Ann's Wisdom

(Here in this part of the story Sarah attends a deaf school with Ann but is mainstreamed in regular classes with hearing kids. Sarah comes home after her first day with hearing kids. )

Sarah stomped inside after Ann and slammed the front door shut. Holding back tears but couldn't hold the redness of her face, she ran upstairs and flew into her bed to cover her face as she cried. Ann knew for sure that Sarah's first day in mainstreamed classes didn't go so well.

"Sarah?," Ann tried to coax Sarah into facing her so she could sign. "Sarah, what's wrong?"

"Those kids are so mean!" she yelled.

"What kids? What did they do?"

"They made fun of me, kept pointing at my hearing aid and calling me names!"

"Sarah.."

"I hate them! They're mean and some of the teachers are mean too! AND I HATE THIS THING!"

Sarah pulled her hearing aid off and threw it across the bedroom smashing the plastic cover and ducked her face back into her bed.

"Sarah!"  Ann wasn't so angry with Sarah but shocked. She grabbed the hearing aid and inspected the damage. "This is going to cost a lot of money to replace." Ann sighed but understood how Sarah was feeling. Ann sat on the bed next to Sarah, "Sarah, I remember when you first got your hearing aid you were so excited. Tell me what happened."

Sarah sat up and signed to Ann, "The kids were making fun of me and told me that I must be stupid to have to have a hearing aid. They said my brain is broken and that I don't belong with them. The science teacher picks on me too." Sarah cried. Ann hugged Sarah trying to comfort her little sister.

"I see." Ann lifted Sarah's head to see her signs. "Sarah, you see my hearing aids all the time. Do you think my brain is broken?" Sarah stopped crying and wiped her eyes. "No."

"Do you think I am stupid?"

"No, you're smart. You always get good grades."

"Do you think I don't belong anywhere?"

"What do you mean? You can belong anywhere you want! Everyone likes you."

"And you can belong anywhere you want too. Are you afraid now that you're like me in this one way that we don't hear very well?"

"No, I'm not afraid."

"Then you listen to me. You're deaf and that is a part of your life but it doesn't have to mean that you are less than others. You owe it to yourself to do well and show others what you're capable of. Deaf or not, the world doesn't hand you life on a silver platter. Those other kids are just as lost as you are trying to figure out their lives and where they're going. They just have a leg up having hearing and a real mom and dad at home. Which means, Sarah, that you have to work doubly hard. You should be proud of who you are and how much you do."

Ann stood up and then knelt in front of Sarah. She lifted Sarah's head again.

"Sarah, you are so smart! You can do anything you want to do. Being deaf is not something that will hold you back. Only you will hold you back. If there's anyone that I have high hopes for to make it in this world, it's you. Now, I want you to dry your eyes and chin up. Come downstairs and help me with dinner."

Sarah smiled and hugged Ann. "Thanks Ann."  Sarah smile faded. "Ann, I wish mom would come out of her room."

"Me too, me too."