I Hear Your Language
I Hear Your Language
Sidney
My coworker Bane was working on an order. He threw two scoops of fruit into a cup and turned around. “Hey Donald, this is my brain on drugs.”
Bane stuck it in the blender and flicked it on, letting it screech as it grinded the fruit inside into mush.
Donald laughed, but stopped himself. “What if the customers can hear you?”
Bane looked behind him, then shrugged again.
“Sorry Donald, Jesus doesn’t approve.” Bane knows that Donald likes things related to Jesus.
“That’s not what I mean, just, you could get in trouble,” Donald said.
Bane lidded the cup and set it on the counter. “Twenty-five. Strawberry Banana.”
I smiled when he was finished. “I hope they’re not a zombie,” I said.
Donald suddenly looked confused. Bane squinted.
“I mean number twenty-five, because they’re drinking your brain.”
“Oh.”
I don’t understand what I said wrong. Soon enough they were back to working. I wish I could just talk in a way that made sense.
🥤🥤🥤
That night I stood at the crosswalk. I saw two people meeting on the other side of the street. They were wearing costumes that looked like cartoon characters. One was like a fox with glittering eyes, and the other was a bright red bear. I wondered what they were dressed up for.
Neither of them could speak in their costumes. The bear saw the fox first, so they waved with their whole arm to get the fox’s attention.
The fox waved back. They held their arms forward say that they liked the bear’s costume.
The bear put their hands over their heart. Then they held their hands out to the fox’s costume as well.
The fox nodded eagerly.
The bear pointed behind the fox, showing which way they had to go next. Then they both went that direction.
The crosswalk light changed and I kept standing there. I watched the costumed people walk away. Neither of them had spoken a word, and yet their conversation made perfect sense.
As I stood there, another person walked past me to cross the street. They had no costume, except for a pair of gray mouse ears on their head. I ran up to them.
I waved.
They waved back.
I put my hands on my head and smiled to show that I thought their ears looked cute.
They clasped their hands to say thank you.
On the other side of the street, where the previous people were talking, they stopped.
“Want to come to game night?”It’s just a board game night for people like us.” They motioned to the ears.
“I actually couldn’t because I have to see my mom.” Something didn’t sound right about the way I said that, but I don’t know what it was.
They didn’t seem to think much of it. “Maybe I’ll catch you next time. I’m Syd, by the way.”
“Syd is your name?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Sid-ney!”
“Oh cool! I’ll definitely remember you, then.”
Syd realized I didn’t know what to say next. They took off their mouse ears and gave them to me.
“If you ever want to come, you can have these. I make them, so I have plenty.”
Before I could say anything, they were walking away. In the coffee shop window I saw myself with the ears. I tried to imagine I was one of the costumed people.
Maybe I could learn their language.
🥤🥤🥤
I started wearing the ears all the time. I wore them during my next shift, and I felt different there, like someone who knew how to speak. I even worked the register for the first time.
“That will be ready shortly. Hope you’re having a good day!”
Just then the door opened.
I burst out “Syd! Hello!”
“Oh, hi Sidney! I didn’t know you worked here.”
“Yes! The orange-mango is great.”
“That sounds awesome. I’ll take one of those.”
“Coming right up.” I liked that phrase. I’d probably use it again.
“Oh, Sidney, I have to give you this.” Syd opened their backpack and searched for a moment before pulling out a flyer. “There’s a con this weekend at the hotel. I think you would enjoy it.”
I noticed Donald had turned around, but he didn’t say anything, so he might have just been curious.
I told Syd “thank you. I’ll be there.”
They smiled and nodded to say I was very welcome.
🥤🥤🥤
I had no idea what to expect but it was lots of fun.
Whether or not people were wearing costumes they didn’t seem to mind if I talked to them without words. Even when people used words, the conversations here all made sense.
Most people were gathered in the middle of the room, so when I saw someone hunched in the corner, I was a little confused.
I waved at the person, because that had made other people smile, but they did not see me. They were on their knees. That was when I recognized the person.
“Donald!”
He jumped, meaning I had scared him.
I put my hands on my head. “Sorry.”
“Hi, Sidney. I saw the other day that you would be here, and I wanted to come and pray for you.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good.”
“Okay.”
“It’s not that you have to follow someone somewhere to pray for them. I just thought this would be more meaningful.”
“Did you know I would see you?”
“No. I thought I would see you eventually. Or I would just pray, knowing you were here somewhere.”
I turned my head to the side. “Why?”
Donald looked up. “Because prayer is special.”
I nodded to ask him to say more.
“It looks like a conversation, but it feels completely different.“
“I know that feeling,” I said.
“You do?”
“A conversation that’s more than just words. Just like in this place.”
“Here?”
“Yes. It’s easy to communicate. There are no boundaries between you and who you’re talking to.”
“But this isn’t a prayer.”
For a moment I didn’t know what to say to him. I felt like I do at work, looking for the right words. But at least I was learning. I smiled.
“Maybe it’s like a prayer.”
The way he nodded made me believe he was almost on the same page.