Blanca Like Snow

Chapter 16 - Languages

Chapter glossary

Omo: in Korean, an expression of surprise. Equivalent to "oh boy."

❅ ❅ ❅

         "Omo!" Nora exclaims the moment I walk in, after falling in to that puddle of mud, barely saving my casts but not my bum. Her eyes widen and her lips part, forming a small O of surprise. "I leave you alone ten minutes and you come back covered in mud."

"Technically," I correct her, raising my index finger as a teacher giving a lesson. "I'm not covered in mud, just partially covered. My front is almost untouched and I did my best to save my casts."

"How did it even happen?" she asks, walking up to me to help me as I'm not using the crutch.

She stayed inside because Louise called her to ask how things are going and keep us up to date. They can't talk much, because it would be suspicious, considering Nora is supposed to be in Seoul right now, so I went out to give them some space to talk and to clear my head.

She helps me to the showers, so we can strip me off my dirty clothes and wash up before changing into new and clean ones.

"I lost my balance when I saw the dogs running in my direction. I'm sure it's Guillermo's fault, though. He sent the dogs in my direction."

"Guillermo?" Nora asks, her confusion shows in the way her eyebrows furrow together.

Even if she speaks Spanish, and just like any person who knows a bit about languages, she knows nouns like names should not be translated. So even if she knows Guillermo is the equivalent for William in Spanish, she wouldn't expect me to translate it and refer to Will as now I do. It's childish, I know, but it's a small satisfaction to change his name.

"The dirty hippie," I explain. "We had another fight and I'm sure he sent the dogs in my direction to get back at me."

After two weeks of constant bickering and shouting, Nora isn't surprised Will and I fight every time we run into each other. It's honestly just bickering, pushing each other's buttons. I had planned ignoring him at first, but those comments, made in whispers, barely audible yet loud enough for me to hear when I walk pass him got on my nerves. Without realising, I started replying and we haven't stopped since then.

"So now you call him Guillermo?" Nora chuckles to herself, helping me with my dirty clothes. "Why is that so?"

"I dunno," I reply, shrugging. "He's just a monolingual idealist who thinks he understands the whole world but just speaks one language and I want to rub in his face there's more than just English."

Nora stops helping me with my clothes to stare at me as if she's disappointed in me for saying such a thing.

"Blanca, you know not everyone can learn more than language. People who speak the lingua franca don't need to learn another to communicate, and without a need they don't care that by learning other language they broaden their horizons and understand a culture, but not for that you have to rub it in their faces or disregard them. It's their choice, and all choices have to be respected equally." I look away because I know I'm just being petty. "You've never looked down on someone for not being even bilingual."

"I know!" I protest, angry at myself because Will makes me be this childish. "But everything about him annoys me, even things I don't care about in other people. It bothers me that he thinks he's better than I am when he's just a guy filled with white guilt."

"Okay, calm down," Nora tells me, her hands on my shoulders, body leaned in so we can be at eye level as I'm sitting down on the toilet lid. "You're spending too much energy on someone you don't like. I know you feel constantly attacked and judged by him, but my Blanca isn't this petty and childish."