Story

A short boy, approximately 14 or 15, meets me by the gate. I hear not his greeting but see only a pair of active hands and catch a few clicks of his tongue. I nod, smiling awkwardly, confused at the unusual hello. He guides me through the institution where other young boys and girls reside, and throughout the tour he, I assume, explains who live where. The peculiar hand movements and clicks still perplex me but I dare not ask why he does this. Maybe he's slightly mental, I think to myself, following him into what turns out to be his room, the door decorated with a graffiti-styled name: “Keaghan”. Entering, I notice shelves with rows and rows of books, walls plastered with posters of famous skateboarders, at least one being of Tony Hawk caught mid-air doing one of his tricks. The bed is cornered with its black bedsheets, made, and plants decorate the windowsill. The room looks surprisingly neat, considering his age.

The tour is over and as I sit in the lunchroom downstairs, I'm meeting with one of the founders of this home for minors. It's a woman, probably in her late thirties or early forties. Her auburn curls frame her slender face and green corneas peek out from underneath her make-upped eyes. Her lips are sporting the eau natural-look.
“Welcome, Mr. Sanders. My name is Alicia. I'm glad you chose us for your article,” says the middle-aged woman. “I understand you've met Keaghan?”
I nod and smile, still somewhat confused with the untraditional tour. “Yes. Nice kid.” I think. “He doesn't talk much, though, does he?”
“No, Mr. Sanders. He's deaf and mute so he really only has his sign language to rely on. He also uses notes to communicate but that's a time consuming option.” Alicia folds her hands and looks at me with worry.
Suddenly I realise why the boy – Keaghan was so quiet and I curse myself for not putting two and two together earlier. “So, I understand Keaghan is a special-need resident?” I pull out my notepad and pencil.
“Not particularly, he's really great at being independent. He barely ever asks for help, and we have a full-time employee who knows sign language. Keaghan has even taken the initiative to teach a few of the other kids sign language so they can communicate more smoothly. He's very patient and I'm so impressed with him coming out of his shell. He's been very introvert during his stay and I don't blame him. It's difficult being that challenged.”
As I jot down notes throughout the rest of the interview, I am impressed by the people who have taken time to do this for troubled youngsters, and when it is time to leave, I thank Alicia greatly for talking to me and being so open about things. “Thanks for everything, Alicia. Tell Keaghan I appreciate the tour he gave me.” I leave the premises with a grin on my face, thinking about the imperfections of this world and how some have the strength to overcome theirs.

treasure chest