Chapter 19
Pretty Sounds
My mother once told me that after the accident, she whispered in my ear over and over "You're a gift from the Goddess Jilly. A gift from the Goddess." In a way, I guess she was right. My body washed up on the bank of the river a ways down, and the local carpenter Gotz found me and rushed me to the clinic. I was barely breathing and barely alive, but the Doctor kept me alive and sent me off to the city. The entire town called me a miracle, but I think they were just trying to make me feel better. How good was I supposed to feel with everyone watching me, trying to notice if I was stable, trying to figure out if deafness made me weak? Claire's parents decided to run away from it all, and they asked if I wanted their farm.
"Some people aren't meant to be farmers." I'd told them, still trying to get used to not hearing my own voice. They'd smiled and said they understood, then gave the farm to the town. Every once in a while, I'd go to the farm and sit in the middle of the field. I loved the way the air felt, and even when the weeds grew higher than my waist and the buildings began to fall apart, I kept going. I thought it was for sentimental reasons, but after a while I realized I loved the way a farm felt. I could imagine all the progress I could make, what I could do to make it great again. But I knew I couldn't do it on this farm. It held too many memories, and I'd never be able to truly make it my own. In a couple of years, the farm in The Valley went up for sale, and I decided to move and take it. The people in Mineral Town never understood why I wanted to leave.
'You could work the farm here.' Their lips would say. 'Why would you ever want to leave?'
I'd left anyway without looking back, and began my life in The Valley. Now, as I sit in the middle of my own field, with my own crops and my own animals, I smile. Deaf or not, I was meant to be a farmer. Maybe Claire knew that all along.
I leave the field and walk into my house. I was so glad to be home, to put my past behind me. The emotional toll had seriously drained me, and I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. I put my backpack on the floor, and pull my hair out of my split ponytail. Suddenly, I freeze. I can sense someone in the tiny room. I turn around quickly, and see no one other than Skye.
'Hello, Beautiful.' His lips say. I stare at him. He looks the same as he did before he left, which isn't surprising considering he was only gone for a couple of days. I slowly walk towards him, and his sly smile becomes softer. 'I see you're back from your trip.' he signs, and I stop straight in my tracks.
'How did you know how to sign that?' I sign at him. Skye winks at me.
'Surprised?' he signs.
'Yeah.' I sign back, still confused. He'd done it so effortlessly, and I know I didn't teach him that.
'I may have picked up some light reading.' His lips form, and he pulls out a huge book. I glance at the title, and realize it's a sign language dictionary.
'You bought this?' I ask, surprised.
'Well of course. And I've already learned many signs. Soon, I'll be better than you.' My entire face lights up.
'Skye, this is the book I learned to sign with. My parents went to the city and bought it for me.' He looked surprised.
'Oh, is that so?' I nod, and walk to my bookshelf. After looking for a minute, I find the exact book Skye had just gotten and bring it over to him.
'I still look up words in here. Even I don't know how to say everything.' I admit sheepishly. 'I used to try to talk and sign at the same time, but I found it was easier if I just signed without talking. Soon, I stopped talking all together. I hated not being able to hear my own voice anyway.' I admit to him slowly, and after a moment Skye nods.
'I wish you'd let me hear your voice.' He signs. I slowly shake my head no.
'It makes me feel weak. I can't hear my own voice. I can feel them coming out, and I know other people can hear them, but I can't, and I hate that feeling.' Skye looks as if he had trouble following all of that, so I pull out a tiny piece of paper and write it down. I hand it to Skye, and to my surprise, he crumples it up and throws it on the floor without reading it.
'Talk to me.' His hands command.
'No.' I sign, irritated. Skye gives the universal sign for 'I don't know that you're saying', and my irritation grows stronger.
'I know you know what I just said Skye.' I sign at him, but he still gives me a confused face.
'Talk to me Beautiful.' His lips say this time, and I turn my face away from him. I haven't talked above a whisper in so long, I wonder if my vocal chords even worked anymore. I feel Skye put his arms around me, and I instantly relax into them. I feel his breathe in my ear, and I know he must have said something. He turns my face to look at him, and his lips form once again 'talk to me'.
"What if you don't like the sound of my voice?" I softly say to him, and he gives me one of his dazzling smiles.
'Everything about you is beautiful Jill.' His lips form. 'Everything.' His lips capture mine, and I melt into him. His lips are gentle, but needy, and I feel my legs grow weak. Skye supports his body with mine, and pulls away for a moment. 'A couple of days without you was much to long Jill.' His lips say, and I stroke his cheek with my finger.
"Then stay with me." I say, and Skye smiles like its the most beautiful thing he's ever heard.
A.N. Thanks so much for reading guys. I think this is my favorite chapter so far, and I'm sorry it took so long to update. I'm about to start my senior year, but I promise I won't forget about this story. Thank you guys so much.
-Goldengirl