Mrs David and my mother were former classmates. The main reason my mother wanted me to study at Stanley School was because Mrs David is teaching there. I was really worried why she wanted to see my mother. May be Mrs Mathew and Mrs david must have discussed about my homework. I tried to explain. She just walked off.

When I came back home, I saw Amma was in the kitchen, leaning on the gas cylinder, drinking her coffee and talking to Akkachi. I tried to read her face to see when is the best time to announce my death sentence.
“Amma, I need a new english work book”
“ok”
She only said OK, instead of the usual ‘what happend to the previous one to in my days how one book was sufficient for the entire school year to how expensive the books are now a days.’
Perhaps it is a good sign
“Amma, Mrs. David wants to see you tomorrow”
“What did you do Nina this time?”. She stood up and I ran out of the kitchen. I didn’t want get beaten now. I could hear her yelling. “Nina Thomas, come back here now”
I quickly went to my usual hiding spot, inside the banana-tree thicket. It is my spot. I tried to be very careful not to touch the tree sap as I entered the thicket. The sap would stain my clothes. I squatted on the floor and pulled a leaf over me. I could hear Amma screaming my name and searching for me. I crouched down further, tugging my clothes, so she won’t see my uniform through the gaps in the thicket.
From where I sat I could see Appa coming home with Liza and Sally. I know it is safe for me to come out and I slowly crept out.
I avoided amma the whole evening by staying close to my father. They were not talking to each other and I was safe with my father. I ate dinner my with Appa. Amma stayed in the kitchen while we ate. After I dinner I went to bed straight, claiming I am tired.
The whole of tuesday I spend worrying about the impending earth qauke. Just before the dismiss bell rang I sw my mother walking to the staff room. I thought of running away, but I had no money for the bus ticket.
I waited for my mother outside the staff room. She came out staring at me.
“Nina, did you have any problems hearing your teacher in the class?”
I asked “Why amma?”
“Mrs. David thinks you may have some hearing problems”
I didn’t want to tell amma that I could never hear anything the teachers said in the class.
Because Mrs David insisted on getting the hearing test, Amma took me to the Kottayam District hospital to get the check up. The doctor asked me my name and I responded. Then he closed his mouth with a paper and I had no idea what he was saying. He then placed a tuning fork on my head and asked me if i could hear it in both ears. I wasn’t sure.
He told my mother
“your daughter certainly has hearing problems. How bad is it, we can only find out with an audiogram”
I was given an appointment the next day for an audiogram. The report showed that I only have 70 % hearing ability in one ear and completely deaf in the other ear. The doctor suggested further check up at All India Institute of hearing in Mysore. After getting the report from the Doctor and as we were walking out of the hospital my mother told me,
“ I had asked Dr.Ching to abort you and he assured me since I had measles in my 4th month it won’t affect the baby”
As we walked home I wasn’t sure what mattered the most, The fact that I am deaf, or the fact that my own mother wanted to abort me.
We walked past the shrine for Mary, mother of God in front of BCM college and I saw the lighted sign “Ave Maria”. Every time I pass in front of that shrine, I said my Novena. Today I was angry with Mary, mother of God for making me this imperfect. I didn’t say my novena.