by Anju Gattani
Bichari - Poor (an expression of pity or sympathy.)
Bindi - Ornament used by women to decorate the forehead. Tiny, colorful accessories available in different colors and designs and placed between the eyebrows. Bindis were originally worn by married women to show their marital status but are now used as a form of decoration.
Brahma - The Creator of the universe, good and evil, light and dark. The first god in the Hindu triumvirate, or trimurti. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. The other two gods are Vishnu and Shiva.
"Bus choot jayegi” - The bus will leave.
Challo - Let's go.
Chana masala - A spicy, tangy and sweet chickpea curry.
Chapati – Whole wheat, circular flatbread cooked on a griddle.
Chikan – Also known as chikankari. A type of white-on-white embroidery that often includes shadow work, used to decorate a variety of lightweight textiles such as muslin, silk, chiffon, organza, net, etc. Modern Chikan embroidery may be worked on pastel colored fabrics.
Choti Sahiba - Little Madame
Chotte Sahib - Little Master (younger male member in the family).
Churidar - Skin-tight trousers made from cotton and cotton-silk fabrics, cut longer than normal, which allows the fabric to cluster in folds about the ankles.
Dadi - Paternal grandmother
Dal palak – A protein-rich soup of lentils and spinach flavored with spices.
"Dekho, dekho!" - "Look, look!"
Diwali - Hindu festival of Lights occurring anywhere from mid-October to mid-November. It involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the Hindu God Lord Ram’s return after fourteen years in exile and his triumph of good over evil.
Diya - A cup-shaped clay lamp with a cotton wick, lit to dispel darkness on religious Indian festivals.
"Doctor ko bulao." - "Call the doctor."
“Driverji speed pakro. Late ho rahi hai.” - “Please hurry up, driver. We’re running late.”
Dupatta - A long scarf that compliments many south Asian women's suits (salwar kameez).
Ganesh - Hindu god with an elephant’s head, widely worshipped by most Hindus. He is known as the Remover of Obstacles and Lord of Beginnings and honored at the beginning of rituals and ceremonies.
Ghagra - Woman’s clothing which is popular in the northern and western areas of India. The attire consists of a blouse, a full-length skirt and a matching stole. It is usually worn on religious occasions, ceremonies and weddings.
Ghazal - Originating from Arabic and Persian literature, it is a poetic form of expression consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter.
Ghee - Clarified butter
"Hai Ishwar!" - "Oh Lord!"
Halwa - Soft, Indian sweet that is made from a variety of ground nuts, semolina or ground flour. This is cooked in clarified butter and sweetened with sugar.
Harmonium - A type of free-reed organ in the shape of a keyboard that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal held in a frame.
Hathphool - An Indian bracelet joined to a ring(s) by a chain.
"Hatto Chowkidaar." - "Move aside, security guard."
Havan - A metal vessel that contains a consecrated fire wherein offerings are made to the gods. Used during special occasions such as marriages, births, and home inaugurations.
Hindi - Official language of India, widely spoken in the northern regions.
Insaaf - Justice
“Jaldi jaldi” - Hurry, hurry
"Jaldi karo!" - Hurry up!
Juttis - Silk shoes that fit snugly round the feet and taper to a delicate curl above the toes.
Kaki - A term of respect used to address an older woman.
Karva Chauth - A festival that usually falls in the month of October, 4 days after the full moon, chiefly celebrated by married Hindu women from the northern part of India.
Kesar Barfi - Saffron flavored, dense, milk-based sweet.
Koyal - Cuckoo bird. Glossy, black bird that makes a loud cooing sound.
Krishna - The central figure in Hinduism known as the supreme being and believed to be the eighth and most important avatar of Lord Vishnu. He is usually depicted wearing a yellow, silk dhoti and a crown made from peacock feathers.
Kundan – A traditional form of Indian gemstone jewelry that originates from Rajasthan and Gujrat whereby gems are mounted in gold foil instead of prongs, a technique used most often in the construction of elaborate necklaces.
