Reality Check

Chapter 5

I'm still standing amongst Uncle Ricky and the family, as we take in the news. Antonio has fallen asleep, most likely from all the excitement regarding the information we just received. I've been there for about two hours, and Arlos, the blonde boy, looks contemplative about how he feels.

I realize I've been sitting here with my second family for so long, I haven't checked with my family. I know Mama and my siblings are most likely freaked out. Mama's first concern is definitely money, and Aeleah.

I murmur a goodbye, then slip out the house. The family is so caught up in the situation, they don't notice me leaving. A part of me is grateful, I don't want them to worry about me. I proceed to walk home, and I hear a noise behind me.

I'm quick to grab the pocketknife I keep on me. I assume it's just background noise but considering I'm Deaf, you can never be too safe.

"What is it?" I turn around with terror coursing through my veins.

"Calm down, it's just me."

I squint to look closer, and make out a boy with shaggy long hair. Arlos.

"Can I help you?", I say with exasperation.

"You forgot your lipgloss", Arlos says, doing a sheepish grin.

Is he serious? It's eleven at night, I don't have time for these games. I go to snatch the lipgloss, "Thanks."

He cocks his head in confusion, but tells me, "Da procsu Salia."

"Respectfully, I'm Deaf enough, why are you speaking gibberish?"

Arlos just snorts like a chucklehead, and I glance at him with criticism teeming off my brows.

"Lighten up," he says, "It's the language of my homeland."

It dawns on me, and suddenly I feel bad. I just told this man his language sounds like gibberish. I quickly rush to apologize, my cheeks warming.

"It's okay."

I leave it at that, and quickly turn back around to speed walk home. This man made me look crazy. As I walk home, I keep thinking to myself how embarrassing that was. By the time I'm done reflecting on that, I've arrived back at home, and see my family at the kitchen table through the window. Mama looks drained, her once joyful expression turned sour, Aeleah bursting at the seams with optimism, and filled with hope, whilst Malachi is on the phone with someone.

I walk in and greet my family. Mama signs to me, "Hi", and I can see her arm struggle to raise. I fear her exhaustion would kill her before the lung illness does. Aeleah and Malachi do the same, and then Aeleah runs up to me clutching my leg.

"Lia, did you hear the news?", she jumps up and down, "We're going to space!"

"We're saved!", she signs "saved" over, and over.

Mama looks at her with scorn, but stays silent. I look down at Aeleah and celebrate with her, trying to conceal my hesitations. Malachi is now off the phone. He waves Mama into the living room, and I stay with Aeleah. She is continuing to describe to me how good our life will be, and she describes in great detail how she'd greet the space aliens. After 30 minutes of me listening to Aeleah babble about the future, she finally goes limp and falls asleep at the kitchen table. Malachi comes into the room, and Mama isn't with him. I assume she's gone to sleep.

I go to take off my Cochlears, but try to maintain eye contact with Malachi in case he says anything. He starts to speak, then sees my CIs' on the table and begins signing.

At first, he appears to sign slowly, as if he doesn't know how to sign. I watch him, with my eyebrow cocked, but after inferring from the disappointment on his face, I assume he has bad news to tell.