We Are Able

Episode 51

Moses’ mouth went wow when he saw me. He demonstrated
before me in sign language and I was awed. The last time we
met, being the only time, he wasn’t able to do the sign.
“How is it, Rose?” he had asked. I was surprised that Moses still
knew my name.

“I’m fine, sir,” I replied him. Moses’ father was very shocked to
see that we knew each other. He began to speak with his son.

Moses signed to me that I should be up on my feet. At first I
didn’t listen to him, fearing what his father could do to me. I got
up eventually when the headmaster himself gave me the go-
ahead. Moses asked me why I was involved in a fight.

“Rose, don’t you know that fighting is bad?”
“Yes I know sir,” I signed back.
“So why are you fighting—with your senior for that matter?”
“She—she…” I knew it would be a very long story.
Moses said he wanted to be alone with me because he was
perceiving that I had a lot of troubles going on within me.

“Rose, I have been willing to have a heart to heart talk with you
since two and half years back when we met, that was why I
gave you my home address. You didn’t show up there, why?”
“I came, but…I was told you have relocated,” I responded.
“You came? Oh! Sorry!” Moses signed. “Come, let’s go.”
I was looking at his father who was not interrupting his son. I
wondered what he would say if he saw me going with his son.
Moses led me to a car just outside his father’s office. The
Toyota Camry glistened in the early morning son. It was
smooth to the core. Moses ordered me to get in. I was afraid
and shy.

Bose was close by, gaping like a monkey whose banana was
lost. Others, her friends, were gaping too. I plodded in, beside
the driver’s seat and began to fasten my seat belt. Moses sat
behind the wheel and drove off.

We pulled up in a very big restaurant. I was shy because my
school uniform was still on me. People would take me for
something else, seeing me in a school uniform. As we sat
before a table, I saw eyes staring at me. I knew they were
saying some contumelious words but since I had no
functioning eardrum I didn’t hear them.

“Rose, do you know something?”
“No sir,” I replied.

“Since two and half years back that I met you, I have been
feeling like I should know you better. That day, you looked very
troubled. I wanted to know everything concerning you but that
day was so short—we couldn’t talk at length—you know I was
deaf those days…”
“Deaf? How sir?” I asked him. I thought he was making fun of
me.

“Yes, I was!” Moses maintained. “I was deaf to the sign
language you knew how to speak. The barrier in
communication pained my heart so much that I began to learn
it from my dad as soon as I got home that day. Now I can do it
even better than him—I can sign the American and even the
British. Can you sign the ASL too?”
“Yes sir,” I replied. “It’s quite easy.”
Moses coughed over a fist set before his mouth. Then he
changed the topic:
“Rose, that day when I saw you, you were very worried. What
was wrong?”

“It is a very long story,” I said. My eyes went gloomy. I was
not ready to dig into those story of the old memories.

“I’m all eyes, Rose,” Moses said. “I’m not going back to the
campus today, so I have all the time on earth.”
I began to tell Moses everything I could. When I ended my
story, Moses was already shedding tears in sympathy.
“Rose! We must find them! We must find them!” he signed
vigorously.
Moses wanted us to swing into action immediately. He paid for
all our expenses and off we went.
A lady asked for Moses’ attention and he halted to speak with
her. I set my face few metres ahead and saw a couple. The
husband got into the driver’s seat and the wife also bent to get
in. The two of them appeared familiar. I was shocked when I
discovered that the woman was Toyosi but the man didn’t look
like John—of course I was sure the man was not John, but he
looked familiar to me.
I screamed. When Moses heard me scream, he left the lady
alone and rushed to me.
“Rose! Rose! What’s the matter?”
“She’s the one!” I signed and pointed to the car which was
already zooming off!
“Gush! Rose, get inside the car!” Moses signed. He was going to
give them a chase.