Different Worlds

 

 

 

Contents

Chapter 1 A hand on a

Chapter 2 Shopping 10

Chapter 3 My best friend 14

Chapter 4 The party. 16

Chapter 5 Saow fun 19

Chapter 6 Spring deaning 26

Chapter 7 A new boyfriend

Chapter 8 The girl in the red dros 34

Chapter 9 Pirms and talking 36

Chapter 10 Jim's band. 40

Chapter 11 Happy ever after 45

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/ff7_D6SYK2A

 

 

 

Chapter 1 A and on a guitar

Before I was born, my mum played music with four friends. There's a photograph of them in our living room. Evie, Grace, Angela, Kate and my mum. They were the Sweet Pepper Band, and they played South American music. Mum played guitar. Mum had long dark hair. In the photograph she's wearing a big hat, a red shirt and yellow trousers. She looks South American, but she's not, she's English. She's smiling in the photograph. She looks beautiful. She's beautiful now too. But these days her hair is short and the dark brown colour comes from a bottle. Mum doesn't play her guitar very often any more. It sits in the corner of the living room waiting for Evie, Grace, Angela or Kate to visit. When I was a little girl, I liked to put my small hand on the front of Mum's guitar while she played it. My hand moved a little because of the music. Mum said that was called vibration. She was happy that I could feel the vibration of her music when I put my hand on her guitar. And she wasn't angry when one day I had blue paint on my hand and I put it on the guitar. Mum liked me to feel the vibration of her music, you see. That's because I can't hear her music. My ears don't work. I'm deaf. I was born like that. Sometimes I think that's why Mum doesn't play music very often, because she knows I can't hear it. And now that I'm eighteen years old. my hands are too big to put them on the front of the guitar. I don't know if Mum was sad to have a deaf baby. She tells me I was beautiful when I was born. I had lots of blonde hair and blue eyes that went brown like hers after a few months. But I don't think Mum's sad because she smiles all the time. Mum smiles more than anyone I know. She's always happy, that's one of the things everyone loves about her. The children at Busy Kids Day Nursery, where we both work, all love Mum. Busy Kids is Mum's business. She started it five years ago. Mum's really good with children. I remember when I was quite young five or six years old I was sad about something. I don't remember what I was sad about, but 1 do remember what Mum said. We sat in a chair together with her face close to mine and she put her arms around me. We stayed like that for a while, and then she sat back so she could talk to me. Mum and I use our hands and fingers to talk to each other. It's called signing Anyway, Mum said that we can choose how to be in life happy or sad. She said, "Life's short, so choose to be happy. I try never to forger those words. I try to be like my mum because I think she's a wonderful person, I don't know much about my father because he left after I was born. All I know is that he played music too, and that he's French. He lives in Paris now. Mum and my father met when he was working in Norwich for a year. They fell in love and soon got married. Dad moved into the house where Mum and I live now. Norwich is a beautiful place, but it isn't as big and exciting as Paris. I think my father got bored. Or perhaps he was sad when I was born deaf. Because that's when he went away to live with his family in Paris. He never came back. Some of my friends don't talk to their parents very much. My friend Suzanne sometimes tells her mother she's with me when she's really with her boyfriend. She does this because her mum worries about ber all the time. She worries about where she is and who she's with. But Mum and I are very close, and I couldn't tell her something that wain't true. Anyway, she doesn't worry the way Sutanne's mum does, so I usually tell her everything. But 1 didn't tell her when I fell in love for the first time. I don't know why. Perhaps it was because it felt so strange, bocaune / felt so strange. It was almost like being on a boat on an angry sea. Sometimes I was afraid of how 1 felt. And there was another problem. I didn't know the name of the man I was in love with.

