Silent Heartbeats 22: Jeopardy
By Maureen
***
Jamie Waite lounged on the sofa of the station working on his geometry homework. Tyler was helping him a little, but was mostly engrossed with his calculus.
A hand waved just inside his line of vision. Jamie looked up, surprised to see Lisa, a girl from school. *Hey,* he signed, *What're you doing here?*
*Looking for you. Are you busy?* she asked, noticing the textbooks and papers that were littered everywhere.
*Just doing homework, nothing that can't wait. What's up? How'd you find me?* Jamie sat up and cleared a space on the couch for her to sit.
*It wasn't hard, there are only two stations that use teens and the other is clear across town. And I wanted to know if you're coming to the rally next weekend.*
*Rally?* he asked, not understanding.
*Yeah, the Deaf President Now rally reenactment at Gaulladet. It's not this weekend, but next weekend. There's a whole group of us going from school, and I wanted to know if you were interested.*
*It's in Washington DC?*
*Yeah, you can take a look at the University too while you're there. Most of us are applying there, figure you will too.*
*I don't graduate for a couple more years and I don't know if I will go to college. But I'll ask and let you know tomorrow, okay?*
*Sure, I'll see you tomorrow!* she stood up and left, breezing past Caite.
***
Jamie set the table and made a nuisance of himself at dinner that night. He and Alex had begun a new routine where they alternated cooking four days a week. It was Alex's night to cook so Jamie was setting the table and getting ready for dinner.
Alex was making a pork tenderloin (prebought from the store and warmed in the oven) with mashed potatoes and green beans. Neither were very advanced in what they could cook, but had become about even in skill over the past few months. Catie had also helped teach Jamie.
Finally they sat down to dinner, fixing their plates so the food was perfect.
*So, how's school?* Alex asked.
*Not bad. I'm doing better this year in history, but geometry might kill me.*
*Don't forget our deal, you can only make one C this year on your report card. Everything else must be an A or B,* Alex admonished.
*Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know!* Jamie replied back, annoyed. He was always nagging about grades. *I am doing fine in everything but math, okay? Listen, there's a group from school going up to Washington DC to look at Gaulledet, and I was wondering if I could go.*
*Details? When is it?*
*Not this weekend, but next weekend. It isn't a school sponsored trip, but some of the teachers are going, so it would be chaperoned.*
*How much?* Alex questioned, not really wanting to let Jamie go quite yet. While he would support almost anything his foster son wanted to do, he was only 16 and was still getting used to being deaf.
*I don't know,* Jamie admitted, his gut telling him that he probably wouldn't be able to go.
*Well, I'm not sure this is such a good idea. You are scheduled to work that entire weekend so you could have the weekend before finals off to study,* if Alex used a practical negation it wouldn't be as bad as a personal one.
"But, I want to go!" Jamie replied verbally. He was speaking less and less around anyone who knew sign simply because it was becoming easier to sign an entire conversation than speak and sign. He was nearly fluent. He knew his reasoning was weak, but he was feeling cooped up in Kingsport.
*No,* Alex was firm *But, maybe we'll go to DC over Christmas and look at Gaulledet then, you don't have to look at colleges yet, you know.*
Jamie sighed, knowing he had lost. Alex was easier on him than he used to be, but he was still a stubborn old mule at times.
***
Catie sat in her sociology class nearly bored to tears. She had quickly learned that the teacher didn't care what a student thought if they weren't male, white, and Christian. She sighed, disagreeing with the teachers views on racism, but after six weeks of arguing with him he had threatened to lower her grade if she didn't stop. She needed the scholarships she was competing for if she wanted to go to Ohio State.
Finally she couldn't stand it any more. "Mr. Brownson, how can you say that about minorities?" she didn't bother to raise her hand, "I think if we learned more about different groups then understanding could come from that knowledge and we could all get along better. No one is superior to anyone else!"
"But the statistics are right in front of you, Miss Roth, numbers don't lie," Brownson replied smugly.
"Numbers may not lie, Mr. Brownson, but liars can figure," she replied "You can manipulate data to say what you want it to. People who have a disability don't have to be treated differently. They can do anything a person without a disability can do, just in a different way sometimes."
"Prove it then," he ordered, "Give me an example."
"Music. Simply because someone is deaf doesn't mean they can't enjoy music. They can feel the vibrations and many deaf people have at least some hearing and they can dance and go to concerts and whatever. They understanding music differently than a hearing person, but they can still understand it."