Kurta - A loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, traditionally worn by men. Women wear a straight-cut kurta or its shorter version, the kurti.
Lakshmi - The Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity. She is the wife and shakti (energy) of Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the Supreme Being in the Vaishnavism Tradition.
“Log kya kahenge?” - "What will people say?"
Maali Kaka - Term of respect used for elderly male gardener.
Maang tikka - A piece of jewelry that consists of a hanging ornament at one end and a hair pin at the other. The pin is attached to the hair in such a way that the ornament dangles at a woman’s hairline.
Mahal - Palace
Maji - A term of respect used for mother-in-law (previous generation).
Mandap - A temporary, covered structure with pillars erected for the purpose of a wedding. The four pillars symbolize the four parents who worked hard to raise the children. The main wedding ceremony takes place under a mandap.
Masala movie – An Indian cinematic production that combines comedy, romance, action, song, and dance in dramatic or melodramatic plots.
Matki - Round earthenware pots that are narrow at the top and bottom with a large middle section, used to hold water.
Megha - Cloud
Mehndi - A form of body art from Ancient India in which decorative designs are created on a person's body using a paste created from the powdered dry leaves of the henna plant. Henna tattoos.
“Mein kholoo, Choti Sahiba?” - "Should I open the door, Little Madame?"
Memsahib - A married or upper class woman.
“Memsahib, koi aaya hai.” - "Madame, someone's here ‘[to see you]."
"Mera photo aisa hi laina." - “Take my photo like this [in this pose].”
Mithai - Sweet, referring to Indian sweetmeats.
Mogra - Arabian jasmine flowers with a sweet and delicate scent.
Mutter korma - A tangy, creamy curry made with peas and Indian cheese.
Naak - nose
Namaste - Indian form of greeting performed with hands pressed together, palms touching, fingers pointed upward, thumbs close to the chest, and with a slight bow of the head. The equivalent of ‘hello’ with an element of respect.
Nettipattam - Distinctive golden head covering worn by elephants during temple festivals in the southern regions of India. Meant to symbolize Lord Ganesh in full splendor.
Paan - A preparation combining betel leaf with areca nut and other mouth-freshening condiments, widely consumed in the Indian subcontinent. After chewing, the juice is either spat out or swallowed.
Paisa - A monetary unit in India. One paisa is equivalent to 1/100 of a rupee.
Pallu - The loose end of a sari.
Paneer - Indian cheese
Paneer korma - A spicy, Indian Mughlai curry made with yoghurt, coconut, cashews, and chunks of Indian cheese.
Parajay - Loss
Pashmina - A type of fine Kashmiri wool.
Phera - Wedding vows that constitute seven circumambulations around a sacred fire. The vows are considered unbreakable with the God of Fire held as witness to bless the couple’s union.
Phool gobi - Cauliflower
Pithi - A paste made from turmeric, chickpea flour and rosewater and rubbed on the bride and groom’s legs, arms, and face t
o cleanse the skin.
Puja - The act of worship.
Punarjanam - Rebirth
Pundit - A learned sage. In India, the term is used to refer to priests.
Raita - A refreshing side dish made from yoghurt, spices, vegetables and herbs.
Rajasthan - The largest state in India located in the north western region, comprising most of the wide Thar Desert, also known as the Rajasthan Desert.
Rajkumar - Prince
Rakesh - Lord of the night.
Ram - The seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ram is a major deity in Hindu religion and the central figure of the Hindu epic Ramayan.
Ravana - Originally a great devotee of Lord Shiva, Ravana is also the primary antagonist in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana where he is depicted as a Rakshasa, the Great demon king of Lanka with ten heads and twenty arms.
Rupee - The common name for the currency of India. From 1995–1998, the U.S. Dollar to Rupee exchange rate fluctuated from about U.S. $1 = Rs.35 to about U.S. $1 = Rs.42.
Saafa - Turban-like headwear for men, worn by the groom and others at weddings.
Sachchai - Truth
Sahib - A respectful Indian term of address for a man meaning Master/Sir.
