[stylist] dbg (chapter 6)

[helene ryles]

Chapter 6: Druzil School for the deaf and the Blind by Nadia Murat.
1/9/1993 - 21/9/1994

 I recall my first evening at Druzil very well.  That was the evening
that my mother first chose to come for me.
After a long journey in a flying rickshaw, we landed in a large
playing field.  A few boys were playing football.  They stopped their
game to crowd round the rickshaw.  They were staring at us.
“Hey you there, Will you take these girls to the main foyer” ordered
Beria who had been riding the flying rickshaw.   She spoke to the boys
in cued Drasp.
“We don’t talk, we’re Deaf” one of the boys told her in sign language.
Beria made an impatient noise.
“I thought they taught them using speech here.   Well anyway, This is
Druzil School for the deaf and the blind.  You are to stay together.
They’ve already got your luggage.  Now I must go.  Your Aunt Liza will
come and see you as often as she can” Beria announced after turning to
me.
I was left to interpret for the twins.  I could sense Beria’s
impatience.  She left as soon as we had all scrambled out of her
rickshaw.
“I’ve just seen some of my friends.  Could you guide Zaina for me
please? If you just follow us, we‘re going the same way” Zahira
signed.  I watched her waving to the football players.
I lightly touched Zaina’s hand.  A smile lit up her face.   She put
her hands over mine, waiting to feel what signs I was going to make.
She had the same eagerness about her that my dog Bella had when she
was anticipating a treat.
“Hello.  My name is Nadia.  I’m your other sister” I told Zaina.
“I’m happy to see you.  Let’s be friends” Zaina signed back.
I followed Zahira and the boys while simultaneously guiding Zaina.  We
approached a large red-bricked building.    We all entered a crowded
foyer together.
Zahira was now signing to another group of boys who were wearing blue
shirts and matching trousers.  A girl in a red dress with braided hair
came to say hello to Zaina using tactile sign language.  She grabbed
one of the older boys and introduced him to us as her brother.
I peered at all the other children.  They were of many different
colours from black, grey, various shades of brown, yellow, and a pale
pinkish colour.    Some were a lot older then we were.  We were the
smallest children there.
 None of them had wings like the children I read about in novels,
although some wore rather outlandish costumes that had flaps at the
back where wings should be, but weren’t.
The only thing they had in common was that most of them wore
behind-the-ear hearing aids.  It made me glad that my aunt had
recently bought me a silver behind- the-ear speech processor to
replace my older bodily worn one.  She told me how much she had hated
wearing large bodily worn hearing aids as a child, so she was
determined not to subject me to that.
I was watching my other sister Zahira chatting with her friends, when
the lights flicked on and off.  It was the way the teachers had of
attracting the deaf children’s attention.
I heard a voice announce something but I wasn't altogether sure what.
The deaf children had all turned in that direction.
"Do you have any idea what they are talking about?" Zahira asked.  I
shrugged helplessly.
"Oh just the usual stuff, about how great it is to be back at school.
You aren't missing much," an older black-skinned girl in a bright
yellow tunic signed.
"Boring," her darkly clad brother agreed.  At that point the lights
went on and off again.
"Sorry Miss, Zahira wanted to know what was being said" the boy signed.
He hastily got up and brought me and the twins forward until I saw a
pale-skin lady at the front.  She was speaking into an FM system.
Another short pale-skinned woman in a tweed suit took my hearing
devices and did something to them.  She seemed annoyed to find that
neither Zaina nor Zahira were wearing their hearing aids.
“Broken,” Zahira signed.
“Not again, you should take better care of school property” she signed back.
