CH - 2

When Claire's sister, returned from her college at 2pm, they all sat together to have lunch with their father, who was also waiting for his younger daughter's arrival.

Claire told every body about the strange girl, she had met in the morning.

David listened to her silently. He then asked, " Hm..that's really strange. Come to think of it, how did she come in?? Did she knock the door before entering the room??"

Claire was also surprised when she remembered this. She said, " No, Dad...She didn't. when I stood up to go to the washroom, I saw her standing just behind me, so I was just startled to see her there."

David said, " What, how can a stranger enter a house without any permission!? That's ridiculous."

Claire said, " No Dad, we maybe wrong. I think she also lives in this locality. So, when she saw someone new moved in here, she just came to see or may be wanted to be a friend with us."

Teresa Gilbert, their mother intervened and said ," That's right, that's right, young girls like to make new friends when they see someone new in the locality. It's nothing strange about it. Invite her in, next time she comes, ok. After all, not everyone is bad, right."

Hannah said," Yeah, When she comes again, we can make friendship with her."

They had their food then, David took a little rest. He woke up after sometime, got ready and went to his shop.

After a week, both the sisters were at home.They didn't go to their classes, because it was a holiday.

At about 11pm, both had taken their bath, and their mother was taking bath then.

They got a call from their father who said that he wouldn't come home for lunch because he had to go to the market to purchase some medicines, and that he would take his lunch out. So, he told them, not to wait for him.

Claire hang up the phone and looked at Hannah, who was flipping through the pages of a women's magazine. She, suddenly, saw the girl standing just behind Hannah.

Claire came over and said, "Hello there, we meet again. That day, you came but you suddenly vanished without waiting for me, I was worried for you, so I went immediately to look for you, but you weren't there."

" Anyway, I'm glad you came again, Hannah, please bring over a chair for her." Hannah nodded and smiled.

She hopped to bring a chair for her, but the girl kept standing.

Hannah asked, " What's your name ? "

But both the sisters saw, the girl didn't say anything just stood there silently.

Claire said, " l think now, i understand why she went off that day. Actually, she cannot speak."

Hannah added," Yeah, you are right, I think, She's deaf too, because whenever we are telling her to sit or talk to her about something, she doesn't respond. As if, she can't hear us."