Brownson pursed his lips in a line. "Class dismissed!" he called when the bell rang. "Miss Roth, a minute."
"Yes sir?" she asked, knowing he was going to tell her that she had just lowered her grade. If she had to she'd fight him all the way up the school board. Who allowed basketball coaches to teach a class involving thinking?
"This Friday we're having a study day. I want you to give a presentation that supports that theory of yours, and I want proof. Your presentation can be done any way you want, power point, overhead transparencies, poster, anything. But, I want proof."
"And if I don't?" she challenged.
"If you don't, then we'll not be having any more discussions in class like we had today and you will not challenge my lectures."
"I thought we were supposed to learn to think for ourselves in school," Catie retorted, gathering her bookbag. She'd give him a presentation all right! She stomped out of the class before she said something she regretted.
***
Later that night while Catie was doing research and Jamie was waiting for Alex to finish up at the station.
Gothrebel: Can you believe this jackass?
ProbEMT: unfortunately. this is a popular opinion.
Gothrebel: well, I have to do this presentation on why I'm right, doing research now
ProbEMT: aaaand?
Gothrebel: lol - I was hoping you could come in and help prove me right :)
ProbEMT: I dunno...I'd have to miss class and Alex has been riding me about my semester grades
Gothrebel: he'd understand! and besides, your school couldn't complain, you'd be helping them
ProbEMT: I'll see. maybe. I mean, I want to...but it would be weird...I'll let you know tomorrow.
Gothrebel: yeah, okay :D love you
ProbEMT: love you too, I gtg now, Alex is ready to leave. Bye
Gothrebel: bye!
***
Catie and Jamie walked into Catie's sociology class Friday morning, not really sure what was going to happen. Bradford had allowed Jamie to miss his first three classes, so he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with his leather jacket instead of his school uniform.
Catie headed quickly to the teacher, explaining Jamie's presence. He nodded, looking the young man over. Brownson was certain that he'd seen the young man before, but couldn't remember where.
Just before the bell rang, Carlson came in and sat down, interested in what the 'dynamic duo' had in store for the class. He left his pad of detention slips on the desk.
Catie cleared her throat and stood next to Jamie in front of the class. "Last Wednesday I said that disabled people could do anything able-bodied people could do and I used the example of deaf people and music. Mr. Brownson asked me to prove it. I made up a fact sheet, which is being passed around, but I'd like to introduce Jamie, he's my real proof," Catie motioned for Jamie t o begin.
Instead of talking, he began to sign, quickly and efficiently. Catie translated for him. *My name is Jamie and because I'm deaf, Catie is translating for me. If I look familiar to anyone it's because I used to go to school here. I became deaf not quite a year ago and sign has become my primary means of communication. When I first became deaf, I didn't know what to do. Music was a huge part of my life, I played the guitar, I liked to sing, I loved to go to concerts and listen to music. More than that, I couldn't hear what people said to me, I couldn't understand what was going on around me. I can still talk, but I have difficulty modulating my voice, so sometimes I yell and I don't mean to.
A few months after I began to learn sign, my class took a field trip to the symphony. I didn't want to go. I couldn't understand why they were torturing kids with music we'd never be able to hear," Jamie paused, letting Catie catch up to what he was signing, "But I discovered that music was still there. I could feel the vibrations, I could see the movements of the orchestra, there were lights that corresponded to different sounds so I could see if the music was going faster or slower, graceful or choppy. Different coloured lights matched different sections of the orchestra so I could tell if one section was making a different type of sound than another. It was beautiful."
I never thought the symphony could be so entertaining. A few weeks after that I was invited to the KHS spring formal. I was afraid to dance, and I didn't except for a couple slow dances. It wasn't much fun. But my school had a dance a few months ago, and all these deaf kids were dancing to the music the DJ played. I couldn't believe it. But then I realized, I could still feel the beat. Last weekend I went to my first concert since becoming deaf. I danced, I screamed, I headbanged and moshed along with everyone else, and no one knew I was deaf unless they saw me signing."
Music can be a huge part of my life, no matter what I thought before I became deaf or what anyone else thinks now. I can't understand lyrics and I can't hear a regular stereo or radio, but I can feel music, I can hear the instruments. I've met deaf pianists and drummers. I will probably start playing my guitar once I have time to practice more, maybe I'll learn the drums. I'm only limited by what I think I can do and by what other people don't let me try." Jamie paused again, letting Catie catch up.