Chapter 2 Shopping

Just for a moment, try to think what it's like to live in my world. Stop what you're doing and put your hands over your ears. Are there no sounds at all? Or are the noises of the street just quieter than usual? I know Mum loves listening to the sounds of birds singing in the countryside when we go walking. In my world there are no birds singing. There are no noisy men working on the roads. No people leaving bars late at night shouting at each other. No babies crying. But the man I love doesn't live in my world. He lives in the hearing world. The first time I saw him, he was standing in front of the shop across the road from our house. He was putting apples and oranges onto the table outside the shop and his black hair had blue lights in it from the sun. I watched him from my bedroom window, and I smiled at how carefully he was putting the fruit onto the table. He was like an artist, not a shop assistant. Then, as I watched. a big motorbike went up the street. The young man looked up and smiled as he watched it go past. I now the motorbike go past, but he heard it first, then saw it After the motorbike was gone, he went hack to his fruit. But then a small girl fell off her bicycle close to the shop and he ran to help her. He knew she wanted help because he heard het. In only one minute. I already knew four things about him. He had beautiful black hair. He liked motorbikes. He was kind to apples, oranges and little girls. And, of course, he could hear. Until I first saw him, I didn't think very often about being deaf. It's all I've ever known, and I can't do anything to change it. And all my boyfriends have been deaf. But after I saw the young man, I wanted to be like most other people. I didn't want to be different. I soon found out that he only worked at the shop on Saturdays. After that I went in there to buy something each Saturday: Every week I wanted to talk to him, but every week I just smiled and paid for my things. Things that 1 didn't really want. Mum often looked at me strangely when I came back from the shop. 'We didn't need any apples, Samantha," she said once I bought some yesterday. And another time, "We've already got bocuits in the cupboard. On Saturdays I always wanted to go to the shop, but 1 always felt afraid two. I never felt very comfortable as 1 walked across the road. I played with the money in my pocket like a child going to buy sweets. And then sometimes when I got to the shop I waited for a moment outside, reading the postcards in the window. People who want to sell things write about them on a postcard and the young man puts them in the window: 'Cat, five years old. "Cat needs good home'. Large fridge, nearly new One Saturday I read all of the postcards twice before I went into the shop. Then, when I was inside, I didn't know what to buy, Mum and I always go to the supermarket on Fridays and I really didn't want anything. The young man was busy selling bread and cakes to a woman with two children. This gave me time to think, and in the end 1 decided to buy a newspaper. The shop was often very busy on Saturdays. Usually the young man just had time to smile at me and take my money. But that morning it was different. After the woman and her children left, the shop was empty. There was only me and the young man. When I took my newspaper to him to pay for it, he smiled. But when I tried to smile back at him, my mouth felt like wood. Then he said something to me. I watched his mouth closely. We had lessons at school to help us lip-read to watch people's mouths to read their words when they talk. I can lip-read quite well. So I watched the young man's mouth and I thought he was talking about a fire. A big fire. Then I looked down at my newspaper and saw a picture of a house on fire. It was a colour picture, and the fire was very big and red. I hoped nobody was in the house. That's what I wanted to say to the young man: "How serrible! I hope nobody was in the house. But I didn't say it. I didn't say anything. I don't like speaking, you see. I don't like actually using my voice. When I was a child I often tried to talk and other children didn't understand me. Sometimes they laughed. That's why I think my voice sounds strange. And I didn't want the young man to think I was strange. When I looked up, the young man was speaking again. Then he waited for me to answer him. But I didn't hear him, so I couldn't. So 1 just smiled and took my newspaper and left the shop. But as I walked across the road to my house, I felt sad because I was sure he probably did think I was strange now.

7

 

