chapter 4
Today was big day Sideburn and his wife Crimsonspeed were going to the orphanage. Sideburn has been winning several races and managed to get his doctorate he was going to finish his training when he decided he was done racing. Now they wanted to adopt their second child.
Once at the orphanage there were several different children. All of them were playing. Sideburn and Crimsonspeed saw so many wonderful kids. "Look at all of them," Sideburn said.
"So wonderful we will know the kid when we talk to him or her," Crimsonspeed said.
They saw a little bot all by himself coloring. He was a black and blue bot with a car mode and he was busying himself with the coloring his picture. "Who is that?" Sideburn asked the orphanage lady.
"That is Stormrush," the lady said. "He's been here since was a baby and now he's five years old," she said.
"No one has tried to adopt him since then?" Sideburn asked.
"No," the lady said.
"No body will want him he's got a disability he's practically worthless," one of the young men who worked at the orphanage said.
"Hey that's not appropriate to say," the lady told him.
"What kind of disability does Stormrush have?" Crimsonspeed said.
"He's deaf," the lady answered.
"Why have kid who cannot hear it's no use he won't be adopted I bet no one will love disabled child." the young man said.
Sideburn looked the young man. "Listen young man I was born with twisted components in my left leg, and just had surgery to correct my disability a few weeks back, I heard many say what you are saying about that kid about me. I count myself lucky that I had friends and family who loved me and didn't give up on me and believed in me! You should be ashamed of yourself. He's a Cybertronian like you just a bit different he has feelings and dreams like you, you should be ashamed of thinking that way." Sideburn said. He went over to Stormrush. "Can I talk to him?" Sideburn asked.
"Yes," the lady said.
Sideburn went over to Stormrush. He sat down at the table and touched him on the shoulder. Stormrush looked up at Sideburn. Sideburn signed to him you are a handsome boy.
Stormrush signed thank you. Crimsonspeed came up and signed to him that he was adorable. Stormrush signed thank you to her. Sideburn asked him how he was doing today in sign langue.
Stormrush signed back that he was doing good. He signed asking if he was the famous racer Sideburn to Sideburn. Sideburn signed back yes he was and he and his wife were looking for a child to adopt.
Stormrush signed back that he was happy to meet him and saw many of his races and he was a fan. He signed do you know what child you are going to adopt.
Sideburn and Crimsonspeed signed would you like to come home with us? Stormrush was shocked and signed do you mean it? They signed back yes we do mean it. Stormrush signed back yes I would like to go home with you.
They signed back then go get your things.
Stormrush went and got his things. "That was amazing that you two know sign language," the lady said.
"Well I like being able to communicate to others fluently even those who cannot hear." Sideburn said.
"That's great, now let's fill out those papers so you can take Stormrush home," the lady said.
The papers were filled and Stormrush got his things and left with his new parents to go to his new home. He was very excited and looking forward to seeing his new home. They made it to Sparkplug lake. All the humans and bots came to greet him. He was feeling a bit shy but that was nothing worry about. It was normal feeling going to a new home in a new town after all and meet new bots and people too.
"Hello who is this?" Towser asked.
"This is our new son Stormrush,' Sideburn said.
"Hi Stormrush nice to meet you," the town said.
"Stormrush is deaf he cannot hear you," Crimson said.
Then the Crossway came up to Stormrush and signed that they were happy to meet him. Stormrush signed back that he knew sign language. Crossway signed yes I sign very well. Crossway introduced himself in sign language and the others in Sign language. Stormrush signed it's nice to meet all of you.
"Nice to meet you too," Roadmine said while signing.
Stormrush signed you can sign too?
"Yes I can sign but go slow I am still learning," Roadmine said while signing.
"Many of us can sign too," Steadybreeze said while signing.
"You have a big sister," Sideburn said while signing.
Stormrush got excited and signed he wanted to meet her. Summerlane was Sideburn's 7 year old daughter. "Summerlane come say hi to your new little brother," Sideburn called.
"Coming daddy," Summerlane said. She saw Stormrush there.
"This is your brother you have use sign language he's deaf." Crimsonspeed said.
Summerlane signed it's nice to meet you little brother, what is your name, my name is Summerlane.
Stormrush signed his name and it was nice to meet her too and that she was pretty.
Things were going well. He was now going into Kindergarten. He was very excited. He was eager to make new friends. He went into the classroom and saw many of the student then sat down for his first day. Some of the tried to talk to him and tapped him on the shoulder and they were talking to him. Stormrush signed he was deaf.
