The Tests
Jon Downey

The soundproof door closes behind you and a muffled sound appears. You are asked to put on the headphones, and the beeps and tones begin. You see her take notes secretly and wonder what they are for, then without notice she speaks into a microphone and tells you to repeat after her. No, this is not a wedding, just an ordinary day. You hear the words like fish, watch, dog and flower. After a while the tests are done, and you wait for the news. “You need hearing-aids my son!” Just what I want to hear. The piping gun gets pulled out of the drawer, and she holds it up to your ear. The goo goes in, and the muffled sound returns. Now you wait for it to dry, and the molds are done. The following month, you wear them proudly, and you get asked question after question. The name-calling is initiated, and your feelings begin to hurt. But you are strong, and will never give up. The school principal sees you wearing hearing aids, and without one test, he says, “We offer special ed.” So you take a test, and who would have guessed, you placed in honors level classes. So you are a fourth grader doing sixth grade math, but now you are viewed as a nerd. But that was only fourth grade, the students will mature. You finally reach high school, where your friends are mature, and you are the coolest guy around with hearing aids that look like play dough; well… sort of. That is the life of hard-of-hearing boy, who is slowly going deaf, but if I didn't let school be a hindrance to my life, why should I let this?