Death by Shorties

My back felt like I’d borrowed it from a 90-year-old arthritic grandma by midday. Fortunately the kids had lost some of their enthusiasm by then too, or I’d probably have been walking like Quasimodo by nightfall. One, a bold little coppery colored girl named Ghee, refused to give up at first, though. She kept tugging on my shorts and asking, “Are you strong now?”

My personal “are we there yet?” apparently.

I tried to tell her that if she wanted to be tall later, I had to rest for a bit. But my skills with Azu-nah tense are still pretty laughable, so I’m not sure I really got my point across all the way.

She did say I’m learning the language okay. Or, rather she told me, “you learn and make bhukaosi well.” It wasn’t until later in the day that Kohric explained that was the name for their language (“bhukaosi to Azu-nah, inguleesh to hyooman!”) The word is actually two words mashed together; the words “breath” and “to mould/to shape”. Language is shaped breath? I kinda like that.

Anyway, I managed to distract the kids with a new game as we went on. There were only four of them, so it was easy to pay attention to them all (D’Keda seems to have only a few “children” as it were. There’s these guys, who are perhaps 5-10 in human years, a handful of babies that are currently making the trip in slings across mom or dad’s flank, and a couple “teenagers” like Nandi).

I would point to an object, say “What is this thing?” and they would tell me what it was. The first to identify the thing would “win,” and get a high five if they wanted. They actually really enjoyed this game, and I was genuinely interested since a lot of it I had never seen before. Sometimes I would make the game harder and point to different parts of an object, like a plant, and ask what that part was. This came in particularly handy when I encountered one plant-like thing that was a vibrant royal blue from top to bottom. Apparently its roots are quite tasty, but only when it turns yellow.

I got to learn a lot about the kids’ personalities too. Ghee is loud and bold. She was first more often than anyone, and she is a persistent little bugger. She kept asking to be tall, too. All. Freakin’. Afternoon.

Nyarno is a bit hyper and easily distracted. He didn’t win much because he’d always be fussing with something else, or running around chasing some little grass creature. He’s a buff yellow color with a black “mask” across his face and muzzle. He looks like a little bandit!

Oshtik is the opposite of Ghee in every way. She’s smaller and quiet. But she catches everything. She’s really bright. She rarely won our game, but she would tell me more about the things I pointed at than any of the others. She’s white with black socks and a few patches of black across her back.

Eyani. He’s hard to describe. He’s the solemn little one who first said he couldn’t see. He’s actually really sweet. I think all he wants is to feel like part of the group, and he kept staying right with me all afternoon, even when the others would run off chasing some creature or another. I discovered he likes it if I ruffle his hair. He’s pale blue with a darker underbelly.

The entire clan took a pit stop a few hours after midday, when the sun was getting positively blistering. Everyone had a bit of a siesta in whatever shreds of shade or cool high grass they could find. I sat down and took out my computer pad to draw the little ones during the break.

The youngsters couldn’t resist this opportunity, though. They pounced on me all at once, and Nyarno stole my stylus. Ghee sat on my chest and said she’d caught “big prey.” I did an impressive zombie impersonation and struck back by blowing the dreaded raspberries on whatever bit of tail or leg I could catch. Eventually they “killed” me. I put up a good fight, but I was pretty happy being “dead.” It meant I didn’t have to walk or carry anyone!

Now where the hell did that little booger put my stylus?