Mute
Spell "courage"
"Try it again, slowly this time. C-o-u-r-a-g-e. Courage"
My lip trembled. I looked at the list of spellings and tried to open my mouth. I tried to force my tongue to work. But no sound came out. I shook my head miserably. By then, I and John had been friends for about three months and he'd invited me over to his house so we could learn our spellings together. We were going to have a spelling test the next day and John had insisted on being my speech therapist in order to get me ready. As you can tell, I was a nervous wreck.
"Don't worry" John patted my shoulder, "It'll come to you"
I tried again. Courage. One small, measly word that I had to say aloud to my class. I opened my mouth, trying to get my tongue to move in the right place. It curled backwards, cowering away, too afraid to make any sound. John waited patiently as I attempted to speak, my lip quivering but still I couldn't make a noise. I was still there an hour later, sat in the middle of John's bed, staring at the spiralling letters. In the end, John sighed and let himself fall backwards so his head rested on his pillow.
"I give up" I said, "It's no use"
I'm so sorry John
I looked at him nervously, hoping he'd see the apology in my eyes. He smiled at me reassuringly.
"Don't feel bad Sherlock; it's not your fault. I'm just a terrible speech therapist" he sighed and lay back on his bed again.
I hated the way John blamed himself. He was so modest, it was unbearable. Here he was, giving up his spare time to teach me how to speak when he could be playing football or something else more exciting just to teach me how to say one word. He truly was a friend.
You deserve better than me John
I looked at the spellings again. Courage. Such a small word. But it would mean something big, if only I could get my tongue to work with me. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth. My tongue tried to steer away again, curling up to the back of my throat again. My mind told it straight.
You're listening to me now
It uncurled, touching the tips of my front teeth, wetting my lips. The small person in my head was screaming, "Don't do it, don't do it!"
I ignored him. I was in control, not him.
The sides of my mouth twitched uneasily, but managed to spread upwards as I took a deep breath.
"C…"
John looked up, his eyes wide and curious. The sudden sound from my lips shocked me, but I didn't give in. I couldn't. I had started, and I needed to finish.
"C…"
"Come on Sherl" John sat up and looked into my eyes, "Keep going, you can do it. C…"
"C…o…"
He shuffled up next to me and started rubbing my back, small circles which seemed to boost the small dose of confidence inside me.
"C…o…u…r..."
"You can do it Sherlock..." he said the same comforting words over and over again, "…you can do it"
I bit down on my tongue, to prevent it from doing its usual curling trick. My forehead suddenly felt damp. My cheeks felt hotter than usual. I calmed myself and carried on, my mouth suddenly bone dry.
"C…o...u…r...a…g...e…"
John looked like an infant on Christmas Day.
"Sherlock! You did it! Say it again!"
"C…courage"
John squealed and threw his arms around my neck so the both of us fell over, off of the bed and onto the floor. I was dazed by the sudden contact with the bedroom rug but it didn't hurt. I felt something press against the side of my face and realised John had planted a kiss on my cheek. I blinked in surprise, a sudden burst of happiness erupting inside of me. The sides of my mouth curled upwards and I suddenly smiled.
"Oh Sherl…" John breathed, and I could see his eyes had glassed over, "You smiled…you…"
I wiped the upcoming tear from his eye, my smile still there.
"Than…" I tried to get the words out of my mouth but it suddenly became difficult again, "…thank…"
John silenced me by putting a finger on my lips.
"Don't say anything. You don't need to" he put another kiss on my cheek, "I'm so proud of you Sherl", he stuck out his little finger and linked it with mine, "Best friends?"
I squeezed it, though inside there were still a thousand things I wanted to say.
My lip trembled. I looked at the list of spellings and tried to open my mouth. I tried to force my tongue to work. But no sound came out. I shook my head miserably. By then, I and John had been friends for about three months and he'd invited me over to his house so we could learn our spellings together. We were going to have a spelling test the next day and John had insisted on being my speech therapist in order to get me ready. As you can tell, I was a nervous wreck.
"Don't worry" John patted my shoulder, "It'll come to you"
I tried again. Courage. One small, measly word that I had to say aloud to my class. I opened my mouth, trying to get my tongue to move in the right place. It curled backwards, cowering away, too afraid to make any sound. John waited patiently as I attempted to speak, my lip quivering but still I couldn't make a noise. I was still there an hour later, sat in the middle of John's bed, staring at the spiralling letters. In the end, John sighed and let himself fall backwards so his head rested on his pillow.
"I give up" I said, "It's no use"
I'm so sorry John
I looked at him nervously, hoping he'd see the apology in my eyes. He smiled at me reassuringly.
"Don't feel bad Sherlock; it's not your fault. I'm just a terrible speech therapist" he sighed and lay back on his bed again.
I hated the way John blamed himself. He was so modest, it was unbearable. Here he was, giving up his spare time to teach me how to speak when he could be playing football or something else more exciting just to teach me how to say one word. He truly was a friend.
You deserve better than me John
I looked at the spellings again. Courage. Such a small word. But it would mean something big, if only I could get my tongue to work with me. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth. My tongue tried to steer away again, curling up to the back of my throat again. My mind told it straight.
You're listening to me now
It uncurled, touching the tips of my front teeth, wetting my lips. The small person in my head was screaming, "Don't do it, don't do it!"
I ignored him. I was in control, not him.
The sides of my mouth twitched uneasily, but managed to spread upwards as I took a deep breath.
"C…"
John looked up, his eyes wide and curious. The sudden sound from my lips shocked me, but I didn't give in. I couldn't. I had started, and I needed to finish.
"C…"
"Come on Sherl" John sat up and looked into my eyes, "Keep going, you can do it. C…"
"C…o…"
He shuffled up next to me and started rubbing my back, small circles which seemed to boost the small dose of confidence inside me.
"C…o…u…r..."
"You can do it Sherlock..." he said the same comforting words over and over again, "…you can do it"
I bit down on my tongue, to prevent it from doing its usual curling trick. My forehead suddenly felt damp. My cheeks felt hotter than usual. I calmed myself and carried on, my mouth suddenly bone dry.
"C…o...u…r...a…g...e…"
John looked like an infant on Christmas Day.
"Sherlock! You did it! Say it again!"
"C…courage"
John squealed and threw his arms around my neck so the both of us fell over, off of the bed and onto the floor. I was dazed by the sudden contact with the bedroom rug but it didn't hurt. I felt something press against the side of my face and realised John had planted a kiss on my cheek. I blinked in surprise, a sudden burst of happiness erupting inside of me. The sides of my mouth curled upwards and I suddenly smiled.
"Oh Sherl…" John breathed, and I could see his eyes had glassed over, "You smiled…you…"
I wiped the upcoming tear from his eye, my smile still there.
"Than…" I tried to get the words out of my mouth but it suddenly became difficult again, "…thank…"
John silenced me by putting a finger on my lips.
"Don't say anything. You don't need to" he put another kiss on my cheek, "I'm so proud of you Sherl", he stuck out his little finger and linked it with mine, "Best friends?"
I squeezed it, though inside there were still a thousand things I wanted to say.