The way of your movements( Fruk)

2

"Can you hear this?"

I shook my head.

"Now?"

nothing again...

The doctor sat back in his seat and looked like he had taken a deep breath. He held his hands up and began to sign at me again. "It does not look like your hearing is getting any better; we might be looking at a permanent hearing loss. However, surgery could fix it if you're interested," He signed. I breathed heavily and shrugged.

"I guess there wouldn't be anything to lose, but I don't have the money for that," I signed. "I will give you a pamphlet, and you could think about it," He signed. He smiled at me, and I reached for the pamphlet.

Surgery to get my hearing back? I was unsure if I would be able to go through with that.

It wasn't like I hated being 'deaf'

It was hard at first, and I learned to live with it. Now it is a part of me.

Throughout my life, I did struggle to talk to people. Especially my family. My brother Dylan was the only one who put effort into learning British Sign Language. He was the only one who could communicate with me, and it sucked most times. When I did visit him, he tried to get our two other brothers, Conner and Alistair, to come, but sometimes they were bitter toward the two of us. They sometimes didn't like our close relationship.

When the accident happened, they weren't there for me either. Dylan learned sign language as I did, but my brother's excuse was that they "didn't think I'd lose all my hearing," some bullshit if you ask me.

I had one surgery after the accident to help my eardrums, and they warned me my hearing would get worse over time, but they didn't expect it to be gone by the time I was thirty. It was fine, though; sometimes, things happened, and we had to learn to live with it.

"How are your therapy sessions? Do you go?" The doctor signed. I hooked my head at him and shrugged. "I don't think I need them anymore; I feel fine," I signed back. He nodded at me in a worried way. "Okay, well, I see no reason to keep you here any longer, be safe going home, and email us if there is anything you need," He signed. I nodded at him and began to gather myself. I was ready to leave.

~

"How was it?" Yao signed. I had not talked all day; I was starting to get tired. "It was good," I signed. After leaving the doctor's office, I felt sad again. I think I might have been diving into one of my depression spells again. Yao looked at me sadly and gave me a side smile. "What about that guy you met the other day? Have you texted?" He signed. I shook my head and breathed out.

"Maybe you should? Meeting new people can help," He signed. I looked at his hands as he kept them up and nodded. "Okay," I spoke.

I took out my phone and looked at the icon with his name and heart.

Hopefully, I don't regret this.

I began to type a message and paused before sending it. "Hopefully, he doesn't try yelling at me again," I laughed. "Honestly, as if that would matter," Yao signed. I sent the message and placed my phone down on the table.

Within seconds, my phone began to flash its light and vibrate intensely.

My eyes widened, and Yao began to smirk at me. I rolled my eyes, picked up the phone, and read the message. "I was worried you wouldn't text; we should meet up," It read. I showed Yao, and he continued to smirk.

"Say yes," He signed.

"Depends on what he wants to do; what if he wants to see a movie," I signed and laughed. "Honestly, Arthur," Yao signed.

I began to text him back, asking when and what we would do.

As soon as the message was delivered, he saw it and began to type. He seems eager.

"Are you free tonight? Let's get food," It read.

"He wants food," I signed.

"Then go get food!" Yao signed aggressively. I rolled my eyes at him again and waved him off. "Okay, Okay," I spoke. I texted him back, and of course, he gave me a time and place he wanted to meet.

"Okay, well, it looks like I am meeting him," I signed back.

"Wait...how is he supposed to understand me? Maybe you should come too," I signed. His eyes widened, and he shook his head. "He can write it down; you can't keep relying on me. If he really wants to be friends, he will learn," Yao signed. He had a point.

I breathed out, nodded, and looked at my phone.

~

"Be safe going home, and text me if you need me to get you."

"I know; I am not an idiot."

I rolled my eyes at him as he looked at my hands. "So you say," He signed. Yao was good to me, but like everyone else, I was sure he worried about me a lot. However, I didn't think any of that was necessary. I smiled at him softly and looked at my watch. I better start walking over to the place Francis wanted to meet. I was really worried about the communication barrier, but Yao had a point. If he wants to be friends badly, he will make an effort to learn to talk to me. I already talk to people, so it is not much for me to do.

While on the other hand, I know he has to learn Sign language, but it would not take too much practice...I mean, I grew up learning it so I might have a bias, but I see it as talking or reading and writing, so maybe it is hard for me to comprehend it.

YES!

I can do this! I am making new friends and not relying on Yao to help me understand others. I hope he isn't an idiot.