Come to your Senses

Communication

Marco Bodt was an ordinary teenager. Went to an ordinary school, had ordinary friends, and lived an ordinary life. But with one exception. He was blind.

He never asked to be blind, but there was nothing anyone could really do when he was born with it. Of course he hated it. Was always bullied about it and he never get around anywhere on his own. He always felt vulnerable. But that was before he meet Jean Kirschtein.

When Jean was born, his voice box had taken severe damage and left him to where he could never speak again. He heard the words other people were saying and he wanted so badly to say something, anything, but it always came out as a grunt or a whimper. He tried many times, but when he was finally old enough to understand he would never speak, he was devastated and fell into depression. People at school would never try talking with him, and when they did, he just ignored the foul language that came out of their mouths, or he always blocked them out.

So when he first meet Marco, being surrounded by people pushing him around, he decided to stick up for him. Of course he couldn't say anything with his mouth, but he did with his fists. He was successful in scaring off the bullies, but not without a few bruises or so.

Jean, nor Marco, knew how to communicate at all. Marco couldn't see anything Jean was writing or signing, and Jean couldn't speak to him at all. Marco didn't know sign language either, so he couldn't feel the letters Jean was making in his palm. Jean could only just understand what Marco was saying.

Despite being able to communicate, they stick stuck together and made sure each got around ok. Marco was able to get Jean's name by asking another student.

They were at lunch one day, sitting at a table eating their lunches silently when Marco heard Jean grunt. A bright idea came to his mind and he began to talk.

"Hey, Jean?" He asked.

Jean looked up at Marco and touched his hand that was laying on the surface to let him know he was listening.

"Can you make other noises apart from speaking?" Marco asked curiously, slightly tilting his head a little.

Jean nodded but remembered that Marco couldn't see him nod so he let out a little "Uh-huh" noise.

Marco was ecstatic. The had a way to communicate! Only by yes or no questions, but at least they would understand each other. Marco squealed. "Perfect! I know a way for us to understand each other!"

Jean tilted his head and said, "Huh?"

Marco replied with, "Exactly! I can ask you yes or no questions and you can reply with yes or no noises!"

Jean gasped. Why hadn't he thought of this before? It was so simple! He made happy noises and squeezed Marco's hand out of excitement. Marco smiled wide and squealed again. "Ok, ok. So, first question. Your hair. I've felt it before and it's weird. You have short hair on top and it's shaved underneath, right?"

Jean made a 'yes' noise.

"Ok, so is it brown? The top part?" Marco asked.

"Nu-uh"

"The bottom?"

"Uh-huh"

"Wow. Um...what about black? Is your hair black on top?"

"Nu-uh."

"Uh...Blond?"

"Uh-huh."

"So you're telling me, you have short blond hair on top, and shaved brown hair underneath?"

Jean squeezed Marco's hand again and made a 'yes' noise once again. Of course Marco didn't know what the colors looked like, but it was something, right?

"Ok, next ques-" The bell signaling them that lunch was over interrupted Marco. Jean got up and threw away their trash and came back before Marco noticed he was gone. He took Marco's hand and led him out of the cafeteria and to their next class. They had all the same classes after making a request to the principle, despite their disabilities. The were heading to science class with Ms. Hanji as their teacher.

School was hard to get through for them, especially for Marco. But they managed, even with passing grades. Science and reading were the trickiest for Marco though. They did a lot of experiments in science, and a lot of reading in reading class. To Jean, most of them were a little tricky, considering he couldn't talk in any one of them. But music for one of their rotations was the most boring to Jean. They mostly sang and learned about different instruments and composers and Jean just kind of sat there the entire time listening. It was a lot of fun for Marco though.

The last period finally came to them and relief washed over them as the bell rang before their English teacher could give out homework. They quickly exited the room and went to their lockers before the teacher could say anything else.

After Jean spun both Marco and his own combinations into each of their locks, Marco decided ask Jean something for the first time, in a long time. "Hey, Jean?"

"Hmm?" Jean replied with.

"Want to come over to my house today, now we can actually ask each other and have a proper response for once?"

Jean smiled widely and made happy noises after quickly agreeing, nodding his head even though Marco couldn't see him.

"Great! This will be some much fun! I can't wait!"

'Me neither, Marco. Me neither,' Jean thought.

They grabbed their backpacks and headed out the door.