by Tricia Dower
Guff—Cajun for the Gulf of Mexico.
Le souper—Cajun for supper.
Peeshwank—Cajun for runt.
Poodoo—Cajun for no class.
Make do-do—Cajun for go to sleep.
Ohm—Cajun for home.
Phi Phi Don—an island in Thailand between Phuket and the Andaman Sea coast of the mainland.
T—Cajun for little when affixed to first name.
KESH KUMAY
Ayee—exclamation of excitement.
Ala Kachuu—bride kidnapping, a common practice in rural Kyrgyzstan in the struggling post-Soviet economy as it reduces wedding costs. Some brides are willing participants (as they are in western elopements). For those who are not, the practice is illegal, but the police seem reluctant to enforce the law.
Ama—affectionate name for mother.
Ata—affectionate name for father.
Bishkek—a wooden stick used to churn mare’s milk as it ferments into koumiss; also the name of Kyrgyzstan’s capital city which was renamed after the wooden stick in 1991. Between 1926 and 1991 the capital was known as Frunze in honour of a Bolshevik military leader.
Chai—milky, spiced tea.
Chanach—pouch made of animal skins that have been cleaned and smoked over a fire of pine branches to give koumiss a special smell and taste.
Erf—exclamation of disgust.
Jailoo—mountain pasture, 2500 meters or more above sea level, used by Kyrgyz nomads in summer to graze flocks of sheep, horses and cows.
Jooluk—ceremonial white scarf tied around a kidnapped bride’s head to indicate her acceptance of the marriage.
Kalpak—hat made from four panels of white felt with traditional patterns stitched into it as decoration. It is worn by males of all ages, especially in rural Kyrgyzstan, and is a symbol of the nation’s history. Plain white ones are often reserved for festivals and special occasions. Others intended for everyday use may have a black lining.
Kesh Kumay—“kiss the girl” or “chasing the kiss”—a traditional folk game in which a man on horseback tries to catch a woman on horseback and kiss her.
Komuz—an ancient fretless string instrument used in Kyrgyz music, closely related to other Turkic string instruments and the lute.
Koumiss—the traditional drink of Kyrgyzstan, made from fermenting milk in a chanach. It is mildly alcoholic.
Manas—the hero of one of the world’s great pieces of oral literature, The Epic of Manas, twenty times longer than The Odyssey. For centuries it was recited. The first full written version appeared only in the 1920s. In the ’30s through the ’50s, The Manas was eliminated from school curricula and certain parts of it were reinterpreted to support communist philosophy. Manas was a Khan of the Kyrgyz, reputedly born in the Talas region of northern Kyrgyzstan. The story relates his trying to create a homeland for his people and fighting off various neighbouring hordes.
Manaschi—professional and highly valued reciters of The Epic of Manas.
Oomiyen—amen.
Shirdak—traditional felt rug made by sewing patterns of contrasting felt together using patterns often inspired from nature such as mountains, animal horns, and birds. Shirdaks are used by the nomadic Kyrgyz to decorate yurts.
Som—the currency of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. The som was introduced in 1993, replacing the Russian ruble. The word means “pure” in Kyrgyz and implies pure gold.
Ulak Tartysh—wrestling on horseback for the carcass of a sheep or goat. Two teams of an equal number of riders play on a field that is 300 meters long and 150 meters wide. The opposite sides of this area are the “gates,” marked with flags. Placed in the center of the field is a carcass of a goat or sheep, weighing an average of 30-40 kilograms. One game is 15 minutes long. The objective is to seize the animal carcass and deliver it into the gates of the contesting team. The players are allowed to pick up the carcass from any place within the limits of the field, take it from their rivals, pass it or fling it over to their partners, carry it pressed to the horse’s side or suspended between the horse’s legs.
Yurt—traditional felt tent-like home of nomads who live on the steppes of Central Asia. Wooden poles connect the latticework walls on the bottom of the yurt to the hole in the middle of the tent for the smoke to escape and light to enter. The wood frame is then covered with felt and sometimes with canvas.
DEEP DARK WAVES
Hickety, Pickety, My Black Hen—an English nursery rhyme and child’s song: Hickety pickety, my black hen / She lays eggs for gentlemen; / Sometimes nine, sometimes ten, / Hickety pickety, my black hen.
NOBODY; I MYSELF
AME church—African Methodist Episcopal Church founded in Philadelphia in 1816.
Conked hair—hair straightened with chemicals.
COCKTAILS WITH CHARLES
Mentsch—Yiddish for decent human being.
Meshuge—Yiddish for crazy, senseless.
Tukhes—Yiddish for buttocks.
THE SNOW PEOPLE: 30-46 AGM
Aaka—grandmother.
Aapa—grandfather.
Air scooter—based on the Air Scooter II lightweight helicopter available now through a company in Nevada.
CONAV—short for the naval forces of the fictitious coalition of Pacific Republics.
Digital guardian—based on current identification, location tracking, and condition monitoring technology.
Dimethyl Sulphide—a biological sulphur compound emitted over the ocean by phytoplankton.
Electric shields—based on shields in current use for riot control.
Holovision—based on 3D technology under development now.
Mid-Norte—a fictitious republic encompassing the former central region of the USA.
New Columbia—a fictitious republic encompassing the former province of British Columbia and the states of Washington and Oregon.
Prairie Shield—a fictitious republic encompassing the former provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Refugia—locations of remnant populations of once widespread animal or plant species.
Skin boat—type of boat dating back thousands of years; modern ones are made of wood and nylon or other cloth instead of animal skins.
Sky car—based on Moller International’s M400 Skycar, a personal vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.
Tayberry—cross between a blackberry and a raspberry.
Note: Readers can find discussion guides for each of the stories at www.triciadower.com.
Acknowledgements
MANY THANKS TO:
My husband Colin Dower who, with love, philosophy, and plenty of snacks, saw me through the three years it took to complete this collection.
Fellow writer Larry Connolly who, as the first professional reader of each story, made sure I did not go outside with my slip showing, so to speak. His humour, candour, and insight have been invaluable.
The talented and supportive members of my writing group in Victoria: Leanne Baugh-Peterson, Susan Braley, Diana Jones, and Marybeth Nelson who laboured with me through sometimes multiple versions of these stories and have joyously journeyed with me each step of the publication process.
Early readers of multiple stories: Martin Cloutier, Susan DiPlacido, T. J. Forrester, Steven Gajadhar, Steve Hughes, Liesl Jobson, Barbara Milton, Tripp Reade, Brandi Reissenweber, Brian Reynolds, Danna Layton Sides, Diane Smith, and Andrew Tibbetts – most, fellow participants in the Zoetrope Virtual Studio for which I thank its sponsor, Francis Ford Coppola.
My son Mike Wolfgang, daughter Katie Wolfgang, daughter-in-law Kate O’Rourke, son-in-law Carman Lawrick, sister and brother-in-law Lillian and Glenn Dobbs, and friends Suzie Labonne, Nancy Swartz, Don Pinder, and Wayne McNulty for believing in me, even when I didn’t. An extra thank you to Katie for lendin
g her professional expertise to the book promotion.
Ashley and CC for saying “cool” when hearing about Grandma’s book.
Luciana Ricciutelli, Editor-in-Chief, and the board of directors of Inanna Publications for their enthusiastic acceptance and support of Silent Girl.
William Shakespeare, wherever he is.
Photo: Destrubé
Tricia Dower’s fiction has appeared in Room of One’s Own, The New Quarterly, Hemispheres, Cicada, NEO, Insolent Rudder, and Big Muddy. Having explored various North American locations, she now lives and writes in Victoria, British Columbia. Silent Girl is her first book.