Daddy, Did You Hear That Bird?: The Miracles of Hearing, Family, and Love

by Calvin L. King

Overview

On a cloudless spring day nearly three years after Cal and Michele met, they stood before a preacher and Cal promised to love Michele and to give her everything. Soon after, they began an almost fairy-tale existence of wedded bliss, complete with a white picket fence, two cats in the yard, and a perfect family—including the baby girl Michele always wanted.

They had carefully planned and prepared for the arrival of their daughter, Lourdess, whose name means “miracles of healing.” Although she entered the world perfect, the standard hearing test mandated by the state produced spirit-crushing results. To their shock and disbelief, their wonderful little angel had profound hearing loss.

Daddy, Did You Hear That Bird?: The Miracles of Hearing, Family, and Love shares the touching story of how they got through the trials of having a deaf child, including the natural grieving process they experienced upon learning the news. Even though they wondered about her future, their strong personal relationship helped them overcome the stress that destroys some marriages burdened with caring for a special-needs child. The toughest tasks involved working with service systems and professionals who were guiding them through the process. Through it all, they had each other and the knowledge that God was there for them, always.

Daddy, Did You Hear That Bird? reminds us that love always trusts, hopes and perseveres but it never fails. As Cal and Michele yearned for a miracle, a striking and poignant series of events would reveal a miracle no one saw coming.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781491719909
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/10/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	162
File size:	247 KB

Read an Excerpt

DADDY, DID YOU HEAR THAT BIRD?

the miracles of hearing, family, and love

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By Calvin L. King

iUniverse LLC

Copyright © 2014 Calvin L. King
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4917-1988-6

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CHAPTER 1

HOW I MET HER MOTHER

A summer of love leads to family

Although April Fools' Day jokes are best played early in the morning, some happen to linger on well past good timing and wiggle their way into the late afternoon. The colorful clock in the comfortable room at Texas Children's Hospital read 4:00 p.m., and in our minds this signaled the end of any reasonable patience with this particular gag. Lourdess had been anesthetized well before 9:00 a.m., and despite Michele's persistent inquiries to the beleaguered surgical hostesses and nurses, we'd heard nothing. The smart, young doctors who had conducted the auditory brainstem response procedure on our baby girl had disappeared without a trace. This gold-standard hearing test and analysis should have taken no more than two hours. We had endured at least eight unsettling hours of anticipation.

Just before our tolerance of the waiting game reached a boiling point, the youthful-looking doctor in a pristine white coat, flanked by three residents, parted the doors on the opposite side of the room where our baby slept peaceably and strode purposely toward us. I grabbed Michele's hand when I read the doctor's face and body language. His stoic countenance and solemn proclamation caused my heart to sink. I fought courageously but without success in stopping the waterworks. My mind made an urgent plea: Be strong now, Cal, be strong. Michele's grip was firm and desperate. Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Mr. and Mrs. King, I can't recommend cochlear implants for your daughter." He paused, shook his head, and took a measured breath.

In that instant all our prayers and faith over the last six months that Lourdess might one day hear our loving voices melted away. The support of our family and friends had been for naught. Even though Lourdess had failed several other ABRs, this one was supposed to be different. Maybe the other experts had been right. God had clearly decided that we would be the perfect parents to love and rear a profoundly deaf child, despite the fact that that destiny had never been in our plans. Our years together were supposed to be uncomplicated and magical, including my promise to give Michele the perfect baby girl she had always wanted.

In that moment when my loving wife's eyes beckoned to me for comfort, I gently touched her face and searched deep within for the right words to say. Neither one of us noticed that the doctor wasn't quite finished with his assessment of our daughter's condition. My mind had already wandered back to the wonderful beginning of our journey together toward dreams of white picket fences. It had all started with a simple phone call nearly three years before, just a month after the Y2K scare.

* * *

Tom covered the mouthpiece of the phone and called to his confidant in an exasperated tone. "Hey, Michele, would you come in here, please?"

