TUS NUA – ch 45

TUS NUA – ch 45

New Beginnings – Mia and Midnight

(*)(*)(*)

Mia looked at the two young children who looked around the room, searching every face frantically.

“Nora, it looks as though they’re trying to figure out who we are.”

“Mia, for the last two weeks, they seemed, well, if not happy, at least comfortable here. As I was putting their lunches on the table, all hell broke loose. They stared at me as though I were a complete stranger. Tauri, rather than give them lunch, gave them ice cream hoping that might settle them.”

“Actually, Nora, we all are strangers to them, aren’t we?”

Then Mia had an idea. Nora listened and wondered if that solution could be just that easy.

“Nora, it’s worth a try. They, well especially Caroleena kept searching our faces and looking around the room. Do you know where Alistar put that photo?”

“It’s in the desk drawer behind the stairs.”

Mia wasted no time in retrieving the photo and as she perused the photo, felt an abundance of sadness. “Nora, they were such young children. I guess you haven’t heard any more about how they died?”

“Last I heard they were still examining the remains but that was two weeks ago. You’d think by now they might have a clue. I can’t help but also wonder if the children in the photo are or rather were in any way related to these little ones. It’s just a gut feeling so I can’t help but wonder.”

“Mia, at least because of the posters, we know the names of the two that went missing. And once the examinations are completed, their remains will be released to their parents for proper burial.”

“Well, Nora, guess we’d better see if these children recognize the ones found. Wouldn’t it be ironic if they do?”

Mia walked towards the two children and gently touched the shoulder of the older girl with her left hand. Both were still sobbing hysterically but Caroleena looked at Mia who then tried a calming spell, hoping for the best.

“This spell will bring you peace,

Calm your nerves and put you at ease.

You’ll find a comfort for all to see.

This I wish you; so, mote it be.”

She turned to Nora and said, “Cross your fingers.”

Caroleena’s sobs although didn’t fully stop, slowly but surely began to quiet.

Mia gently ran her hand down the Caroleena’s soft hair and then asked Nora to approach.

Forgetting that the girls were deaf, Mia slowly held out the old posters of the young girl and her boyfriend who’d gone missing years earlier.

Before Nora could sign the question if Caroleena recognized either of them, she screamed, “Mama!” and began sobbing louder.

Nora looked at Mia who returned her confused glance. “Deaf? Mute? Now, she’s calling for her mother? Is it possible she’s not deaf, after all? Only traumatized?”

Mia replied, “Wow, I never once thought of that.”

“Oh, my starts, Mia, me either. None of us did. This opens a whole new world for these children.”

Mia squatted in front of Caroleena, calmly grasping the little girl’s hand and asked, “Caroleena, do you know this girl?”

Caroleena looked quizzically at first, then slowly, nodded. “Mama,” she said as she pointed to the girl in the photo.

Tauri raced over. “Did Caroleena just speak?”

Nora nodded. “We all missed it. We never thought of deafness by emotional trauma. Once she saw these posters, she knew her maam. Now, we can tell the authorities who they are.”

“Who are you speaking about? What a trip! I’m wiped out! Guess I’m getting old!”

They turned and with relief saw Finola, Dara and Alistar standing in the middle of the room.

Mia hurried to Finola and as she embraced her great aunt said, “Aintin, Caroleena can speak and hear. It’s a long story, one that Nora can fill you in on later, but the girl can speak and recognized the photo of the missing young teen. Caroleena and Jenny are her daughters.”

“Oh heavens, praise the God and Goddess!” She looked at the girls who were now eating bowls of strawberry ice cream, thanks to Tauri.

With a sigh of relief, Alistar commented as he walked to the desk behind the stairs, that they now needed to urgently call the authorities.

Tauri saw that Caroleena had finished her ice cream and offered her more, “Caroleena, would you like some more?”

The child looked at Tauri with a blank stare. Mia walked over and asked, “Caroleena, do you remember me?”

Again, Caroleena demonstrated a blank stare but pointed to Mia’s empty hand.

Finola suggested, “Mia, pick up the photo and show her again.

As she did, Caroleena all but screamed, “Mama!”

It was Evangeline who offered a new suggestion. “I have a feeling that the word mama was the first and only word she’d ever spoken. If the young girl in the picture is her maam, she was probably teaching her how to speak. Then for whatever reason was no longer around to continue and that’s why these children can’t communicate. Let me try something.”

She walked to the table where the other women were sitting and grabbed a heavy book. Now, Evangeline quietly moved behind the children and slammed the book to the floor. At the sound, Caroleena jumped with fright but her sister, Jenny still seemed oblivious.

“It appears that Caroleena isn’t deaf, but her sister is. They both need intensive medical care, but Alistar is correct. We need to call the garda. They’ll need to notify their grandparents and then hopefully, they’ll take custody.”

The children had finished their dessert and Alistar picked up his phone.