She Saw Everything

Chapter 2: Part 2

Tarc leaves me in a meeting room while he goes to notify someone. I ready myself beside a large window overlooking the city. The main road used for the parade is below. The sun midway to setting and large bands of sunlight split shining over the mountains. Some of the communities turn on their porch lights.

I will tell them to be deaf is to be afraid, to not know who or what is coming behind you. I understand now. Would they be satisfied with that confession? Would they give me back my hearing?

The door opens and elder Zeva Karah, for whom I am named, and elder Moises who oversees failed implantations, enter. This could be good or bad. Zeva is like an aunt to me, but Moises runs things by the book.

Zeva embraces me while Moises seats himself, looking like a judge entering court. I hug her with real concern. Zeva is Greek, and elder of the parades and customs because she herself comes from a long culture of beliefs. She clasps me to herself with one hand behind my head and another between my shoulder blades.

Moises must have called her over because she looks to him but drags me with her to the table. I choose to sit beside her as a sign of my cowardness. To be deaf is to be beholden to another person and I cling to Zeva to lead me out of this.

Moises is good at what he does, his face like stone. Conversation goes back and forth although I can understand none of it. I watch them but sit still as a sign of my repentance. Zeva's fingers intertwine with mine. My heart pounds more because I am out of time, and a decision has been made.

Moises exits while Zeva remains sitting next to me. I will her to be like my mother whom I have invoked often with a simple plea in my mind. 'Help.'Zeva's eyes are as soft as the smile that hints her lips. She raises her hand to cradle my head again but her eyes slip over my missing receiver and her hand hesitates dropping to an open palm before me.

I produce my broken technology from my pocket and give it to her. Her fingers close reverently and she nods at me before she leaves. I know. They are going to check the time it stopped working. We are given an hour, one hour to faithfully report any failures. I have waited twelve, maybe a few more.

My eyes close and I settle in the chair for a long wait.

Someone was waiting with me. Fingers wrap around my shoulders. My eyes startle open. The shadow guard. He doesn't try to speak, with his mouth. He is the complete boy scout pointing fingers and pressing his hands upon my head. Why does everyone want to touch my head and ears?

Finished, he produces paper and pencil. His penmanship is terrible.

'Why didn't you report it?'

There would be no repercussions if I told this guard.

'My mother, she was once this way.' I gesture to my face or my ears, as if I'm holding an imaginary box over my head.

'Stop acting this way, you know nothing.'

'You don't know my mother.'

'Neither do you.'

'Don't you have someone else to protect?'

'You brought this on yourself. Silly girl trying out deafness without any knowledge.'

'As an Elder's daughter I order you to go!'

He chuckled, I think. Only his shoulders moved up and down once.

'I have higher orders than you can give.'

'Moises?'

I could be afraid of how careless I was being later, besides it was all written down and everything, he could decided to bring my note to Moises himself which would be a disaster.

'Your mother and your father.'

I couldn't write anything, there wasn't enough paper.

'Go with them.' His final instructions.

My mouth fell into an O. I gaped, what had happened here?

He pointed to the paper again with a forceful finger. Then it was gone, crumpled into his coat pocket and he left through the double doors.