What if - MATURE rating

Moonlight Chicken - Li Ming and Heart

(I know in sign language they don't often use full sentences or the same grammar as in typical English sentence work. However, for the flow of this story, I'll fill in the gaps)

Li Ming - POV

It's hard to believe it's been three years since I moved to America with Heart. He was close to starting his final year and loving every second whilst I have a great job that I love too.

At first, I struggled, my English wasn't great to begin with. Then learning how to be a bartender hadn't been as easy as I'd expected. At first, I had to clean tables and mop the floor. It took almost a year before I was allowed behind the bar.

Learning all the drink names and the different cocktails had proved challenging, especially at the first bar I worked at. However, the next place, my mentor, Bryan, was amazing. He taught me everything, including tricks to wow the drunken crowd. He made it easier for me to remember.

When we first arrived, Heart wanted to live in the dorms at school. I hadn't liked it but he'd lived without others like him to talk to for so long I couldn't complain.

I'd moved into a small one-bed apartment. It wasn't in the best of neighbourhoods but it was close enough to him and the rent was affordable. I did have to study part-time, but it was mainly English, and a food science course, which I finished last year.

Our schedules made it hard to see each other as often as I did in Thailand. I worked most evenings and he had class during the day. I had the odd day off but it didn't work out well with his timetable, especially when he had to study.

In the beginning, I decided to visit him during his lunch. Heart had made a few new friends and he happily introduced me as his boyfriend. They were polite and went slower whilst talking to me, but I still couldn't keep up when they talked to each other.

Heart had said it was an adjustment to go from Thai sign language to American. His tutors had been helpful and he'd picked it up quickly. He'd taught me too, I didn't get it as fast as he did but well enough.

I stopped visiting him during lunch, his friends never seemed happy to see me after the first few times. Heart even asked me to stop, as he would be studying during lunch anyway. I pretended I believed him but I knew it was a lie to spare me.

I first worked in this little dive bar, near my apartment. It wasn't a great place, fights broke out almost every night, drunken idiots looking down on you for cleaning up but it helped pay the rent.

When I was finally allowed behind the bar I felt more out of place. The bartenders weren't friendly and often laughed whilst looking and pointing at me. They thought I didn't understand them but I did.

Then on one of my nights off, Heart had to study, so I'd gone for a walk. I found myself near his university. There was a small bar called 'Silence & Spirits' which looked ok. When I went inside I was awed.

For one, it was clean and for another, the music was low and finally most people inside were signing to each other. Heart had mentioned that there was a bar for the deaf near his school.

As I walked to work I smiled as I remembered that night.

---

'Hi, I'm Bryan, what can I get you?'

I smiled at him as I took my seat and looked around blushing.

'I'm not deaf, could I have a beer, any you got, please,' I signed back showing him my ID.

His raised eyebrows had me raising one of mine. Before I could ask, Bryan went to get my drink before coming back.

'You sign well for a hearie, you have a deaf family?' he asked.