Chapter 3 My best friend

Mum looked at me when I went into the house with the newspaper. We signed to each other. 'Are you OK?' she asked, and I did my best to smile. "Yes, I'm OK, I said. She looked at me for a moment as if she didn't quite believe me, and then she said, 'Ron's here. He's in the living room. That made me happy again. Ron is my very best friend. We lived next door to each other when we were children. Now he's a student in London, and I don't get to see him very often. He's studying to be a teacher of deaf children. He wanted to become one because of me. Ron learnt to speak to me by signing when he was very young. I went quickly into the living room. Ron was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine. When he saw me he put the magazine down. 'Hi, Sam!" he signed to me and smiled. 'Hi, Ron.' I smiled back and kissed him. 'How are you?" I was really happy to see him. I knew I could tell him about my problem with the man from the shop. Ron understood these things. I remember the first time he fell in love. It was with my friend Suzanne, actually. Mum put her head round the door. I watched her mouth move as she asked Ron if he wanted a cup of tea. She likes Ron as much as I do. When we were children, she often took both of us to the sea for the day. Once I asked Ron what the sound of the sea was like. He 14 said, "The sea's loud when it gets to the beach. But it can be soft and quiet too. Usually I don't feel sad about being deaf, but I love the sea, and I would like to hear what it sounds like very much. I quickly told Ron about the man from the shop before Mum came back with the tea. 'Actually, I think I know him, Ron said after a few moments. 'My brother's friend has a Saturday job at that shop. He's a student at the university. He lives in Pete's house." Pete is Ron's brother. I couldn't believe it! my man lived in Pete's house! 'What's his name? I asked. 'Jim,' Ron told me. 'Actually, Pete's having a party at his house tonight. Come with me. Jim will probably be there.' Parties are difficult for me because I can't talk to people. It's different when I'm with my other deaf friends because we sign to each other and we laugh a lot. Going to a party with them is different to going to any other sort of party. We all speak the same language. When I'm at a party with them, I'm in the centre of things. At parties with hearing people, I'm on the outside. Or I feel as if I am. Ron knew what I was thinking. 'Come to the party,' he signed. 'Please. I'd like you to come." 'OK,' I said at last, just as Mum came in with the tea.










Chapter 4 The party

Later I was looking at all my clothes when Mum came into my bedroom. I had a green dress in one hand and a short black skirt in the other hand. I wasn't happy with the dress or the skin. Mum took a blue jumper from the bed and gave it to me. The weather man on the television says that it will Anow," she said. Then she smiled and kissed me, and I felt bad that she didn't know about Jim. I decided to tell her as soon as there was anything to tell. If there was anything to tell. It was almost spring, but it was still very cold. Ron and I stopped to buy some drinks on the way to the party and by the time we got to Pete's house it was beginning to snow, Ron looked at me as we waited at the door. OK?" he asked. I smiled at him. "Yes, I said, T'm OK A girl opened the door and said hello to Ron. I didn't know her. She was very pretty and she was wearing a nice red dress. I smiled at her and followed Ron into the house. Inside, we went into the kitchen. It was full of people. All the girls were wearing short dresses or skirts. I was the only one weating a jumper and jeans. Ron and I took our drinks into the living room. This room was full of people too. And it was hot very hot but I couldn't take my jumper off because I wasn't wearing 16 a T-shirt under it. The jumper was a mistake, but I tried to forget about it. "The music's very loud, I said to Ron. How do you know that he asked and smiled. Because I can feel it in my legs, I told him, and it was true. It was like my hand on Mum's guitar. The vibration of the music was travelling from the floor into my feet. Then it was going right up my legs and into my body. A man came up to us. It was Pete. He said something to Ren, then looked right at me. Pete knows I'm deaf of course. "Hello, Sam, I saw his mouth saying. "Where's Jim?" I wanted to ask, but I didn't. I just said hello and smiled. Pete talked to us for a while, then he went to change the music. Ron talked to me. People in the room watched us talking with our hands. People often 17 watch when I use sign language. It's interesting for them, I think, Ron told me about the fun he was having with his new friends in London. He talked a lot about a girl called Mary "Is Mary your girlfriend? I asked him, and his face went a bit red. At the moment she's just a friend," he said. "But I want her to be my girlfriend." I thought about Jim. Where was he? Why wasn't he here? The party was in his house! Ron often knows what I'm thinking. "He'll come soon,' he told me. Around ten o'clock, Ron was talking to some other friends across the room. I felt very hot in my jumper, so I decided to go into the garden for a short time. Outside, everything was white. There was snow everywhere, and it was beautiful. The garden looked like a big white cake, and I was the first person to walk on it. Or, I thought I was the first person to walk on it. But after a few moments I saw that I wasn't. I could see empty places in the snow made by shoes footprints. Bat 1 couldn't see anyone. But I knew someone was there because just then something very cold hit the side of my face. Snow!

