minutes went by, she turned Irvin toward her and signed, âPlease put your lunch pail on the shelf.â
She was relieved when he shuffled across the room and did as sheâd asked. âNow, please take a seat,â she signed, and then she pointed to the desk next to Sylviaâs.
Irvin glanced over at his sister, back at Jolene, and then ambled over to his desk and sat down.
Jolene sent up a silent prayer. Thank You, Lord.
Before starting their lessons, Jolene had the children stand and sign the Lordâs Prayer. Then she opened her Bible and signed as she read Proverbs 16:24 out loud:
â âPleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.ââ She decided that the verse was a timely reminder for her as well as the children.
As they began their arithmetic lesson, Sylvia gave Jolene her full attention, but Irvin appeared disinterested, looking away whenever Jolene signed anything to him, and drawing silly pictures on his tablet instead of the numbers sheâd written on the blackboard. Jolene knew sheâd need to come up with some way to get through to the boy. She wished she could talk to Aunt Dorcas about this. With all the experience her aunt had teaching deaf children, she was sure to have some idea what Jolene could do. When she got home from school today she would ask Mom to call Aunt Dorcas and relay her concerns.
***
Ella and her brother Larry had just taken a seat in the waiting room at the dentistâs office when Loraine entered the room.
âWie gehtâs?â Loraine asked, taking a seat on the other side of Ella.
âIâm doing fine.â Ella motioned to Larry. âHeâs had a toothache for the last few days, so heâs missing a few hours of school this morning to get it taken care of.â
Larry grunted. âRather be in school any old day than here right now.â
Loraine offered him a sympathetic smile. âYouâll do fine. Dr. Hopkins is a good dentist.â
âWhat are you here for?â Larry asked.
âIâm just here for a cleaning and checkup.â Loraine turned to Ella. âIâm surprised your mamm didnât bring Larry to the dentist. I figured youâd be working in your daedâs shop this morning. We heard about Lonnieâs injured hand.â
Ella grimaced. âMamaâs not feeling well, so she asked me to bring Larry in. Besides, Papa can get along without me for a few hours. Iâm just doing the books and helping string some of the chimes. He assured me that he and Charlene could manage fine while Iâm gone.â
âIâm sorry to hear your mammâs not feeling well,â Loraine said. âShe seems to be sick a lot, doesnât she?â
Ella nodded and glanced over at Larry. She didnât want to express her concerns in front of the boy, but she was worried about her motherâhad been ever since the van accident two years ago, when her brother Raymond had been killed. Ella figured it would be hard for any parent to lose a child, but she thought it was taking Mama much longer to come to grips with Raymondâs death than it should have. Unless Mamaâs fatigue and shakiness were caused by something else. Maybe it wasnât just grief over losing Raymond. Maybe there was something physically wrong with Mama. If sheâd only agree to see the doctor and let him run a few tests. But no, Mama thought everything could be cured by taking a dose of castor oil or some concoction made with apple cider vinegar and honey. Not that those things would do her any harm, but they hadnât kept Mama from feeling so tired, and they werenât a substitute for seeing the doctor.
âWeâre ready for you now,â the dental assistant said when she stepped up to Larry.
He looked over at Ella, as if seeking her approval. When she nodded, he rose from his chair and followed the young woman into the other room, walking
Lightnin' Hopkins: His Life, Blues