Al Naham
anorak
/ˈænəˌræk/
noun
1.
a warm waterproof hip-length jacket usually with a hood, originally worn in polar regions, but now worn for any outdoor activity
2.
(informal, derogatory) a socially inept person with a hobby considered by most people to be boring
The old men say that singing the fidjeri makes one go blind, but what can I do? I am al naham on a pearl ship and it is my job to sing while stronger men risk their lives diving beneath the surface of the coastal waters. The hours are long and the days hot, but Allah has given me a mighty voice. I sing of longing for family and home. Tears fill my eyes as I sing. My vision blurs. This is the way of things. Soon my eyes will resemble the pearls my shipmates collect.
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Comments (3 so far!)
Anorak
Thanks Jim. Curiously, this one isn't exactly fiction. Its based of real stories. The folk belief was that the emotion in the music made the naham go blind. The truth seems to be that because they spend all day looking up at the sun while they sing on the pearl ships they frequently develop cataracts rendering them blind with white eyes.
- #2437 Posted 8 years ago
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Anorak
It's much shorter than what I typically put on Ficlatte. It was written as part of a 100 word challenge. They decided not to run this story, but I was still pretty proud of it so I thought I'd share it here :)
- #2438 Posted 8 years ago
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- Published 8 years ago and featured 8 years ago.
- Story viewed 8 times and rated 0 times.
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Jim Stitzel
Interesting premise.