I have already written about inherited language in "The Root of Oral Tradition" and "Basingstoke, my love..." and I am becoming ever more conscious of what you could call my oral inheritance.
My Granny has had two strokes which have left her unable to speak. This horrible disability has been made all the more poignant for me as it coincides with Carla being at a particularly vocal phase of development. Carla is furiously trying to communicate with us and babbling "da, da, da" from waking to sleeping whilst her famously outspoken Great-Grandmother is trapped without a voice.
At times Carla is clearly happy with her linguistic progress. When in the bath she triumphantly picks up her yellow seahorse and says something that sounds like "duck-duck-duck". When we say "clap hands", she understands and claps. But at other times (particularly meal or bed times...) Carla's contented babble turns to frustrated ranting, some of which probably translates as "Come on parents, make an effort to understand me".
When learning a language, comprehension precedes communication. The ability to understand but to remain unable to communicate is an immensely frustration situation to be in. To have lost the ability to communicate, however, is more than a mere frustration.
Having suffered two strokes int he past three months, Carla's Great-grandmother lost her ability to speak. When visiting Granny a few weeks ago, the extent of her desperation was made all the more moving by Carla's presence. Granny sat silent but determined; I could see she was willing her mouth and vocal chords to work. She managed a few words: "ice-cream", "no", and "Bye-bye". Opposite sat Carla feverishly babbling and willing us to understand her. Granny knocked on the table to get Carla's attention and when Carla looked up, they smiled at each other, a knowing kind of smile.
Shakespeare was right with his Seven Ages of Man, but to see this "second childishness" played out before me was almost more than I could bear. Carla will learn to talk and her frustration will be lifted: I may never hear my Grandmother's voice again and if I think to hard on this it overwhelms me with grief. But, somehow, during that visit, Carla and Granny did "speak" to one another and this is a reminder that no matter how difficult it might be, if you are determined to communicate, it can be done; a language can always be found. Our oral tradition is not lost.
