Vibrations // l.s.

2

Harry

The rest of my week went by smoothly. The only hiccup was having to take my car into the shop because the air conditioning decided to quit on one of the hottest days of the year so far. I was just leaving my classroom, locking the invariably frustrating door, when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. It was one of my students, Valerie. She was one of the few students that had majority of her hearing so she was having to learn ASL for when she eventually loses her hearing all together.

"Hi Mr. Styles, I hope I'm not interrupting you." She signed slowly, still slightly unsure of some signs. I smiled before turning to face her.

"Never an interruption when it comes to my students." I signed extra slow so she would be able to understand every word I'm saying. I could see her concentrating before lighting up when she understood what I said.

"I was wondering if you could drive me home? My mom was supposed to pick me up but I guess she got caught up with something." I gazed at her in confusion. Why would her mother not pick her up from school? Or at least send someone else to pick her up?

"Sure! Just let me check with the front office to make sure nothing happened with your mother." She nodded and followed me through the halls leading to the office.

Once we got there, I quickly informed the principal of the situation which she found was odd also. She attempted reaching Valerie's parents but to no avail. I informed the principal that I could take Valerie home which she agreed to and thanked me for.

After the interaction, Valerie and I headed to my car in the faculty parking lot. I started the car once we were both buckled in and asked for her address. I noticed that it wasn't too far from where I lived so I knew the way. I could tell that Valerie was fiddling with her hands the whole drive and was becoming concerned for her.

Did she have a stable family life? Were here parents concerned of her whereabouts? Did her mom really just get 'caught up' with something else?

I eventually pulled up to a small home that had a semi-kept front yard. I shut off the engine and faced Valerie.

"Are you sure you don't need anything? Are your parents home?" She looked down at her hands again. Taking a deep breath and looking at me with watery eyes.

"I'm afraid to lose my hearing Mr. Styles. I know that everyone at school says that losing your hearing just makes you a stronger person but I'm terrified." I was really sad for her. She was starting to cry gently so I put my hand on her shoulder in comfort as she continued signing.

"My parents are almost never home. I swear they care more about my little brother than me. Whenever he has soccer practice, they jump at the chance to go support him or take him to every camp they can. They haven't even tried learning sign language." This broke my heart. How can a parent with a hearing impaired child not learn sign language so they can communicate with their kid?

"I know that, at school, we always are encouraging and trying to make every student feel at home and welcome. The reality is, it's a struggle in everyday life. You are going to have to face challenges that everyone else doesn't have to. You will even come across people, whether it be family, friends, or strangers that don't want to take that extra step to be involved in your life. But, I can promise you that when you find those people that do make the effort, they will be your family." I made sure that my point came across clearly and I could tell that it did because Valerie reached over and hugged me with all her strength. I smiled and hugged her back lightly, letting her know that I will always be there for her.