Deaf Thoughts

Prologue

　"She's going deaf."

　My heart dropped at that sentence.

　"She only has one or two months. Three at the most."

　Just before the doctor walked out of the small check-up room, he laid a rough hand on my shoulder and whispered;

　"I'm truly sorry, but there's nothing I can do," The doctor patted my shoulder softly before continuing. "I suggest you both learn Sign Language. And soon, too."

　Those were the last words I heard from him before he exited the room. I felt my heart pounding against my ribs, I heard my lungs screaming—begging for air—as I realized I had been holding my breath the entire time, I tried to stand on my own, yet my knees buckled, preventing me from walking. My vision went blurry from the tears that wouldn't fall, a piercing ringing in my ears brought me back to reality as the first tear fell. More and more hot tears slid down my cheeks until I found a puddle of water on the hard, fake tile floor. I fell to my knees and wept.

　We didn't know it yet, but a calm, sunny day in Denver would soon turn to a cold, stormy night.

　　　　　　　　　• • •

　I was pretty sure it was only for a few minutes, yet the sheer ache in my heart felt like it lasted for hours. The ringing in my ears wouldn't let up as my best friend, Daisy and I got into the car. I sniffled and motioned for a tissue. While wiping my nose, I heard Daisy's muffled voice abruptly end the ringing. I let out a whimper as one more burning hot tear fell from my eye and onto my leg.

　Daisy glanced at me with remorse and utter despair in her eyes. "We'll get through this," She said. "I promise."

　I sniveled and stared at her gorgeous complexion. She had beautiful short, dark brown hair and penetrating, icy blue eyes. She had dimples, but no freckles. Her eyebrows were thin and waxed, much like mine. Meanwhile, I had short, curly red hair—which my mother was sure that it would darken to a handsome auburn—yet it never did.

　I looked a lot like my mother. I had red hair, freckles, dimples, lightly tanned skin—and unlike my mother—I had dazzling green eyes that seemed white in the sunlight and twinkled with mischief. My mother had the same piercing blue eyes as Daisy. Daisy glanced at me every once in a while, checking to make sure I was okay. My eyelids covered my glorious green eyes, almost as if my eyelids were a curtain and my perfect green orbs were the star ending their wondrous performance with a deep bow as the curtain drew overhead.

　"The doctor is right you know? We should learn Sign Language," Daisy finally broke the silence with her angelic voice.

　I opened my eyes and stared at her. Not with hatred, but with hope. Hope that maybe we could get through this. I took a deep breath and sighed. I had my mind set on something for a long time, and now I had to ask.

　"I want to do something in these one to three months that I have," I paused until I was sure that Daisy was listening. "I want to go back to my roots. I don't want to stay in Denver when I go deaf. Japan is such a beautiful place, and everything has meaning there. I want to go back to Japan. Please, Daisy. Please come with me. I beg of you!"

　Daisy's eyes widened as she turned on her light signals and pulled over to the side of the road.

　"You want to go back to Japan? Where exactly would you go?" Daisy asked with a quizzical expression plastered onto her face.

　"Kyoto. Kyoto, Japan. I want to go visit Tokyo as well," I stood firm and lowered my eyebrows until I had a dead-serious expression that would stop anybody cold in their tracks.