Sahiba - Respectful Indian term of address for a woman.
Salwar - A pair of loose trousers with a light fit around the ankles.
Salwar kameez - Popularly known as the Punjabi suit. The traditional dress of women in the Punjab region of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. The outfit comprises a pair of trousers (salwar) and a tunic (kameez) that is usually paired with a scarf (dupatta).
Sanskrit - An ancient Indo-Aryan language of India and the primary language of Hinduism.
Sari - A garment worn by women from the Indian subcontinent that consists of a single drape of fabric, varying from 5–9 yards in length and 2–4 feet in breadth. It is typically wrapped around the waist with one end draped over the shoulder.
Shanti - Peace
Sheetal - Cool/Gentle (wind)
Sherwani - A knee length, full-sleeve coat that buttons to a stand-up collar, worn by men in South Asia.
Shloka - A two-line verse in praise of god.
Sindoor - A red powder (vermilion) used by Indian women to streak the part in their hair to indicate their married status.
Sitar - A plucked string instrument of the lute family that is usually four-feet long and has a gourd-shaped body. The instrument is widely used in Hindustani classical music.
Tabla - A membranophone percussion instrument originating from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of a pair of drums used in traditional, classical, popular, and folk music. One drum is slightly larger than the other. During play, pressure from the heel of the hand is used to vary pitch.
Taiji - Term of respect used to refer to a father’s older brother’s wife.
Tandoor - A cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking.
Thali - A large metal platter with a raised edge used for dining (as plates) and also in rituals and prayers to hold the prayer items.
“Theek hai.” - "That's fine."
Tisandhi - The arising
Upma - A thick porridge or soft cake made from dry roasted semolina or coarse rice flour.
Varmala - An Indian wedding garland that is usually strung with flowers and rupee notes and exchanged by the bride and groom. The garlanding of flowers ceremony takes place at the commencement of the wedding ceremony.
Vardhaman - Rising
Wallah - Guy
Yaar - Friend/Dude/Mate
“Yahaan rakhoon, Choti Sahiba?” - "Should I keep it here, Little Madame?"
Zardozi - A type of metal embroidery used on Indian textiles and costumes, derived from an ancient Persian artform that predates the Mughal empire. Different shapes of metal and wire (springs, coils, strips, ribbons and discs) are used. Wedding attires are renowned for this type of embroidery.
The Moon Above
Brett Davis
In memory of Jean Marcel Nicolas/Johnny Nicholas, a Haitian in the Dora camp who pretended to be a U.S. Airman. This tale is what his life might have been like had that been true. The tale of a Tuskegee Airman. Johnny Nicholas’s dream is to fly airplanes—an impossible dream for a Black man in 1930s America. After WWII started, the Army launches an experimental program to train Black pilots in Tuskegee, Alabama. Against this parents’ wishes, Johnny boards a train headed to the segregated South. But even the rising death toll of World War II may not be enough incentive for the government to allow Black pilots to fly bombers.As Johnny grows convinced that the war will end before he sees a battlefield, the Tuskegee airmen are ordered to the European front. In Italy, reality quickly dispels his daydream fantasies of dogfights and glory, and one unshakeable Jerry on his bomber’s tail paves the way to a hell that few men escape and a mountain of bones that reach to the moon.
Chapter One
I Learn a Trick
Father worked in the window of the small room, the only good natural light in the kitchenette. First, he put down a thin layer of silver, so smooth it appeared featureless until he tilted the big board and the sun caught the nooks and crannies of the wood. When it dried, he began laying in tiny specks of black, and thinning them out, sometimes licking his thumb and running it across them to water them down. Then he laid in tiny flecks of white, treating them the same way. After a while, his thumb became gray.
I watched him most of the time he worked. He sank into the job, occasionally surfacing to notice me and to smile. When he thought about it, he offered random pieces of advice.
“Just take your time. If you're going to do something, do it right.”
He kept his brushes in an old green tool kit that made a sound like a mousetrap when he opened it. He found the smallest brush and began adding tiny spots of brown, then, squinting as if blind, he made their edges lighter, almost gold. It was something you could only see if you looked very closely.
