Hometown Chapter Sixtypublished
Tex and I left for school. I could hear everything so clear. It was unreal. Tex's diesel truck was load; it scared me when he cranked it up. I was not expecting it to be so loud.
"It's so loud," I stated as he drove off.
"It's louder than a normal truck. I put an exhaust system on it," he said prideful.
"Oh okay," I said.
I sounded weird to myself. I guess I was really hearing myself for the first time in a long time.
"What is it like," he asked suddenly.
"Honestly, it' scary. Everything I hear is kind of loud. But then again, it is amazing. Everything sounds so clear," I told him.
"That's good. Are you going to tell your dad," he asked as he glanced over at me.
"No, not at all! I don't plan on telling anyone and you can't either," I said.
"Why not? We are going to have to tell the coach," Tex said.
"No, absolutely not," I said.
"We have to; we don't have any other choice," he said.
"No cause then he will tell my dad if he sees him, so absolutely not," I said.
"Okay," Tex said.
Going back to school made me nervous. I probably more nervous about practice then actually practicing with hearing aids.
Everything went great at practice. I couldn't have been happier. I heard a lot more things that I would have probably missed without the hearing aides. Thankfully practice was over; I was tired and ready to go home.
I got to the corner of the my street and stopped my bike. I out my hearing aides a box and stuck it in my backpack. I didn't want them getting crushed. I took them out so dad wouldn't see them. I was scared I would but my hair behind my ear and he would see them. That would probably be a disaster. So, I didn't want to take that chance.
I got back going on my bike. Juggling my two heavy bags on a bike was kind of heard. I got going down the small hill on my bike and came flying into my driveway. I almost hit a car that was parked there and it wasn't my dad's.
"Hey dad, I'm home! One of the neighbors is using our driveway! I almost hit the car since I was juggling my bags," I exclaimed, "but I didn't so it's okay! Do you know why they are parked there? It would have been there fault if I would have hit it; right?"
I went to my room and sat everything down.
"Dad; where are you," I asked.
I peaked my head in his room and he wasn't in there. He wasn't in the living room when I came through.
"Dad, are you," I said, "even home?"
I lowered my voice on the last part.
Dad was home alright. Along with an elderly couple. They were are sitting at the table. The couple sat there looking at each other. The man raised an eyebrow at the woman.
"What have I told you about going through the house using your outside voice," he scolded.
"What; I wasn't yelling," I said.
"Don't back talk me in front of your grandparents," he demanded.
Oh, so that's who these people were. They were my mom's mom and dad. I haven't seen them since I was tiny.
"She looks exactly like her mother did at her age," my grandmother said.
"Not mention her accent," grandpa said as he raised an eyebrow.
"What accent," I asked already knowing what he meant.
"A Hard of Hearing accent," grandma said.
"Where are we going to go eat for dinner," dad asked as he interrupted.
My grandpa just stared down dad like he has done something wrong. I guess my grandparents could tell I don't wear hearing aid and they were probably upset with dad about that.
We ended up going to a local bar-b-que restaurant. It was really good. I will be eating here a lot in the future. Bar-b-que was my favorite thing eat. I could eat it for a few meals in a row.
"How'd you like it," grandpa asked as I ate my last bite.
"It was great," I said signing with my mouth full.
"That's good," he smiled, "do you still use your sign language?"
"Sometimes; I don't really want to forget it," I said, "dad doesn't it like though."
"That's good! You keep it up," he said.
"Okay, I will," I said smiling.
"Do you remember a lot," grandma asked curiously.
"I guess so. I know there are a lot of signs that I have forgotten," I stated.
"We have some books that you can have," grandma said smiling.
"That won't be necessary," dad said.
"Why not? It's good to know a second language," I argued.
"You don't need to know Swachy," dad said as he rolled his eyes.
"Talli has the right to know her heritage and if Swachy is apart of that then she can know Swachy," grandpa said.
After that the table got silent. It was kind of awkward. Maybe dad and grandpa will cool off in a few minutes and everything will be fine.
