Fate Breakers

Chapter 23

Ceno

Nineteen Years Ago

I knew from the beginning Mannon and Marco were different. Marco would smile, and he was able to respond when we talked to him. Mannon never could. She would make these odd sounds when she wanted to laugh. At first, Mami thought she was choking herself. We took the twins to the doctor.

"Papa, what does being deaf mean?"

"It means Mannon can't hear us, Eno." Papa had taken me out while Mama and Mami cared for the twins. He'd taken me to Eulalie to see his friend who was good with machines. "It's a thing that happens. Sometimes, people are born and they aren't able to see. Mannon was born unable to hear."

I didn't get it. "Why is she broken?"

Papa looked shocked, but ultimately, he just let out a laugh. "Mio figlio, Mannon isn't broken. Her little body just works differently from the rest of ours."

"Okay, so she's not broken. But then why is she like that?"

"That, I do not know."

"Is this thing your friend is gonna make gonna help her hear?"

"It should, yes."

"So she'll finally be a normal baby, then."

Papa let out a laugh. I have always had a problem speaking before I thought, I guess. Papa was so tolerant, so understanding.

I miss him. I wish Mannon and Marco got to know him like I did.

Thirteen Years Ago

Marco spoke his mind. He talked all the time. Mami and Mama had a hell of a time getting him to stop talking, actually. Mannon was scarier. Mama and Mami forgot about the hearing aids after Papa was killed. I wonder if Mannon remembers hearing his voice from when we first put them on her. I just know she understood that when Papa died, he'd never come back, and she refused to wear them since. There was a whole world inside her head, and we could only ever get bits and pieces at a time.

"Why are you doing this to us?" When Mannon was angry, she'd put her hands in my face and flail them, to make sure I was paying attention when she signed to me. I looked her in the eye that day, even though it was hard seeing her tears. "You're leaving us. What for?"

I let out a sigh. Mannon could read lips. She could do it very well, but I know she liked to sign better, so that's how I always spoke to her. "If I don't go willingly, they'll force me away. After what happened to Papa, I figured this would be better."

Mannon's eye twitched. "So you're committing suicide."

Seeing her sign the word. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to my chest. "Who taught you that sign?"

Mannon teared up, her signs getting sloppy. "I HATE you."

Mannon ran off, and I had tried to pursue. She'd always been fast. Fast and silent. Mannon knew how to vanish when she didn't want to be found. The second Mami walked in front of me, I knew I'd already lost her.

Mami grabbed my shoulders, her eyes trained on me. She always looked so tired after Papa passed. "What's going on?"

"Who taught her?" I remember the look on Mami's face. I still don't know who taught Mannon that sign, but I have a few guesses. "Mami, I have to talk to her."

"Ceno, you know she isn't gonna wanna talk to you." Mami's look was worn. I hate realizing now how much of that was my fault. "This is a lot for her to process, it's a lot for all of us to process. You just need to give her space, she'll come around."