Right To Be Heard: Chapter 13
It didn’t take long for Adam’s twenty minutes a day of talk-time lose it’s appeal. Twenty minutes was hardly long enough to have a good conversation. More likely, you were just getting into a conversation by the time it passed. Also, though he had been warned it would happen, Adam really couldn’t believe that he got physically tired after talking for only that long.
If he was honest, it was discouraging all around. And there was no one who really got it. No one in Adam’s large circle of friends who could really grasp how frustrating it was to go to the SLP and do all these things that sounded like nonsense, so that he could train his voice to do what it should have done naturally. Adam liked results. He could have done without the process it took to get them.
He was bored now, having used up all twenty minutes early, in a stupid argument with Sam, who made it his personal duty to stay on Adam’s ass, asking him when he would be available for interviews, if not for studio time. Adam shouldn’t have let Sam know he could speak at all yet, because the man knew how to harass. It was ridiculous.
Because he needed to relax, Adam was on Twitter from his phone, even though he could have accessed it from his mom’s laptop. He’d scrolled through his at-replies and responded to a couple. One was from Anoop, checking in, and the other was from Allison, who felt the need to let him know that Kris lost at Rock Band and she won.
Adam pulled up Kris’ name and sent an at-reply:
Hey Loser, heard Alli beat your ass at RB. Thanks 4 the laugh.
And because Kris had Adam’s replies rigged to go right to his phone, Adam got a response.
Did she tell u that she totally cheated? Because she cheated.
Adam typed: Whatever, dude…don’t be a sore loser, Loser.
The response came fast:
Sorry, g2g. Work calls. Hope u r doing well. Call when its my turn for minutes.
Adam smiled at that. He had so many people excited to talk to him that he had to put them in shifts. His family first, of course. Then everyone else. Of course, that only worked when Sam didn’t call unexpectedly and ruin the whole rotation of things. Adam hated planning stuff out anyway. So this was like torture.
He clicked back to the main screen and saw Allison’s text again. He clicked on her name, prepared to send her a high five or something, when he stopped short, seeing a short message to her from David. It read:
Como la flor. Con tanto amor.
Adam didn’t know Spanish from Turkish, but the little he knew of David from Allison let Adam know it had to be something sweet.
Going on instinct, Adam clicked David’s name and sent him a direct message. The kid had endured his share of vocal problems, and he might have some insight into how to handle things. Even though, admittedly, Adam felt stupid seeking him out - he was busy, he was on tour, all his vocal stuff was in the past - Adam did it anyway.
Wondered if you’d have time to talk/text. Wanted to pick ur brain abt vocal stuff. Msg me back if ur up 4 it.
Closing his phone, Adam opened his journal, prepared to write out some of his frustration when his phone vibrated.
Like magic, there was David’s number.
Hey. Thanks, Adam wrote.
No problem. Hope u r well. Let me know if there is anything I can do 2 help.
Adam hesitated, and then wrote, How did you deal with the frustration? I can only talk 20 mins a day. Not near enough, and it exhausts me.
Haha. Not laughing at u, I just remember those days. Its hard. I relied on God a lot, and the people around me to get me thru. Really not a patient person, tho so it was difficult. Just take each day as it comes. And ur voice is a muscle, just like the in the rest of your body. (Remember choir? LOL) It will take a while to build it up again and get it used to talking. Follow what doc says. Do the exercises and don’t let yourself get down.
Getting comfortable, Adam wrote: Thanks so much. So nice talking 2 someone who gets it.
No problem. I’ll let you know when I’m free and then u can text/maybe call me? Pay attention to your body and what its telling you. If u r tired, rest.
Adam nodded, though David couldn’t see it. Smirking, he wrote: So, how’s Allison?
Fine…
R u 2 behaving?
What? We barely even see each other…
My point exactly, Adam wrote.
David blushed. Then he typed, We’re behaving.
Good, Adam wrote, and tacked on a smiley face afterward.
--
David’s support turned out to be invaluable. They were an unlikely friends - the young sheltered, Mormon kid, and…well…Adam, but people thought that of he and Kris at first too, and they had come around.
They had been texting a few days when Adam tried Kris and got his voicemail.
Adam left the annoyed message, “How am I supposed to call and talk to you if you wont ever pick up your damn phone?” and then decided to give David’s number a try.
“Hey, how are you?” David asked.
He had just been thinking of Adam, actually. Wondering how he was doing with all the voice stuff. He’d tried asking Allison about it, but she said she didn’t know much. David wanted to find time to talk to her, but hadn’t managed to yet. Actually, he could tell she was uncomfortable with Adam not speaking that much, and that kind of got to David, if he was honest. He didn’t like it when people were treated differently, especially if it was because of something they couldn’t help.
“Good. You?” Adam asked, stretching. It was early, but now that he had finally caught up on his sleep he was starting to naturally wake up earlier.
David walked over to the little coffee-maker that he was using to boil water for his oatmeal and poured some in a bowl. “I’m good. How’s your voice feel? It sounds good.”
“Thanks. It feels pretty good.” There was a pause. Adam hadn’t counted on it being kind of awkward to actually talk to David, but it was. “Did I catch you in the middle of something?”
“Nope,” David answered cheerfully. “Just making some oatmeal.”
“Well, I just called to say hey,” Adam admitted.
“That’s cool. How’s everything going?”
“Slow…”
“Yeah, I hate vocal rest, too. I just had to do it the other day, but if it keeps you healthy… You know?”
“So… How’s Allison?” Adam asked.
David laughed. That question made him nervous, especially coming from Adam. Just because it seemed like he could tell if you lied. Not that David had any reason to lie, or that he ever would. Adam was just really intense. Like, he stared at people right in the eyes the whole time they talked to him.
“Why do you always ask me that?”
“Why do you always avoid it?” Adam returned, smiling. It was fun messing with David. He was such a good kid, and there was such a shortage of truly good kids these days. Adam imagined him blushing.
“She’s fine. I haven’t really talked to her,” David admitted. He wasn’t about to tell Adam that Allison avoided talking about to or about him at all cost because it made her so nervous about her own voice.
“Yeah?” Adam teased. “So, what’s all that Spanish junk you tweeted her?”
“Just song lyrics!” David defended, giggling. “They’re Selena’s.”
The Spanish pronunciation of the name brought Adam up short until he translated it. “What do they mean, then, Romeo?” Adam challenged.
David was quiet for so long that Adam was sure he wouldn’t answer.
“’Like a flower. With so much love,’” he said softly.
“Aw. Did she say anything back?” Adam wondered, propping his head up on one hand.
“Yeah, she sent me the next line. ‘I gave it to you and it withered.’”
Now it was Adam’s turn to laugh. “Ouch.”
“Yeah. But I don’t mind. We were just sending lyrics. She didn’t mean anything by it. And it made me laugh,” David admitted, stirring his oatmeal and wishing he had brought a different flavor than apple-cinnamon.
“Yeah, she’s good at that.” Adam answered. “Well, I should let you go eat. Thanks for talking, though.”
“You’re welcome. Call anytime, okay?”
“I will,” Adam said, because he knew David meant it.