Julkalender

I was... nervous. Yeah, that was the word. I had hardly eaten at breakfeast, or lunch. My mother was crying again. It was painful to watch. My father was still in bed as I left the house. I had brought a pen and paper, so I could explain. I arrived early, so I started writing. It would be best to just give it to him as soon as we met before I started.. liking him even more. So he could just go away and forget about me.

 

I arrived five minutes late and hoped she wouldn't hate me for it. I saw her sitting on a bench with her head between her knees. I smiled and walked towards her.

“Hayley,” I called. She didn't respond. I called again, a little louder, but still no response. I walked to her and tapped her back. She jumped up and looked at me, scared.

“Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I.. called at you but you didn't react so... oh, well. Hi,” I said and sat down beside her.

Now I noticed that she held something in her hand. A folded paper.

“What's that?” I asked. She blushed and gave it to me, before putting her head back between her knees.

A bit confused I unfolded the paper and started reading.

 

Hello. You must think I am an idiot, but I have something to explain, that.. requires pen and paper. You must have noticed that I haven't said much, and that's not because I'm shy. I'm.. deaf and dumb. I can't speak and I can't hear.

I understand what you say because I can read lips, and I thought that your song the other day was beautiful even though I couldn't hear it. Now I'll just sit her with my eyes closed and you can disappear if you want. I won't blame you if you go. People don't want to be friends with freaks.

Bye

 

I folded the paper together again and put it in my pocket.

“You're really deaf?” I said to her. No reply. She just sat there hiding her head between her legs. I moved closer. Was she really waiting for me to go? Why would I go? I reached out my arms and put them around her, slowly embracing her.

She looked up and seemed quite confused.

I blushed and let her go, sitting down beside her.

“You can read my lips?” I asked. She nodded. I smiled.

“Good,” I said.

She pulled out another piece of paper and wrote something on it.

“Why are you still here?” she had written.

I looked at the words, then at her.

“I'm not gonna go just because of this. It's not your fault, is it?”

“People find it hard to be friends with me. They all disappear,”

“I guess I'm not people,” I answered.

 

And so it continued. The whole afternoon we sat there, communicating with a piece of paper. I was still waiting for him to vanish, but he stayed. Together we could laugh. Well he laughed, and I smiled.

As the sun went away and darkness closed in on us we realized that we had to say goodbye.

“I want to meet you again,” he said to me. We stood at the busstop, waiting for my bus. His was going the other way.

“Me too,” I told him by pointing at myself, and then showing two fingers.

“You too,” he confirmed and smiled.

I took another piece of paper and wrote down my email adress. Gave it to him.

“Thanks,” he said.

As the bus came he looked sad, and I didn't really feel like going onboard. I waved at him, and he waved back.

 

“Where were you?” she asked as soon as I stepped throw the door. I signed “nowhere” and continued into the kitchen. I made a sandwich and went upstairs.

“I was worried,” she signed, at me, before I closed the door in her face. I lay down on my bed smiling from ear to ear.