04: Dyslexia and Dyscalculia (Part 2)

"Sir, so how can he read and write if he doesn't know the alphabet?" 

"Yeah. How can he spell out his name?" 

"He can talk but he can't write?" 

The questions from the class erupted again as Justin explained what is the learning difficulty disorder called dyslexia. As they talked upon the story, Justin shushed them softly and the noise calmed down a bit. 

"He needs to get therapy. It costs a fortune, so his mother, Jane, cannot afford it. How can they sustain their daily needs if you will have to add it on? The question is, how can Justin survive from being like that forever?" Justin asked the children. 

*** 

THE YEAR 2005 

"How much is the therapy, doc?" Jane asked while darting her eyes from Justin to the doctor sitting across her. 

The doctor sighed and said, "You can receive special treatment for him for a one to two hour time from teaching professional. It costs about 4,000 pesos per hour. If you want to go for therapy for him, it would cost at least 8,000 pesos per day."

Jane widened her eyes and gasped. She can't believe how it is so expensive for them. Her job as a housemaid in Sy's mansion was not enough. She got paid 5,000 pesos per week on that house in exchange for her service, no more than that. Justin's supposed therapy for his dyslexia is much higher than her salary. 

"I-it's... i-it's so expensive," Jane stuttered as she locked her gaze towards the doctor. 

"I know, ma'am. But you can have an alternative, if you can do it, maybe Justin will get better a little bit," the doctor said. As the doctor explained the alternative therapy for Justin that Jane can do at home, she cannot focus on it. She is anxious about Justin being labeled as a kid without knowledge of the language they are talking about. 

"... and as you can see, ma'am, you have to do this for Justin," the doctor finishes his explanation about the alternative therapy. Jane nodded as if she understood it even if it is not, and said a thank you. The doctor wrote the summary on a clean piece of paper and gave it to Jane. Jane bowed as she received it and said thank you again. 

When their appointment had ended, Jane hustled Justin and they left the office of the doctor. She held Justin's hands as she pressed the elevator button that was going down to the first floor and waited. 

Justin looked at her and asked, "Mom, what did the doctor say?" 

Jane looked at him and said, "He said, you look healthy. You should eat more apples." 

She smiled as Justin giggled by what his mother said. She caressed Justin's cheek as the elevator door opened and they squeezed inside. The elevator is packed with people, so Jane gripped Justin's hands tightly. In a matter of seconds, the elevator door opened and everyone went outside to different hallways of the ground floor. 

When the two are walking towards the cafeteria to get something to eat before going home, someone grabs a hold of Jane's arm and the person faces her suddenly. 

Jane is holding Justin's hand as she saw that the one who gripped her right arm is Stan! 

"Jane," Stan said. Jane opened her mouth and gasped. She furrowed her eyebrows as she fumed. This is the time again they saw each other after 3 years of separating. 

"What are you... doing here?" Jane asked furiously. 

"How are you?" Stan asked hastily. Jane locked her eyes to Stan's like the tears brimmed in it.

"Fine... after you left, "Jane said sarcastically.

"Jane," Stan pleaded. 

"Please, Stan. Don't ever show up right in front of our noses. It's not funny," Jane said. As Justin looked at Stan, he didn't recognize him so he shook his mother's hands. 

"Mom, who is he?" Justin asked as Stan looked at him longingly. Jane shifted her eyes and glanced at Justin. 

"Justin, it's just a stranger who asks for direction, hm?" Jane said quietly. Stan closed his eyes and looked the other way as Jane said that to their son.

Justin nodded and waited for them to wrap up the talk. 

"Jane, I just want to see Justin," Stan mumbled as tears dripped down his cheeks. Jane shook her head and gripped Justin's hand close to her waist. 

"Mark my words: You will never see him again," Jane said, infuriated, and turned her back suddenly. Justin followed and just stayed quiet as Jane looked upon the sky so as not the tears to fall down her cheeks. 

'I miss you, Stan. But I cannot forget what you did,' Jane said in her thoughts. 

***

"Justin didn't recognize his father at that time. He was only three years old when he was kicked out of the house, and he was left alone with his mother. His grandfather joined them, and Justin's condition is getting a lot worse than Jane never imagined," Justin said. 

*** 

THE YEAR 2005

"Dad, can you please teach Justin the letters 'K' to 'O' now? I need to go to Sy's mansion immediately. The head maid will be furious at me," Jane shouted from the bedroom while she is still prepping up for work. 

"When will you be back?" Jordan asked her. 

"I don't know, Dad. Anyway, it is just a ride away from our house. It's not much longer than that," Jane said as she put some essentials on her backpack. The year 2006 is getting closer, and Justin will turn 7 at the time January hits the calendar. She picked up the square metal case that holds her savings and counted it. 

"Jane, don't exert your body much further. It's okay for me living like this," Jordan said then approached her daughter. Jane counted the money as she glanced at his father. 

"Dad, I'm saving up for his birthday. And I thought we could enroll him in a private school for him not to be late," Jane said. Jordan sighed. 

"Jane, we both know what Justin's condition is," Jordan said. 