The tall woman's eyes moved gracefully from her workstation to her boss's spacious executive office overlooking the vast Houston center city skyline. Clearly her boss had been agitated and she would have to settle him down as only she could. He'd been like a gracious father to her these last several months. She in turn tried to make his life in the office as peaceful as she could.

Michele was determined to make something of her life. She had moved to Texas from the Midwest with her two young boys to make a fresh start and better future. Tom watched over her with the care of a doting father. He cast a wary eye upon any stray trying to swoop down upon her. She returned the kindness by being the most attentive assistant she could be.

Tom greeted his protégé with a smile even though he had just slammed down the receiver of his phone after grousing with a misguided colleague.

Michele giggled and then asked, "What's up, boss man? Don't let anyone get you all worked up today. It ain't worth it!"

Her warm voice immediately calmed him.

"You're right as usual. Life is way too short. Anyway, I need you to get on the phone with that new guy Cal King over in operations and set up a meeting. Let me tell you he is one sharp young executive. He's making some changes over there that make a lot of sense. They should have brought him in a long time ago instead of guys like the one I just talked to."

"Sure, Tom. Do you want go to his office, or should I have him come here?"

"Have him come down here. He probably needs a break from his shop."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll get him," said Michele.

A few days later, after a lighthearted exchange on the phone with Michele, I headed downtown to meet with her boss. I rode the elevator up to the executive floor of an imposing skyscraper and wandered around the eerily quiet office space in search of the lady with the silky smooth voice who made me laugh out loud over the phone. A young man noticed me and kindly pointed me in the right direction to Tom's enclave.

When I rounded a corner, I saw a woman so stunning that my eyes hurt. Oh my God, she is fine ... super fine! I hoped my face conveyed nothing but the customary professional courtesy instead of the ocean of infatuation washing over me like a tsunami. Over the years I had developed an attraction to tall women. When she stood up, we were eye to eye. I slipped to the very edge of her personal space to behold her beauty and stature. The distinct fragrance of her perfume danced in the air.

"Hi, you must be Cal. I'm Michele. We spoke on the phone. It's so good to meet you."

My normal bravado evaporated. The young, tongue-tied nerd who didn't know how to interact with girls suddenly reappeared. She bailed me out by extending her hand. The softness and warmth of her gentle touch shot a soothing wave up and down my back. A voice screamed in my head: Say something, dummy!

"Hey, you! It's good to finally put a face with a name! How's it going?" I said.

Just then Tom stepped out of his office and extended a firm handshake. I wished it had taken him longer to come out to greet me.

"Hey, Cal. Come on in."

"Do I have to? I'd rather stay out here and chat with this young lady!" Finally the man of charm and wit returned.

Michele giggled and then nudged me ever so gently toward the expansive office.

"You better get in there and talk to him, or he'll be a grouch and it will take me the rest of the day to get him right again."

Tom shook his head.

"She's right. Let's go."

It was all I could do to concentrate on Tom or anything he said after seeing Michele. My mind lingered on her lovely frame, the smile that warmed the room, and the way she looked at me when she touched me. I had never believed in love at first sight, but there was no mistake—we had an instant connection. When Tom invited me to sit at his small conference table, I chose the seat facing the door so that I could catch glimpses of her.

I couldn't wait to finish my business with him to get back to Michele's workstation to interact with her again. Everyone knows proper business etiquette requires visitors to spend a few moments with the assistant who arranged meetings, in order to introduce themselves and then express gratitude for any kindness after the meeting. I felt like that moment could not arrive fast enough.

"Thank you so much, Michele," I said when the meeting was over. "It was so good to finally meet you, my dear! I expect to see you again soon."

"The pleasure is all mine, Cal. Tom told me you're new in town. How do you like it here?" Her eyes twinkled and her perfect smile warmly welcomed me into her world.

"I love it here. There is so much to see and do. I'm just so busy that it's hard to find time to get around, see, and experience everything in the city, you know?"

"I understand. We're busy here too. Maybe I can show you around sometime. Let me know."

Her tone was tender and sincere. I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"I'd absolutely love that. Let's try to do it real soon. Deal?"

"Deal. I'll be in touch."

