Page 65 of The Sign for Home

Cyril’s words don’t make sense. The only bosses you have ever known are hearing and sighted. None of the elders at your Kingdom Hall have been DeafBlind. You had Deaf teachers, but never any who were DeafBlind.DeafBlind people can’t be bosses.

“Tabitha say hearing workers follow her orders? Really? Ha ha! Lie!”

Cyril laughs like you made a joke.

“No,” Cyril says. “Not a lie. Honest. Really.”

Then you think you’ve figured out the trick in Cyril’s story.

“Tabitha full DeafBlind or just low-vision?”

“She’scompletelydeaf and blind,” Cyril says.

You try to imagine this DeafBlind superhuman bossing people around, but you can’t.

“Future… I will meet Tabitha maybe?”

“Maybe you can,” Cyril says.

Then he speaks nervously and quickly, maybe because he knows Molly doesn’t trust him.

“I mean, there’s always the chance you could visit the Laura Bridgman Center where Tabitha works. She’s not the only DeafBlind boss. The two women that introduced Protactile to the world are also DeafBlind bosses. DeafBlind people can do a lot with the right technology and access. You know, DeafBlind people from all over go to the Bridgman Center for training.”

That’s when Molly abruptly takes your hands away from Cyril and says:

“We can talk more about this later. The class is starting.”

But you want to know more about Tabitha, and what Cyril has learned about DeafBlind bosses, and about the Protactile stuff that DeafBlind people invented.

“Protactile and Haptics, continue during class, can?” you ask.

“Another time. It might disturb the class,” Molly says.

Before you can ask again, Molly and Cyril stop the Protactile and aren’t signing anything to you for almost a minute—which is unethical! You sit and wait, and wonder if they’re having an argument. Then Cyril moves behind you while Molly sits in the interpreter’s chair.

“We’ll try it,” Molly signs, but then adds, “but just for a minute.”

Using his hands and fingers across your back and shoulders, Cyril shows the professor entering the room. He draws a face with a straight line across for the mouth. This means the professor is not smiling or frowning.Then Cyril’s fingers show the professor is moving back and forth in front of the blackboard. She writes something, which Molly has interpreted into your hands asthe difference between the wordsitsandit’s. Then Cyril draws the professor’s face again. This time she’s frowning and walks very slowly to the edge of the desk.

Your body starts to rock with excitement, and Molly reminds you not to do that.

The professor starts her lesson, but then she stops talking. Cyril draws her face again. This is the worst one yet. Her frown is very deep, and the inside part of her eyebrows dive downward. She’s angry. She walks toward your desk.

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” the professor asks Cyril and Molly.

Cyril’s hands pull away from your back. The professor wants him to explain what he is doing. He quickly explains Protactile, which still takes a long time. The professor continues looking bothered and confused. The way Molly interprets for Cyril makes it seem as if he’s nervous.

“It’s new,” Cyril says. “Let me show you…”

Cyril takes more time to explain Haptics. The professor tells Cyril they can continue with what they are doing, but now Molly is annoyed.

“I think we should stop,” she says. “I told you it would disrupt the class. It’s all very fascinating, but the classroom is not the place to practice. It’s distracting Arlo.”

“Do you want me to stop?” Cyril asks you. “Is it making it hard to concentrate on the class?”

You are caught in the middle. If you say for him to continue, Molly will be upset. But Molly was already upset because of the haircut, and maybe because she suspects what you did with Hanne. You tell Cyril, “No. I like Protactile and touching my back. Very interesting. Continue, if Molly says okay.”

Molly’s hands grow tense. You feel the gust of an angry sigh from hermouth. This means she is going to let Cyril continue but she is not going to be nice for the rest of the day. A moment later the professor tells the class:

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