Silent Spells...

Background...

Doctor, John McKassi was getting old, and he knew it. Being sixty-two years old will do that to you. He had retired from being a surgeon seventeen years ago, a couple of weeks after his wife, Angelica, died. The whole house used to be filled with love and joy but, that was quickly taken away in a matter or seconds.

Angelica went missing one day and after weeks of searching they found her dead in the snow... Death by heart failure? No, no Dr. McKassi wouldn't believe it even after he had read the medical documents. Something wasn't right, she was in perfect health and her heart was beating just fine. This was murder! McKassi was sure of it! He poured every last penny into inspection teams and when they didn't find anything, McKassi retired and went into his house and rarely ever came out.

For seventeen years, the Doctor never spoke to anyone but, one Christmas eve that silence was broken after he stepped onto his porch looked down picked something up.

He looked around and said to nobody in particular, "Ello?" There was no answer...

He looked at the bundle in his arms and realized what it was... A baby boy about two years old was dropped off at the McKassi estate in the middle of a cold snowing winter's night. Wrapped in a thin sheet, yet it did not cry or fuss it just slept in the old man's tired arms.

The Doctor called out again, "Ello?" Only the wind was heard...

He looked the babe once more and saw that his eyes were open... They were a beautiful bright green. And on closer inspection a word was stitched onto the small sheet, Doctor McKassi pushed up his specs and read, Leonardo... 

Not wanting to be cruel he brought the babe into his home. Warmed some milk for him and then fed it by the toasty fire. 

And for the first time in a long time the old doctor smiled as he said, "Leonardo McKassi..."

You would think that it would get louder at the McKassi estate, you know with a child around and everything but, no. It was just the same. The most noise you would hear in this house was the occasionally lessons or coughing fits from Doctor McKassi.

The reason why Leonardo McKassi never talk was he couldn't, he was a mute... He simply couldn't talk, even if he wanted to. McKassi happened to know English signs (ESL) just in case any of his patients were hard of hearing.

So over time he had taught the boy how to talk in ESL and listen in English. It was quite remarkable how the child learned these things so quickly. By the time he was around four he already knew how so sign full sentences, "Can we play chess?" Yes, he knew how to play chess at four. He was really something else...

He had the same schedule every day since he was able to sign and walk...

7:30- Wake up, shower (brush teeth) and get dressed

7:50- Check the mail/Sort Taxes from ads (If no there is no mail, start on breakfast early)

8:00- Breakfast/Free time

8:30- Daily Chores (If you finish early, you may have free time)

9:00- Lessons

12:00- Lunch/Free time

2:00- Continue Lessons

5:00- Dinner/Free time

8:00- Bedtime

Sunday's were the days where he was allowed to go outside for the whole day if he wanted. (Unless there were chores that still needed to be done... Or shopping.) Leonardo liked being organized because, everything was expected.

That is until something other than taxes came in the mail...