Story a girl.

Based on a true story…


Woks on fire sizzled in the busy atmosphere, “Two enchilada’s, with jalapeños and salad, table five” called a waitress, in the direction of the chef in the back. “Extra sauce”

On a small wooden table in the middle of the many families having dinner, sat a small girl with light brown hair and wide hazel eyes. She sat across from her grandpa, her father, mother, and her younger sibling. Concentration was etched strongly across her delicate features. A hearing aid adorned her ear. Her family was signing with fluency, creating each sign with a careful speed; occasionally the girl lifted her diminutive hand in recognition. Eventually boredom set in, after minutes of her eyes following the butterfly movement of their conversational hands. She heard ‘Sound’ muffled, and broken as if from far under water, the girl listened to the unusual sounds and vibrations of the different vocal chords.
The family across the room was happily, deep in conversation. Noisily talking about what seemed important at that time. The girl with the hearing aid who was named Tira stared directly at the amazing way the family opposite talked. Without need of hand gestures, they chatted and laughed freely, this she could tell from the lighter atmosphere and the vibrations in the air growing deeper.
The longing, melancholy way she stared. Her large eyes like pools of rusty lava. She drank in hungrily every move the family opposite made; her freckled face streaked with dappled sunlight. The teenage boy across from Tira stared ahead, his brow creased in thought. The boy looked around his table, at his family talking and laughing. His mind was a whirlpool of thoughts, as the hearing-impaired young girl stared across at him and his family. Such an innocent but wise look scrawled across her features. There eyes met and the boy looked down, embarrassed,. The unfaltering smile of the girl encouraged him and he made eye contact a second time, hesitantly smiling back.