Echoes of Stillness

Lucas’ World A deaf man in a noisy world, hooked on the art of sign language so he interacts with it. Lucas enjoys the peace and serenity that comes from a quiet world that he lives in. Not having the hope of love and haven’t suffered discrimination from the society he finds himself in. Going to the most populated school in the town wasn’t easy, having to walk down from the school gate to the classroom has always been tough. I hate going to school he said I hate going to school, says he-taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, I go out, nervousness rolls over me. Taking a deep breath and gulping back a little, I stepped outside into the fresh air, tremors from head to toe. As my eyes narrowed and glanced over the young women with boyfriends around me, once again they were exquisite and perfect. Yes I look a mess. A total mess, if you ask me! Lucas said Love isn’t for everyone, including me, he added. Lucas Showing his world through visual storytelling Bianca’s POV A very beautiful, expressive and eager to learn damsel in school. She was always the best girl in her class, and favorite of lecturers.In her early twenties, she was graceful and self-assured, with warm friendly eyes that touched one's heart and a ready smile that would light the sky up for miles around. But quiet, too: a rare beauty of both effortlessness and sincerity.As a communications student, she always felt very interested in how people connect--whether through spoken word, written lines or unspoken thought.Bianca comes from a family that is very well regarded. Her parents, Mr. David and Mrs. Stacey, have done such an excellent job in raising her to be such a girl. Bianca is that student, really eager and takes extra classes like the language classes and she also started learning sign language. Being marked by a desire to learn more, she enrolled in a sign language class. At first, it was just another adroit skill for her as a student but soon she found herself motivated—not just by the language itself, but by the chummy gestures, the verse in stillness. Lucas got used to the whispers from his colleagues , he didn’t need to hear them to know they were referring to him. The suppressed laughter and glances he couldn’t understand but felt all the same - mockery. In class, his classmates, especially the girls, often seemed to be kind , waving at him in exaggerated gestures only to gig. First encounter in the park: The park behind the school was Lucas’ hideout. Beneath the branches of an oak tree, he would usually sit there alone with his sketchbook, drawing shapes, different species of birds, even human faces he could never quite describe in words. It was his quiet world- safe, calm and untouched by judgement. Bianca hadn’t planned to stop there that afternoon. She had just finished her extra classes in sign language. Whilst practicing finger spelling names under her breath when she spotted him. A lonely boy sitting , head bent down, pencil moving fast over paper one could wonder if it was a ghost from her distance. Lucas’ stillness drew her to move to him. Everyone knew him to be the quiet boy who barely engages in conversations, sports or any extra curricular activities in school. Well, instead of walking by, Bianca took the step, then another and approached him. Lucas noted her shadow as it fell across his sketchbook, his eyes darted upward. He quickly closed the page, scared she might laugh at what he had drawn. Bianca smiled, lifting her hands. “Hello. My name is Bianca” For a moment, Lucas stared at her, in disbelief. He wasn’t used to anyone speaking his language- not here, not in this town. Finally his lips curved into the shyest smile. He set his pencils down and raised his hands to respond. “Hello Bianca. I’m Lucas”. Her heart leapt. The signs were shaky, but they were real. She understood him. That day underneath the oak tree, quietness didn’t feel void anymore. It felt like the Genesis of something neither of them could yet express. Chemistry sparks in their awkward communication. Bianca is drawn to his gentleness. After a quiet communication, Bianca walked home that evening with a smile she couldn’t contain. With strides that seemed lighter almost like she was floating. For the first time in a long while she wasn’t thinking of assignments, school projects or even her parents expectations. Replaying Lucas’ gestures filled her Head. The way his eyes lit up when she mimicked the sign for hello. The shy curve of his lips , his smile when she fumbled using the signs, the silent patience in the way he slowed his hands so she could follow along. Oh Bianca chuckled quietly , hugging her school bag close to her chest. Why did that conversation feel so special? She thought to herself , it was filled with words but seemed more special than any she had ever had. At the same time, Lucas is still at the oak tree where they met. The energy around him felt strong and alive. He hastily pulled his sketchbook he always carried. Flipping to the blank page, he closed his eyes and began to stretch from his memory. Bianca’s face formed in pencil lines- the tilt of her head, the way her hair was parked and fell on her cheeks, the dimples that come when she smiles; this was certainly new to Lucas. He was used to drawing buildings , trees, birds and random patterns but this felt different and special to him. Every stroke, he tried to capture not just her appearance but the warmth she had brought into his world. He paused at her eyes, he remembered how they didn’t look at him with pity, the way most people did. Instead they were gentle and alive. Carefully he shaded them. For the first time he felt seen, her presence diffused the walls of invisibility and in return he had immortalized her smile on paper. Bianca, smiling on her bed that night, still smiling into her pillow, had no idea that Lucas had stretched her as if she were the most important person in the world. Second meeting at the park Bianca couldn’t stop the thought of him after their first encounter. Something about his calm charm stayed with her, taking her back to the park the next afternoon. She convinced herself she was just out for the serene environment, but deep down she hoping to see him again. This time, she located him before he took note of her—sitting under the same tree, his sketchbook in his hands, lost in his thought and she went ahead to sit with him. He looked up, surprised but delighted. Bianca smiled, settling beside him. What started as small talk quickly grew deeper—books, dreams, even little jokes. And as the sun plunge lower, painting the sky gold, it was clear—this second meeting wasn’t by cook off. It was the genesis of something unfolding. Two hearts, worlds apart, had unknowingly taken their first step towards each other - a love story quietly beginning in the language of silence.