Voice of Desirae Part 7
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NoV: Woo! Part seven time!
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"The only thing she'll eat for breakfast is cereal. I tried to take her out for waffles, but she wouldn't touch them! What kind of kid doesn't like waffles? She's funny like that in a lot of other ways too. Sometimes I feel like she's from another world! She won't eat chocolate. I don't know if it's because she doesn't like it or she's allergic to it or she's watching her weight......I left her home by herself. Is that wrong? I mean, what if she gets hurt?? She can't call for help or anything....maybe I should have brought her...." Ian Malcolm carried on, verging on hysteria.
Sarah Harding reached over to him and placed a soft hand on his knee. "Easy, thumper," she said, trying to keep his leg from bouncing nervously off the floor.
It had been three days since Malcolm had taken Desirae home with him. Lucky for him, he had been able to reach Sarah the one week out of that month when she was home in California. She had agreed to meet him at a quiet bistro in order to help "instruct him on parenting."
"I don't know...." He sighed. "I just can't connect with her at all....."
"You've got to learn to read the signs she gives you," Sarah insisted. "She's not stupid. She's not brain dead. She just talks a different language than most kids. Whether or not you know what she's telling you, she's going to need and want things. From what you've told me, she's got an independent streak a mile long, but she will be very dependant some of the time."
"It would be so much easier if she'd just learn sign language," Malcolm said, tapping his fork against his barely-touched plate. "Then, I could learn too and I would be able to understand her."
"I've thought about that," Sarah replied. "Making up her own body signs shows autonomy, but definitely not ignorance. You said she went to school?"
"Yes. Said she likes it."
"Did you ask her if it was a school for deaf kids?" she wondered.
"No, I didn't," he admitted. "Never occurred to me."
"I'm thinking that she went to a public school. Maybe with a special tutor."
"Maybe I should contact the tutor," Malcolm said.
"No, probably a bad idea," Sarah said. "It might make Desi resentful to know that you had to get help understanding her. I say just watch her body, and her face, for clues. If you try hard enough, you can make the connection."
"I guess so...." he murmured. "Listen: I'm going out of town in two weeks to start my series of lectures in Ecuador. Can you take care of Desirae for me? I'll only be gone for three weeks, then the tour continues in Texas and I can take her with me."
Sarah contemplated this. "No, I'm sorry. I go back to Africa on Monday to study lions. I definitely couldn't take her with me."
He sighed. "I guess I'll have to find someone else, then."
"Why don't you take her with you?" Sarah asked. "I bet she'd love to visit South America."
"That's only as a last resort," he explained.
"How do you think she'll feel if you start off your new relationship by dumping her off on someone she's never met, someone she doesn't like, someone who's cooking stinks...."
"All right, all right," he grumbled. "I'll discuss it with her. But, if she doesn't want to go, I'm not going to make her."
"Well, thanks for lunch," she said, standing up from her chair.
"Hey," he called after her as she made her way to the door. "Why don't you take the rest of mine with you? I can't stand parmesan cheese."
"Then why'd you order it?" she wondered, skeptically.
"Didn't think it would be on ravioli."
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NoV: Woo! SO much time so little.....happiness.....thanx for reviewing!
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NoV: Woo! Part seven time!
--
"The only thing she'll eat for breakfast is cereal. I tried to take her out for waffles, but she wouldn't touch them! What kind of kid doesn't like waffles? She's funny like that in a lot of other ways too. Sometimes I feel like she's from another world! She won't eat chocolate. I don't know if it's because she doesn't like it or she's allergic to it or she's watching her weight......I left her home by herself. Is that wrong? I mean, what if she gets hurt?? She can't call for help or anything....maybe I should have brought her...." Ian Malcolm carried on, verging on hysteria.
Sarah Harding reached over to him and placed a soft hand on his knee. "Easy, thumper," she said, trying to keep his leg from bouncing nervously off the floor.
It had been three days since Malcolm had taken Desirae home with him. Lucky for him, he had been able to reach Sarah the one week out of that month when she was home in California. She had agreed to meet him at a quiet bistro in order to help "instruct him on parenting."
"I don't know...." He sighed. "I just can't connect with her at all....."
"You've got to learn to read the signs she gives you," Sarah insisted. "She's not stupid. She's not brain dead. She just talks a different language than most kids. Whether or not you know what she's telling you, she's going to need and want things. From what you've told me, she's got an independent streak a mile long, but she will be very dependant some of the time."
"It would be so much easier if she'd just learn sign language," Malcolm said, tapping his fork against his barely-touched plate. "Then, I could learn too and I would be able to understand her."
"I've thought about that," Sarah replied. "Making up her own body signs shows autonomy, but definitely not ignorance. You said she went to school?"
"Yes. Said she likes it."
"Did you ask her if it was a school for deaf kids?" she wondered.
"No, I didn't," he admitted. "Never occurred to me."
"I'm thinking that she went to a public school. Maybe with a special tutor."
"Maybe I should contact the tutor," Malcolm said.
"No, probably a bad idea," Sarah said. "It might make Desi resentful to know that you had to get help understanding her. I say just watch her body, and her face, for clues. If you try hard enough, you can make the connection."
"I guess so...." he murmured. "Listen: I'm going out of town in two weeks to start my series of lectures in Ecuador. Can you take care of Desirae for me? I'll only be gone for three weeks, then the tour continues in Texas and I can take her with me."
Sarah contemplated this. "No, I'm sorry. I go back to Africa on Monday to study lions. I definitely couldn't take her with me."
He sighed. "I guess I'll have to find someone else, then."
"Why don't you take her with you?" Sarah asked. "I bet she'd love to visit South America."
"That's only as a last resort," he explained.
"How do you think she'll feel if you start off your new relationship by dumping her off on someone she's never met, someone she doesn't like, someone who's cooking stinks...."
"All right, all right," he grumbled. "I'll discuss it with her. But, if she doesn't want to go, I'm not going to make her."
"Well, thanks for lunch," she said, standing up from her chair.
"Hey," he called after her as she made her way to the door. "Why don't you take the rest of mine with you? I can't stand parmesan cheese."
"Then why'd you order it?" she wondered, skeptically.
"Didn't think it would be on ravioli."
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NoV: Woo! SO much time so little.....happiness.....thanx for reviewing!