Edith lifts her hands to her face
as if to count the number of fingers on each hand. I notice that she is able to
turn her eyes right in to focus on the object a few centimetres from her
face. Instead of counting she gargles
some dental fricatives. Not any recognisable consonant. It’s her ‘ I’m busy
working’ language.
*
I’m just back home and Edith is
always happy to see me. But she doesn’t like sitting in her high chair much.
It’s too much of a bucket seat, and who likes bucket seats, right? She likes to
sit upright at the moment, alert and able to look around. So to voice
disapproval she lets out an almighty aaaaiiiieeeeeaeaeaeae, her tongue folding
itself through the sounds. This is longer, more complex than the usual monophthong
cries. This is dissatisfaction language.
*
And then at other times I try a conversation.
She will squeak and I’ll squeak back…
but nothing. I can try words or sounds but she just listens to me. She’s not going to interrupt herself
thinking. She does not need to sound out her thinking.
