Sounds of Silence by Phillip Tomasso

Author:Phillip Tomasso
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: deaf, deafness, meningococcal disease, New York, phillip tomasso, rochester, sign language, YA, YA fiction, young adult fiction, Barking Rain Press
Publisher: BRP Publishing Group
Published: 2013-11-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Nancy Funnel stood waiting for us by the admissions building. She gave a big wave as we approached, making sure we saw her.

I figured we must look completely out of place, like a family on vacation somewhere for the first time. Dad carried the suitcases, Mom held bags from the grocery store, Marie had my pillow slung over her shoulder the way Santa Claus carried a bag of toys, and I walked a few steps behind, bowed under my backpack.

Good morning, Ms. Funnel signed and wasted no time as she led us past the admissions building to Willis Hall. This is the boys’ dorm room. Younger kids on the first level, older kids upstairs, she continued as she led us up a staircase.

An easel holding a chalkboard displayed a list of chores telling who was responsible for what. Someone had to take out the trash, someone else had to sweep the hall floors, while someone else was responsible for keeping the lounge area clean. But above the lists, in big colorful balloon letters, someone had written: WELCOME, MARCO LIPPA.

Mom looked at me and smiled. I tried to smile back, but inside me a big space had just opened up. Seeing those words should have made me feel welcome. Instead, they made me feel hollow again. I was the new kid, the outsider. I would be living here, away from home, away from my family.

Ms. Funnel went all the way to the end of the hall. I noticed some of the doors on the floor were open. I looked into the big rooms as I walked by, noting the plain white walls, the beds and dressers. The room Ms. Funnel led us into was no different—bare walls and two beds, two dressers, and two nightstands split down the middle in a mirror image. The bed by the window was made with a Star Wars bedspread. Books and a box of tissue paper were on the dresser beside it. I set my backpack down onto the other one. This mine? I signed.

Ms. Funnel nodded, made a fist and shook it up and down. Yes. She explained that I had an eight-year-old roommate, Kyle.

“Eight?” I said and used my hands, touching my middle finger to my thumb—the sign for the number eight. That would be like rooming with my sister! Though my sister’s cool, it didn’t mean I wanted to team up with some other peewee kid.

Ms. Funnel nodded. He can’t wait to meet you.

I’ll bet. He’d be getting a big brother out of the deal, while I’d be getting stuck with a babysitting job—only without any pay.

Mom didn’t waste any time. She took the suitcase from Dad, unzipped it and unpacked the clothes onto the bed, then began to sort and fill the dresser drawers. Next, she set to work on the grocery bags, emptying onto the bed cream-filled cupcakes, bags of chips, boxes of raisins, some bubble gum, and packets of dried apples and apricots.

This made Ms. Funnel laugh. Kids don’t go hungry, she told her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.