Falling on Dead Ears

The scuffing of cool dirt dusting over my feet felt nice as the heat from the high noon sun beat down on my bare shoulders. Soft breezes pulled off the lake as I slowly trudged my way down towards the water. My small yellow shorts rubbed gently against the inside of my upper thighs. My red bikini top clung to my upper body, hiding what I didn’t want anyone un-special to see, and my taught tan skin covered and held together my limbs and organs.

Pushing back my honey and cherry colored hair I watched as a boat zoomed around the water tugging a large inflatable behind it. It looked rather unsafe in an interesting and fun way. The people on the boat laughing and pointing at those on the raft flailing around against the waves the boat made.

Apart of me felt bad for them. The people on the inflatable, if they hit the water it’d be like hitting the ground, or cement depending on the speed of the boat.

Letting my eyes wander back to the ground I let my feet dip into the rippling and splashing water. Having it lap around my calves I kicked at the frothy white tops gently. The shifting of the sandy lake bottom caught my attention as I wiggled my toes and felt peddles and bits of sand shift with the movement of the waves as well.

A vibration against my shoulders and a pressure in my ears made me turn. Behind me was a short, fat man with long brown hair in swim trucks. His lips moved quickly as his hands failed around.

Blinking I licked my lips and lifted my hands moving them, watching as his brows narrowed and his lips stopped. Pursing my lips into a frown I pointed at my ear and gave an exaggerated shrug.

‘what?’ His lips were hard to read, the way his mustache moved made it hard to see his upper lip and the movement of it.

Pointing at my ear again I groaned slightly and shrugged again. The smell of his breath was strong even from five feet away; he’d had onion bagel, I could smell the onions and cream cheese.

He muttered a confused what again. Sighing I began moving my hands quickly. His eyes went wide as I slowed down and shrugged.

‘Are you crazy?’ It was the only thing it could be unless he truly said ‘ah oo passey’, which at the sight of the man wouldn’t be hard to believe.

Rolling my fist over the center of my collar bone I then pointed at myself then my ear followed pointing at my lips and shrugging as he narrowed his brows at me confused by what I was doing. Had he never seen someone do sign language before?

He turned his head yelling at someone in the distance. Huffing I glared at the annoying man as the vibrations from his words hit me along with the stench of his breath.

Glancing to my left I watched several people walking over. The man before me pointed at me and shrugged still yelling. Narrowing my eyes I watched his lips move from the three-fourth profile, it made it harder to decipher but I did catch: ‘I think she’s crazy she kept moving her hands’. I wasn’t crazy.

Huffing I licked my lips and tapped his shoulder. He turned to me as I placed my hands to my collar bone.

“Deaf.” Was all I uttered not sure how the word sounded as it came out of my mouth but I could feel the vibrations on the inside of my lips knowing my throat had formed a word, hopefully the right one. Pointing at my ear I shrugged uttering it again to the stupid man.

A tall lanky man turned the shorter one away from me and rubbed the back of his neck. He was tall, lanky, and well muscled. I could see the contours of almost every muscle under his tanned skin as he seemed to laugh nervously. Forcing a smile at him I was grateful his breath smelled minty instead of like onions.

I watched his lips move as he kept his head down. Biting my bottom lip I gently slid my fingers under his chin and lifted his head. Blinking at me startled he stood there frozen.

Rolling my hand to have him speak I opened my mouth and put my hand in front of it moved it away, trying to tell him the simplest way he could go on.

‘oh…I’m so sorry about my friend. We kinda lost track of him, I’m really sorry. We saw him bugging you from boat and decided to come over and see what was going on. We didn’t mean for him to be so rude or offensive.’ His lips formed words perfectly, punctuated, elegant words.

Licking my lips I looked down before back at him. I stopped mid movement and sighed. He obviously didn’t know sign language.

“You, more offensive.” My hands flowed; signing the words, as I let the choked words stumbled and fall of my lips. “Not stupid.” I paused at he blinked startled. “Just deaf.” Pushing past his stunned form and heading back up the hill towards the house for safety from the large group. I wasn’t good with people who treated me like I was stupid or like I had a handicap for everything in life, not just against sound.