"Any questions?" he asked out loud, turning to Catie, he told her "I'll respond verbally, okay?"
Catie nodded, ready to translate the question and pointed to her teacher, dreading his question. "Is there anything you can't do because of your handicap?" he asked.
"Not really. Some things are harder and since I can't read lips I need a translator for some things. The only thing I really have difficulty doing is making phone calls. I use a TTY, which is a text telephone, but there aren't many for public use so I can't call home from a mall or anything. And ordering a pizza is annoying because I use a relay system that connects my TTY to an operator who will call the pizza place and place my order for me. But I can still do it, just with some modifications. Sometimes it is easier to get a hearing person to make a phone call for me, but I can do it."
Jamie didn't want to admit he was no longer an EMT, but Catie told him he had to. "Okay, there is one thing I can't really do anymore. I used to be an Emergency Medical Technician and I can't do that anymore because I can't hear a diagnosis or orders from the senior EMT. I am still certified and I can keep that certification current if I want to though. And I have been called in to translate for deaf people before. I also still work at the station doing inventory and upkeep."
The rest of the class asked questions until the class was over. Carlson, to Jamie's surprise, hadn't asked any questions, and hadn't even said anything as he left. Jamie watched him leave, surprised.
***
That night Jamie laid awake in his bed, thinking about what he had said earlier that day. This is who he was now. He couldn't change it. His life had improved even. It was weird, his shrink had been telling him this for months now, but he hadn't really believed it until he had said it today. He felt lighter.
Tiptoeing into Alex's room, he whispered, "Hey Alex!" smiling as his foster father woke with a start.
*What?* he signed, certain something terrible had happened.
"Thanks," Jamie told him, heading back to bed, leaving Alex bewildered.
***
A/N: I didn't look up when the DPN rally was held, I just remember seeing a picture of students in sweaters ;) so yeah...I made it in December.
I had a Soc. teacher in HS who only liked opinions from white male Christians. Yeah...we got into many heated 'discussions' most of them pertaining to why he was a closed-minded bigot.
I do know a deaf pianist. He's cool. Also, many deaf kids play with drums as a part of their music education so they can feel the beat and rhythm.
By Maureen
***
Jamie Waite lounged on the sofa of the station working on his geometry homework. Tyler was helping him a little, but was mostly engrossed with his calculus.
A hand waved just inside his line of vision. Jamie looked up, surprised to see Lisa, a girl from school. *Hey,* he signed, *What're you doing here?*
*Looking for you. Are you busy?* she asked, noticing the textbooks and papers that were littered everywhere.
*Just doing homework, nothing that can't wait. What's up? How'd you find me?* Jamie sat up and cleared a space on the couch for her to sit.
*It wasn't hard, there are only two stations that use teens and the other is clear across town. And I wanted to know if you're coming to the rally next weekend.*
*Rally?* he asked, not understanding.
*Yeah, the Deaf President Now rally reenactment at Gaulladet. It's not this weekend, but next weekend. There's a whole group of us going from school, and I wanted to know if you were interested.*
*It's in Washington DC?*
*Yeah, you can take a look at the University too while you're there. Most of us are applying there, figure you will too.*
*I don't graduate for a couple more years and I don't know if I will go to college. But I'll ask and let you know tomorrow, okay?*
*Sure, I'll see you tomorrow!* she stood up and left, breezing past Caite.
***
Jamie set the table and made a nuisance of himself at dinner that night. He and Alex had begun a new routine where they alternated cooking four days a week. It was Alex's night to cook so Jamie was setting the table and getting ready for dinner.
Alex was making a pork tenderloin (prebought from the store and warmed in the oven) with mashed potatoes and green beans. Neither were very advanced in what they could cook, but had become about even in skill over the past few months. Catie had also helped teach Jamie.
Finally they sat down to dinner, fixing their plates so the food was perfect.
*So, how's school?* Alex asked.
*Not bad. I'm doing better this year in history, but geometry might kill me.*
*Don't forget our deal, you can only make one C this year on your report card. Everything else must be an A or B,* Alex admonished.
*Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know!* Jamie replied back, annoyed. He was always nagging about grades. *I am doing fine in everything but math, okay? Listen, there's a group from school going up to Washington DC to look at Gaulledet, and I was wondering if I could go.*
*Details? When is it?*
*Not this weekend, but next weekend. It isn't a school sponsored trip, but some of the teachers are going, so it would be chaperoned.*
*How much?* Alex questioned, not really wanting to let Jamie go quite yet. While he would support almost anything his foster son wanted to do, he was only 16 and was still getting used to being deaf.