 

 

 

Chapter 5

Snow fun

More snowballs flew past my face. Then I saw someone come out from behind a white tree. It was the man from the shop! It was Jim! I laughed and quickly made a snowball. Then I sent it through the air. But Jim moved so quickly to one side the snowball hit a tree behind him. So I started to make another snowball, but before it was ready, Jim threw a new one at me. I laughed again. Then I ran behind a wall and made lots of snowballs. When they were ready, I came out from behind the wall. But Jim had made lots of snowballs too, and soon I was very wet. After a few minutes I was laughing so much my stomach. hurt, just the way it does when I'm laughing at parties with my deaf friends. When I looked up se la Is that Jim wading que close me. I als sie that something waling no. He was looking at me. I how he lookal at me in the shop and I be He waiting for me to a He the Ided his failing for him to poksi Ales a while, he did, and this time I wanted his mouth very carefully There was an outside light on thì s?i of the Anyw the now all at made it shnost What's name he asked. This time I kw ypt for me Sam I said fully My name's Samu Thom 7 kim chuye d He looked at me for a very long time, and w he underd. Then he soilet. Can you p Then Tip-nad this The time for talking has ed. Ge mady! Then he tower and wind Bee could move, thoogh the air again I om hack behind iny wall, inghing My f hit bom in the face. But he om te back whiske myfor. The wow was cold and wet in my y mindwa happy I kw Jim was thereing snowballs at me bche liked me Somationes when people loan shur me being u they're very candid with me. I find like I'm piece of expensive glass. It's difficult to be friends with a piece of expensive glass. But Jim wasn't careful with me, and I liked that. Soon I was very hot. But I didn't want to stop. I wanted to throw snowballs at Jim all night. But after about five minutes, Jim stopped. When I looked over to see why, I saw his mouth was moving. But he wasn't looking at me, he was looking at someone behind me. I turned and saw a girl standing near the house. It was the girl in the red dress. The same girl who opened the door when Ron and 1 arrived at the party. She was saying something to Jim and she didn't look happy. She wasn't smiling and her eyes were cold. As cold as her legs in the short red dress. Jim started to walk across the snowy grass. When he got near to me, he smiled and looked into my face. 'I'll win next time,' he said, then he went inside with the girl. I stayed on in the garden for a few minutes more, but it wasn't much fun now. You can't really throw snowballs at yourself. When I went back in the house I found Ron in the kitchen. 'Sam! You're still here, he signed. I was looking for you. He looked at my wet clothes. 'What happened to your jumper?" Before I could answer I saw Jim on the other side of the kitchen. The girl in the red dress was talking to him, but he wasn't listening. He was watching me and Ron speaking with our hands. Ron saw who I was looking at. 'Have you been outside with Jim?' he asked, and he smiled when my red face gave him my answer. I've been with Jim and about a hundred snowballs. 1 smiled as I signed the words. Ron laughed. Mate people came into the kitchen and he moved closer to me. There wasn't enough room for him to sign now, so he spoke carefully. "It's very good to see you, Sam," he said. I like London, but it's not so much fun without you there. Ron is like my brother. So when he kissed my face, 1 knew it was the kiss of a brother to his sister. But I didn't know if Jim knew that.

 

 

 

Chapter 6

Spring cleaning

The next Saturday was the first Saturday in March. Mum always likes us to clean the house on the first Saturday in March. She calls it spring cleaning. She was cleaning downstairs, and I was cleaning upstairs. I wanted to be upstairs because I could see the shop from my bedroom window Downstairs there are always cars in the street. outside and you can't see out very well.

