Silent Conversation by Olha Sheludko

Maya knows Matt’s face by heart. 

She drew it enough times to remember. He has a square-like face, his nose is bulbous, her pencil is moving in an arched movement. Matt’s lips are fat, Maya tries not to think of why she knows the form of his lips. Just focus on drawing. She wishes she would know his eye colour, but she always saw him in sunglasses, they are the only red thing in the picture. His hair is usually combed, but she remembers the time when Matt got into a fight, and she saw his auburn hair messy, and she would lie if she said that it wasn’t hot. He doesn’t have a beard, but neither is he clean-shaved, so her hand with the pencil moves fast, trying to copy hair there. She looks at the drawing, and she can’t say that she is entirely satisfied with it. Maya knows something is missing, but she can’t comprehend what.

She knows that Danny is here, when the alarm goes off in the red light. Danny smiles and starts talking. This sweet summer child doesn’t remember. Yet, it's still no excuse, so Maya throws a rubber at him. Then finally Danny started signing - a fist rotating clock-wise on a chest - “sorry”.  Maya answers -  touching her forehead, then bringing her hand down, showing thumb and pinky fingers, then points at Danny and moves her hand forward - “Why are you here?”. Danny looks at the table. She remembers that she didn’t hide the drawing, but it’s too late. The biggest smile appears at Danny’s smile, and she wishes Danny were a little bit closer, so she could punch him. Danny placed his right hand on the left hand, moves it across the palm and then strokes his pinky on his hand - "nice drawing”. Maya rolls her eyes, but the alarm goes off again, and then her heart misses a beat.

Matt was standing there with his expensive suit and stupid sunglasses and his white cane. He smiles and waves. He starts talking to Danny and Maya wishes that Matt wasn’t blind, and she wasn’t deaf and… Matt takes her hands. She tries to breathe, but he surprises her even more - he started signing in to her hands. Two fingers down, two fingers up, all fingers together in a circle-like figure, thumb and index finger and point on her hand, then roll her hands and draw a square with them. “Tactile sign language”, Maya understands. Matt points her hand on her mouth (maybe, it’s good that Matt can’t see her, she can’t stop looking at his lips), then points it on his face , points her index finger and rotates it - “Tell me something”.Maya can’t stop staring till she understands that Matt is waiting, probably thinking if he messed up.She takes his hands - they are warm, she notices - and starts signing. Matt answers, and they are engaged in a big conversation, Matt makes a few mistakes, but it doesn’t matter, what matters more is that he cares.