Chapter Fifteen #2
The man was hugging his daughter when Evan entered the living room. Hoping he was clear, he voiced, “Thanks so much for asking me to go with you today.”
Pierre paused and looked skyward. Then, he signed, “Happy to be with you.”
The wording wasn’t perfect, but Evan understood what he meant. “I’m ready to go if you are. It’ll take us a few minutes to get to the T Station.”
“Enjoy yourselves,” Mercedes said. “Don’t get in too much trouble.”
Evan made a face at Pierre. “She’s no fun.”
“That’s why I asked you to go,” Pierre teased.
The walk to the train station was quiet. While they waited for the commuter rail, Pierre pulled out his phone and showed him the map for the Mass Transit System. “Is this right?”
Evan loved that Pierre always faced him and spoke clearly. It was fairly easy to read his lips. Unlike with some people who didn’t even turn their heads toward him. At least Pierre made an effort.
Pierre spoke into his phone, and a text popped up on Evan’s screen.
—My son, Jonas, showed me how to do voice to text so I don’t have to type everything. I’m such a slow typer on the phone. My fingers are too fat.—
Evan laughed and responded. —From all the texting I do, I’ve got thumbs like lightning.—
When the commuter rail arrived, they got on and took seats as close to the door as they could get.
“Only ten minutes to North Station. Pay attention.” Evan realized too late how it might have sounded, like he was ordering Pierre to be the lookout.
Pierre winked and saluted. “North Station. I’ll make sure to listen.”
The trip was awkward, and they couldn’t really do much texting with so many people on the train. It was always like this on a game day. Luckily, the trip to North Station was a short one. Evan kept his eyes open and out the window to make sure they didn’t miss their stop.
Pierre cocked his head, and Evan realized he must have heard the announcement for North Station. When the man faced him, Evan gave a thumbs up. “We’re the next stop.”
North Station was a mass of people, many of them headed toward the Green Line.
“Taking the Green Line,” Evan said, hoping the surrounding noise didn’t drown him out. He had no idea what the station sounded like, but he’d been told it was loud at times.
This time, Pierre gave the thumbs up. As they moved through the crowd, they made sure to stay close. As expected, the Green Line was packed. With very little parking in Boston, many people parked in the surrounding cities and took mass transit in.
Once on the subway, Evan said, “Off at Kenmore, then walk to Fenway.”
Pierre only responded, “Good.” It was too crowded to have any kind of conversation, text or otherwise.
Once they left the T, the crowds got even bigger so conversation was impossible.
For them, not for others, Evan noticed. So many people gabbed to friends.
There were times he wondered what it would be like to hear this sound.
However, when Carli got her cochlear implants, she’d said big crowds were the worst, and she often just tucked the devices away in her purse.
Pierre had the tickets out and ready when they got in the queue at Fenway.
“Where are the seats?” Evan hadn’t asked where they were sitting. He assumed it was the bleachers, where he always sat when he came to a game. However, once inside the park, Pierre led him in a different direction.
Pierre showed him the tickets, and Evan’s mouth dropped open.
“That’s right behind the dugout. You got these free?’
Pierre nodded and kept moving with the crowd toward their section. Evan’s heart beat faster with anticipation. When they got to their seats, he stared in awe at how close they were to home plate.
“Wow. Thank you.”
Pierre shrugged. “Someone gave them to me.”
Once they were seated, they could use the phone app easier.
Evan typed. —I want to get a hot dog and snacks at some point, but I’ll wait until the crowds die down.—
Pierre grinned and spoke into his phone. —It’s not baseball without a hot dog.—
Someone next to them said something, but Evan didn’t catch it.
Pierre chatted with the man for a few minutes, and Evan sighed.
It was like being back in school with all the kids talking and laughing, while he didn’t understand what they were saying.
It happened at work on occasion, though he usually ate lunch by himself so others didn’t have to attempt to sign, and he didn’t have to get tired from trying to read everyone’s lips.
Especially as they were all chewing and talking at the same time.
Pierre faced back toward him and spoke into his phone. —Sorry. You need to teach me more signs so I can talk to you better. How do you say first inning?—
Evan showed him the signs, then went through a bunch of other baseball-related signs.
Pierre caught on quick, and they practiced before the game started.
With the new ASL vocabulary, they were able to discuss the players and the recent games easier.
As often happened, other people stared while they signed.
He was used to it, though he’d prefer it if they all just minded their own business.
Once the game started, all eyes were on the field. Evan might not be able to hear the cheers, but he could feel the energy when one of the Sox players got a base run or tagged someone on the opposing team out.
After the second inning, he began to get hungry. He tapped out on his phone. —I’m going to get food. What can I get you?—
Pierre pointed to himself. “I can get it.”
—You drove all this way and got the tickets. I know they were free, but you shared them with me. My treat. A hot dog and what else?—
Pierre texted back a few snack items, and Evan headed toward the concession stand.
He had the order already typed out on his screen when he got to the front.
He didn’t want anyone else to have to wait because the person at the counter didn’t understand him.
And he hated the weird looks he got when he used his voice.
Loaded down with food, he made his way back to their seats. As he handed the cardboard box to Pierre, a woman a few rows behind them waved at him.
“I can sign a little,” she said and batted her eye lashes at him.
“Great,” he said and signed back. Too many people said they could sign, then only used profanity or did some stupid hand gestures that didn’t mean anything.
“Hello. Thank you. You’re welcome. I love you.”
Heat traveled to his cheeks as he replied, “Great job. Thanks.” He quickly sat and grabbed his hot dog and beer. Okay, she used the signs correctly, but it wasn’t like she’d said a sentence. He peeked over his shoulder, and she waved again with a wide smile. What did he even do with that?
Pierre threw him a weird look. Would he be mad that someone flirted with him? No, because he and Mercedes weren’t a couple. They were roommates. That’s it. If they were more, he might not be so kind about them living together.
When Pierre finished his food, he dug out his phone and spoke into it. — Do you have a girlfriend?—
“No. Not for a while.” He voiced, not wanting to have that conversation continue.
—Mercedes isn’t seeing anyone either. That I know of. Is she?”
Evan shook his head and dug out his phone. “Not that she’s told me, but I try to mind my own business. She had some people over from work a while back, both guys and girls. None of them seemed romantic with her.—
Pierre read the text and merely nodded, his expression neutral.
—We were in Boston a couple weeks ago and some guy put the moves on her. She said it was an old boyfriend.—
Pierre spoke into his phone. “It wasn’t Callum, was it?
She hasn’t dated a ton, but he was a real dud.
I think she only dated him because he likes to read a lot and so does she.
She’s very studious. Always was, even in the younger grades.
Always reading. We had to shoo her out of the house at times so she’d get some fresh air.
Then, she’d bring a book outside and read it under a tree or at the beach. —
Another reason she and Evan weren’t a good match. —Yes, she loves her books.—
As if reading his mind, Pierre voiced to his phone.
— A good couple doesn’t have to enjoy the same things.
My wife and I are very different. There are some things that we have fun doing together, but many activities we each do on our own.
It’s actually a good thing to have some time apart.
Living in each other’s pockets can be tiresome.
You know what they say about too much togetherness. —
Evan wasn’t really sure what they said or who “they” really were. He simply knew he hadn’t gotten tired of being with Mercedes. Not yet. Would there ever come a time where he did?