I really wanted to see Jim again, and I looked out of the window often while I was cleaning. Once he came outside

pm fand dur look actor the ma the table, hau he d

thane if you're in love to we sure and domow we ge I wary about the

Have you handed thus mon, Sun? Mum noul frone of me, signing the conddet undermand aill desting my in det undmand why I was When Fre not leding out of windows and membering

"Soryared, and the mill

Tar's OKA, can you go to the die tota hole of window cleamer met by khfif the weling me to the diopt

and feel ane Bue 1 w my fave

Ayamid, TE go on the stop if you w Not 1 pod TV pr. And I quickly won dow and left the home

helping the man is duide which wise to buy. The gian quite shou mind me over his head

miked him, and then I went over so dac bottles af Canes Mun huge the ame window that, but I mod in front of dedi bottles as if ho krom whach vu wawe warned die doen man to chose his winely and I wanted Jim as myself.

At law the man ich, warrying mu bodes of wim mine white. I took my window deterrim

pay fire. When I got there he war wining something piece of papes. Thes lhe gave it to me. The wing large and black lewan ari's writing, I mad the ghod

"Dul you enjoy our moshall hulle we nest I nask the pen fum hún. Thu 1 worm. I dal, Very much. Afer heil ad my words, he looked Them be stand wrong again

Run wir boyf This in 1 did wise Igoke, No 1 d. This me han friend. I has gained

Jimanded to without any problem. Or 1 dink he dit becue te smiled. Do you want m more night he said, and he moved his month

huy window clonen S Mum ahol me when I got back to the houm, ban 1 onds med

Turry Man, Tagel and Sunil gur spain would chasing Mars hadesons that I shoogte shout the girl in the again. Who was But I wash of the answer. I led Jits and dudek want to think about the girl in the roof dro

23

10:01

12/23




Chapter 7 A new boyfriend

Next day, Mum and I went to Winterton for a walk. Winterton is one of my favourite places. It's east of Norwich, by the sea. Winterton is where Mum took me and Ron when we were children. It takes about forry-five minutes to drive there. We put on our coats and made some coffee and some sandwiches to take with us.

On the beach it was cold but sunny. Some children were running by the ses with their dog. As we walked along. I told Mum about Jim.

When I was finished, my face war a bit red. "You really like him, don't you?" she said, looking at me.

It was windy by the sea. Mum's hair was all over her face, but I could see her smile through it.

“Yes," I said, "I do.”

Just for a moment, she looked a little sad. She walked ahrad a short way, then she looked back at me. Love is wonderful," she said, smiling again. "Enjoy it while you can, Sam. Enjoy it while you can.

I did enjoy myself that evening. Very much.

Jim and I went to a bar in the centre of Norwich. It was in the old area of town, close to the river. There was a pool tahle in the hat. I like playing pool. Ron taught me how to play, years ago. Now I'm better than him.

Jim saw me looking at the pool table and the next moment he was putting some money into the side of it. We played and I won easily. It only took five minutes.

26

My last boyfriend got angry when he lost. But when I Jooked at Jim I saw that he was laughing. I liked that.

“Very good!" he said. "But my snowballs are better than yours! Then he looked at me. Can you understand me?”

I smiled. "Yes, I said. I can understand if you speak slowly. Can you understand me?"

Jim smiled too. "Yes," he said, "I can understand you very well."

We sat down together at a table and for the next hours we talked. Most of the time we spoke to each other, and sometimes we wrote things down. I didn't think about

27

anged in what

This what 1 und out about fim. He was rese Beed in Derbyshire, in the lof Englande Alle He had ww out the hilk were when w Winner was his Then he me the unly new thingele about Norfolk are wermany

Mume that people who live in diff plans in England und differ when they speak. Prophe Deshysh sunt differem ve people fun Londe London sou dit peuple from Noreich. They have different avots. So I kn probably had a diffime atent is the other pen in the the other peuple and

peak of my shen my job at thuy Kali 1 said the time playing, and that the ci mingways why did 1 like wowking sheve han I alo like wming day wawak

