It finally came out one day when she went to the garden with Jiro. He was over by the dirt road while Selina was by the patches of cabbage.

“Hey Sel,” Jiro called out. “Hurry up, you seem like a snail making her way up a wall.”

Selina made a face and turned back to the cabbage, “There he goes again. He has a whole day to do whatever he wants and he’s here complaining.”

“Sel!” Jiro called again. “I really have…”

There it was again. Selina turned around to look at Jiro her heart pumping faster. Selina cupped her hands over her ears and shut her eyes tight willing for her ears to wake up.

“Selina,” Jiro said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

Selina opened her eyes and looked at his worried face.

“Are you ok?” Jiro questioned.

Selina quickly stood up, “Lets go home.”

Jiro grabbed the bag of cabbages she'd left behind and rushed after her.

“Selina! Wait!” Jiro shouted running to catch up with her.

Even as he shouted Selina could not hear his voice. She felt him beside her but could only hear every few words that he spoke. Confusion grew within her which quickly turned into impatient feelings.

“If something’s bothering you just tell me. Calvin didn’t bother you again, right?” Jiro questioned and kept going on trying to get her to talk.

As they passed the usual large oak tree at the corner of the road Selina came to a halt and turned to Jiro angrily.

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Selina sounded frustrated. “I don’t know what’s wrong! I…I can’t hear a thing you’re saying!”

Jiro stared back at her lost, “What are you talking about?”

He noticed Selina look away from his gaze and her breaths became quicker and faster. He realized she had been panicking.

“I…I think…I’m going deaf…” Selina said with tears at her eyes. “It’s not fair! Why me! I still want to hear! What did I do wrong?!”

Jiro stared down at his wife. His noisy, loud, idiotic, slow, pretty wife. Deaf? Impossible. That would never happen to Selina as long as he was alive. Jiro put his arm around her and pulled Selina close.

“No,” Jiro began, “it won’t happen. As long as I’m here that won’t happen.”

He could only hear Selina’s muffled sobs of frustration.

Back at home when Selina was sleeping silently next to him Jiro thought over and over how he could help. He wouldn’t let Selina fall into misery and he’d promised her mother. Here in this village no one was educated enough, so no one would be able to help Selina’s situation. But in the city…the city…

Selina awoke the next morning with Jiro gently shaking her.

“Selina?” Jiro asked. “Can you hear me?”

Selina opened her eyes and sat up rubbing her eyes. Though Jiro was close to her he sounded like he was outside of the room. Selina nodded her head yes.

“I think I’ve come up with a solution…but I need to ask you if it’s ok first,” Jiro told. Selina listened intently as he explained about going to the city and about the doctors there. “So are you ok with it?”

Selina stayed silent for a while making Jiro wonder if she'd been lying to him that she had heard him.

“Yea it’s ok,” Selina said a few moments later.

“We’ll have to let your family know and go as soon as possible,” he told.

“Wait!” Selina seemed to jump up. “No! Don’t tell them about it…don’t let them know I’m…”

Jiro put his hand on hers in comfort, “I promise I won’t.”

With that Jiro left the bedroom. The day was as usual and by the end of the day they received their answer. Jiro had lied to them that he had some relatives who’d really like to see Selina and so on. Filled with excitement her grandparents and mother agreed quickly. Her grandma even suggested that if they had no place to stay they could stay in the house her grandma’s sister never used and her grandparents would pay the monthly bill. In the morning they were all packed up and ready to go.

The ride to Taipei was tiring for Jiro but exciting for Selina, who had never been out of her village. She was amazed at the places and cities they passed. The large bus they were riding on even amazed her. A night passed by and they finally reached the station around noon the next day. Jiro grabbed their suitcase and they found their way through the crowds out of the station. Cars were zooming here and there on the streets in front of them, the large buildings and the streetlights were a wonderful sight to Selina. She felt like Alice in Wonderland.

“Wow! It’s so big! I wonder how it feels like to be in one of those!” Selina exclaimed spinning herself around as she glanced everywhere.

Jiro sighed and took a look around for anyone who looked like they would be helpful and would be willing to help them with directions. Grandpa Ren had written the address down for them, but didn’t tell them any directions, and Jiro had forgotten his way around. A police officer turned around the corner catching Jiro’s eye.

“Selina, wait here,” Jiro told as he quickly walked away.

Selina who had not been listening just nodded yes in reply. As Jiro walked off she noticed a shop filled with antiques across the street. Not knowing that you had to wait for the ‘Walk’ light Selina walked right into the street where cars were going back and forth, back and forth. Seconds later Jiro turned around alarmed when he heard a loud car horn.

“Selina!” he shouted running toward her.

Selina was pushed onto the ground and opened her eyes only when she heard a voice.

“Are you ok?” a voice asked.

Selina looked up to find that a man was crouching over her.

“Oh yea…” Selina said as he helped her up.

“You better watch out those cars aren’t going to stop for you,” the man cautioned as he helped Selina back onto the sidewalk.

“Thank you,” Selina told not understanding the situation.

“I’ll see you around then,” he said with a soft smile and walked away.

As Selina watched him go she was spun around by Jiro who had grabbed her arm.

“Are you ok?!” he questioned.

“I’m fine,” Selina replied.

Jiro looked at her and noticed that she had a scrape on her knee.

“Why did he push you so hard?! You’re bleeding!” Jiro exclaimed.

Selina glanced down at the blood trickling down her leg, “It’s no big deal. Some medicine will help.”

“It’s no big deal?! When we see that guy again I’ll teach him…” Jiro mumbled.

Selina stared at Jiro confused then looked away from him as someone else approached.

“Is everything ok here?” the police officer Jiro had seen earlier asked.

Jiro looked up glad to see that he had come by and started to explain their little situation to him. The officer told them the direction to a drug store and they departed. Selina followed Jiro silently as they made the way to the drug store. After Jiro bought some medicine they found a bench and Jiro bandaged up the wound.

“That should do it,” Jiro said. “We’ll get a taxi next and go to the house.”

“Is that one of the cars?” Selina questioned pointing to a random car on the road. “Oh! It’ll be so cool to ride in one of those!”

Jiro couldn’t help but laugh at her silliness. After flagging a taxi Jiro handed the driver the address and while they were on the way to the house Jiro leaned back staring at the view. It’d certainly been a long time since Jiro had been in Taipei. He wondered if everyone thought he was dead. Would anyone try to look for him, would anyone still think of him, would anyone miss him, where would his friends be and what would they be doing?