Dictionary of my Heart
Ameokk tells August various Storm Speak words over the course of ~9 yrs, despite September urging (conditioning) them to forget them, and despite their own twisted emotions over many of them. Part of them wants to forget too, but half in guilt and half in spite, they refuse to. August helps.
Author's Notes
Aug is 13 and amek 15 here
Kuom: led him away by the hand
Ketet: a swear
Tejak: sing
Tuyyan: sorry
The noise of the crowd, even through the walls, beat into August’s skull.
As Ameokk led him away by the hand, he squinted his eyes shut. Lights blared through his eyelids still. Dizzying orange and yellow blobs.
They found a balcony where the noise was reduced to a low drone. The crisp air kissed August’s cheeks, and he breathed it in gratefully.
Ameokk said something under his breath, but it got lost in the rustle of leaves in the wind, so he hummed in question.
“It was too hokking loud. Kuom, that means loud.” After a beat they added, “Jakuom, that means very loud.”
He pondered that. “The Ja makes it very loud?” Then he froze. “I – I that – I asked – asked a question, sorry. I’m sorry, forget I said that.”
“No, that’s fine, Aenhas, that’s okay. I’m not mad, it’s okay.”