Derrick King - Love for a Deaf Rebel: Schizophrenia on Bowen Island

Love for a Deaf Rebel:
Schizophrenia on Bowen Island

By Derrick King

Copyright 2021 by Derrick King

e-Book Edition ISBN 978-981-18-0575-2

Published in Singapore by Provenance Press

Pearl is priceless, so this book is not for sale.This book is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0(International) License. Everyone is free to download, print, copy,search, reuse, modify, redistribute, or link to this book providedthis book is cited and the author is identified. For licensedetails: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing inPublication Data

Name(s): King, Derrick.

Title: Love for a deaf rebel : schizophrenia on BowenIsland / Derrick King.

Description: Singapore : Provenance Press, [2021]

Identifier(s): OCN 1243509349 | ISBN978-981-18-0574-5 (pdf) |

ISBN 978-981-18-0575-2 (ebook)

Subject(s): LCSH: King, Derrick--Marriage. | Love. |Man-woman relationships. |

Deaf--Marriage. | Mentally ill--Marriage. |Deaf--Family relationships. |

Schizophrenics--Family relationships.

Classification: DDC 306.7--dc23

Never Comes the Day words and music by JustinHayward, Copyright 1969 (Renewed), 1970 (Renewed) Tyler Music,Ltd., London, England. TRO-Essex Music International, Inc., NewYork, controls all publication rights for the USA and Canada.International copyright secured. All rights reserved, includingpublic performance for profit. Used by permission.

This is a true story. Most written conversations areabridged from transcripts. Signed and oral conversations arerecreations from notes and records. The author tells the story ashe experienced it, with Pearls earliest history revealed last. Thenames of living persons have been replaced by pseudonyms.

Dedication

To Pearl

Sometimes with one I love, I fill myself withrage,

for fear I effuse unreturnd love;

But now I think there is no unreturnd love

the pay is certain, one way or another;

(I loved a certain person ardently,

and my love was not returnd;

Yet out of that, I have written these songs).

Walt Whitman

Sometimes with One I Love, 1860

Contents

Part I: Together in Love

Part II: Partners inAdventure

Part III: Divided byDestiny

Part I: Together inLove

Under the Clock

I walked into a roar of conversation, bought sushi,and shuffled through the lunchtime chaos of the Pacific Centre FoodCourt, looking for a seat. Umbrellas and overcoats dripped wateronto the white tile floor.

A black-haired woman sat under the clock,her back to the wall, scanning the crowd with radar eyes. Herporcelain face, brown eyes, and high cheekbones gave her face along-distance presence, yet her elegance was neutralized by a browndress and a perm. Her drab style contrasted with the gaudy colorsand big hair of the 1980s. She wore no makeup or jewelry. Her radarlocked on to me as I looked for a seat.

The seat opposite her became vacant. Ielbowed my way through the crowd and sat down. I was wearing a bluesuit with a white shirt and a silk tie; like most bankers, I onlyremoved my jacket on the hottest of summer days.

I loosened my tie. I ate while she studiedme with the barest hint of a smile. I smiled at her and lookedaway. She looked at me while she ate fish and chips and sucked downthe last of a Coke with a gurgle.

What are you staring at? I finallysaid.

She pointed to her mouth and then to herright ear.

Are you deaf? I said, at first puzzled andthen surprised.

She nodded.

I took the gold Cross pen from my suitpocket, picked up a napkin, and wrote, Spicyhorseradish.

I turned my napkin to face her. She read itand smiled at me as if she expected me to write more.

I wondered why you looked at me. I nevermet a deaf person before.

I watch lips. If you speak and I ignoreyou will think I am rude. I dont want hearing to think thatdeafies like me are rude.

Can you lipread? I said.

The woman shook her head.

Most people never look at each other.They only look at the floor. Thats why I spoke to you.

She smiled. We are 200,000 deafies inCanada. Our language is ASLAmerican Sign Language.

Im getting an ice cream. Do you wantone?

The woman scribbled on the tattered napkinand pushed it across the table.

Almond.

She smacked her lips, grinned, and put thenapkin in her purse.

I bought two ice cream cones atBaskin-Robbins and stuffed a handful of napkins into my pocket. Themusic of Madonna played in the background. We sat on a bench in themall and continued to write. I noticed her fingernails were badlychewed.

Congenitally deaf?

The woman shrugged.

Born deaf?

Mother had measles at 4 months pregnant.Lucky not 2 months or I am blind and deaf.

I smiled. Thats life.

Thats me. I accept my deafness. Mychildren will be hearing. She looked at her watch. I goback to work. Nice to meet you.

The woman stuffed the napkin into her purse anddisappeared into the crowd as I watched her walk away.

I went back to the food court just before noon. Thesilent woman was sitting at the same table under the clock. Shelooked up and waved at me. I sat down. She looked at meexpectantly. She seemed to be about my age, almost thirty, yet herface hadnt a wrinkle.

I reached into my suit and pulled out a fewsheets of paper and my pen.

I remember you.

She put down her chopsticks and wrote,Ha-ha.

How are you today?

I feel bothered about my real estate. Iam stuck to pay mortgage and apartment rent.

You must have a good job to afford twoplaces.

I work at the post office. I sort mails.Managers and union fight. Something not nice to work there. Goodpay but I have Medical Lab Technician diploma at St. Paul TechnicalVocational Institute. They have interpreters there.

Then why do you work in the postoffice?

After divorce I come back to Canada toVancouver because a lot of deafies in Vancouver so I can get a goodjob. But no hospital would hire me. All refused because I am deaf.I got a temporary job at the post office. She turned the paperto face me so I could read it and then took it back and continuedwriting. Six years ago. Temporary. Ha!But I am lucky tohave education and job not to be unemployed. Most deafies areunemployed80%. 1/3 quits high school.

I studied too. Electronics engineer, butI work for a Dutch bank. Boring but better than a post office job!I study Spanish at night school. I will start an MBA in September.I want to work in another country. I taught at night school, so ateacher and a student at the same time. My name is DerrickKing.

Pearl. Pearl pointed at herself, looked upto check the time, and mimed punching a time-clock. I must go.15 minute walk back and PO is strict. Bye!

Whenever I went to the food court at my usual time,just before noon, Pearl was sitting under the clock, and we startedwriting.

I met my husband at TVI in St. Paul buthe is from North Dakota.

How long were you married?

9 months. Then I found him in a gay barin Fargo! She stuck out her tongue and hung her wrist limply.I lost my mobile trailer down payment from mothermy weddinggift. All my furnitures. That was 7 years ago.

I pointed at Fargo. My wife and I weremarried in ND too! A strange coincidence.

How long were you married?

7 years.

Who left who? And why?

She left. She said she didnt want to bemarried anymore. She said she was a feminist so she needed to besingle. As soon as she could support herself she told me she didntneed a husband