Besides

With cochlear implants, Emmi hears. But the fact remains that she is still deaf, and her hearing is not now, nor will ever be, normal. She catches most of everything we say. Remarkably, given what I know from other CI users, she seems to pick up almost all of our conversations, even over background noise. In fact, unless you catch a quick flash of the red light over her ear, you probably would not even know that she has cochlear implants. However, there are times when certain words or phrases just don't come across. No matter how much we try to explain it, we still end up having two different conversations.

Jill and Emmi sat at the table drinking their hot chocolate from Starbucks. Jill had her leg propped up on the chair next to her, since she can't bend it following a tumble off her bike (seriously the grossest injury ever, but completely not the point). I could hear Jill explaining how we were now going to the museum instead of the park because of her leg.

"I can't run around, Emmi. Besides..."

"Your not five," Emmi says. Huh? I replay the last thing Jill has said trying to come up with what Emmi might have heard that sounded like "five."

Besides! "Hey, Jill! Repeat the word 'besides' clearly, while facing her. She heard 'five' not 'besides,' and it confused her," I call to Jill.

Immediately, Jill follows my instructions. "Em, Em. I said 'besides.' Not five. BE-SIDES."

"NO I AM FIVE! YOU ARE EIGHT!"

"Besides..." Jill says again, slowly and clearly.

"NOT FIVE," Emmi yells, now stomping her feet.

Giggling, Jill again says, "Besides." This time just for the sake of stirring Emmi up.

"YOU. ARE. NOT. FIVE." Emmi's fists are clenched and she glares at Jill.

"You are right I am not five, besides eight is better."

And with that, Emmi loses it, falling to the floor, crying.