After Monday I didn't see Emily at all for the rest of the week other than for the class that I had her as a teacher that met on Wednesday nights. That night she looked better than she had on Monday so I assumed she had been sleeping better but she still looked tired. There was no doubt in my mind that the stress of the Gala and the pregnancy itself where hugging a dangerous line. If the Gala stressed her too much then the pregnancy was in jeopardy and vice versa. Though I was looking forward to the Gala itself I was going to be more than thrilled when it was over and done with so that Emily would be minus a lot of stress that she could do without given the situation.
I knew it wasn't so much of a problem if Emily did go into labor at that point of the pregnancy but still every day inside the womb is equivalent to 2 days in the Neonatal Care Unit. The closer to term Emily carried the healthier the baby would be. Thirty-four weeks was still considered premature and the lungs might not yet be fully developed.
Saturday came quickly enough. Deirdre, Elizabeth, Cherry and I all met at the dorm to get dressed. Deirdre and Cherry wore velvety floor length slip dresses of Burgundy and Midnight blue prospectively. Elizabeth wore a black shirt and a black silk skirt with a red rose pattern on it. And I wore a navy blue pin-stripped sundress with a matching long sleeved jacket that tied at the front. In other words we looked pretty darn good.
I drove Elizabeth and Cherry to the Marriott that the Gala was being held at downtown. Immediately Elizabeth was hyper and decided she wanted to drink. I mean really drink as in a cocktail. Which would have been just fine if Elizabeth wasn't a bad epileptic. I was concerned that alcohol would react with her medication and she'd have a seizure. I knew if that happened even though Elizabeth was an adult, Emily and Jane would feel responsible for her and well their evening would be blown. They didn't need to worry about such things and I didn't feel I should have to either. I warned Elizabeth that if she drank she would need to find another way home and I meant it. She laughed at me.
When we got upstairs to the convention center, we were the first to arrive besides I believe four women. Three of the women decided they were going to the bar. This made Elizabeth happy and she went with them much to my chagrin. Cherry, Deirdre and I stayed and talked to the 4th woman named Jada. Jada had a Hearing Service dog with her that we went gaga over. We signed with her for a long time then Bill Dallanty showed up. He's a member of the Deaf Community and an old friend of Cherry's. I had met him before but really didn't know him very well. Cherry spent the rest of the time that we stood outside the conference room talking to him.
Next thing we knew we are being allowed into the room. It was a huge hall. Along the sides of the room were artworks that had been donated to ASLTA, that were to be auctioned off and the proceeds to fund ASLTA. In the center of the room were banquet tables. Toward the back where we all entered the room was hors devours. And centered at the front of the room was a stage that had about 10 rows of seats in front of it.
I was overwhelmed immediately and needed to take a few minutes to collect my thoughts and reign in my emotions. I tend to get over-stimulated. I can only handle so much visual and auditory stimulus at one time. So even though three-fourths the crowd was using sign language it was still a very noisy atmosphere. So I was trying to weed out what my ears were hearing against all the background sounds plus intake all I was seeing with my eyes. I'm not use to doing both and it sometimes becomes a problem for me. That's why I have to sort of desensitize before I can take in more information going on around me.
After I had calmed down I saw Jane and Colin enter. Cherry and Deirdre were looking at artwork. I knew Cherry had no clue her uncle was Jane's date for the evening. I went immediately to find Cherry. She was looking at some Chinese Art done by a Deaf Chinese artist that was exquisite. "Where you been?" she asked when I stepped up to her side.
"Um, watching you uncle and Jane come in together."
"What? Colin's here?"
"Yep."
"Wonder why he didn't tell me he was her date tonight? He knew I'd be here."
"Maybe he didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."
"Maybe."
I turned to look at where Jane and Colin where sitting. Elizabeth had showed up with her drink and was talking to them. I wandered over just in time to see Jane tell Elizabeth, "Drink bad for you."
Elizabeth replied, "One drink not hurt."
I shook my head in frustration at Elizabeth with a sigh of resignation and signed hello to Jane before getting in line for hors devours.
Emily had yet to show up. I tried not to watch for her. I wasn't her keeper and I was supposed to be having a good time. I sat down with my food next to Jada and her pup. Cherry and Deirdre showed up a few minutes later with their food, too. We then proceeded to talk with Jada and the other ladies at our table. They all thought that Cherry was already an interpreter and could not fathom that she were merely a 3rd semester student. They all said we were very brave for coming to the Gala. It was cool how they really thought it was great that we had come.
After we finished our refreshments we again went to look at the artwork that surrounded us. Some of it was amazing and some of it I could have done with a blindfold on and my hands tied behind my back. I found the Chinese art and the southwestern artwork to be the most compelling. The southwestern art was Deaf symbols and motif cut and painted into gourds with Indian design work also. I think the Indian design was primarily Navaho but I could be wrong. It just had that feel to it. There was also some graphic designs done by a Deaf Graphic artist. One was a sign like a road sign that was set up to look like a Chemistry Periodic Table. But instead of the elements it had Deaf symbols on it. It was interesting. Later it sold for one thousand dollars at the auction. I thought it went really high for what it was. But it was still very neat that it was sold for so much.
Somehow we all met up with one another again near where Jane and Colin where standing talking to another gentleman. Jane was in deep discussion so Colin chatted with us. He told Elizabeth and Deirdre how he and Jane met and that Jane had given him a name sign. His name sign was a C shape hand on his left biceps because he liked to press weights as a hobby. He thought that it meant he was strong so the C for his name on his arm was indicative of his strength.