"Ms. Kalter he keeps making these weird hand signals he's being rude," a kid said.
Ms. Kalter took a look and saw Stormrush sign I'm deaf. "What are you doing?" she asked.
Stormrush signed I'm deaf again. Ms. Kalter put Stormrush in the corner. "Talk if you want something I have no time for hand games," she said.
Stormrush signed I am talking, I'm deaf, I am unable to hear. Then Ms. Kalter turned him around and had him sit there for the whole class and not even go to recess.
Stormrush was crying by the time he got home. Everyday it was the same struggling to communicate with the students and the teacher who all insulted and belittled him. Finally after the fourth day of coming home crying. Sideburn came to his son.
What is wrong son? Sideburn signed.
School is what's wrong. Stormrush signed.
What happened at school? Sideburn signed.
My teacher put in the corner for the whole entire day again for doing sign language I keep telling her and the others in sign that I am deaf. But they don't understand and I don't know what they are saying. The other kids in class are being mean to me. They are leaving me out and I am not being allowed to go out and play at recess and the teacher is mean. Stormrush signed.
Sideburn was really angry and called the school and set up a meeting.
The teacher Ms. Kalter and the Principal Mr. Loben were there. "Sideburn is there a problem?" the principal asked.
"Yes his son doesn't talk and keeps making moves with his hands instead of using his words he is bad seed," Ms. Kalter said. "He keeps doing this," she said showing the sign I'm deaf.
"You are stupid," Sideburn said.
"I beg your pardon?" Ms. Kalter said.
"He was talking," Sideburn said. "Don't you know what sign language is?" he asked.
"From what I can see Ms. Kalter that looks like a sign from sign language." Mr. Loben said.
"How can those crazy hand moves mean anything?" Ms. Kalter said.
"It's his way of talking," Sideburn said. "That sign you said he keeps doing this one," he said showing her the I'm deaf sign. "He's telling you and the kids he's deaf. He's unable to hear you and the kids." he said.
"Well he should be in school with deaf children only he shouldn't be hear at all he is a waste of time and he shouldn't be exposed to the children or the staff he is pathetic worthless and should speak with words and is burden," Ms. Kalter said.
"Shut up!" Sideburn said. "No one talks about my son that way. My son spent the first five years in his life in a orphanage after being abandoned at birth by his parents because he was born deaf due to a gene he had that causes deafness. My son spent most of his life wanting a family and friends to love him. You segregating him from the class in time out for the whole class and keeping him from playing the children from the other classes at recess in the classroom by himself is wrong. That can be scarring to a child." he said.
Mr. Loben looked at Ms. Kalter not too pleased. "Ms. Kalter is this true?" Mr. Loben said.
"The kid is lying," Ms. Kalter said.
"Pull up the security feed from her classroom." Sideburn said.
The principal did so and showed how Stormrush was treated differently and how he was being bullied by the others. "I am shocked by this, Ms. Kalter you are fired. You had no right to treat a child that way," Mr. Loben said. He checked the other kindergarten teachers and saw two of them were fluent and sign language. One them even had kid who was in a wheelchair and treat him the same as the other kids even had a blind child and another deaf child even one with autism and treated them the same too. Her name was Ms. Starbrush so Stormrush was transferred to Ms. Starbrush's class.
Stormrush was nervous about going to school again and saw he was being taken to a different classroom by his father he signed that this is his new classroom. Ms. Starbrush saw Stormrush come in. "Hello this must be Stormrush." Ms. Starbrush said. "Class remember what I showed you this morning," she said. She and the class signed nice to meet you.
Then the blind kid came up and signed nice to meet you with help from the teacher. Ms. Starbrush signed the young bot was blind. So Stormrush took the blind bots hand and signed into it using tactile sign language. "What is he saying?" the blind bot asked.
"Whiteburst he said it's nice to meet you in tactile sign. A type of sign language used by the deaf to talk to those who are blind. But it also works for people or are both blind and deaf." Ms. Starbrush said.
"You have quite a few different kinds of kids here Ms. Starbrush I hope things go better for my son I just hated the fact that his first four days of school ended in tears." Sideburn said.
"Well we will make him feel welcome," Ms. Starbrush said. She had a a couple of teacher's aids to help out with the class for those who needed help. Ms. Starbrush was very nice. She did sign language while doing a lesson as she talked.
During recess Stormrush finally got to play with the other children. He was so happy. This the best day ever.
Stormrush was now going to enjoy his childhood very much.