During some late summer days the Texas Gulf Coast plays host to storms that bring strong winds, crashing waves, and ferocious downpours. On a night when the winds howled and heavy raindrops traveled a horizontal path to their final destination, I stayed high and dry in the confines of my dimly lit office. Unlike the nearby raging coastal waters, the sea of cubicles outside my door, which served as daytime nests for the staff, were placid. The constant whirl of copy machines, printers, and ringing phones had long since died down as everyone in my shop but me braved the storm and swollen expressways to reach the dry safety of home and loved ones. The roaring deluge pelting my office windows served as the only background noise as I purposely pecked away at an e-mail I expected Michele to open early the next day.

Just a few seconds after I gently moved my ergonomic mouse, pointed to the send icon on my monitor, and left clicked, I threw my head back and chuckled. A message with the subject line "What are you still doing there?? Call me!" popped up on the screen. Apparently Michele had also taken refuge from the tropical storm in the safety of her workstation. I fumbled for the speaker button on my phone and attacked the keyboard. She answered on the first ring.

"Hey, you! I can't believe you are still at work. Can you believe this wind? Is it always like this in the summer?" I said.

"Yeah, it's crazy outside, but at least we're not wandering around out there and stuck on the freeway. You couldn't pay me to leave even though nobody else is here. The place is like a ghost town. Tom's out for a short vacation, and I'm trying to catch up on some things. I knew you'd be there, Cal."

"I know." I slowly swiveled in my chair, leaned forward, plopped my elbows on my desk, and buried my face in my hands. "Nothin' else to do," I said glumly as I rubbed my head and covered my eyes with my fingertips.

"We gotta get you a life, man," Michele said, taking charge. "All you do is work. We're going to go out! Are you available this weekend?"

"Ah ... yeah!" I lifted my chin off my hands and sat straight up. At that moment I remembered my boss had given me four tickets with box seats to a major league baseball game. I had thought about simply passing the tickets along to some employees, but then I realized that this gift from my supervisor presented a chance to finally ask Michele out. "Maybe we—"

"That settles it. Let's do this. Meet me Friday at seven at the Starbucks near the Galleria. After that I know a great place we can have dinner."

"Okay. That sounds great actually." I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

When date night finally arrived, I methodically pulled on a soft pair of chinos, slipped on a powder-blue polo shirt, and slid into shiny brown loafers. I took full measure of myself in the huge mirror above the marble vanity in my bathroom. After spritzing on a couple of shots of cologne I quickly left my apartment and slid into my SUV. I grabbed the wheel and took a cleansing breath. You can do this, Cal!

When I pulled open the glass door, entered the Starbuck's lobby, and looked to my left, a lump rushed to my throat. A woman with Cover Girl beauty gave me a friendly wave. Oh my God, is that her? The demure woman dressed in business-casual attire outside of Tom's office was nowhere to be found. This Michele sat on a wooden bench dressed in black pants and a halter-top outfit, her face covered with a lovely smile. My heart almost stopped. I managed to compliment her.

"Wow, you look amazing." At the same time I thought, This woman is so far out of your league. No way can you handle this.

"Thank you. You look handsome. Are you hungry?"

"Sure."

Michele seemed to feel comfortable being in charge and directing traffic. After all, she was the gatekeeper for a powerful executive.

"Good, you drive," she said. "We'll leave my car here and pick it up later." Her voice was confident and strong.

When I pointed out my car, she walked toward it quickly, with the sure movements of a New York runway model: head up and eyes forward, commanding the attention of everyone in her wake. I followed meekly along and had to do a quickstep in order to make sure I waited for her at the passenger door.

"Hey, turn left up here. I want to show you something that I think is one of the coolest things in town."

Within three or four blocks we were parked on a major thoroughfare near one of the most magnificent man-made waterfalls I had ever seen. While I still sat in the driver's seat, staring at the water wall with mouth agape, Michele had already burst out the passenger door and started a majestic stroll across the street to join the tourists and onlookers at the foot of the giant wall. I fumbled with the door handle and had to jog to catch up with her. Just when I reached her side, she looked around for me. Whew!

