Page 85 of The Sign for Home

“Yes,” I said, smiling. “Of course. I mean, I’m really just his interpreter, but—”

“His interpreter?” Birch interrupted with a snide smile. “Is it the interpreter’s job to drive him out of town without permission? Is it the interpreter’s job to fill Arlo’s head with false ideas that he could somehow live independently? Is it the interpreter’s job to connect him with some older woman who molested him?”

“Huh? What are you… You mean Hanne? She did not molest him, sir. Hanne is Arlo’s friend. And yes, you’re right. Those are not an interpreter’s responsibilities. And, yes, I was driving him to see Shri, but I wascompletely under the impression that both his teacher and you knew. I give you my word on that.”

I did my best to keep my cool. My goal was to make Birch understand we were all on the same team. He did appear to earnestly care about his nephew.

“So, you’re giving me your word…” Birch scoffed bitterly.

“Yes. And if I may add something, sir. I’ve worked with the Deaf for a very long time, and while I’m new to the whole DeafBlind thing, it’s my opinion that Arlo is an extremely smart young man.”

“He is,” Birch said.

“Exactly,” I said, smiling, hoping I was looking less like a madman. “That’s why I let Arlo know about the possibilities for independent living, and the various movements and equipment that could help him toward that goal. Arlo can do so much more with his life than you think. And let’s all be real, he certainly deserves to make his own decisions about who he can and can’t see.”

And there it was. I had gone too far. Birch, red-faced, moved a step closer. Molly walked up next to him and began to reach for his arm to calm him, but then drew her hand away.

“Mr. Brewster,” Birch began, “I’ve known Arlo since he was born. For seven years I’ve been his legal guardian. I’m the one who takes him to his doctor’s appointments, pays his bills, puts food on his table, and makes sure he’s out of harm’s way. My nephew is deaf and blind, and his sight is far worse than he lets on. I’ve worked hard to put in place a life that will keep Arlo safe physically, spiritually, and emotionally, and, to be quite honest, Mr. Brewster, you’ve threatened that safety by interfering. For what reason, I can’t be sure, but I have my suspicions.”

The filthy insinuation in his voice was obvious, and my face flushed with both anger and humiliation. I turned to Molly, believing she’d at least defend me from that sort of accusation. While she and I disagreed on most things, she wasn’t vicious. Yet when I looked at her for support, she staredat the ground.Does Molly actually believe him? Or was she the one who had put the idea in his head?

“You are way of out of line, Mr. Birch.” My voice quavered with hurt fury. “I just wanted what was best for Arlo. Why you and Molly chose to find something dirty in that… well… I don’t know. Maybe that’s more about what’s happening inyourhearts than mine?”

At that point Molly looked to Brother Birch, a small terror on her face that she quickly tried to hide. There was only the slightest, momentary shift in Birch’s steely demeanor, but enough to show I had hit an accurate target. Arlo had been right about them.

“I think we’ve had enough,” Brother Birch finally said, crossing to Arlo’s side of the car and opening the door.

Molly guiltily glanced toward the blond woman who had been watching our drama from her car. Molly shook her head at me in disgust.

I lost it.

“What is it, Molly?” I said, raising my voice. “You don’t want strangers to hear what you two holier-than-thou Jehovah’s Witnesses have been up to? Is that it? Are you and Brother Birch here having a lot of dirty thoughts you don’t want anyone to know about? Is that why you try to control Arlo’s life?”

“Stop! Please…” Molly begged, almost desperately.

That’s when I saw Brother Birch putting Arlo and Snap in the back of the blond woman’s car. It finally dawned on me: the stranger was Brother Birch’s wife.

“I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I didn’t know—”

“You’re a vile, selfish person,” Molly said as she walked closer to me, her chin quivering, her voice so quiet there was no way the others could hear. “How can you be so sick and cruel?”

“Me?” I yelled. “What did you tell them I did to Arlo? Tell me!”

“It doesn’t matter what I said. Do you know the damage you’ve already done to that boy?”

I exploded in an angry laugh.

“The damage I’ve done?” I screamed. “Are you fucking serious?”

Then I crossed over to about ten feet in front of Mrs. Brother Birch’s car, and then, going full-on soap opera queen, I shouted loud enough for her and anyone else on the entire campus to hear me.

“Hey, Mrs. Birch, did you know Molly has been grasping onto Arlo with her skinny claws just to try to stay close to your husband? Isn’t that right, Molly? If she loses Arlo, she loses her little honey bear here! Her alleged dedication to Arlo was one big fucking attempt to steal your husband, Mrs. Birch! Where doesThe Watchtowersay that shit is okay?”

Brother Birch and Molly stood there speechless. Mrs. Brother Birch’s face was a heart-wrenching mask of humiliation. I was instantly disgusted with myself.Did I really have to hurt that innocent woman? And worse: Did I just make things impossible for Arlo?

Molly lifted her hand to her face, stifling her tears, and ran toward the door of Hudson Hall. Mrs. Brother Birch had lowered her head to the steering wheel. Birch slowly approached me, shaking his head, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m not going to let you hurt my family or that boy any further, Mr. Brewster. I am Arlo’s legal guardian. I will protect my nephew any way I can. As for you and that nurse-waitress friend of yours… stay away from my nephew. May the Lord help you.”

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