The happy wote on his pise of paper What's a like sobe draft med shen, and shugh

You and mind me ning paths, do you tim

I think it nou be very pour Jim said. 11 hot noodlequin. That's when I go to the Helenally the de son be a very nooy plaal Thera manah and Sind singing

Mum lika letening to the hinh sáng, 1 n?a làm Won, I de no he sind. And he and be the

Som my wodd is mo galen I al, and Tim rondreid me hand

Don't be od be aid and sile

andyme look up though the wading looke

ffins. The waur shauge veryihing Jinda caramite and khann

haow Yard and kee bende wa trying mell him. F du karw

When the low shows, live walked home with me. He hal hit biede wat him, It was dark, se I lead his Hend in different wow that it was impo

Oush my hen we ?????? ?? ?? fight m

10:01

14/23







Chapter 8 The girl in the red dress

looked into my eyes. 'What's your mobile phone number? So I can text you."

I told him my mobile phone number. Then I showed him how to say goodbye in sign language. He tried it a few times. Then, he showed me another way to say goodbye. With a kiss

I liked that way best.

That evening was the beginning of something wonderful. because Jim and I met often after that. Sometimes he went out with his friends or stayed at home to study. But we saw each other as often as we could.

We met in cafés or in bars, or we just went for walks.

Sometimes we used pen and paper to talk, but usually I tead his lips. I showed him some more sign language too, But often we didn't have to talk at all. We just liked being together. When we weren't together we sent each other text messages and emails, In this way we spoke to each other every day. Sometimes I felt I was living a dream, a very

good dream. I was in love and I was very happy. Until the day I met the girl in the red dress again. The girl from the party.

It was a Monday morning and I was on my way to work. Mum had left early to meet a new parent, so I was walking It was a sunny day, and I was feeling good. I went to the shops to buy food for the children's lunches and then I walked through the park. I was probably thinking about Jim, because I was always thinking about Jim.

I didn't see the girl with the red dress until she stood in front of me. She wasn't wearing a red dress that day, of course, but I knew who she was.

"Hello, I said, but she didn't say anything. She just stood there and looked at me. Then, when she started speaking, she talked really quickly. Too quickly.

31

To anak understand you.

The What a har andentand you

dow onderstand enty wood Tito wamy lyftud fefine he mut you, the said. "My find. We gras. Viry happy e good li way you a new be paid fem. How you be

He music Ididum understand what he a She looked ut you how about his music? aid. "Jim plays in a hand I can't believe you do

The lees mou everything thi how Tim wein was. Didn't you know th Vmally well do you the wrime songs and he plays show than with the hand. He med sever de that with you, whethe strawy Hom han, udend! You'll salu lin happy the way I sho

bn 1 wat hart inside to spek, Hier and ed. So she

That in the pak Jim' giftirnd until he mutat. Ww

that we Why didn't belle And he played muka well thoughenewbor I dit kaow whe tu bediene or or think. Lonly what I was froid. Very faid I beew why lim never aprike in the shout his music. Because I'm deal and wok

Tower the

dum indul at me when I ated in Bey Kals Tin OKI and 1 monk the doping to the Sisches where we make the child lnches Mus

llowed me Sue de wid Wh

I didn't want sala.Bu Mum de was very You must spak ro Jimite sad. They

10:01

16/23




'No, I said, 'No, thank you. I need to think.

I was sad all day. No, I was worse than sad. My happy world was broken into pieces.

Ar four o'clock, Mum told me to go home early. I've got. a friend coming for dinner, but I'm busy here, she said. 'Can you cook something?"

I was happy to go home early, but I wasn't hungry. But I made a pizza for Mum and her friend.

Mum got home at six o'clock and went to have a shower.

When somebody comes to the front door at our house, the lights go on and off. Then I know that someone's there. The lights in the kitchen went on and off while I was making a salad and Mum was in the shower. I went to the front door to see who it was.

I could see a man through the glass. It was Jim.

I opened the door. He was amiling, but I couldn't smile back. I was pleased to see him, but I was sad too, because of the meeting with the girl.