“Fake rust,” he told me with a smile, like it was a joke and we were the only ones in on it.
The words came next, big red ones that spelled out something. I was young and I couldn’t read. The name of a grocery store, he said, over on 49th Street, down the way. He wasn’t done when the words were dry. He put in small shadows under the letters, raising them up until they seemed to float. When he was done, it looked like a metal sign instead of a cheap board covered with paint.
“I hope they don’t put it outside in the rain,” he told Mother.
“Tell them not to.”
“They don’t listen to me.”
He leaned the sign against the apartment wall, carefully, in case some parts weren’t quite dry. It looked like a metal sign from any angle and in any light. He would never have settled for less.
“Looks good,” Mother said.
Father stood up, balled his hands into fists at the small of his back and arched like a cat. Something popped deep inside and he gave a small groan of pleasure. “It’s a good piece of wood. Derek did a nice job of trimming.”
Father didn’t care to alter the wood, he just liked to paint it. He always had someone else do the cutting.
“I think the paint has something to do with it,” Mother said.
I felt maybe he needed some kind words from me, too.
“It’s really good,” I said.
He laughed and rested his gray-thumbed hand on my head.
“It’s just a fake, Johnny. It’s pretty but it’s not what it seems to be. You just be careful with things like that. Some people want metal but they’re only willing to pay for wood.”
Chapter Two 2: The Fall
I was born in Alabama but don’t remember much about it. I was four years old when Mother and Father moved to Chicago, taking me and my sister Katherine. I’m sure I was startled at first. Chicago is all noise and bricks and dirt and stockyards and trains. The cows are there just to be killed, the trees are sparse and kept on reservations. Bu
ildings rise up everywhere, square and squat, tall and slim. I was scared when I saw it through the train window. But it was in Chicago that I grew into myself. Katherine was older when we arrived. She was already into herself, or thought she was. She was not at all scared by Chicago, and she should have been. I think we started to lose her that day when we pulled into Union Station.
I don’t remember any buildings in Alabama. I remember only Grandfather’s house. We all lived there, too, Mother and Father and Katherine and me, but it was always Grandfather’s house, never Father’s.
Grandfather was a farmer. I believe now that he was a tenant farmer for another family. He had his small house made of gray boards that no longer fit well together, so that the gaps served as windows and ventilation. The yard was wild, full of tangled and scrubby bushes that made a great obstacle course for a careening child. I treated the yard as my personal jungle and Mother let me; she could always hear me fighting with imaginary lions and tigers as I pursued them through the trackless wilderness in front of our house. And, of course, she could usually see me through the gaps in the walls.
A lean, little-traveled road ran near the house, as thin and crooked as a stream. On the other side of the road, the fields began, the fields where Grandfather and Father worked. Those fields seemed to extend forever and were off limits to me because Father and Grandfather and other men worked there with animals and sharp implements. But the work was really Grandfather’s pursuit. Father detested farming. He hated everything about it; hated the mules, hated the plow, hated the crops for growing and hated the scythe for cutting them down. He was content to let the Earth do what it wanted, which is why our front yard looked the way it did.
Father wanted to be an artist, but there was no opportunity for that in Alabama. He had taken to painting on unused two-by-fours with old mismatched house paint other people gave him, paint he would never have considered actually using on the house. He painted what he saw, hills and cows and blue skies and towering white columns of clouds, with tiny black people below them scratching out a living. Occasionally, he would use one of his boards to fill a gap in the rotting walls of his father’s house, lending brightness here and there. I can see them in my mind, but I don’t know if I actually remember them; he talked about them a lot and put them in my imagination. Most of his pictures he gave away to anyone who expressed an interest, and probably more than a few ended up filling gaps in other houses the way they did in ours. I like to think that a few are still out there, maybe tucked under a sagging window or holding up a porch rail, but I’m sure they’re all gone. Either the houses themselves have been destroyed, or the cheap paint Father used has faded and the wood has gone back to gray.