"Yes, Dad. But he is... he is improving, right? He can now say the basic alphabet. He can now read aloud with the letters being apart. I thought we could give it a try," Jane explained then she sighed exasperatedly. 

"Jane, when was the last time you two visit a doctor?" Jordan asked his daughter. Jane got speechless by that and just sulked her shoulders down. 

"It's my opinion for my grandson to be checked upon a professional. Instead of saving up for his birthday, Jane, why not save up for cheap therapy for him?" Jordan asked. 

Jane shook her head and said, "It's obvious, Dad. I can't afford it." 

"You can use the money you saved up for his birthday in his therapy. Jane, you are a mother now. I understand the pain you are going through," Jordan said. 

The tears fell into her cheeks and looked at his father. Jordan held out his left arm and steadied himself on the cane supporting his balance as Jane approached his father. She cuckooed her head into his father's chest like a baby and howled.

"Why does Justin have to live like that, Dad?" Jane asked her father while crying. 

"God knows, Jane. He will not grant it to us if he knows we can't survive it," Jordan said as he soothed his daughter's hair. Jane cried and cried until her eyes got puffy. 

*** 

"Sir, why does his mother want to save up the money for his birthday, not for his therapy?" One child asked Mr. Ramos. 

"Because... Jane missed Justin's joyful look whenever he celebrated his birthday. Everyone is happy with their birthdays, but Justin's celebration is different. When his father left the house, Jane never saw it again. And that is one thing she wished to see again, Justin's lovely smile," Justin told the class. 

*** 

THE YEAR 2006 

"Happy birthday, Justin!" Jane and his father, Jordan, surprised him. Justin smiled slightly as he observed the cake on the center table with the number 7 in it. His smile vanished as he tried to recognize that figure on the birthday cake. 

Jane looks longingly towards him, waiting for that lovely smile to arrive. But she didn't see anything. Her eyes felt droopy as she looked at his father. Jordan smiled sadly and shifted his eyes towards Justin again. 

Justin pointed slowly at the number on the birthday cake as Jane and Jordan's eyes followed where he was pointing. 

"What... what is that, Mom?" Justin asked. 

"Huh?" Jane asked back as she realized that Justin was pointing at the number standing at the top of the cake. 

"What is that figure, on the cake?" Justin asked while he was still looking into it. 

"Justin, it's a number. I taught you that, right?" Jane asked him.

"No... I don't recognize it... Mom, what is it?" Justin asked while shifting his eyes from the number and looked at his mother. Jane froze at her place and was unable to move from it. She looked at his father. He also had the same reaction to Jane.

"Justin, didn't you recognize the number 7?" Jane asked while waiting for her child to respond. 

He shook his head and held it. Jane's tears are on the verge again as she realizes that Justin is not getting better, as opposed to what she thought.

Jane took a step back, gasping, her breath quickens as she realized that Justin is not normal towards other kids. She swallowed constantly and looked at his father.

"No, no. Why?" Jane said over and over again quietly. Jordan held out his arms, and Justin looked at his mother, puzzled by Jane's actions. Jane put her hands over her mouth, howled, and ran upstairs. Justin's eyes followed her until it was out of his sight.

"Grandpa, what is happening to mom?" Justin asked his grandfather. Jordan approached him and patted his head. He licked his lips and said, "She is happy to see that you are a 7-year-old kid now."

"Really, Grandpa? Why is she crying?" Justin asked.

"It's okay, Justin. Your mom is just so happy today, hm? Don't worry about it," Jordan said to his grandson. Justin nodded as he looked on the stairs again, confused.

Meanwhile, Jane burst the master's bedroom door open. She slammed the door closed and felt the tears pouring continuously out of her eyes. She looked into the thick mattress, the one she shared with Stan for 4 years and glared at it furiously.

"It's your fault, Stan. It's that damn cheater's fault," Jane mumbled angrily to herself while weeping. She put her arms around her knees, bowed her head into it, and felt her shoulders shaking.

"Justin, my baby. He will not be normal," Jane mumbled while her lips quiver. She sobbed over and over again. She cannot control the tears from coming. Someone knocked on the door, and she had no strength to open it.

"Jane, Justin is so worried for you," Jordan said through the door. Jane cried silently.

"Please, Dad. I want to be alone for now," Jane mumbled. She is sure that his father heard it.

"I will explain to Justin. Come out after you have gotten better," Jordan said. Jane heard the rustle of the feet and knew that his father left the door. She cried again and felt that it will not end.

*** 

"Little did they know, he had another condition. Another learning difficulty disorder that causes problems in an individual's ability to learn number-related concepts, perform accurate math problems, problem-solving, and perform other basic math skills. It is called 'Dyscalculia'," Justin elaborated. 

"So, sir, where did he get it?" One girl asked. 

"As for Justin, he is a kid who was born with it. So we may say, in science terms, that his condition is inherited either from his father's or his mother's family," Justin answered. 

"How did the story go?" One boy asked from the back of the room. 

"We just started, children. The rising part of the story is beginning," Justin said.