*I don't know,* Jamie admitted, his gut telling him that he probably wouldn't be able to go.
*Well, I'm not sure this is such a good idea. You are scheduled to work that entire weekend so you could have the weekend before finals off to study,* if Alex used a practical negation it wouldn't be as bad as a personal one.
"But, I want to go!" Jamie replied verbally. He was speaking less and less around anyone who knew sign simply because it was becoming easier to sign an entire conversation than speak and sign. He was nearly fluent. He knew his reasoning was weak, but he was feeling cooped up in Kingsport.
*No,* Alex was firm *But, maybe we'll go to DC over Christmas and look at Gaulledet then, you don't have to look at colleges yet, you know.*
Jamie sighed, knowing he had lost. Alex was easier on him than he used to be, but he was still a stubborn old mule at times.
***
Catie sat in her sociology class nearly bored to tears. She had quickly learned that the teacher didn't care what a student thought if they weren't male, white, and Christian. She sighed, disagreeing with the teachers views on racism, but after six weeks of arguing with him he had threatened to lower her grade if she didn't stop. She needed the scholarships she was competing for if she wanted to go to Ohio State.
Finally she couldn't stand it any more. "Mr. Brownson, how can you say that about minorities?" she didn't bother to raise her hand, "I think if we learned more about different groups then understanding could come from that knowledge and we could all get along better. No one is superior to anyone else!"
"But the statistics are right in front of you, Miss Roth, numbers don't lie," Brownson replied smugly.
"Numbers may not lie, Mr. Brownson, but liars can figure," she replied "You can manipulate data to say what you want it to. People who have a disability don't have to be treated differently. They can do anything a person without a disability can do, just in a different way sometimes."
"Prove it then," he ordered, "Give me an example."
"Music. Simply because someone is deaf doesn't mean they can't enjoy music. They can feel the vibrations and many deaf people have at least some hearing and they can dance and go to concerts and whatever. They understanding music differently than a hearing person, but they can still understand it."
Brownson pursed his lips in a line. "Class dismissed!" he called when the bell rang. "Miss Roth, a minute."
"Yes sir?" she asked, knowing he was going to tell her that she had just lowered her grade. If she had to she'd fight him all the way up the school board. Who allowed basketball coaches to teach a class involving thinking?
"This Friday we're having a study day. I want you to give a presentation that supports that theory of yours, and I want proof. Your presentation can be done any way you want, power point, overhead transparencies, poster, anything. But, I want proof."
"And if I don't?" she challenged.
"If you don't, then we'll not be having any more discussions in class like we had today and you will not challenge my lectures."
"I thought we were supposed to learn to think for ourselves in school," Catie retorted, gathering her bookbag. She'd give him a presentation all right! She stomped out of the class before she said something she regretted.
***
Later that night while Catie was doing research and Jamie was waiting for Alex to finish up at the station.
Gothrebel: Can you believe this jackass?
ProbEMT: unfortunately. this is a popular opinion.
Gothrebel: well, I have to do this presentation on why I'm right, doing research now
ProbEMT: aaaand?
Gothrebel: lol - I was hoping you could come in and help prove me right :)
ProbEMT: I dunno...I'd have to miss class and Alex has been riding me about my semester grades
Gothrebel: he'd understand! and besides, your school couldn't complain, you'd be helping them
ProbEMT: I'll see. maybe. I mean, I want to...but it would be weird...I'll let you know tomorrow.
Gothrebel: yeah, okay :D love you
ProbEMT: love you too, I gtg now, Alex is ready to leave. Bye
Gothrebel: bye!
***
Catie and Jamie walked into Catie's sociology class Friday morning, not really sure what was going to happen. Bradford had allowed Jamie to miss his first three classes, so he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with his leather jacket instead of his school uniform.
Catie headed quickly to the teacher, explaining Jamie's presence. He nodded, looking the young man over. Brownson was certain that he'd seen the young man before, but couldn't remember where.
Just before the bell rang, Carlson came in and sat down, interested in what the 'dynamic duo' had in store for the class. He left his pad of detention slips on the desk.
