It was a noisy noon. All children were busy running around the school yard. Everybody is enjoying their lunch break with amusement and games, except for one…
While other children tire their tongues screaming, shouting, laughing and chatting, we were there at the back of the school building—just sitting, quietly sitting. He was just sitting a ruler away from me with his earphones on.
Then, I hear mumblings from his mouth. He’s singing, along with the music he’s listening. That really brought smile to me. It’s the first time I hear his soft voice. Most of the time, all I could hear from him are screams. Only now, soft gentle chants.
He doesn’t seem to notice me. I’ve been there for almost five minutes. He is just in the habit of ignoring people around him. I wish I could do that too. It is a gift not to notice people’s presence even they are right in your face.
It tried to break a gap between our worlds. “Hey,” I started. “Have you taken your lunch, Mark?”
He still ignores me. Maybe you will say how rude Mark is. But he is not. He is just like that since then day we met. I call it his defense mechanism.
I tried again breaking the gap. I opened my lunchbox. There I found two sandwiches. My mother always makes sure I share my “baon” with Mark. She is fond of him. Such an adorable boy she always says. Well, Mark is good-looking. Being half-blooded German, his complexion and hair color is different from all the children in the school.
I tap Mark’s shoulder and offered one of the sandwiches.
Mark closed his eyes. He really wants to be alone. Since his German father died from an accident, he insisted to be alone. I can feel it too. Sometimes, I like being alone to think and recollect the memory of my lost father. My father died because of cancer a year ago. Since then, I knew how Mark felt.
He still mumbled chants I really can’t recognize. I gave up bridging out of the silence. I just sat there, helping myself in the sandwich.
Quietly, time passed by. I finished my sandwich. I tried to identify what song he is trying to sing. I sat there, just beside Mark. Not all people around Mark do this. They usually avoided him. He is so ill-tempered and all the children of his age despised him.
We sat there for almost half an hour, without talking. I stood up. I left Mark. I also left my lunchbox with the other sandwich beside him. He will eat that sandwich. I know he will. Then, I joined the other children.
…
The school bell rang. It’s time for our classes. We race into our classroom.
Mark wasn’t there.
He had probably been sick of other children teasing him. The class started yet my thoughts are still on Mark. What was he doing right now? Where is he?
…
The bell rang again. End of our day in school.
I sprinted back to the bench where Mark and I spend our lunch time. No Mark, only my lunch box.
I opened my lunch box. I found a letter inside it. It says:
Thank you! Thank you for keeping me company. Thank you for the sandwich. Tell your mom, it like it very much. Hope to see you tomorrow.
He didn’t sign it but I knew, from the handwriting, that it came from Mark.
Now, I’m again looking forward for a day with my deaf best friend, Mark.
*this was first posted on Facebook.
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