"Cal, I love coming here. Isn't this cool?"

I nodded my head in agreement and considered the overwhelming deluge crashing seventy-five or a hundred feet and raising a mist of water that tickled my face. The sun had begun its descent below the skyline, and dusk slowly settled on those of us gathered at the base of the monument. The park's floodlights slipped on, and I beheld Michele's striking beauty as the sun gave way to a picture-perfect summer's eve.

The night was nothing short of magical. We enjoyed salads, bread dipped in olive oil, and sumptuous pasta, while our courteous waiter kept the wine flowing. Three hours were spent discussing everything under the sun and laughing at each other's corny jokes and quips. The pace of the expressive exchanges was torrid with one-upmanship in full effect. She quickly went from being out of my league to bosom buddy. I lost complete control and snorted loudly during one belly roll, and I thought Michele was going to choke after taking a sip of her drink at the same time I made the pig call. The cue to leave came when the waiters began to stack chairs at empty tables and the managers turned down the lights in various deserted sections of the restaurant.

Two days later Michele and I were perched behind the dugout of Houston's Major League Baseball team, whispering in each other's ears, giggling, and trying to catch foul balls. The box seats were phenomenal. After the game we drove to the suburbs, shopped while holding hands, and had dinner at a local steak house. In the weeks that followed I spent more and more hours with my new friend.

One weekend she called me to tell me she was on the way over to my place to take me for a ride and hang out. Michele had guessed quite correctly that I had been in the office nearly all morning after a workout at the crack of dawn. She convinced me that I owed myself some leisure time.

I decided to stroll out to my parking garage so that when she arrived in her Jeep Cherokee we could just roll out and be on our way. My mouth dropped when she drove up in a pristine, pearl-white, top-of-the-line Lexus SUV with the sunroof open and the Bose speakers thumping out a hot R & B tune.

She threw back her head and laughed when our eyes met. The blonde mane flowed freely behind her.

"You like my ride, dude?" she yelled over the blaring tune.

"Oh my God! Look at this thing. Whose car is this?" I chuckled, shook my head, and looked around to see if any of my neighbors were looking.

"Never mind that, man. Go back in the house and grab a pair of swim trunks and then we can roll."

With that we were on our way sightseeing, heads nodding to the soulful beats, and laughing in the total comfort of sundrenched leather seats. After a quick stop at Starbucks for venti iced mochas, we meandered around several neighborhoods and ultimately approached a magnificent iron gate fortifying one of the most exclusive subdivisions in town. The security officer in the guardhouse waved, grinned, and shook his head in wonderment when Michele threw him a kiss. We wound through streets of a village lined with breathtaking estates that towered above lush landscaping until we reached a stately, stucco-clad manor tucked neatly away in a secluded cul-de-sac. Michele pointed the Lexus into the cobblestone driveway trimmed with decorative lighting and parked in front of two huge wooden doors in the shape of a byzantine arch.

"We're here. Let's go!"

As usual I followed slowly behind as Michele made a statuesque stroll toward the appointed destination—only this time I paid little attention to her because I stood totally mesmerized by the shear elegance of this family's estate.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from DADDY, DID YOU HEAR THAT BIRD? by Calvin L. King. Copyright © 2014 Calvin L. King. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments, ix,
Introduction, xi,
Part I: Love Wins,
Chapter 1: How I Met Her Mother, 3,
Chapter 2: Family Planning, 13,
Chapter 3: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, 22,
Part II: The Love Child,
Chapter 4: A Weeklong Odyssey, 35,
Chapter 5: Family Matters, 47,
Chapter 6: The Gold-Standard Test, 57,
Chapter 7: Molded in Love, 67,
Chapter 8: Santa's on the Way, 77,
Chapter 9: The Journals, 87,
Chapter 10: Dolly's Baby, 95,
Part III: Memorable Moments,
Chapter 11: Yeah, Mon!, 107,
Chapter 12: Only Her Hairdresser Knows for Sure, 118,
Chapter 13: It's No Joke!, 123,
Chapter 14: The Miracle Baby, 133,
Epilogue, 141,