot of pressure for-"

She cut me off. "For deaf students? Oh Abira, don't be so closed minded! Perhaps you had a bad experience but don't rob them of this!" She looked like I had said that I hate babies. Offended beyond belief, but not in a believable way.

"You know very well that's not what I was going to say, Christi. I have papers to grade." I brushed past her, ignoring the conversation.

-----

My stomach rumbled, making my hand cover it up to try and silence it, even though I was alone. It was already five p.m. and my eyes weren't the least bit tired. But however, my stomach was wide awake as well, telling me to hurry up and get something on the way home. It had been a rather late night in the classroom, finishing up papers and such.

I couldn't help but feel so sour about Christi. How dare she say things like she did to me? I was so bitter, I needed something to sweeten my mood. So, what else was there to do other than coffee? I felt the car  pull into the coffee shop I'd spotted just days before, the coffee had been more than great, and the pastries smelt so good. The sign welcomed me out front, EVERSWEET: COFFEE AND LOUNGE.

Then the delectable scent hit me, and my nostrils flared as I took it all in. The line was shorter than the first time I'd come, then again, I was there at five p.m. As I waited in line, I scanned the coffee shop, trying to also pay attention to where I was in line. Ever since I became deaf, which sounds like a lifetime ago, my eyes always traveled without me. They always wanted to see every little detail, even if the detail didn't matter, or the tiniest stain on the counter couldn't really be seen from afar.

But that day, oh no, it was not something small. It wasn't something at all, it was someone. My eyes locked to a familiar face, one that I could hardly recognize, but I did somehow. Then it hit me; the one guy who had tripped me when I first came. Maybe he had apologized to me but it didn't look like it.

He still wore his sunglasses, almost in an arrogant way. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and the person behind me gestured for me to move forwards. Heat rose into my cheeks as embarrassment set in. I was never that ignorant to what was around me. Okay, that's a lie.

My eyes do like to roam about and see everything, but when they lock onto something it can be hard to see what else is around. I ordered as quickly as I could, and walked over to the side counter to wait. I held my arms in my hands, trying to pay attention for when my coffee came up. But it irked me the way he just stared, and didn't apologize when he ran into me.

Another person stepped in front of me, and I sighed, knowing I would have to move because they clearly wouldn't. I moved to the side a bit, and just as my eyes set on the cup that said my name. I mean, it was spelt wrong, but Abira isn't a name you hear every day. As I sipped the coffee, my taste buds seemed to lighten up.

Still, I felt so bitter about my coworker's behavior. She can't go around, and make herself feel higher than me. Let alone accuse me of looking down upon deaf students! I'm deaf too, so why in the wide, wide world would I do such a thing? No hearing, or deaf person, should look down on anyone. And she did it to me! It was so infuriating to think about.

As if she didn't respect the deaf culture!

I stomped out of the café, and just as I left the open door,  I felt my body hit someone else's. I was done, the whole coworker thing pushed me, and now this person sent me over the edge. And oh, what a surprise, the guy from before!

I clenched my coffee in my hand, and hoped it wouldn't spill but truly, I didn't care that much. I stepped forward and saw him step back. My lungs built up and my heart beat in my chest. For whatever reason, having Christi chastise me was far too much for simple me to handle. "You're kidding me, right?" I pointed a finger at him and squeezed my cup even harder. "This is the second time! What are you-" as I felt my vocal cords ache, he cut me off which only made me more angry.

"Blind? Good guess." His lips parted to say three little words. Three little words that made me look down and see the red cane that he held in his hand. Holy crap.