'Hi, Sam,' he said. These are for you. Then I saw he had some flowers. Beautiful flowers. Red roses, lots of them. Flowers for a boyfriend to give to his girlfriend. But in my head I saw the girl from the party in her red dress. The roses were the same colour as her dress. Did Jim give her roses when he was her boyfriend?

"Thank you. I took the flowers from him, and when I looked up again, Jim was saying something. Except of course I didn't know what it was. I don't think I have ever felt so sad about being deaf as at that moment.

Jim took the flowers hack from me and put them down on a table inside the house. Then he put his arms around me. I knew he was trying to show me what he wanted to

14

say to me. It was the same thing as his text message, the same thing as the roses: "I love you."

I was happy that Jim loved me. But I was still sad because I knew love wasn't enough.

35

 

 

 

Chapter 9

Pizza and talking

When I was een

The anti wem her and a woman (le hersinel. They thro shows a problem which must they could anthesthet at fom. Perftape the late wat hunt by love in the past an diad. www. Os de benar het iosperm job and have fund Anyways intimalaves fish in the wa The hoo and be bevint know that they ste in love, so the poodidems an inuman. The only import thing in mories. The has std the hit kappy after. Happy wagerhat always with no podies

But noul li je differson, and l'a noc a lumine Anyways cad hunts of the defin thmey about deaf ya with boyfriend when played mu

Lovedumar Doen Jim Mantame down the sta Her farw wet, but she was smiling the wat the hien coming si diner

don't want you be sed, the signed in me while lim you

him find

She was smiling ke dhe did the Bay nursery smile somnisus. When they's dos anathing a life had. I don't anually feel angry with the children, anal I condd fel mary with Mum

Mum ad Mun Jim Mum signal inteso tell me what the and You were calking shoan his modies ar universian Famil Jimis laikas playe gulas de nód me. He was que

lame when he was a poong, non. luft the imening Mum was like a pang gai. he was having fun talking Jim.ua 1 sat quietly, watching them. I didak me very much I want hetty I think Mars was akong los prostions about his family Borjat fit and the 1 didn Aur moths of being fin gidhiere Here I dido'r plaring in a hand. And I didn't have the gift What day daho 1 know!

wpwhen I co kone: Tu nay here and th

Irook Fin's phúc. Bu you want coffee thin "No, dank you you he said. He was looking at me

10:01

18/23






38

that I wanted to sign to him what I was thinking and feeling. I wanted him to understand signing. Signing is my first language and I wanted to talk to him about the girl from the party in my firar language.

Jim waited until I was looking at him, "Your mum told me what happened,' he said. "She told me about Lauren." So, I thought, that's what she's called. Lauren. I didn't like her and I didn't like her name.

"Sam, Jim said, 'Lauren wasn't my girlfriend when you and I met ar the party. We did go out together for a few months, but that was last year. We're just friends now. Or we were friends. Oh, I'm so angry with her for hurting you!

I didn't think Jim would lie to me. But he didn't tell me about his music...

Jim knew what I was thinking. 'I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my music," he said.

'You didn't tell me because it's a problem. I said, but he didn't agree.

'No,' he said, 'that's not true."

"Yes, it is, I said.

I told him he loves music and 1 can't hear music. It's a big problem. I told him he doesn't want a deaf girlfriend, he wants a hearing girlfriend.

But now Jim couldn't understand me. I wasn't speaking very well because I was angry and sad. So I wrote it down for him: "You want a girlfriend who can hear your music. I'm not good for you."

Jim's face was very sad. 'Don't say that,' he said. "It isn't true. I know what I want, and that's you. You are good for me, Sam. You're very good for me.

When I didn't answer, Jim started to write again: 'I want to be with you, Sam.

I want to be with you too. That's what I wanted to write. But I didn't, because I couldn't forget Lauren's words.

Maybe Jim did want me. Maybe Lauren just wanted to hurt me. But her words were true. I could never know Jim. the man who played music. So, could I ever really know Jim?

