But He’s My Sister!

Tonight in my ASL class, we practiced how to ask permission and request to borrow things.  Our teacher, Mary, cut out slips of paper with scenarios to act out, and we each had to choose one.  Mine said, “Your washing machine has broken down.  Ask your sister, who lives nearby, if you can borrow hers.” 

I had the easiest scenario, by far, and I got to go last, so I had time to learn from my classmates’ mistakes.  The first lady needed coins for a parking meter, but only had a $20 bill and needed to borrow $1 in quarters.  Another lady was in a restaurant and kept bumping elbows with the left-handed person next to her, and needed to switch places.  The only man in our class, Steve, was at the library and needed to borrow an umbrella because it was raining.  But he couldn’t remember the sign for LIBRARY, so he tried signing “BOOK-BORROW-HOUSE.”  Mary demonstrated how everyone could have asked their requests better, and made them re-sign it.  I was pretty nervous when it was finally my turn.

I signed to Steve, even though I was supposed to be asking “my sister.”  I remembered to give details about what my problem was and why I needed to make a request to this specific person.  I said, “MY WASHING-MACHINE BREAK.  YOU LIVE CLOSE, DON’T-MIND I USE YOUR WASHING-MACHINE.”  Mary told me that the only thing I did wrong was not adding a QUESTION-MARK at the end to show that it was a question, and she didn’t make me re-sign it.  She jokingly told Steve, “You should say, ‘SURE, BUT YOU HAVE-TO PAY TO USE MY WASHING-MACHINE,’” which he repeated.

I looked hurt and signed back,

“BUT, YOU[’RE] MY SISTER!”

Steve laughed and said, “Not until after the operation!”

Every week, I love this class more and more.  And when I got home, about 15 minutes early, my Hearing Cat, Cupcake, was standing on the arm of the couch waiting for me.  Brandt was sitting in his recliner, so he knew I was home thanks to Cupcake’s ‘alert’: