Luke

Silence and "The Fool"

I dreamed of hearing – fate decided otherwise. My universe is silent. I read lips. The phone is salvation. Working in a cafe with two guys.

It's hard to hand out the extract: lips are hidden. I found a language with the guys. They spoke clearly.

Luki is different. Tall, in a hurry, his speech is fast and slurred. He didn't know I was deaf. For him, I am strange, ignoring.

Mistake day: mixed up the order. The customer is unhappy. Luki exploded.

He ran up, his face distorted. His lips moved wildly. I caught fragments: "why?", "again?" - unreadable. Panic. Tears. Ran out.

The heart is pounding. The street is in tears. Steps behind – he! He was running after me! I'm on the road.

I'm walking in the middle of the traffic. A push in the shoulder! I fall to the side of the road. A taxi screeches past.

I raise my head. Luke is above me, pale. His lips are clear: "Silly girl! There's a car here!" He spoke up. Got it. He turned around and left.

The next day. A café. Awkward silence. Working. His gaze is heavy. Mark is chatting.

Luki threw the rag. Anger on his face. To Mark: "Bro, the saleswoman is annoying me! She just ignores me! She doesn't answer! It's annoying!"

Mark frowned. At me. At Luke: "And you didn't know? She can't hear. At all."

Luke froze. Eyebrows raised. Mark: "Communicates on the phone, in a notebook. Understands by lips. If we speak and look clearly."

Silence. Not mine. Echoing. Realization. Luki turned slowly. His gaze – confused, frightened. Misunderstanding. Shame. A million questions. He looks at me. I look at him. The silence became deafening.