Terrified...

(CT, Summer 2006)

After three weeks living in Connecticut a mother of Jakobs classmates called and asked if she could pick me up and show us the town. We could go to the duck pond , to the beach and have lunch or ice cream. My English was very poor at this time so it took Dorothy long to explain to me what a duck pond was. She made duck noises.

Talking on the phone was a very difficult experience for the first months. It makes a big difference if you are standing in front of somebody and talking or when you just hear the words. Your hands, eyes and the whole body are big helpers when you can not find the right word. In the first several weeks I was terrified when our phone was ringing. Especially in the beginning I did not know how many commercial calls we would get. I always thought it was something important. I think I even made one appointment for a chiropractor for me and Jakob, without really knowing. I felt horrible, helpless like my grandmother…

Anyway, Dorothy and Claire, her daughter, picked us up. Jakob and Clare had fun together, even without talking. Dorothy and I found our way too. Somehow...