The Silence Between Us

Because her mother is “a big fan of the saying better safe than sorry,” Maya goes to an appointment with a new ear, nose, and throat doctor (240). As she expects, the doctor says that, aside from her not being able to hear, her ears are in good shape. The doctor asks Maya whether she is interested in cochlear implants (CI). Maya says that she is not, then tunes out while the doctor continues to explain the benefits of CI regardless. It is frustrating to Maya that people will not accept her assessment of her own situation: CI will not help her because it fixes a problem she does not have. Maya likes being Deaf and does not believe that anything in her future would be better if she were not Deaf. When they leave the appointment, Maya throws away the information sheets the doctor has given her mother. She feels angry that her mother would show even this much interest in CI, especially since her mother never even mentioned it before Maya started attending a hearing high school. Her mother tries to explain that she is just keeping the choice open if Maya decides she wants to explore it, but Maya is not mollified.