The cool dirt clung to my damp limbs. I didn’t glance back at them as I kicked at the dirt and a small rock on the path. Clambering up the wood steps I gripped the railing as the rough wood wore at coulisse feet.

Half way across the large, exposed, and horribly mismatched patio set covered deck, I turned at the heavy vibrations under my feet and against my ankles quickly following me. The tall, well toned man stopped a few feet short of me startled.

‘how’d you…’ He trailed off as I stomped my foot and shrugged. Pointing he licked his lips and let his shoulders drop. A heavy breath hitting my face as he seemed to stand there, unsure of what he was doing before me, on my aunt’s patio. ‘ I didn’t mean,’ He looked at me as he spoke. ‘ to treat you like you’re stupid. That’s not what I meant.’ he moved his hands heavily, they didn’t flow or make sense confusing me. Blinking I began watching his hands more as he spoke the vibrations of his words bouncing off my face and my unresponsive ear drums.

Groaning I quickly reached out grabbing his hands. The movements of his hands meant something to me, while to him they meant nothing. Yet every word or quick phrase he accidently made didn’t reflect or respond to the prior one creating a massive confusing jumble.

Glancing back up at his face he stared at me confused. Letting go of his hands I lifted my hands and pushed them towards him slightly, trying to tell him simply to not move his hands. Sheepishly he muttered a soft sorry. Smiling I nodded and went back to watching his lips as he spoke, fumbling slightly this time.

‘I-I‘m truly sorry.’ His breath his my face as he seemed to sigh. Nodding I smiled at him and gave him an okay sign. ‘We good?’ Nodding I patted his shoulder and finally looked up to his eyes, they were a beautiful hazel brown. Smiling he nodded his head as I stepped back. Giving a small wave I moved towards the door and stopped at the loud vibration. Turning I looked at a large heavy set man, bigger than the first I’d meet, laying on the stairs. The tall, toned man stood pointing and slightly hunched over.

Rushing to the man I placed a hand on his back as he just lay there. Smiling he got up and patted my shoulder. I was afraid to move my hands around them, they wouldn’t understand.

A heavy hand lay on my shoulder slowly. Spinning I glanced up at the tall toned man smiling down at me. Forcing a smile I stepped back from him, brushing his large hand from my shoulder. We both turned for possibly different reasons. I could feel the smooth vibrations of the sliding back door. He was probably listening to my Aunt yelling at them for bothering me. She was protective like everyone I knew.

Quickly crossing the deck I glanced back at the group of seven or eight standing by the deck stairs. My Aunt nodded at me as her lips moved at the group. Ducking around her I crossed my arms around my middle and watched the group from the safe shade of the inside.

They seemed to be watching, but then again it looked like my aunt was yelling at them. She stepped in side slamming the door, letting me watched the glass rattle. Her hands moved swiftly telling me to stay away from them. They were delinquents that constantly terrorized the lake and its residents and constantly hurting each others and a few by-standards.

Nodding I glanced back at the group watching us.

Looking down instantly I moved away from the window and inside. So much for a nice day. Glancing around the room, I stopped at the toned man standing right outside the glass sliding door. Blinking at his smiling waving form I wandered over pointing at my head and shaking my head lightly, trying to tell him I didn’t understand.

His lips moved slowly exaggerating the one word he spoke while he pointed at himself. Pointing at my head and shook my head again, still not understanding.

He said it again. Smiling I bit my lip and leaned towards the glass and breathed, fogging the glass. Dragging my finger through it I smiled at him at my backwards name. Pointing at my name I then pointed at myself.

Leaning in he copied me, writing his name. Smiling I waved as he did. Stepping back from the door I nodded at him. Lifting a hand he pushed it lightly telling me stop.

Waiting I watched as he breathed on the door again and slowly dragged his fingers through it. Shaking my head I stepped back and quickly moved deeper into the house to avoid him.

Glancing around a doorway I smiled at his form still standing by the door, hands cupped over his eyes as he peered into the dark house. Travis. His name fit him well.