A Day in the Life
"Wow Jamie, real woke of you. I thought we were best friends and here you are planning a birthday party and not inviting me just because I'm Deaf? You know you don't have to take care of me at social events. I'm perfectly able to make friends myself just like I made friends with you on my own... At least I thought we were friends." You punch your response into the keyboard and feel justified sending the text without hesitation.
Just as you are about to put your phone back in your pocket, you are clipped from behind and fall hard to the sidewalk. Gingerly, you pick yourself up and take note of a rip in the knee of your slacks and a scrape on your forearm. It isn't bad but it still stings. Oh no! Where is your phone?? You see it laying face down on the ground and with shaking hands pick it up and slowly turn it over. To you great disappointment, the screen has shattered. Suddenly, you feel a hard shove from behind forcing you to take two heavy steps forward to catch yourself from falling to the sidewalk again. You regain balance and swing around to see a man much larger than you waving his hands in the air and seemingly shouting at you. You glance around and notice a bicycle on its side looking tattered from the fall.
"SORRY" you sign, "HEAR NOTHING"
The man ignores your attempts to communicate and instead continues to wave his hands and yell.
Feeling nervous and confused by his anger, you begin to take steps backwards, motioning to your ears and shaking your head.
It seems to finally dawn on the man as he abruptly stops waving his hands and understanding fills his face. He rolls his eyes, exasperated, and in a patronizing way, stabs the air pointing in your direction -- mimes ringing the bell of a bike -- then dramatically motions to his bike with an open hand. YOU! He stabs the finger back in your direction then at your phone in your hand. You catch what looks like a rude swear word on his mouth as he yanks his bike from its side and rides away.
You are feeling shaken from this exchange but still have to get to work. Luckily, the cafe is just one door down from you and you scurry inside.
**PAUSE** Read Chapter 73 (starting on pg. 417) of For Hearing People Only.
Just as you are about to put your phone back in your pocket, you are clipped from behind and fall hard to the sidewalk. Gingerly, you pick yourself up and take note of a rip in the knee of your slacks and a scrape on your forearm. It isn't bad but it still stings. Oh no! Where is your phone?? You see it laying face down on the ground and with shaking hands pick it up and slowly turn it over. To you great disappointment, the screen has shattered. Suddenly, you feel a hard shove from behind forcing you to take two heavy steps forward to catch yourself from falling to the sidewalk again. You regain balance and swing around to see a man much larger than you waving his hands in the air and seemingly shouting at you. You glance around and notice a bicycle on its side looking tattered from the fall.
"SORRY" you sign, "HEAR NOTHING"
The man ignores your attempts to communicate and instead continues to wave his hands and yell.
Feeling nervous and confused by his anger, you begin to take steps backwards, motioning to your ears and shaking your head.
It seems to finally dawn on the man as he abruptly stops waving his hands and understanding fills his face. He rolls his eyes, exasperated, and in a patronizing way, stabs the air pointing in your direction -- mimes ringing the bell of a bike -- then dramatically motions to his bike with an open hand. YOU! He stabs the finger back in your direction then at your phone in your hand. You catch what looks like a rude swear word on his mouth as he yanks his bike from its side and rides away.
You are feeling shaken from this exchange but still have to get to work. Luckily, the cafe is just one door down from you and you scurry inside.
**PAUSE** Read Chapter 73 (starting on pg. 417) of For Hearing People Only.