Hometown Chapter FiveN2P
Tex's POV
It was lunch time and I was starving. I didn't wake up in time to eat breakfast. I was on my way to get lunch when I saw Talli walking to her bike.
"Hey Talli," I said, "where are you heading to?"
"Oh hey," she said nervously, "umm nowhere in particular."
I could tell she was a really shy person.
I stifled a laugh. She was obviously up to something.
"Are you going to be back before practice," I asked prying.
"Umm, I think so. I should be," Talli said as she was looking everywhere but at me.
"Then can I tag along," I asked.
"You probably don't want to come," she said still nervous.
"Why not? Anything is better than school, right," I said laughing.
"Well, I mean I have to figure something out," she said as she beater around the bush.
I had been watching her kind of close. New people here is always an exciting thing. We don't get many newcomers. I noticed that she likes to sit in the shade outside when all the other girls would rather sit inside in the air conditioning. She's not very good at note taking which make her grade on quizzes rather low. She doesn't hear the teacher too offend.
"What would that be," I asked curiously as she swallowed hard.
"If, I ummm, need, hearing aids,"she said softly.
"Are you hard of hearing," I asked.
"I don't know. It's a long story," she said as she became a little bit more comfortable with me all the sudden.
"You can tell me on drive there," I said.
"But I don't know you," she said all nervous again.
"I'm Tex, we go to school together and we are on the same lacrosse team," I said, "what more is there to know?"
Talli's eyes got real big and she didn't know what to say.
"I'm kidding," I said, "but seriously you can trust me."
"Um okay," she said nervously.
"So what's this story of yours," I asked as we got into my truck.
"My story," she asked confused.
"Yeah, where are you from. You know, the things about you; stuff like that," I said.
"I am originally from here. I moved away after my mom passed away. I have lived on many, many different reservations," she said.
"Wait, you lived here before," I asked surprised.
"Yep," she said, "I haven't even told you where I wanted to go. How do you know where you are going?"
"Oh right, tell me the way," I said laughing.
"Umm there's this hearing place over in the next town. I believe it's on," she said as I cut her off.
"The one on 7th street? My uncle owns that one," I said, "how old were you when you moved?"
"Yeah that's the one. Oh okay," Talli said, "I think I was 4 years old."
"Oh okay. I was thinking maybe we went to school when we were little," I said, "why are you want to go to this place?"
"When I was unpacking I found a picture of me when I was little. I was looking at my mom smiling," she said as she stared out of the front windshield, "I looked on the back and it said something about getting hearing aids. Then I found a pair of hearing aids underneath the picture."
"Are you sure they were yours," I asked.
"Yeah cause they are tiny and pink. Plus I'm an only child," she said almost laughing.
"Well, I've seen you struggle some in class," I said, "if you ever need help or notes just let me know!"
"It's that noticeable," she asked blushing.
"A little bit. Not too bad," I asked, "if you had hearing aids when you were little, how come you still don't wear them?"
"My dad took them away before I could remember that I wore them. I never knew I had hearing loss problem until the teacher was asking me about," she said, "I was thinking I was hearing like everyone else."
"Why would he do that? You struggle to hear," I said, "it's kind of like taking away a textbook away from person who is fully hearing."
"I know," she said as she laughed a little bit, "I guess he just doesn't want me to remind him of mom."
"That's stupid. I'm sorry but for you to struggle through the years just so he doesn't have to be reminded of her," I said, "maybe I just don't understand."
"I see your point," she said quietly.
We got there and she started filling out paper work while I went to my uncle's office.
"Hey Tex, what can I do for ya," he asked.
"Hey Uncle Mike, I have a friend out in the waiting room and she needs a hearing test and all that stuff," I said, "I know her dad needs be with her but he got busy."
"If she has all her paper work, insurance card and whatever else she has to have, I'll look at her," he said, "what is her name?"
"Thank you. Her name is Talulah Hart," I said.
"That last name sounds familiar," he said as thought about it longer.
"Her mom was Deaf; maybe you fit her for hearing aids or something," I stated.
"Oh I remember her now! I fit Talulah for her first pair of hearing aids," Uncle Mike said, "lets go get her and get started!"
"Okay," I said.
I went back to the waiting room and she was sitting there staring at the floor.
"Hey Talli," Uncle Mike said, "you probably don't remember me. I fitted you for your first pair of hearing aids when you were about 3 years old."
"Hi," she said shyly.
"Wow, you have grown up," he said, "how is school going for you two?"
"It's alright," I said as Talli just followed Uncle Mike down the hall.
Well it turned out that Talli did have hearing loss and needed hearing aids.
Talli looked disappointed when Uncle Mike told her that she has hearing loss. I think she was hoping she was imagining it.
"Uncle Mike, can she still play lacrosse," I asked hushed.
"Yes she can," he said.
"Good," I said smiling.
"The next steps for you, is to get fitted for hearing aids, and then get them adjusted so you will feel comfortable wearing them," Uncle Mike said to Talli.
"Okay," she sighed.
"On the bright side, you can still play lacrosse," I said smiling.
"That's good," she said trying to be cheerful.
Luckily at Uncle Mike's office they could fit her right then and there for hearing aids.
I watched as they turned them on for her. Her eyes got a little big and she looked scared.
"Everything sounds more crisp now. Or louder," she said.
"That's great," I said.
The audiologist dropped something behind her and she turned around to see what the noise was.
"It makes a sound," she said.
"Have you not ever heard a pen drop before," I asked kind of shocked.
"Nope," she said smiling.
This was a good day for her. I am so happy that I could help her out.