Jylli-18

Let’s see where you are.  You speak and understand English very well - maybe some of our regional and cultural terms are different, but those will come quickly enough.  Do you know what you want out of school?

Reading, writing and whatever else I need.  I mean there is so much I don’t know, how can I possibly know?  Most of all I want to learn how to learn. I want to not have to rely on everyone so much.  People say I’m too much of a cost.  School would cost because the building would have to be changed and special books and supplies would have to be made.  

We need to fix that. What about your schooling so far?

There is story telling, singing and a little math, but mostly it is how to be a farmer.   It starts the same for boys and girls, but at we’re twelve boys and girls get separate lessons.  If a women can’t have a child she works for those who can.  A few of those childless women become teachers.  There isn’t any training.  They’re just told they’ll be a teacher for twenty years.

What if she doesn’t like it?

There isn’t a choice.  Not having a child leaves you with few choices, but the same is true for those who have one.

Sing me a song in your language so I can hear what it sounds like.

I’ll make it a quiet one.  

<Jylli> sits and quietly sings for over ten minutes.  The language sounds familiar and foreign. The sound’s flow reminds her of Swedish, but more lyrical.  Jylli looks almost like she is in a trance as she sings.  

That’s the first part..  I’ll stop there..

Oh that was so beautiful.  What was it about?  

It is about the first golden light of an autumn morning coming through the fog that forms over the meadow.  A young woman walks through the fog as it laps against her legs.  She turns to see three deer watching her through the parted mist.  They have a connection and her mind flies…  it is the feeling of the sound of the sound’s song - the sound of the golden color against my skin that i love.  it relaxes me and makes the little hairs on my spine stand at attention.

It was very long and complex.  How do you study pieces like that without books?  

We listen and try to repeat.  Jack told me I have a very good memory for words and sounds.  I think I am like humans in many ways, but there are a few differences besides our sizes.  

Like what?

I would sing for Jack and he hears sound and the words.  When we sing there is image, color, feeling and even smell for some.  I always  close my eyes to feel more strongly.  it makes me sing better.   When I sing in harmony we can feel each other’s feelings.  I would love to know what you hear and how that is different, but we can’t tell. Do you see the same color in a sunset?  Isn’t that a delicious quesiton?

I think I could learn from you Jylli.  How about this?  I don’t know your schedule, but I’d be happy to meet a few times a week and teach you how to read.  

How do I pay you?  

Don’t worry about that.  I’ll learn from it too, so we’l just call it even.

Really!?!

Really!

Just a minute.  You have to promise to work very hard and to tell me where it is too difficult or too easy.  I would also like you to tell me about your traditions and stories.  I love stories.  

Oh I want so much to jus tpick you up and hug you!  I shouldn’t, but I would.  

We need to sort out some things.  And I..

Oh ..  here comes Suzy.

Hello Mrs Grosse.  You’re both all smiles.  

Susan…  I have a favor to ask.  I’ve agreed to tutor Jylli.  I can spend about three hours a week meeting with her, if she has the time, and at least that much preparing.  She’s going to have to work very hard and could probably use some help.  The two of you seem to be good friends.  Would you be the person who helps.

I don’t know exactly how I’d help, but I’ll try.

For starters could you find some poems you like and teach them to her?  She has a good head for memorizing, but you need to explain the symbolism.  Can you do that?

Like your class?

Exactly. I’m going to be working more with the basics of reading, but Jylli’s going to be bored and needs something richer.  I’ll help out with that too, but she needs a study partner. 

Jylli - I’m going to ask my son Herman about a gizmo to let you read books and find a way to teach you some science and math.  We have projectors in the school that may help you read.  Maybe he can invent something better.  Come to think of it one of those projectors would help with the lessons.  I’ll call him and see if he can show you girls how it works.  Susan, you can be Jylli’s hands.  Focusing is tricky.  Something is going to happen Jylli.

I can’t even begin!  I still feel like I need to pay you.

Jylli, retirement is boring.  I needed a challenge and you happen to be a big one.  Maybe you can help someone else when you’re older.

There’s a just frosted three layer chocolate cake on the table.  Mr Grosse is supposed to watch his weight so I was planning on giving it to the neighbors.  They can wait, Susan and I can have a piece and Jylli, you can have the rest.  It’s probably too small, but we can’t leave you out.

<Jylli carefully bites off half of the cake and slowly rolls it around on her tongue taking in all of the flavor>

Oh Florence!  This is wonderful.  You must realize this ruins me.

<now she savors the rest by licking it off the little plate>

They won’t be big, but I can arrange for a cake or two for celebrations when you make progress. Maybe more for a lot of progress. Here’ - I’ll give you a poem to start with.  You can memorize it and the two of you can talk about what it means before next time.   ‘Shall I Compare Thee’ by William Shakespeare - the greatest writer of English.  

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:

Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest;

  So long as men can breathe , or eyes can see,

  So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. 

I’ll say about half of it and then you try it…