 “We live in Nazdonia.  The dust gets everywhere,” Zahira explained.
“Oh never mind.  Just do your best.”
As we were much nearer to the front I could now see the lady who had
been signing.   When she spoke again I found her voice was a lot
clearer.  The lady in the tweed suit must have adjusted the setting to
‘T’ which meant I could benefit from the loop system that the speaker
at the front was using.  I usually knew about the ‘T’ setting as Liza
and my tutors used it at home with my FM device.  It came in useful so
I did not get distracted by the sound of barking dogs.  However, I was
so overwhelmed by the newness of everything that I had only just
remembered about that.
  The woman at the front spoke and used an unfamiliar signing system
simultaneously.  I later learnt she was using a system called signed
supported Drasp (SSD).   Next to her, the lady in the tweed suit
repeated everything she was saying into cued Drasp.
"As I was saying... nobody is to use the lift.  It is for children in
wheelchairs only.  Borrowing someone else’s wheelchair will just make
the lift operator cross.   Everybody else is to use the ladders that
are provided.  Landing mats are placed at the bottom of all ladders in
case of accidents.  They are not there to jump about on.
"The Hearing impaired unit is on the 6th floor.  You will all be
assessed in either our oral programme or our signing programme.   Your
dormitories are on the 9th floor.  No squabbling over who is to sleep
on the top bunk.  You have all been assigned with your own bunks.
Just go to the bunk with your name on it.  Your luggage should be on
the bed. If I catch anyone swapping names there will be trouble..."
I stopped listening after that.  Eventually someone took us to our
dormitory.  It was a large yellow walled room with triple bunk beds.
The twins and I had all been assigned a bottom bunk.
I was still unpacking when a couple of grey-skinned women came over.
The smaller one was muscular in an attractive sort of way, with black
waist length hair.  She wore a long, loose, flowery tunic and matching
trousers.  I could sense a lot of power in her bright flame coloured
eyes.  Not someone to be messed with at any rate.
The other woman looked very similar to Aunt Liza with her striking
looks and long curly black hair.  All except for her eyes which were
yellow, not brown like Liza‘s eyes.  She was also a little taller then
Liza.   She wore a short black top with a fur collar and a tight
leather skirt.  Her red painted nails were very long and pointed.
The woman in the tunic got to me first.  I could feel the silkiness of
her fabric and smell her lavender perfume, as she moved closer to me.
  I could sense a magical barrier being created.
“Really, there is no need for that.  I just wanted to meet my child.
He was kidnapped from me after all,” the woman simpered.
I looked from one woman to the other.  I wondered who they were talking about.
“Please let me be the judge of that, Mrs Murat.  It seems the name on
the bed says Nadia Bronze.  Now you said you wanted a boy called Nadir
Murat did you not?” the lady in the tunic replied.
“My sister Liza is a little deranged.  She changed the name and sex of
my son, but I can recognise my own child anywhere.  If you could
kindly remove your shielding charm…”
So this was mother then?  Why was she calling me Nadir when my name was Nadia?
“Sorry Ma’am but I’m Nadia’s bodyguard.  I’ve been paid to protect
Nadia.   Now you’ve seen the child I suggest you leave”
The women stood glaring at each other.  Then Mother turned away and
stormed out of the room.  I felt a draft and a vibration as she
slammed the door behind her.
“Hello everyone, that was Nadia’s mother paying her a visit.  My name
is Katrina Parvesh.  I am acting as Zaina’s intervener when I’m not
protecting Nadia.  If anyone sees that lady about the school I’d like
you to come and tell me.  I’m here to represent Nadia and her aunt.  I
can also tell you stories” Katrina signed to the surrounding children
who had gathered round to watch the action.