Tex and I left for school. I could hear everything so clear. It was unreal. Tex's diesel truck was load; it scared me when he cranked it up. I was not expecting it to be so loud.
"It's so loud," I stated as he drove off.
"It's louder than a normal truck. I put an exhaust system on it," he said prideful.
"Oh okay," I said.
I sounded weird to myself. I guess I was really hearing myself for the first time in a long time.
"What is it like," he asked suddenly.
"Honestly, it' scary. Everything I hear is kind of loud. But then again, it is amazing. Everything sounds so clear," I told him.
"That's good. Are you going to tell your dad," he asked as he glanced over at me.
"No, not at all! I don't plan on telling anyone and you can't either," I said.
"Why not? We are going to have to tell the coach," Tex said.
"No, absolutely not," I said.
"We have to; we don't have any other choice," he said.
"No cause then he will tell my dad if he sees him, so absolutely not," I said.
"Okay," Tex said.
Going back to school made me nervous. I probably more nervous about practice then actually practicing with hearing aids.
Everything went great at practice. I couldn't have been happier. I heard a lot more things that I would have probably missed without the hearing aides. Thankfully practice was over; I was tired and ready to go home.
I got to the corner of the my street and stopped my bike. I out my hearing aides a box and stuck it in my backpack. I didn't want them getting crushed. I took them out so dad wouldn't see them. I was scared I would but my hair behind my ear and he would see them. That would probably be a disaster. So, I didn't want to take that chance.
I got back going on my bike. Juggling my two heavy bags on a bike was kind of heard. I got going down the small hill on my bike and came flying into my driveway. I almost hit a car that was parked there and it wasn't my dad's.
"Hey dad, I'm home! One of the neighbors is using our driveway! I almost hit the car since I was juggling my bags," I exclaimed, "but I didn't so it's okay! Do you know why they are parked there? It would have been there fault if I would have hit it; right?"
I went to my room and sat everything down.
"Dad; where are you," I asked.
I peaked my head in his room and he wasn't in there. He wasn't in the living room when I came through.
"Dad, are you," I said, "even home?"
I lowered my voice on the last part.
Dad was home alright. Along with an elderly couple. They were are sitting at the table. The couple sat there looking at each other. The man raised an eyebrow at the woman.
"What have I told you about going through the house using your outside voice," he scolded.
"What; I wasn't yelling," I said.
"Don't back talk me in front of your grandparents," he demanded.
Oh, so that's who these people were. They were my mom's mom and dad. I haven't seen them since I was tiny.
"She looks exactly like her mother did at her age," my grandmother said.
"Not mention her accent," grandpa said as he raised an eyebrow.
"What accent," I asked already knowing what he meant.
"A Hard of Hearing accent," grandma said.
"Where are we going to go eat for dinner," dad asked as he interrupted.
My grandpa just stared down dad like he has done something wrong. I guess my grandparents could tell I don't wear hearing aid and they were probably upset with dad about that.
We ended up going to a local bar-b-que restaurant. It was really good. I will be eating here a lot in the future. Bar-b-que was my favorite thing eat. I could eat it for a few meals in a row.
"How'd you like it," grandpa asked as I ate my last bite.
"It was great," I said signing with my mouth full.
"That's good," he smiled, "do you still use your sign language?"
"Sometimes; I don't really want to forget it," I said, "dad doesn't it like though."
"That's good! You keep it up," he said.
"Okay, I will," I said smiling.
"Do you remember a lot," grandma asked curiously.
"I guess so. I know there are a lot of signs that I have forgotten," I stated.
"We have some books that you can have," grandma said smiling.
"That won't be necessary," dad said.
"Why not? It's good to know a second language," I argued.
"You don't need to know Swachy," dad said as he rolled his eyes.
"Talli has the right to know her heritage and if Swachy is apart of that then she can know Swachy," grandpa said.
After that the table got silent. It was kind of awkward. Maybe dad and grandpa will cool off in a few minutes and everything will be fine.
