Love Is Deaf, Not Blind

Andrew again waves his hand in my face, I have the sudden urge to slap him.

’WHAT!’ I make the sign sharper to let him know I was yelling.

’You don’t have a spare book I could use to write down what Mr W.a.n.e is saying since you won’t let me interpret for you?’ That actually wasn’t a bad idea.

’Okay if you don’t sign in class and you can take down what the teacher’s say on paper and I’ll tutor you in sign because honestly you suck.’

His face fall I can tell that I’ve actually hurt his feelings. ‘Okay that is a good idea.’ I grab my doodle book and skip through the pages of my drawings until I find the blank pages. I lay it out in front of Andrew.

Thank you.’

It worked out well using the book. I was able to understand what was going on without the embarrassment of having an interpreter in class.

***
As we walk towards Lunch Andrew ask me ’Have you always been to a mainstream school?’

’Never. This year is my first time.’

’You never had an interpreter?’

I shake my head. You’re my first.’

He smiles and looks away suddenly, ‘Your name is being called.

I laugh and turn to see Caleb heading towards us. ‘He knows your deaf right? Andrew signs when I look back at him. I laugh again and nod.

“Hey Jocelyn.” He smiles a dimple forming in his check.

‘Hi Caleb, how was Chem? I sign letting Andrew interpret for the first time. He doesn’t hesitate to pass on what I signed.

“It was pretty good,” He nodded his head slightly a few times.

Andrew turns back towards me and begins to sign.

‘I got it. I interrupt him. That’s good. Where is my brother?’ I knew that they shared all the same classes.

Caleb frowns, “He wasn’t in class today.”

I frown because he’d driven me to school talking about the extra credit he was doing for Mrs Melrose.

’Sammi and Jordan weren’t in class either.’ I sign after I realized that Sammi and Jordan both weren’t in English with me.