          ***  ***  ***

To my immense relief mother wasn't there the following morning.
We were greeted at the start of the lesson by the short woman in the
tweed suit.  Today she was holding a clip board.
“Is that the lady you were talking about over breakfast?” I asked.  I
pointed the short woman out to my sister, Zahira.  They had been
discussing a woman they called “Mrs Bossy boots”.
My sister nodded emphatically.
"Nadia has been assigned to the oral only programme" Mrs Bossy Boots
informed us.
“Her aunt wants her to be taught using sign language” Katrina replied
bluntly.
“She doesn’t need to sign.  She hears quite well with her cochlear
implant.  Her mother specifically asked…”
“Her mother doesn’t come into it.  Her aunt Liza has been taking care
of her so she is more aware of Nadia‘s communication needs.  Besides
Nadir prefers sign language…”
“We mean to wean her off that habit.  Our signing classes are only for
children like her sisters who are profoundly deaf and can’t manage
speech.  Really her aunt should know better.  After all she is quite
successfully employed as a police officer now, having been educated in
our orally taught classes”
“She managed despite her oral education, which is why she wants
something better for Nadia”

After dinner Mrs Bossy Boots accosted us again.
"We don't have Nadia or Zahira down for any classes in the blind
department.  Their sight is quite good enough to do without any of
that" she crisply announced.
"So was Zaina's sight before she developed a severe case of glaucoma.
It could happen to Nadia or Zahira too.  Besides they struggle in some
lighting conditions and things have to be fairly close range before
they can see it properly"
“But surely you must realise the three girls have different needs so
they should be in different classes that better reflect those needs”
“Well it doesn’t seem as if any of these girls needs are being met?
Where is Zaina’s intervener?”
“Thankfully she left,  taking her dreadful toddler with her.  The last
thing we want is another Parvesh witch acting as her intervener
again…”
“That’s too bad.   Since a new intervener has yet to be found, I need
to act as Zaina’s intervener as well as acting as Nadia’s body guard.
 The headmistress agreed to my presence at this school…”
“Just like she agreed to let Arielle bring her brat with her, treating
our preschool department like a drop in crèche.  The headmistress
should have consulted with the teaching staff first. We don’t
appreciate your sort round here, treading on everybody’s toes… As for
Zaina, we meant to put her back in special needs where she belongs”
“No she doesn‘t belong in special needs.   She may not be fluent in
Drasp just yet, but Zaina is very intelligent.   Last year it was
necessary for us to remove her from special needs where she was very
unhappy.  We had to provide an intervener for her at very short
notice, at our own expense since you refused to let my deafblind
sister-in-law help out…”
“Of course not! What use would she have been?”
“She was the one who taught Zaina blind skills, but the school
wouldn’t look past her age or deafblindness, so we had to arrange for
Arielle to come instead.  Neither would the school agree to pay
Arielle’s salary and even demanded extra child care expenses from her”
“Why should we…”
“Enough on that subject.  I was just sent here as Nadia’s bodyguard.
However,  as a powerful witch I’m quite capable of multitasking, and I
am willing to help modify lessons to suit all their varying needs.
However, they do need to be in the same class since I can‘t be in more
then one place at once”
Mrs Bossy Boots glared at Katrina.  She made an angry noise and stalked away.

We spent the following lesson being introduced to braille.  We could
see the dots without even touching them, although we were yet to learn
what they meant.
"Not that way" Katrina told us.  She took the braille out of our hands
and laid it out on the desk.  After that she placed a cloth over the
braille page.
"You have to learn to read the dots by touch.  That's how they were
meant to be read.  Not with your sight"
  While we were struggling with the braille alphabet Katrina took
Zaina aside and showed her a machine that was capable of creating
braille dots via pins that moved up and down to form various different
words.  It seemed like magic to us but it was all done by modern
technology alone.
"If you will kindly explain to me how it works I can tell Zaina"
Katrina told the teacher.
"Are you sure you need me to.  You seem to know how my pupils should
be taught braille, even though you are not the teacher here," The
teacher sullenly retorted.

