three.
I had learned much about Harry, that surprisingly he wasn't fully deaf, and that he was being fitted for hearing aids. He told me (not really told me, but wrote it down and showed me) that it would allow us to have normal conversations. Hopefully, he said he might not like them.
He also told me they were rather expensive, so it would be a miracle if he could afford them and insurance wouldn't exactly pay for them.
"Are you getting off at the diner." I sign, smiling at him from across the train. He nods. (Oh, did I mention? I learned a bit of sign language - I'm hoping to learn more.)
We met at the diner almost every night, usually sitting in a comfortable silence, and eating our sirloins. We got them every time, with the same side of fries and coleslaw.
"Do you like the zoo?" he types onto his phone, the familiar robot speaking for him.
I nod, smiling at him. "I love zebras." I sign, finishing the last piece of steak.
"I love elephants." he types. "I love their trunks and feeding them peanuts."
"That sounds fun." I write down, looking at him. He nods.
The next day, he took me to the zoo. We fed peanuts to the elephants, and visited the zebra exhibit.
A few days after that, he learned that his hearing aids would be nearly $2,000. He didn't know whether or not he wanted them, and he had asked whether or not he should.
"I think you should." I sign, leaning my head against the wall at the diner. "Then you could hear my angelic voice." I wink.
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Maybe."