 

 

 

Chapter 10 Jim's band

Jim were bome ha sold hom and gone in mo I read it after the left

Gel then to think WWW Sveach the leger that didn't get though about all the sim. But I Laws And Jem

the waste time of my Minhwand. Desday fem wurk Sam

de old me. Vin Ron in London. honghewoo a good idea 1 he had wish

diffoltave fun with anyone when was thinking at ion, I won't having fun wall. And

Hon lett hala Jim and me. He tried nee happy day who I war them. He li And wo fut every time he hooked at here he mind. And undertoond. Of comme Id Unila work as is the same to happy wy 1 koked at

few days lone, wh hook nie to the vasion. Wir asoud mecher pemple buying on the station platform with hundrals of people bur

work amand

Hout signed to me Jam, I dont think of you as my duf friend," he said. "I chink of you my kind, hay fe Insure the same be lim

I want to believe Hon, Lawn when she in my hol wat lewise when het hi

Wlan 1 g boon Mun my law that mohing we dilli d this

dhar

She looked at me for a long time. Do you know what I think she sid. 1 doit douk dual

think av about your father

did want you this the nail, but now I think

What

She clound her eyes for a moment. Your father left as

any children and who thought wondefid She dahi't wam os play gono se have chillion. hely wand to be wak him by were def. He left house he didn't way to he

father to any child ping and her fr





wer. I wanted to put my arms around her, but she started signing again.

You think Jim will leave you after a few months because you're deaf. But I think you're wrong, Jim isn't the same as your father. He doesn't just think about himself. He's a good man and he loves you. She smiled at me. "Oh, Sam, 1 understand, I really do. When you love somebody you feel afraid. But it's better to feel afraid than to feel sad. Sometimes you have to fight for what you want. She put her arms around me and soon we were both crying. Then, after a few minutes, she smiled at me. She looked happy now, like Mum again.

'Get your coat,' she told me. I know where Jim is.. We can go to see him."

I didn't ask any questions, I just did what she said. 1 wanted to see Jim. I wanted to see him very much.

Mum drove through the city centre. I didn't know where we were going or how she knew where Jim was. I was busy thinking about love stories and about the problem keeping me from Jim.

It wasn't that I was deaf and it wasn't because my dad left when I was born. It was me. I was making problems because I was afraid. I was fighting against something I really wanted, and it was stupid. I could never kill my love for Jim; it was too strong.

After ten minutes the car stopped and I saw we were near a church. But Mum didn't go into the church, she went up to the building next to it, St Mark's Church Hall.

Before she opened the door, I stopped her. "How did you know where to find Jim?" I asked her.

Mum smiled. 'I came here while you were in London, she said and smiled again. 'Follow me. It's all right.

Then she opened the door and went in. After a moment I went in after her. And there was Jim with four other men. They were playing music, and I knew this was Jim's band.

Jim was playing drums. There were four drums of different sizes. Jim was playing all of them. His hands were moving very quickly, Quicker than Murri's hands when she's speaking to me. I watched him play for a few momenta. At first be didn't see me, but I was happy just to look at him. It was very good to see him again. And now I was really seeing him. Because this was the Jim who played music: this was the real Jim..

 

 

 

Chapter 11 Happy ever after

I love the music was led hecame I felt the vibration of the sound in the tomar my fees. Mun pur her hands.

When lin mach shooon because be soppot playing his does. Hege up woul and to fitends supped playing 1 thinking All I heti Jin anile and the love in hit befine he kimed me

As I hined him back. I forgot to be afraid. This was lin and I loved hios. There was meding to be afraid of

Anamnes he nevnt about a med And I nihend his fast hand on the drums There was problem.

This is wha?? aglaga. Now I wach you to play drums Cane with m

1 mildamer, let od me hand in his moved in stand with his fotok. Mum was aniling Everyone wo smiling

Jim nood held me and he hands Jim hands and then was playing the drutas. And my landa fom the drume to my hands and up my

As wonderful an my small hand on the firone of Man's

10:01

22/23