         ***  ***  ***

"Once upon a time there was a very evil witch…” Katrina began.  She
had gathered several children around our bunk and was now telling them
a bedtime story in Darthrilan sign language (DSL).   At that point I
could feel the temperature in the room lower dramatically.  We could
see a large, haughty-faced man pacing up and down a marble corridor.
We felt alarmed until we realised this was just an illusion. We stood
open mouthed at the illusions that Katrina was summoning up for us.
"He lived in a large mansion and had many sons and a daughter.  He was
so cruel that he took his daughter’s eyes out.  Despite this the girl
learnt to get about without sight.  She was a strong, independent girl
who learnt to see with her ears, nose, and her fingers instead.
 “He then forced his sons to help him murder dragons..." at that point
I could see the haughty-faced figure with several quivering boys. I
could smell blood, and see the sons fall to the ground one after the
other.  A copper coloured dragon flew away.
"One brave son stood up to the evil witch. He wanted to marry a woman
that the witch did not approve of.  She was a witch from another clan.
 The evil witch knocked him unconscious and threw him out of the top
of the largest tower" Here Katrina created another illusion. I saw a
figure falling off a high tower.
  So Katrina carried on.  The children watched entranced by the visual
and scented effects.  The story ended with the son's bride and sister
(who were both strong independent women) rescuing him.  They took his
battered remains and went far away to heal him.  They went where the
evil witch couldn’t hurt them anymore.   After that they lived happily
ever after.
"But doesn't the evil witch get killed?" A small boy asked.
"Yes, later he does.  I'm saving that for another story though"
“Why is his daughter blind? Why can’t she be deaf like us?” demanded
an older girl with purple hair.
“I will tell you stories about Deaf heroes later, but you need to know
that other disabled people can become heroes too”
Katrina’s stories soon became exceedingly well-liked.   It was
something she did every night for the children‘s entertainment.

           ***  ***  ***

Fortunately Katrina wasn’t required to protect me any further from
mother that year.    The only trouble was with Mrs Bossy Boots.    She
was not happy to see me in the signing classes when she considered I
would do well orally.
 Luckily the second grade teacher was a signing Deaf woman who
welcomed us in her class.  She dropped signed supported Drasp when she
was alone in her class.  She taught us using Darthrilan sign language
instead.
Thanks to Katrina we did have a really good education there.  We also
made many friends.  I suspect most of them were being matey with us in
order to get closer to Katrina whom they all idolized, due to her gift
at animated story telling.




                      ***  ***  ***

We had just started third grade when mother came back for me again.
Katrina was away at the time.   She’d been working during the summer
vacation in east Nazdonia and was yet to get back.  Aunt Liza was
unable to afford anything near Katrina’s usual salary.  Katrina just
let Liza pay what she could.  She regarded this as a charitable
venture.  She liked the varied challenges that this job provided her
with.  She also liked working for someone who wasn’t rich, unlike her
usual clients.
However, it did mean Katrina insisted on doing ‘proper’ work during
all our school holidays.  She felt that there was a limit to how much
work she was willing to turn down in our cause.
Her last job had been during the New Year break.   I had been feeling
disappointed to miss out on the parties that were being held, but
Katrina had another client to attend to.  So the twins and I left
before the end of term and returned to school two weeks after everyone
else.
 When Katrina got back Liza sent us in with a sick note.
“Hey Nadia, your mother came to see you.  I saw her talking to Mrs
Bossy Boots” my friend informed me.  I felt anxious about my narrow
escape, but not as anxious as I would have been after I knew what she
was capable of.

After the summer vacation Katrina was still working with another
client, so Aunt Liza kept me at home again.
“I thought you said she was sick.  She looks in good health to me”
commented Beria, looking me up and down in a very disapproving manner.
“Oh… she was sick earlier…” my aunt faltered.
“Well in that case I’ll take her in now…”
“No! I’ll take her in later when her bodyguard gets here…”
“I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about her bodyguard.  The
teachers at Druzil feel that Katrina is misusing her role as a
bodyguard, to undermine their authority.  They want Nadia in the oral
programme…”
“All right, we’ll put her in the oral cursing programme then, just not
now… I’m sure a few weeks here and there won’t hurt her.  You have no
idea how dangerous her mother is!”
“So you keep saying, but we haven’t seen any evidence of this.  Quite
naturally her mother is concerned.   She spent all that money on a
cochlear implant, and then you and Katrina insisted Nadia is taught in
sign language.”
The next minute Beria grabbed me by the arm and yanked me up to the
roof where she had parked her flying rickshaw.
I was promptly taken to school without any protection at all.