Catie cleared her throat and stood next to Jamie in front of the class. "Last Wednesday I said that disabled people could do anything able-bodied people could do and I used the example of deaf people and music. Mr. Brownson asked me to prove it. I made up a fact sheet, which is being passed around, but I'd like to introduce Jamie, he's my real proof," Catie motioned for Jamie t o begin.
Instead of talking, he began to sign, quickly and efficiently. Catie translated for him. *My name is Jamie and because I'm deaf, Catie is translating for me. If I look familiar to anyone it's because I used to go to school here. I became deaf not quite a year ago and sign has become my primary means of communication. When I first became deaf, I didn't know what to do. Music was a huge part of my life, I played the guitar, I liked to sing, I loved to go to concerts and listen to music. More than that, I couldn't hear what people said to me, I couldn't understand what was going on around me. I can still talk, but I have difficulty modulating my voice, so sometimes I yell and I don't mean to.
A few months after I began to learn sign, my class took a field trip to the symphony. I didn't want to go. I couldn't understand why they were torturing kids with music we'd never be able to hear," Jamie paused, letting Catie catch up to what he was signing, "But I discovered that music was still there. I could feel the vibrations, I could see the movements of the orchestra, there were lights that corresponded to different sounds so I could see if the music was going faster or slower, graceful or choppy. Different coloured lights matched different sections of the orchestra so I could tell if one section was making a different type of sound than another. It was beautiful."
I never thought the symphony could be so entertaining. A few weeks after that I was invited to the KHS spring formal. I was afraid to dance, and I didn't except for a couple slow dances. It wasn't much fun. But my school had a dance a few months ago, and all these deaf kids were dancing to the music the DJ played. I couldn't believe it. But then I realized, I could still feel the beat. Last weekend I went to my first concert since becoming deaf. I danced, I screamed, I headbanged and moshed along with everyone else, and no one knew I was deaf unless they saw me signing."
Music can be a huge part of my life, no matter what I thought before I became deaf or what anyone else thinks now. I can't understand lyrics and I can't hear a regular stereo or radio, but I can feel music, I can hear the instruments. I've met deaf pianists and drummers. I will probably start playing my guitar once I have time to practice more, maybe I'll learn the drums. I'm only limited by what I think I can do and by what other people don't let me try." Jamie paused again, letting Catie catch up.
"Any questions?" he asked out loud, turning to Catie, he told her "I'll respond verbally, okay?"
Catie nodded, ready to translate the question and pointed to her teacher, dreading his question. "Is there anything you can't do because of your handicap?" he asked.
"Not really. Some things are harder and since I can't read lips I need a translator for some things. The only thing I really have difficulty doing is making phone calls. I use a TTY, which is a text telephone, but there aren't many for public use so I can't call home from a mall or anything. And ordering a pizza is annoying because I use a relay system that connects my TTY to an operator who will call the pizza place and place my order for me. But I can still do it, just with some modifications. Sometimes it is easier to get a hearing person to make a phone call for me, but I can do it."
Jamie didn't want to admit he was no longer an EMT, but Catie told him he had to. "Okay, there is one thing I can't really do anymore. I used to be an Emergency Medical Technician and I can't do that anymore because I can't hear a diagnosis or orders from the senior EMT. I am still certified and I can keep that certification current if I want to though. And I have been called in to translate for deaf people before. I also still work at the station doing inventory and upkeep."
The rest of the class asked questions until the class was over. Carlson, to Jamie's surprise, hadn't asked any questions, and hadn't even said anything as he left. Jamie watched him leave, surprised.
***
That night Jamie laid awake in his bed, thinking about what he had said earlier that day. This is who he was now. He couldn't change it. His life had improved even. It was weird, his shrink had been telling him this for months now, but he hadn't really believed it until he had said it today. He felt lighter.
Tiptoeing into Alex's room, he whispered, "Hey Alex!" smiling as his foster father woke with a start.
*What?* he signed, certain something terrible had happened.
"Thanks," Jamie told him, heading back to bed, leaving Alex bewildered.
***
A/N: I didn't look up when the DPN rally was held, I just remember seeing a picture of students in sweaters ;) so yeah...I made it in December.
I had a Soc. teacher in HS who only liked opinions from white male Christians. Yeah...we got into many heated 'discussions' most of them pertaining to why he was a closed-minded bigot.
I do know a deaf pianist. He's cool. Also, many deaf kids play with drums as a part of their music education so they can feel the beat and rhythm.