Beth and Dee thought it fun and interesting that Colin was Cherry's uncle. Cherry of course would rather have kept that bit of information quiet. She didn't want people to think that she would gain special favor with Jane because Jane was dating her uncle. That's why Cherry wouldn't let Colin tell Jane how much she loved Jane as a teacher. That was also why Cherry had told Colin if he had Jane over to the house to be sure to let her know in advance so she'd not be there. She didn't want to put Jane in an awkward position of not knowing if she was supposed to treat Cherry as a student or a friend.
I could understand the problem, as it was a very complex problem between Emily and myself. I had to have Emily as a teacher but she was also my friend and I was hers. I had to be very careful at who knew what went on between Emily and myself. I couldn't tell anyone but Cherry if I went to Emily's house. I couldn't tell anyone if we went to dinner together or that I had been to the doctor's with her. I had to keep so many secrets because if it were known then the other 148 students besides Cherry and myself could expect that Emily be that close to them as well. And there was no way she could do that. So we kept a lot of secrets. It's not that they didn't know that Emily and I were close. Some knew that I was who went with Emily and Jane to the hospital that day 8 weeks earlier but they didn't know the extent to which our friendship extended and it had to remain that way.
Jane finally finished talking to the gentleman and turned her attention to us. Her emerald green eyes sparkled with happiness at seeing us. "Good time have you?" She signed.
"Yes," we all replied.
"You meet Colin?"
Cherry and I smiled as Deirdre, Elizabeth and another classmate Kelsey answered that they had.
Colin said, "This is the first time she's taken me anywhere where her students might be."
Elizabeth signed, "Cool" and giggled drunkenly. About that time the Master of Ceremonies indicated that it was time for the auction to start and for everyone to find his or her seats.
The auction was interesting as it was done in ASL with an interpreter voicing what was being said instead of the other way around. I couldn't see over people to always know what was being bid on or what the bids where and I couldn't always hear to know either. Because I was sort of lost between the two Worlds I sat and played with Jada's dog that was more than happy to let me scratch his itchy places.
There was an intermission in the auction process after about 45 minutes where we all got up and mingled. It was then that we saw Emily for the first time that evening. She looked so pretty. It was a marvel that we recognized her at all because she shocked us by wearing a.... dress. Not just any dress but the gown she had been roped into trying on all those months earlier when Elizabeth took us all to try on bridal clothing. If it hadn't been for the very pregnant belly Emily would have looked much like a Greek Goddess. Her long salt and pepper hair hung in a loose braid down her back. The dress itself was reminiscent of the dress one pictures Elizabeth Taylor wearing in Cleopatra except that it was a deep sky blue. The blue of the dress set off her cobalt eyes and her hair. She looked radiant and everyone who saw her smiled as she passed. For once Emily looked every bit the beautiful woman she is.
We none approached Emily then as she was talking to colleges and doing her thing as a representative for Wolf Lake. I, however, would turn my gaze to her from time to time just to be nosey or perhaps out of concern. Everyone I saw her with commented on how stunningly beautiful she was and congratulated her on the upcoming birth of her child. Most seemed only slightly surprised by the fact that she was with child. Only a few were out and out flabbergasted. Everyone was happy for her and I was happy that no one questioned her choice, not that I really expected anyone to. But Deaf Culture is much more to the point about things so if they had a problem with something I tend to doubt they'd have held back their thoughts or feelings.
During the intermission there was a Deaf Comedian who took the stage. I couldn't see her that well either because I'm such a shrimp and what seemed to be the giants of the world always manage to stand in front of me. But what I did see was funny. She would compare hearing and Deaf people. Seeing how Deaf people perceive hearing people can be quite eye opening. Being that I am from both worlds sometimes I wasn't sure how to take the jokes but in general she was most entertaining. I remember that she had us all clapping in rhythm to her signing a sort of song. It wasn't a song, as hearing would sing but a song none the less. It had rhythm and rhyme and was very funny but don't ask me what was said because I haven't a clue. I just laughed when everyone else did.
Finally the auction was over and everyone mingled again. I took pictures of people and of course Jada and her puppy. We went to locate Jane and had pictures taken with her. She gave us all hugs. It was the first time that she'd ever stopped being a teacher with all of us and been just Jane a member of the Deaf Community. Neither Cherry nor I had ever received a hug from Jane before and we felt special because of it.
After we left Jane and Colin we looked for Emily. By this time Deirdre and Elizabeth were elsewhere because Deirdre had locked her keys in her car. She was panicked and Elizabeth in her hyperactive mode was with Deirdre to wait for a locksmith in the underground garage where we'd parked. Cherry had met a gentleman named Todd from Michigan and was happily conversing with him off in a corner when I pulled her away to join Kelsey and I for a round of picture taking with Emily.
Emily wasn't hard to find as she had grown tired and was sitting outside the conference room with a friend of hers from Georgia. Emily introduced us to Sarah. She taught ASL in Atlanta, Georgia. Sarah had grown up and went to the same Deaf Residential School as Emily. They had remained close friends throughout the ensuing years even with all the miles between them. Emily told us that normally if she took a vacation she'd fly down to visit with Sarah or Sarah would fly home and they'd spend a week or more catching up on old times.
Sarah did the honors of taking our pictures with Emily. I was very happy to have that picture of Emily because I doubted, unless there was a miracle, we'd ever see Emily in a dress again. I signed after the pictures where taken, "You look beautiful."
"Thank you. Me have formal clothes fit now not. Dress me need. Me like not. No choice. Pretty but sad only wear one time. Waste money."
"Well you could always try, have another baby after this one, " I teased.
"Dream on." she laughingly signed in return before she stood. "Me tired. Me go home."
We all gave her a hug and parted company. It was a special night and that we who got to attend will soon forget. Of course my threat of leaving Elizabeth behind if she drank fell through. She rode home with Deirdre. Kids.