Reality Check

Chapter 1

"The air quality index today is 205, which is a record low for this time of year...", the TV drones on, and I hear an excitement in my little sister's voice, as she runs around the house giggling, and her curly pigtails bouncing.

"Lia, we don't have to wear the big masks today!", she says enthusiastically.

I can't help but smile, "Yes, Aaleah, we can wear the fabric ones!", and I reach to grab her mask with her favorite TV show character on it, Marvelous Mandy, and hand it to her, "How about this one?"

She grins widely, and puts it on. "Thanks Lia!"

My older brother by 10 months, Malachi walks in and asks if I've heard the news. I nod my head, and sign to Malachi, so Aeleah doesn't listen in.

"The air quality index being 205, should not be a record low. In our grandparents' time, the low was around 80-90! This is outrageous, why are we celebrating? Our faces were not made for humans to be wearing masks!", I sign ardently.

Aeleah looks at me confused, wondering why my face dropped as I signed with Malachi. I feel guilty doing that, but she only knows English, and some baby signs. I try to teach her, but I get busy helping Mom around the house and going to work. Paying for Granny's hospital bills has been adding up from her lung illness.

And I don't need her worrying along with everyone else in the world anyways. A little youth never hurt anyone.

Malachi signs back rapidly, "I can't control the weather Sali," and sighs dejectedly fidgeting with his locs, "I can't believe this is the new normal for Aeleah. Or even us, we were born in this weird climate too."

I just shake my head and go to grab my Cochlear Implants off the counter, and put them on.

"Sissy, I want some just like yours!", and I remind Aeleah that being Deaf is pretty cool, but she's awesome as a hearing girl too.

Malachi disapproves of the interaction, he hates the fact I'm deaf. He thinks my life is extremely disadvantaged and I need to keep the Cochlears on twenty-four seven, or I'm going to set myself up for failure, and danger.

Living in the Heights, it can't get any worse in my opinion. And I've adapted. It's 2103, not the 2000s. I can handle it, between the lip reading and the advanced Cochlears my Dad had saved up for, I'm doing decent.

I realize I'm running late for work, so I ask Malachi to take Aeleah to school, since he won't go to work until later tonight. He agrees, so I grab my mask, which is just a plain blue and head on out. I tried to layer up today with a hoodie, and sweats to prevent my skin from being near the UV rays, but it's so hot outside, almost 102 degrees, I give up and change.

Boat load of sunscreen, a tank top, and some shorts, and my long tight curls slicked back into a ponytail. The sunscreen leaves a white cast on my honey colored skin, and I went from being a bronzed beauty to a yellow-gray color, as if I have a sickness. I work in the sun, at the park handing out overpriced masks to the crowd, so I need as much sunscreen as I can get. I have about 1 job that's consistent, then I do a bunch of odd jobs similar to this one to rake in extra money. I'm helping Mom and Granny with money, but I'm also secretly putting money aside because I want to be a doctor.

Only one other person knows about me wanting to be a doctor, which is Malachi, who also disapproves and finds it unrealistic in this day and age. He constantly argues I should just take the free disability money and lay low, but I disagree. Disability pays enough for me to get toilet paper for when I use the restroom and that's about it.

I want to make a difference in this dying world our ancestors left behind for us, and as a doctor I'll be able to find cures for lung illnesses like Granny's, and the millions, probably billions of others affected.