"I'm not bothering you at all; your son is really adorable," Rachel said. "But he seems really interested in the noodles, just staring at them."
"Even if you give him some, he might not eat it. He just likes to be part of the action," the woman replied, gesturing animatedly in front of the little boy.
Rachel paused, then realized the woman was using sign language!
"This child, he..." she blurted out.
The woman explained, "He can't hear, but he knows some sign language, so he can understand simple gestures."
As she spoke, the woman slowly said, "You need to apologize to the auntie," while signing at the same time.
Then Rachel watched as the little boy bowed towards her, seemingly expressing his apology.
Unable to help herself, Rachel gently ruffled the boy's hair. Such a small child, yet he couldn't hear?
Did that mean the sounds of the world were nonexistent for him?
The woman picked up the little boy, and Rachel continued eating her noodles, but her heart felt heavy.
